social media chat best practices for engaging congregational audiences through social media
TRANSCRIPT
Social Media ChatBest practices for engaging congregational audiences through social media.
Agenda• Facebook and Twitter at-a-glance• Demographics• Advantages and Disadvantages• Best practices
• Resources• Q&A
Facebook: Demographics• According to a Pew
Research survey release this winter, Facebook is the top social media platform used by adults on the internet. It also has an even split among race, gender, age, education, and incomes.
Age Groups on Facebook in 2014
18-2930-4950-6465+
18-29 year olds still have the largest percentage of Facebook users among their age group (87%). In 2013, only 45% of 65+ year olds were active on Facebook. Now it’s 56%.
Twitter: Demographics• According to the same
Pew Research survey, Twitter is the fourth social media platform used by online adults. Percentage of users is growing among urban millennials, college graduates, and those with an household income of $50,000 or more.
29% of Facebookusers also
use Twitter.
Advantages
• Variety of posts types.• Multiple levels of
representation (brand page versus group).• Segmentation of
audience (i.e. location, gender, relationship status, etc.).• Analytics (track what
works).
• Great for sharing live or in the moment coverage/commentary.• Audience listening
through hashtags.• Peer-to-Peer
conversation.• Analytics (track what
works).
Disadvantages• Limited reach without advertising.• Need to budget additional time for content creation.• There can be a lot of noise to cut through in order to reach
your audience.• Not all social media platforms are appropriate for your goals.
You may have to use a combination of them at once.
Best Practices• Develop a content calendar or strategy, have it match what is
currently happening with in the congregation.• Post on a regular basis, train your audience when to expect
updates from you.• Experiment with what posting times work for your audience.
(It may vary depending on the platform.)• Don’t be afraid to repurpose content, created by yourself or a
comparative organization.
Engagement Opportunities• Host a “Friends &
Family” event and create an event page on through your brand page and encourage fans to invite their friends.• Use video to pose a
question or share a reflection about a current event.
• Share highlights from a recent sermon.• Ask your followers or
supporters to share their favorite moments from the recent sermon.
• Photos are king.• Post images from
events, post representational images, or motivational quotes.
Engagement Opportunities• Tweet Chats or Facebook
Q&As• Promote a few days in advance.• Invite discussion (or questions)
about the recent service, community event, or popular topic.
• Create a unique hashtag for Twitter to keep track of the conversation and potentially use in the future.
• Examples include:• MomsRising’s #FoodFri chat on
Twitter• New York Times’
Q&A about marijuana legalization on Facebook
Measuring Success• Facebook and Twitter
offer free analytics on a post/tweet and profile/brand page level.• Engagement vs. Reach or
Impressions• Followers and Page Likes• Influencers
• Set measurable goals and check regularly.
Resources• Beth’s Blog: Tips on how nonprofits can leverage social media and
data• www.bethkanter.org
• JC Social Marketing: Best practices for social media and analytics• www.jcsocialmarketing.com/blog
• NpEngage: Best practices for content marketing and fundraising for nonprofits• www.npengage.com
• Pew Research Center: Social media, e-mail, and Internet trends • www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/09/social-media-update-2014
• Social Media Examiner: Great for news, updates to social media platforms, and practical tips• www.socialmediaexaminer.com
• TechSoup: Tech, design, and website tutorials for nonprofits• www.forums.techsoup.org/cs/community