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Social Media Best Practices for Congregations

Presentation for Admin Professionals DayElizabeth Presbytery

Rev. Shannan Vance-Ocampo, Moderator-Elect

What should we do?

What can we do?Does this make a difference?

Why should we engage?

Who is on social media?

+Watch a video

Social Media Revolution

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

z6ef8Cter1E

+Some stats from the video and questions for congregations they raise: So if 78% of people trust an online review of a product, then how do

they decide which church to go to?

If 60 million status updates happen each day, shouldn’t your congregation’s good news be one of them? Shouldn’t the Good News of Jesus?

1 out of 8 couples married today in the United States met via social media—this has an impact on our congregations and how we do weddings!

Gens Y and Z consider email “passé.” So how do we want to reach them?

If someone types the name of your congregation into Google and runs a search what would they find? Try it when you get home!

If our call is to share God’s Word and to make disciples, then how do we engage SM?

+Overview of Terms: Facebook/Google+ — Two most popular social sites. Allows you to build your

own personal webpage—and invite friends. Privacy filters, etc.

Twitter — ”Microblogging” site, 140 characters or less. Has a particular language (#, RT, etc.)

Pinterest — Photo journaling and idea-sharing

Blogging — Journaling (Tumblr, Wordpress, etc.)

YouTube/Vimeo — Online videos

Wikipedia — Encyclopedia

Yelp — Reviews

Email Marketing — Mail Chimp, Constant Contact (not daily announcements, these should be pushed to website, facbook, twitter, contact email turns people off). E-newsletter 2x/month should be non-wordy, with multiple links.

There are many others!!!!

+Some examples of Social Media in our Presbytery:

Westfield Facebook Twitter

Watchung Avenue (North Plainfield) Facebook Twitter

Presbytery Facebook Twitter

Red Ribbon Fellowship (HIV/AIDS Ministry in Elizabeth)

+Some Examples of Social Media in the PC(USA) Office of Public Witness

Twitter Facebook Blog

United Nations Office Twitter Facebook Blog

Presbyterian Women Blog

PCUSA on Twitter #PCUSA

Presbyterians on Twitter listing

+Resources (books):

+Resources (websites/articles):

PBS interviews Twitter’s Claire Diaz-Ortiz, on Social Innovation and religious group’s best practices

DIOSA Communications

ECLA Ideas on Social Media

This presentation on Slideshare