3 mistakes that every synagogue can fix in helping to reach families of young Jewish children through online connections.

1. I’M ON FACEBOOK
NOW WHAT?
Meredith Lewis
December 18, 2014
USCJ Family Engagement Network

2. PERVASIVENESS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

3. Facebook commenting has created conversation between bloggers and
readers
Technology posts comments both to our site and to a readers profile/friends’
feeds
You’re A Good Mama
• 245 Comments
• Hashtag still in use
Can A Christian Mother Raise a Jewish Child? Yes, but it’s complicated
• Author interaction. Learned her full story

4. Mi Sheberakh
 158 comments
 Individuals prayers for friends/families
 Looking for a connection

5. WHY DO YOU USE SOCIAL MEDIA?
Stay in touch with family and friends
Photos, videos, life updates
To learn
News stories, articles, viral content
Get advice
Crowdsource
Support
Happy birthday, new baby, get well

6. WHY SHOULD SYNAGOGUES USE SOCIAL MEDIA?
Stay in touch with family and friends
Share “life events” of synagogue
To learn
News stories, articles, viral content
Get advice
Crowdsource
Support
Happy birthday, new baby, get well

7. INDIVIDUAL VS. ORGANIZATIONS
Who should be the “lead” voice?
 Play off of strong, likable personalities.
 Don’t force it.
 People are transient.
 People can’t do it alone. They are the change
agents, but need amplification of institution
Either way, imagine the personality of the poster
and define it.

8. 3 TALKING POINTS
Below are three mistakes or areas that we can all
refine.
• Talking only to yourself
• Talking only about yourself
• Talking only to the people you know

9. TALKING ONLY TO YOURSELF
Get your message out on other channels
Seek out places where local parents find information
• Local parenting boards/websites
• Facebook groups
• Mommy Poppins, Macaroni Kids, Red Tricycle,
Hulafrog, Timeout, Koddler, etc.
Focus on what’s active and what people actually use
Ask lay leaders and allow them to help

10. TALKING ONLY ABOUT YOURSELF
Post content to encourage likes, comments and shares
Increases engagement rate
Find sources people love
• Kveller
• Tablet, MyJewishLearning, niched-Jewish content
• Parenting sites such as Scary Mommy or a local
blogger
• Local issues that matter
Facebook favors publishers & strives for actual
“newsfeed”

11. TALKING TO ONLY THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW
Avoid jargon
• Redefine what jargon is based on the channel
Basic welcoming principles apply here too
Avoid repurposing if it doesn’t fit when possible
• Posting flyers and emails to Facebook
• Stock images when actuals exist
Remember the friends of friends Facebook rule

12. FAQS
Where do they click to? Your website
• Updated and intuitive
• Can they sign up, follow?
• Do what you can well, don’t overreach
Do I reach all my fans? No
Should you pay to boost? Probably not
What’s next? Instagram

13. If you think of “social media” your mind
automatically goes to producing content for
customers to consume, or perhaps soliciting their
input. But, once firms recognize that consumers
want to connect to each other, they can develop
social strategies that do exactly that under the
umbrella of their brand.
Mikołaj Jan Piskorski, Harvard Business School
http://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2014/03/17/social-media-and-
branding-a-one-on-one-with-a-harvard-business-professor/

14. MORE RESOURCES
Connected Congregations from Darim Online
 http://www.slideshare.net/darimonline/connected-communications
 http://connectedcongregations.org/resources/
Allison Fine
 http://allisonfine.com/
Beth Kanter
 http://www.bethkanter.org/