The document discusses the importance of social media in ministry, outlining its role in facilitating interactive communication and reaching larger audiences. It highlights trends in social media usage, preferences of church users, and effective content strategies for church engagement. Additionally, it looks towards future developments like seamless sharing and niche community interactions.

1. Using Social Media in
Ministry
Jason Caston - @jasoncaston
Internet Church Developer

2. What I do
 I am an internet church developer for TD Jakes
ministries and author of TheiChurchMethod.com
 I Build Internet Church interactive streaming portals
 I help create Social Media strategies for communities
that have over a million social connections
 I develop Mobile Websites and Apps
 Find out what’s the latest and greatest technology now
and integrate into the ministry as well as what will be
hot in 1 - 3 years and move towards that

3. Why is Social Media
Important in ministry
 Interactive two way conversation, way for people to
reach the ministry
 Faster, immediate connection, immediate response
 More people can be reached right where they are

4. Trends in Social Media
 Top social networks
 Facebook - 900 million+
 Youtube - 600 million+
 Twitter - 200 million+
 Linkedin - 161 million+
 Pinterest - 15 million+

5. Trends in Social Media
 Integration into websites (share everything)
 Addtoany.com
 Sharethis.com
 Moving towards seamless sharing
 Internet church campuses with social media login and
usage

6. Rise of the visual social
media network
 Youtube was first example of this
 Facebook Timeline
 Twitter Pictures feature
 Pinterest
 Instagram

7. Church Social Media Usage
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
None
Pinterest
Youtube
Twitter
Facebook
*Churches responding to online survey conducted by Church Leadership Org

8. What do Church users want in
social media
 Personality - the pulse of the ministry and the feel of
how the ministry operates
 Relevance - how the church and biblical principles are
relevant to current issues and their lives
 Frequency and Consistency - Post enough to inform
them but not enough to become bothersome. 2 - 4
times daily
 Information - They want to know what’s going in the
church without having to logoff their network. Bring the
church to them

9. What do Church users want in
social media
 Personality - the pulse of the ministry and the feel of
how the ministry operates
 Relevance - how the church and biblical principles are
relevant to current issues and their lives
 Frequency and Consistency - Post enough to inform
them but not enough to become bothersome. 2 - 4
times daily
 Information - They want to know what’s going in the
church without having to logoff their network. Bring the
church to them

10. Types of Content most often
Posted
 Video - #1 consumed internet content
 Links - text with link to a variety of content such as
 Status updates
 Photos - Facebook is the #1 picture websites on the
internet
 Questions - Facebook polling feature with immediate
feedback

11. Basic Social Media Strategy
 Daily Inspiration/Devotion
 Links to service times, live streaming
 Weekly Events at the church in text, links or digital
flyers
 Ministry updates in photos, video or text format
 Pastor's weekly message in video format
 Church products - links to online store

12. Basic Social Media Strategy
When to post
 Morning - 7am - 11am
 Afternoon - 11am - 3pm
 Late Afternoon - 3pm - 6pm
 Evening - 6pm - 11pm
 Overnight - 11pm - 7am

13. Whats coming in the future
 Seamless sharing
 Niche social media login internet church campus
communities
 Tablets and Internet TV
 Google+ Hangouts