united reformed church: digital confidence with @drbexl
DESCRIPTION
A 135 minute session for the United Reformed Church by Dr Bex Lewis of Digital FingerprintTRANSCRIPT
URC: DIGITAL CONFIDENCE
Dr Bex Lewis, Digital Fingerprint
http://www.slideshare.net/drbexl/united-reformed-church-digital-confidence-with-
drbexl
June 2014 for: http://www.urc.org.uk
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International
https://twitter.com/drbexl
Let’s “tweet” each other… “Let’s Tweet Each Other”
SOCIAL Media
"If you want to build a presence in the social media platform, then you need to be
present." - @unmarketing
The Big Questions
•Why•Where•When•What •Who
•To achieve what?
•How do the digital tools help achieve this?
WHY?
Image Credit: The Worship Cloud
Understand the Culture
http://youtu.be/zxpa4dNVd3c
The Church Front Door?For many churchgoing is no longer the ‘cultural norm’. People don’t actively ignore the church: they don’t even think about it. … With literally billions in the digital spaces, the online social spaces presented by churches need to be appealing, welcoming, and not look like they are just an afterthought: they are now effectively the ‘front door’ to your church for digital users, and you ignore those spaces at your peril.
http://www.churchgrowthrd.org.uk/blog/churchgrowth/growing_churches_in_the_digital_age Image Credit: Sxc.hu
We are not selling something to the world that will make more people like us, believe in our story, join our churches. We are trying to be something in the world that invites connection and compassion, encourages comfort and healing for those in need, and challenges those in power to use that power in the service of justice and love
(Drescher, 2011, 127)
Networks of Networks
Image Credit: Purchased Stockfresh
Social Media: More than the cherry on the cake!
WHY IS THERE SO MUCH FEAR?
Image Source: RGBStock
An incredible new technology enables the transmission of text on a worldwide basis. It rapidly reduces production and distribution costs and for the first time allows large numbers of people to access text and pictures in their own homes.
https://twitter.com/LeistCatalano/status/473076349394255872/photo/1
“Furedi suggests that moral panics have a tendency to occur ‘at times when society has not been able to adapt to dramatic changes’ and when such change leads those concerned to express fear over what they see as a loss of control.”http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Students/lcs9603.html
Image Credit: Stockfresh
Image Credit: http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/video-assist
Digital Literacy (JISC)
“digital literacy defines those capabilities which fit an individual for living, learning and working in a digital society”
Lion Hudson (2014)
Human Beings at machines, not “are machines”
Image Source: Stockfresh
What (Biblical) values do we want to see in our (digital) world?
Image Credit: iStockPhoto
WHERE?
OPENING THE TOOLBOX
http://www.maylor.net/2013/08/25/social-media-explained-for-churches
http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/files/2014/01/social-media-networks.png
Image Credit: Landingnet.co.uk
10 Essentials for Twitter
1: 140 Characters
Train Tweets
2: Followers
3: Bio
https://twitter.com/c_of_e/
https://twitter.com/ourcofe
https://twitter.com/BathWells
https://twitter.com/ccwinch
https://twitter.com/spckpublishing
https://twitter.com/biblesummary
https://twitter.com/Natwivity
4: RTs, MTs & HTs
RTs, MTs and HTs
5: #Hashtags
Join Pre-Existing Conversations
6: Trending Topics
26/05/14: 22:56
7: Favourites
8: Lists
9 : Verification
10: It’s good for…
• New connections via shared interests• Building your “brand”• Pre/During/Post Event Conversations• Breaking news• Asking questions• Sharing good resources• Sharing pithy statements/quotes• Being “polemical”
P.S. https://support.twitter.com/articles/14589-how-to-add-your-phone-via-sms
Tweeting in Church?
• Good Thing?• Bad Thing?• Why might/might not people tweet in church?
• What might encourage more ‘engagement’?
Image Credit: Purchased Stockfresh
9 Essentials for Facebook
1: Personal Profile
2: Write on Walls
3: Pages
https://www.facebook.com/DigitalBible/info
Facebook Insights
4: Groups
http://bigbible.org.uk/2012/10/a-good-news-story-murielsowden/
5: Events
6: The Like Button
‘Amongst Friends…’
7: Age/Gender
8: Help!
9: Facebook functions in ministry?
• Encourage Community• Whole (life) Church• Groups (e.g. 20s30s)
• Give others insights into ‘church life’ e.g. photo sharing
• Offer pastoral care• *Youth: PM’s, CC parents/another leader in
• Advertise Events
9 Thoughts for YouTube
http://www.jeffbullas.com/2013/02/11/the-facts-and-figures-on-youtube-in-2013-infographic
1: Search
YouTube: “How To Pray”
https://www.youtube.com/user/theyearinreviewUK
2: Popular?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYXGVzPydF8
3: Church?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpmM02IE6oI
4: Everyday Tools
Go to: http://www.youtube.com
4: Sign Up
5: Upload
https://www.youtube.com/upload
https://support.google.com/youtube/topic/2888648?hl=en-GB
6: Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/URCUK
7: Playlist
8: Comment
9: Simple ideas for Video
•Think of the STORIES you have to tell, and how you might tell them –• Events: Before/After• Sermons: Quick Overviews/Responses
• People & Their Lives• What can you “How To”?
The Visual…
http://www.pinterest.com/kristoff88/youth-work-ideas/
http://instagram.com/drbexl
Image Sources, e.g. • FREE• http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons• http://www.sxc.hu• http://rgbstock.com• http://www.freebibleimages.org • PAID• http://theworshipcloud.com (Christian)• http://stockfresh.com/ • http://iStockPhoto.com • See: http://bigbible.org.uk/about/policies/image-policy/ for more
Image Credit: Stockfresh
WHEN?
1 : Hootsuite
http://www.slideshare.net/drbexl/daily-twitter-workout
2: Buffer
http://www.google.com/alerts
WHAT?
Think about
•Keywords•Humour•Vulnerability•Authenticity•Stories
Principles of Good Engagement
•Be interesting•Be encouraging•Be active•Be helpful•Be authentic
Image Credit: Stockfresh
WHO?
Your audience•Who are you interested in reaching/listening to?
•What ‘problems’ are you seeking to solve for them?
Image Credit: Purchased Stockfresh
Agree a (flexible) Social Media Policy
Image credit: SXC.Hu
http://www.methodist.org.uk/ministers-and-office-holders/technology-and-church/social-media-guidelines • The principles applied to this are:• Be credible. Be accurate, fair, thorough and transparent.• Be consistent. Encourage constructive criticism and deliberation.• Be cordial, honest and professional at all times. Be responsive.
When you gain insight, share it where appropriate.• Be integrated. Wherever possible, align online participation with
other communications.• Be a good representative of the Methodist Church. Remember that
you are an ambassador for Christ, the Church and your part of it. Disclose your position asa member or officer of the Church, making it clear when speaking personally. Let Galatians 5:22-26 guide your behaviour.
• Be respectful: respect confidentiality. Respect the views of others even where you disagree.
Bath & Wells Diocese 9 Twitter Rules• Don't rush in• Remember tweets are transient yet permanent• Be a good ambassador for the Church• Don't hide behind anonymity• Be aware of public/private life boundaries• Maintain a professional distance• Stay within the law• Respect confidentiality• Be mindful of your own security
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25848873
http://twitterforchurches.com/blog/2009/06/29/crisis-communications-for-the-social-media-age/Don’t overthink. Running through committees, endless drafts and approval processes to get a response out there can cause far more damage than good. As long as you have taken the time to assess the situation and can take a rational, respectful tone in your response, even an awkward response is OK to start with, and buys you time to continue to respond to the problem.
Don’t forget…
Image Credit: Stockfresh
What is your ONE takeaway action?
@drbexl @digitalfprint @bigbible
Questions?
http://www.slideshare.net/drbexl/united-reformed-church-digital-confidence-with-drbexl