While many non-profits and churches are just beginning to realize the potential possibilities of social media, others are reaping the rewards of their hard work. While it’s critical that your organization have a Facebook fan page and Twitter account – that’s just a first step – you are missing a huge opportunity by not training your members to be your greatest social media advocates.
It’s my strong opinion that the 500 million members of Facebook aren’t simply visiting to wish each other a happy birthday or post vacation photos. We naturally are looking for ways to learn, grow and seek stronger relationships. And for many, life has left them wounded; they are seeking a nurturing community. Your church or non-profit has a great opportunity to reach out to these seekers through the tools of social media.
With a basic understanding of the social web, you realize how quickly a message can spread through a network. Many progressive churches have realized the power of their networks. Two of the largest churches in the country have created websites devoted to training both lay leaders and their members to embrace new media:
Your church may not have the capacity to create a website to share resources, but you could certainly provide face-to-face training opportunities:
- How to use Facebook or Twitter;
- Basics of web safety;
- Nurturing through Facebook;
- Etc.
While for many, the primary goal of social media training will be for the purposes of evangelism, there are numerous reasons you should consider training your constituency:
- Event promotions,
- Growing your network,
- Increase giving,
- Storytelling,
- Disaster relief efforts,
- Etc.
As you begin to consider and plan a training opportunity, you must first know your social media goals. Each organization should create a unique social media strategy. It’s not something that is created in a cookie cutter fashion. You’re congregation isn’t like the church down the street, so your social media plan should represent the heart of your ministry.
