1. For Parishes and Education

2. Facebook Users

3. Twitter Users

4. Google+ Users

5. YouTube Videos Watched

6. CARA Study Of Catholics Online
 62% have a Facebook account
 17% have a LinkedIn account
 15% have a Google+ account
 13% have a Twitter account
 50% share to Tumblr at least once a day
 44% share to Instagram at least once a day
 34% share to Twitter at least once a day
 20% share to Google+ and Pinterest at least once a day

7. CARA Study Catholics Online
 Only 31% have a profile identifying them as Catholic
 95% DO NOT read blogs on the Church or faith
 Only 4% go to a parish website for information about
the Catholic faith
 Only 4% go to Facebook accounts for information
about the Catholic faith

8. It’s . . .
 Not yet a part of our Church culture . . .

9. Parish Communication Primarily
Looks Like . . .

10. Parish Communication Online
Looks Like . . .

11. The Plan to Get There

12. Social Media & Social Networking
 These terms are often intertwined
 Social Media is any media that can be commented on and/or
shared
 Blog posts or online articles
 Online video
 Online podcasts
 Online photos
 Social Networks are services for connecting with others online
and/or sharing social media
 Facebook
 Twitter
 LinkedIn
 YouTube
 Etc

13. The role of social media within
parishes and education
 Provides new avenues of communication
 Connect and communicate to groups like never before
(Google+ Hangouts, Facebook Groups, Hashtags, etc.)
 Connect with parishioners throughout the week
 Provide new impactful ways to deliver messages or
support a point (i.e. video, podcast, blog article, etc.)
 Provide a means to begin a conversation and engage
others
 Provide a method for getting messages and
information out to a larger audience in a more timely
manner

14. What is the role of social networks
in parishes or education (cont.)
 Provide a means to overcome barriers inherent to print
(i.e. time, one way communication, etc.)
 Allows the parish community to evangelize as a
group internally and externally
“in these spaces, it is not only ideas and information that
are shared, but ultimately our very selves.” – Pope Benedict
"Social Networks: portals of truth and faith; new
spaces for evangelization."

15. The elements of planning social
media/networking
 The 5 W’s of a plan
 Why
 What
 Who
 When
 Where

16. Why Should We Do This?
 Preceeded by a need
 A barrier you want to overcome
 Something you want to improve
 Etc.
 Find the real purpose - How will this technology contribute
to the solution?
 Avoid just looking to gain simple exposure (i.e. the SEO
Trap)
 Examples
 Keep parishioners better informed
 Share events highlights that people may have been unable to
attend
 Open up dialogue

17. What Services & What Do We Do
With Them?
 Choosing services to use
 Your audience is your parishioners first and foremost
 Where are they (i.e. Facebook. Google+, Twitter, etc.)?
 What is it you wish to achieve, overcome, or improve
 You do NOT need to use all of them. Use the tool(s) that fits
your needs
 What types of content?
 Think of the bulletin without bounds
 Make it fun and interesting
 Check-in at Mass and events
 Ask for photos others have taken and give them credit
 Welcome comments and discussion

18. Multiple Services Is A Good Thing

19. Consistency Is Key

20. Who Will Do This?
 Form a web/digital ministry
 A website person
 A social networking manager
 A photographer
 A videographer
 Set up processes for gathering content and media
 Existing office staff can be involved as well (i.e. managing the
parish social pages and/or Twitter account)
 Common errors
 Placing everything on one person and assuming they can do it
all
 Assuming it’s only young people that can do these things
 Not asking for help

21. Where Does This Take Place?
 Posting and updating
 Thanks to mobile – ANYWHERE
 Don’t be bound to just the office
 Your web/digital ministry leader should have an open
line of communication with the office
 Should meet with the Pastor and/or Parish Manager at
least bi-weekly to discuss ideas and/or issues
 The Ministry members should have an open-line of
communication and meet monthly to discuss ideas and
issues

22. When Should All This Happen?
 Start small and add over time
 Don’t be afraid to experiment
 It will evolve over time
 Set goals and target dates
 Postings and content updates MUST be ongoing but with
awareness of your audience
 Over-sharing is a common mistake on “pages” (i.e.
Facebook, Google+)
 Combine photos and share at one time in an album
 Quality vs. Quantity – Posts should be meant to engage not just
about simple exposure
 Schedule for events and who can cover them for
photos, video, etc.

23. Applications to Help You Manage
 Managing multiple networks
 Hootsuite (Hootsuite.com)
 Sprout Social (SproutSocial.com)
 Mobile Applications
 Twitter app (allows for multiple accounts)
 Tweetcaster
 Hootsuite
 Facebook Pages Manager
 Google+
 Wordpress
 Blogger
 YourTube

24. A Basic Model May Look Like . . .
 A Pastor’s blog
 You have a Wordpress website and will inlude the blog on there.
 The Pastor isn’t comfortable with the platform so he will email the
text to the parish webmaster once or twice a week.
 The parish webmaster will them cut-n-paste the text to a post and
publish.
 The post will be shared out on the parish Facebook page and Twitter
account.
 The pastor will check the post throughout the week to respond to
any comments if necessary
 A Facebook Page
 Assign at least 2 administrators
 Post one to two times per day (i.e. daily readings, events, new
photos, etc.)
 Check each day for new comments you might need to respond to

25. Online Support & Ideas
 Google+ Communities
 Catholic New Media & Tech
 Facebook Group
 Tech Support Group For Churches
 Blogs for ideas and guidance
 CatholicTechTalk.com
 CatholicMom.com
 WordOnFire.org
 Organizations
 Peter and Paul Ministries (PeterAndPaulMinistries.com)
 Pilot New Media (PilotNewMedia.com)

26. Examples . . .
 My Church . . .