Dave Travis, Managing Director of Leadership Network, recently interviewed DJ Chuang, a web and social media coach, on the topic of how churches use social media:
What are the biggest challenges for churches? [ and how do you help solve them]
One of the biggest challenges for churches large and small is to get church communications to flow more rapidly. Social Media is practically instant, yet much of typical church communications is developed for a weekly event or produced over weeks and months. A weekly bulletin is not enough. A website is not enough. What would it look like for a church to train and empower its people — staff, volunteers, and attendees — to communicate quickly using Social Media inside and outside of the church community?
I think everyone knows that Social Media is of growing importance, but how is it important to churches?
DJ: Social Media is important to churches because churches are all about connecting people to people and people to God. Essential to connecting people into relationships is two-way communication, and Social Media has accelerated how millions are communicating with one another on an individual basis. Organizations, both businesses and churches, have been comparatively slower to use Social Media as a part of their communication with their constituents.
So What?
While most churches realize the significance of communications and spend significant amounts of staff time and budget money on it, few effectively leverage social media as a key component of their overall communications strategy. The majority of Americans age 12 and older are now on Facebook yet only about half of all American congregations have a presence on Facebook. Congregations who have not yet entered the social media era would do well to begin with Facebook.
- How much does your congregation rely on print materials for communication (weekly bulletin, newsletter, special marketing and fundraising appeals)?
- Does your parish have a written communications plan/strategy with a defined role for social media? How would you rate your congregation’s current utilization of social media?
- What would it look like for your church to train and empower its people — staff, volunteers, and attendees — to communicate quickly using social media inside and outside of the church community?