Day with 'The Religious' at Catholic Vocations Communications Conference
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Day with 'The Religious' at Catholic Vocations Communications Conference
- 1. Communication Conference 2017 for National Office for Vocation Dr Bex Lewis Senior Lecturer in Digital Marketing, Manchester Metropolitan University Director, Digital Fingerprint Tweet @drbexl 113/05/17 http://bit.ly/LondonReligious
- 3. • Session 1 10:30 - 11:30: Communicating in a Digital Age • Session 2 12:00 – 13:00: Communicating with Images & Words Lunch 13:00 – 14:00 • Session 3 14:00 – 14:45: Institutional Websites • Session 4 15:15 – 16:00: Q&A 13/05/17 Tweet @drbexl 3
- 4. SESSION 1 10:30 - 11:30 Communicating in a Digital Age 13/05/17 Tweet @drbexl 4
- 6. Tweet @drbexl 6 13/05/17 Image source: Stockfresh
- 10. How can the church be a leading light within our society, if we are seen as irrelevant, refusing to engage with the latest technology? Can we lead by example, and show that we are not afraid to experiment, not afraid to fail? If we’re not in the digital spaces, the latest ‘public square’, then we can’t offer an ‘example’ to influence the wider world. We need to be part of people’s everyday conversations, and not just arriving when we have a message to ‘sell’. Sharing our everyday lives, in which stories of humour and vulnerability are particularly powerful, allows us to connect – including with journalists, who find spaces such as Twitter a useful hunting ground for stories, and to build up trusted relationships with potential contributors to stories. Lewis, B. (2017), ‘Social Media Fast for Lent? Not for Me!’, The Medianet, http://themedianet.org/social-media-fast- lent-not/ 13/05/17 Tweet @drbexl 10
- 11. "Emails, text messages, social networks and chats can also be fully human forms of communication, … it is not technology which determines whether or not communication is authentic, but rather the human heart and our capacity to use wisely the means at our disposal.” 13/05/17 Tweet @drbexl 11 http://uk.businessinsider.com/pope- francis-the-internet-social-networks- and-text-messages-are-a-gift-of-god- 2016-1 Pope Francis, Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Communications, 2016
- 13. 13Tweet @drbexl 13/05/17 Facebook/Patheos Progressive Christian
- 14. 13/05/17 https://www.slideshare.net/wearesocialsg/global-digital-statshot-q2-2017 Tweet @drbexl 14
- 18. Tweet @drbexl 18 H/T @God_Loves_Women 13/05/17
- 19. Tweet @drbexl 19 13/05/17 https://www.dur.ac.uk/generalelection.2015/news/ ?itemno=24588 “Young people want to know that they are being listened to, that their voices count, and that they are not being patronised.”
- 21. @drbexl
- 23. Humans Tell Stories “When we met the women, we realised how this was actually real. This wasn’t reading research on paper any more, they had real stories so we wanted to give them the space they deserved. It was never a box ticking exercise, we just wanted women who embodied the spirit of the campaign. And that’s who’s in it.” 13/05/17 http://www.dandad.org/en/thisgirlcan-interview Tweet @drbexl 23
- 24. 13/05/17 Image source: Stockfresh Tweet @drbexl 24
- 25. SESSION 2 12:00 – 13:00 Communicating with Images & Words 13/05/17 Tweet @drbexl 25
- 26. Jesus often encountered people individually. Social media gives us the same personal access to people. This is an every-member ministry, and it’s exciting and inspiring. Rev Pam Smith, author, Online Mission & Ministry; Priest in Charge, iChurch Tweet @drbexl 26 https://theconversation.com/ how-social-media-is-changing- the-church-57405 13/05/17
- 28. • I can't separate my faith from my actions, including those in public life. If people of faith are in public life faith is there too. @JennRiddlestone • How can you separate faith from your public life? Is private faith true faith? @loulou_uberkirk • If being a Christian is loving God and loving others, even if I don't announce why I'm doing something, my faith is unavoidably in *public.* @Hstanley_ Tweet @drbexl 2813/05/17
- 29. Carl Medearis Relax, enjoy your friends. Enjoy their company along with the company of Jesus. Point him out, freely, without fear or intimidation. You’re not responsible to sell him to them. You’re simply saying what you’ve seen. You're not the judge. You’re the witness. 13/05/17 Tweet @drbexl 29
- 30. Tweet @drbexl 30 13/05/17 Images via https://www.facebook.com/anglicanmemes/
- 31. Tweet @drbexl 31 13/05/17 https://s-media-cache- ak0.pinimg.com/736x/d5/20/c2/d520c2f7dfea2afa35 9221fd4c59c1e8.jpg Posts that include images produce 650 percent higher engagement than text- only posts. Posts with videos attract 3X more links than text-only posts.
- 33. [If we are…] means by which God communicates and reveals himself through his Spirit, then our blog posts, status updates, tweets, artistic images, and online comments should be products of a life transformed by Christ and indwelled by his Spirit. As restored image bearers, our online presence and activity should image the Triune God. Byers, A. Theomedia (2013, 196) 13/05/17 Tweet @drbexl 33
- 35. 13/05/17 Tweet @drbexl 35
- 36. Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action. Joe Pulizzi, Founder, Content Marketing Institute 13/05/17 http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/what-is-content- marketing/ Bex Lewis @drbexl 36
- 37. Anything that you post on social media (article links, pictures, videos – everything) is essentially a part of your content… Like any other content, your social media posts absolutely need to be of high quality and provide value to your audience. Jeff Bullas, 2016 "Content is anything that adds value to the reader's life. It can add value by making them smarter, making them laugh, making them do their job better, rush to their child to share the video, make a contribution to a charity.” Avinash Kaushik @avinash 13/05/17 Bex Lewis @drbexl 37
- 38. Choosing Words 13/05/17 Tweet @drbexl 38
- 41. What makes people share? • Social Currency: We share things that make us look good • Triggers: Things need to be in our consciousness to want to share them “Different locations contain different triggers. Churches are filled with religious imagery, which might remind people of church doctrine…. And once these thoughts are triggered, they might change behaviour.” • Emotion: We want to share the things we care about (exciting is more shared than sad) • Public: If something is public, and on show, it's visible to others and enters their consciousness • Practical Value: People like to share useful bits of information that we think will help people • Stories: Humans tell stories - and useful information can be embedded in what seems like idle chatter! 13/05/17 Berger, J. (2014) Contagious, p.74 Tweet @drbexl 41
- 42. 24/7 Values? What do you stand FOR? • Authentic – be a consistent ‘you’ • Transparent – be honest, where’s the source? • Self-aware – note your ‘tone of voice’ • Integrity – own your own content • Self-control – be aware of consequences • Patience – hold the trigger finger before send • Non-manipulative – ‘love Jesus’ = send this! No! • Kindness – encourage others 13/05/17 Tweet @drbexl 42
- 43. 13/05/17 Image source: Stockfresh Tweet @drbexl 43
- 44. As we head into lunch: Father, Creator God, You sent your Word, Jesus Christ, to reveal your love and compassion to the world; you have called us to be his disciples, true images of your beloved Son, proclaiming his Gospel to all creation. His story is now our story. Keep us faithful to what we have received, and generous in our sharing. Holy Father, we thank you also for the gift of the Holy Spirit whom you sent to sanctify and bless all you have created and be the bond of love that unites all of us with you and your Son. Send forth your Spirit upon us now. Purify our hearts and make us attentive to your promptings that we may be true missionaries in the digital world. Grant us the humility to seek you above and before all other things that all we say and do may be done in your name and for your glory. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen 13/05/17 Tweet @drbexl 44 http://www.ibenedictines.org/2012/10/2 1/a-prayer-for-the-christian-new-media- conference-cnmac12/
- 45. SESSION 3 14:00 – 14:45 Institutional Websites 13/05/17 Tweet @drbexl 45
- 46. For many churchgoing is no longer the ‘cultural norm’. People don’t actively ignore the church: they don’t even think about it. Matthew 5:13-16 calls us to be salt and light in the world … 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. Tweet @drbexl 46 http://www.churchgrowthr d.org.uk/blog/churchgrowt h/growing_churches_in_th e_digital_age Image: Flickr 13/05/17
- 49. Your audience • Who are you interested in reaching/listening to? • What ‘problems’ are you seeking to solve for them? 13/05/17 Tweet @drbexl 49
- 50. 13/05/17 Tweet @drbexl 50
- 51. 13/05/17 Tweet @drbexl 51 Agree ‘a voice’
- 52. Real Time Response 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. 13/05/17 http://twitterforchurches.com/blog/2009/06/29/crisi s-communications-for-the-social-media-age/ Tweet @drbexl 52
- 53. Legal Image Sources 13/05/17 http://drbexl.co.uk/2016/10/27/toolbox-sources- legal-images-dmmp1617-dsmmcm1617-bigag16/ Tweet @drbexl 53
- 54. Who does digital media? 13/05/17 Check out: https://www.facebook.com/groups/churchcomm/ and @chsocm Tweet @drbexl 54
- 55. Principles of Good Engagement • Be interesting • Be encouraging • Be active • Be helpful • Be authentic • Represent your organisation well 13/05/17 Tweet @drbexl 55
- 56. Know when to… 13/05/17 Image sources: Stockfresh Tweet @drbexl 56
- 57. • http://www.ukreligiouslife.org/female- apostolic-orders/ • http://www.ukreligiouslife.org/clerical-orders- and-mixed-orders-of-priests-and-brothers/ • http://www.ukreligiouslife.org/female- enclosed-communities/ 13/05/17 Tweet @drbexl 57
- 58. 13/05/17 Tweet @drbexl 58 Laudate includes many awesome resources such as an interactive Rosary, Daily Readings, the Liturgy of the Hours, the Roman Missal changes, and the NAB and Douay-Rheims versions of the bible – all in a simple to navigate layout. I use Universalis for Daily Office and to say Mass when travelling... @PhilipBevan I pray the Daily Office using @CatholicFeasts app. Has other prayers included, too. @phillipsc. I also have the complete commentaries of the Church Fathers on Scripture in electronic format inside @Logos on my Mac / iPad / iPhone. @FatherSJMC: I use this for John Henry Newman writing: http://www.newmanreader.org/works/index.html. I also use this site http://www.newadvent.org/fathers often to read the church fathers @CatholicYMguy “Writer, Speaker, Founder of http://CatholicYouthWork.com . Youth Officer, A&B Diocese @ABYouthMinistry. Husband, Child of God. Follows not endorsements, opinions mine”
- 59. 13/05/17 Tweet @drbexl 59 A brief, Catholic, daily prayer experience of simple faith in the Carmelite tradition. The Daily Disconnect is a daily podcast focusing on the exercise of prayer from a Catholic Carmelite perspective. http://www.carmelites.net/tag/daily- disconnect-podcast/ Pray as you go is a daily prayer session, designed to go with you wherever you go, to help you pray whenever you find time, but particularly whilst travelling to and from work, study, etc. (Jesuits) http://pray-as-you-go.org/about For the kids/teens: • https://www.holyheroes.com/ • http://www.catholicicing.com/ • http://www.phatmass.com
- 60. • http://w2.vatican.va/content/vatican/en.html • http://www.catholicchurch.org.uk • http://www.catholicliturgy.com/index.cfm • http://www.praytellblog.com/ • http://www.sacredspace.ie/ • https://www.sheldonhub.org/ • http://liturgy.slu.edu • http://www.unitape.org • http://www.ancientfaith.com • http://www.ibreviary.org/en/ • http://www.portsmouthcatholiccathedral.org.uk/live- mass.php • http://ascensionpresents.com/ • http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ • https://www.americamagazine.org/ • http://www.thinkingfaith.org/ 13/05/17 Tweet @drbexl 60
- 61. • https://www.facebook.com/Turvey-Benedictine- Nuns-Spirituality-Mindfulness- 1481434832072907/ • https://www.facebook.com/SpiritualityHN • https://www.facebook.com/catholicwomenspeak / • https://www.facebook.com/catholicwomenpreac h/ • https://www.facebook.com/CatholicMemebase/ • https://www.facebook.com/FrJamesMartin • https://www.facebook.com/TheCatholicTablet • https://www.facebook.com/CatholicNewsAgency / 13/05/17 Tweet @drbexl 61
- 62. 13/05/17 Image source: Stockfresh Tweet @drbexl 62
- 63. SESSION 4 15:15 – 16:00 Q&A 13/05/17 Tweet @drbexl 63
- 64. Saint Teresa of Avila (adapted by Meredith Gould, 2010) 13/05/17 http://churchsocmed.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/chris t-has-no-online-presence-but-yours.html Tweet @drbexl 64 Christ Has No Online Presence but Yours Christ has no online presence but yours, No blog, no Facebook page but yours, Yours are the tweets through which love touches this world, Yours are the posts through which the Gospel is shared, Yours are the updates through which hope is revealed. Christ has no online presence but yours, No blog, no Facebook page but yours.
Editor's Notes
- Older/not a lot of time = less & less doing more & more DigitalNun, etc. + other book. Scary disengage/forget how to do it… What ‘the religious’ are doing, all have own ID, have something to share already – keen to encourage new members of vocations. Nuns/Brothers Not used to listening for long periods of time). Talk/Q&A/Group discussion.
- Introduce self, been online since 1997, when published first website, and joined first social network in 2005, getting serious in 2009. Worked within history (KCCO), media studies, ed tech, and last post before this one = 3 years looking at faith and social media, which am continuing in new role … so that’s the perspective that I’m looking at this morning... Faith in the digital world – why it matters, and some of the ways it may change the church’s engagement with the world.
- Session 1 10:30 - 11:30 (1hr) Break 11:30 – 12:00 (30 min) Session 2 12:00 – 13:00 (1hr) Lunch 13:00 – 14:00 (1hr) Session 3 14:00 – 14:45 (45 min) Break 14:45 – 15:15 (30 min) Session 4 15:15 – 16:00 (45 min) – Q&A
- Communication is a vital part of all our work as religious. But are we aware that the way we communicate our message will decide who we dialogue with? Different generations use different methods of communication and listen to different styles. This conference will consider generational issues in communication strategy. As disciples we live for God, whenever and wherever we are. In the 21st century, the digital is an intrinsic part of our complex world. We need to take seriously our online experiences (this tweet from the other weekend – and something I associate with the Salvos – about getting stuck into the community)
- What kind of things do people find in common in 60 seconds? – then take questions… Social Media – all about RELATIONSHIPS, so we are going to start by getting to know each other as if we are on Twitter … in some ways we are looking at the kind of issues that will arise, including some exercises that you could do with others if you feel inspired at the end of today to encourage others online…
- Image source: Stockfresh Commonality – finding a starting point & getting to know each other – essential building blocks of any evangelism, etc… with a strong focus on LISTENING! You’re looking to provide information, engage in dialogue, listen to your audience … build a community who will be interested in the other things that you do .. Concentrate on SOCIAL over MEDIA … and yes… it can be fast!
- Stats can lead to this kind of reaction... Which I think history will show us is not unique, and part of a ‘moral panic’... Where everything seems to be going out of control too fast (every new tech process has done this – inc Socrates re writing)
- … more bluntly here … human beings still human beings … we use different tools available to us (though modern tools have built in ‘affordances’ – make things possible, but not necessarily inevitable … but still want to hold tech/software companies to account…)
- Seeking to demystify the digital environment, with an emphasis upon it not as a ‘virtual’ space, but as a ‘real’ space that needed to be understood on its own terms (not wild west, not virtual) – real people, with real relationships interacting … maybe in a different way to before, but still human interactions. As the then Pope, Benedict, said that “The digital…” – not understanding this space is not really any longer an option, and as social media entrepreneur @unmarketing emphasises – to build a presence online, one needs to be present – one can’t post and run!
- for Lent, typically because people feel that they are ‘addicted’ (further research needed – most people = bad habits), or that they are ‘wasting too much time’ (again, contested, why does every drop of economic value need to be wrung out of every activity?) Previously: I’m a passionate believer that we need to be ‘incarnational’ in the digital spaces, whether those are specifically ‘Christian’ spaces or not, but that we need to understand how to be ‘resident’ in those spaces, rather than merely ‘visiting’ to do a ‘bit of reaching out’. http://www.threadsuk.com/redeeming-culture-in-a-digital-age Bex Lewis, May 2014
- "Social networks can facilitate relationships and promote the good of society, but they can also lead to further polarization and division between individuals and groups,” Modern communications were "a gift of God which involves a great responsibility.”
- Couple of Bible verses to think about what we project… this one has been a powerful one for me – taking our “everyday, ordinary life” [READ OUT] … day in/day out, in which digital aspects are a core part… If we see it as irrelevant, then those that use it will think that we find them irrelevant …
- https://www.facebook.com/PatheosProgressiveChristian/photos/a.325327084169297.68940.181539958548011/1341259062576089/?type=3&theater
- SO many people online .... Important to see the growing numbers, but also that it’s not 100% (except in Western countries)…
- We need a sense of what platforms are being used … (WeChat/QQ/Qzone/Weibo all Chinese, VK is Russian). Facebook/Messenger: Friendship based, typically already known, or, like me, move from Twitter to getting to know someone better before meet f2f WhatsApp: Rather like text messaging, but with video/group chats, etc. – often used by families – I chat to younger nieces/nephews… Instagram: Hugely popular with teenagers, etc. Square images, often with vintage ‘filters’… Some ‘Christian’ accounts = standard inspirational, but some v creative and clever attention catching stuff.. Twitter: Interest-based – connect around particular interests, media looks, builds up trust/authenticity Snapchat: Images that disappeared after 10 seconds, building itself to a very successful app (last year huge growth) – possibly for those who’ve grown up with every move documented, they like things that disappear .. Pinterest: Image based (huge online), bit like a pin-board, great for churches to use for e.g. children’s work .. Wedding planning is HUGE No mention on there of: YouTube: Video – builds up hugely influential platforms – think about what people look for – often ‘how to do x’ LinkedIn: Professional platform, for CVs, connecting with huge corporate companies, etc.
- Hear a lot about teenagers being engaged in their phones ALL the time – lots of debate about whether it’s because they are limited by living inside (outside world not safe), by parents spending too long online, etc…
- So often, especially within the church, the focus is on the face-to-face interactions, often drawing upon the idea that Jesus came to earth in human form, and therefore this is the ‘best’ form of interaction, and I love this quote from Prof Sonia Livingstone “Even though…”. In danger of repeating myself, we need to look at digital on its own terms. We need to avoid what’s known as ‘technological determinism’ – that technology is changing everything, and we have no choice but to give into it, and think more about the ‘social shaping’ of technology – in which technology offers us new opportunities, but we have choices in how we engage with those choices – e.g. Like a brick – chuck it through the window, or build a wall with it.
- People know I’m really passionate about this, and get pretty angry when we think people are ‘addicted’ to their phones (most aren’t) … most people are engaging in relationships with others (sometimes people who are more important to them than the people that they happen to be physically with...) and those personal relationships – whether online/offline are key!
- Just last week – in The church Times… guidance for digital for kids to keep them mentally healthy…
- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pope-francis-takes-twitter-by-storm-in-the-first-papal-selfie-8792660.html These are two of the most powerful men in Christian circles … both actively engaging online. Justin Welby was originally ABCJustin, then wanted to become a ‘person’ rather than a ‘role’, although still needs care with ‘role’ .. Whatever position you are in. Don’t’ forget the SOCIAL in social media … about engaging rather than broadcasting (FOR MOST) thought argument for e.g. just not possible… Justin has previously apologised in tweets for not being able to engage personally with everyone … citing that he wouldn’t get the rest of his work complete, but that he appreciates all those who contact him (makes sense – going online doesn’t mean have to throw away ‘time wisdom’). The Pope doesn’t even make a pretence, as “he” simply follows himself in 8 different languages… but has become a bit notorious for ‘poking’ at Trump at the moment… Is evidence that CofE is doing a lot at the top – FB convos, CofE twitter, Periscope experiment, hashtags, etc.
- But also think… do you recognise this (it’s recently had a new series) … why have I brought this up… because it’s been a HUGE success showcasing it’s “constituency” – it’s not selling anything except a lifestyle… and
- … it’s bottom up! Based on research, and drawing upon e.g. the success of e.g. Dove campaigns (so a reminder as to the importance of looking around at case studies that work), decided to showcase the stories of ‘ordinary’ women rather than models. So many times in digital marketing, people focus on the means or the message, but what we need to remember that it’s about people – listen to what they want and find a solution – something that seems manageable!
- Key thoughts from this session – take us into a break for half-hour…
- We have to learn how to communicate clearly and distinctively what we want to communicate; otherwise our message will lose its impact. Do we understand the impact of the images and words? This conference will consider how to assess images and words. Before we look specifically at images/words, want to think more generically about WHAT we’re communicating (issues people have with the idea of marketing, etc.)
- In 2016 I wrote a piece for ‘The Conversation’ (academic research presented journalistically, had over 30k views), looking at the way that we have become used to ‘broadcast Christianity’ – where all our lessons come top-down via preaching from trained priests, whilst social media is re-enabling a relational model that allows many ordinary Christians to have one-to-one conversations about their faith with non-believers, whilst developing their own disciplieship with and through others. In chatting with Pam Smith (the first online minister with iChurch, book author), we noted that this provides a much more realistic picture of the church as a collection of followers of Jesus rather than a large organisation which makes pronouncements is then judged by its organisational failures…. We are back to more ‘individualised’ and ‘participative’ discipleship and ministry .. Exciting times... Altghough of course challenging in our current culture with a necessary emphasis on safeguarding. The importance of the PERSONAL…
- What I find particularly important about this is the notion, summed up here by Elizabeth Drescher, that “we are not selling something”… but BE SOMETHING... Reiterating somewhat what I said earlier (probably influenced by the number of times I share this) We need to be ourselves, living our lives, sharing our lives ‘authentically’ (however overused that word is) ... the fun bits, the difficult bits, fighting for the (e.g. social justice) causes that we believe in...
- Back at Spring Harvest in 2014, I was asked to speak about ‘Faith in the Public Square’, and posted something along the lines of this tweet “now we’re living…”, and got a huge range of responses, so I’m going to share a selection here, as we think about what it means to live with faith in the world, especially in the particularly public world which much of social media is (although there’s a growing number of people using more private forms of online sharing!).... Some people think that digital media means that you can create multiple versions of yourself, and in some games, etc. you can, but if you’re on social networks, it’s hard to maintain lines of separation, which means that you need to be ‘true to you’ … and if a faith is a part of that – then it’s likely to find it’s way into your online profiles – these 3 sayings sum that up well...
- Social media is also helping to open up and humanise the church. The distance and anonymity created between people when they communicate online can help shed inhibitions in a way that is often blamed for abusive behaviour. But it can also encourage people to become comfortable enough to ask questions about faith, especially via private messaging. The humorous nature of many social media posts can also act as a starting point for more serious discussions about religion. It’s been shown that vulnerable or humourous posts engage users the most (with likes, shares, comments, etc.), and it is important that these come from a place of ‘your story’ – e.g. Sharing Bible verses without context feels like ‘street preaching’, whilst explaining how this is important, that you don’t understand it all, etc. Comes more from a place of ‘authentically’ living the life... Or, as a friend said, growing a ‘digital skin’...
- Can I just say ... typically this does not include those posts that say if you type Amen this person may recover … those are effectively chain letters, and inappropriate! The average person gets distracted in eight seconds, though a mere 2.8 seconds is enough to distract some people. 81 percent of people only skim the content they read online. (Usability expert Jakob Nielsen has written that the average user reads at most 20 to 28 percent of words during an average visit.) People form a first impression in a mere 50 milliseconds. An estimated 84 percent of communications will be visual by 2018. An estimated 79 percent of internet traffic will be video content by 2018. Posts that include images produce 650 percent higher engagement than text-only posts. People are 85 percent more likely to buy a product after viewing a product video. Posts with videos attract 3X more links than text-only posts. Tumblr's active user base has grown by 120 percent. Pinterest's active user base has grown by 111 percent. Instagram's active user base has grown by 64 percent. https://www.inc.com/larry-kim/visual-content-marketing-16-eye-popping-statistics-you-need-to-know.html Often these pics are of random children, illegal to use, and used by scammers to collect details ... And clearly Jesus is not waiting until 1 million likes before he will heal or otherwise ... Same as if you have more faith, etc.
- Let’s engage with wisdom online.. This site will help... Emphasise here, that essentially what I’m looking at is encouraging people to ‘be themselves’ online, to know what they stand for and live out that life….
- One of my former colleagues hopes that this is true in some ways – we are the face of the God online … we need to think about what that means for a whole church, but also how we provide an atmosphere in which people feel confident to do this in their everyday interactions – online/offline … how do they know they have solid teaching, how do they know that they are encouraged to be ‘in the world’ (if not of it), how do we help them think about what this means for their everyday lives! SEEING THE ORGANISATION HELPING INDIVIDUALS TO BE PERSONAL MISSIONERS IN THEIR SPACE – TALK ABOUT SOCIAL as something ‘normal’, the everyday issues, the everyday possibilities – listen to the concerns that people have…
- How far are we living ‘the fruit of the Spirit’ is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” and what does that look like online – a space where it’s incredibly easy to share things without checking, in a fast atmosphere, competing to be first, and for likes … how can we be something different – how can we ensure that earth is crammed with a bit of heaven (whether that’s salt and light or...)
- If we’re equipping our members, then we need to think about how we are equipping them spiritually … how are we helping them in their discipleship so that – as we said at the beginning – we/they are ‘the only face of God they might ever see’..
- Bearing that in mind, as we start to move towards thinking about organisational comms – let’s look at a bit of material on ‘content marketing’ (again, those questions about ‘marketing’, but I think we can learn from the best to ‘tell the best story’… (action can be discipleship, or evangelism, or taking time out, etc.) over last few years the notion of ‘content marketing’ has become prevalent’…
- Continuing to ask questions about effectiveness … social media content – every tweet, status update, photo, etc. needs to be working within a content strategy so that they fit the overall tone-of-voice, and doesn’t clash with other content (this doesn’t mean every tweet, etc. needs to be signed off individually, but that the strategy is clear enough that that isn’t required). http://www.jeffbullas.com/2016/02/16/optimize-social-media-posts-search-engines/ For this it is key that you understand your audience and their motivations … creating ‘personas’ that can be used to focus your attention … “What would Heidi, 38, mum of 3, loves her iPhone, very tired” think of this content … would it make her ‘love the brand’ or ‘want to buy’ – if not, does it serve any other purpose… What do you want to do for your audience… how do you add value to your/their lives? Note -https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/09/29/your-guide-to-using-images-in-your-content-marketing-strategy/#df58a167b8ac
- The art of good conversation – you don’t just broadcast your views but engage in a conversation…. So LISTEN (as we said earlier) – what kinds of words are people using, how do we connect with them (this doesn’t mean have to lose your values/words, etc. but good conversation is about being heard/understood and not just thinking that you’ve said something… “Avoid using jargon, long words and complicated sentences as all of these can make it difficult for the person you are talking to to understand you, and can alienate them, rather than connecting with them. Imagine you are speaking to a 10-year-old child, or a maiden aunt and pitch your language and words at them. The Times newspaper is written at this level – so it is not a case of being overly simplistic or dumbing down. It is a case of being clear.” “Using positive language reassures and instills confidence in your listener. Words such as promise, commit, will, can and do all achieve this. Using words such as like, aim, want, hope, wish and try, though aspirational, may sew doubts about your ability to deliver what you promise.” http://www.roughhousemedia.co.uk/general/communication-skills-right-words/
- IMPORTANCE of understanding who you are trying to communicate with … and then deciding what key terms you might want to work around … common terminology, specialist words as appropriate … come up with a list of 10 cores words (e.g. body image, bible, etc.) that will help you communicate…
- 3 minutes, from 2014 – yes, it’s advertising… but’s good content (so practicing what they preach) … gives a nice overview of what content marketing is, some of the key definitions…. Helps us think about the importance of good images that AS WE SAW IN LAST SESSION – tell a story … Get people to think about the images that are most powerful for them – that have stood out in their minds…
- Don’t want to go through this slide in detail, as you could go back and look online, but interested particularly in how we share the things that make us look good, and the things we care about, and how we make them public. It’s typically about telling ‘our stories’ – unless we ‘over-curate’ them.. Berger, p33 - “Self-sharing” follows us throughout our lives. We tell friends about our new clothing purchases and show family members the op-ed piece we’re sending to the local newspaper. This desire to share our thoughts , opinions and experiences is one reason social media and online social networks have become so popular.” [Is there a pressure to SHARE faith, to be authentically faithful?] P39 – we all want to be liked, the desire for social approval is fundamental to the human condition.
- Not a fan of standing AGAINST where possible? So what can we be for… how does the digital change the shape of WHAT IS POSSIBLE?
- Key thoughts from this session – what content do you have that is valuable to share in the social media space– take us into a break for half-hour…
- We need to work on our institutional websites in order to learn how to engage more with new potential members and grow our network of friends. How can congregations improve their websites and social media to communicate more effectively? This conference will consider how to develop a religious congregation’s web presence. Difficult to navigate or embarrassing - website, why important/suggestions, where to start – others have some & next stage… websites that work/don’t work + compare with contemporary websites … (finding someone to help build – England/Wales) – use of Wordpress (or Wix) – important part of visual comms.
- In 2010, when I started looking at faith and the digital, it was seen as quite a weird thing to do, with people questioning ‘why do we need to do that?’ By 2013, when I wrote this piece for CofE Church Growth blog, the question changed for many to ‘we understand that we need to do it, but how do we do it’? With a lot of concerns about the extra workload this might bring for the vicar, the need to ‘get it right’, people needed a lot of convincing.. As this article says “For many…” I would probably play around with the final sentence for this bit ... Social media is RELATIONAL so whereas a website might be the ‘front door’ – the church members are where the REAL POWER of these medium of communication is ... And they are more like side doors/windows, etc. The accompanying question that always seemed to work within my ‘Social Media for the Scared’ courses (run for various flavours of churches, faith organisations, etc.) is – with billions of people using these tools every day – can we afford not to be online – what are people seeing otherwise? For the young in particular, this is their everyday experience of life – if we are the door with ‘you can’t come in with that’, it’s offputting… although there’s also the counter-argument that it’s a space to ‘breath’ and disconnect from social (without the other peer pressure) – definitely something to talk about in sermons, youth groups, etc. Does expose to different ideas .. Image: https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/131/375646158_b2755ca5bf_b.jpg
- Think about how to create a ‘good look’, a contemporary look – take some time to look at the sites that people spend time on, e.g. Buzzfeed, Mashable, etc and think about what information you really need for people to find, etc. What structure do they use, how limited is the number of options they give, how much content, what’s at the top, what kind of images are used, etc…
- Look – e.g. – used to be organised by department, but large reorganisation to ensure around the things that people most commonly looked for … so think, what do the people you engage with look for…
- Problems – are there any have an idea of where the digital might help? Then feed back in – will we have a flipboard … let’s hold onto some of those, and start to think about what digital tools might help solve them… How might deal with any trolls?
- You could take time to create rough personas of those that you are trying to reach – they have a name, an age, characteristics – help you keep them in mind whilst you are preparing communication – not what you say, what they hear… https://static1.squarespace.com/static/4f569706e4b02ee84fb99ec3/t/566a0cc6841aba411de13b20/1449790663587/Persona
- If you are working for an organisation – e.g. a church – ensure that people can feel ‘free’ to go ahead and represent you …agreed your organisational values… (e.g. fruits of the spirit online) – things move too fast online to wait for some things, although on other occasions the church can demonstrate difference by demonstrating some thought – but in particular, should have risk assessments for e.g. crises
- In a 24/7 world – help people live 24/7, but also throws a responsibility on the church to respond to the world…
- If you’re using it organisationally… the person with the passion for it, the good communicator – the driving instructor, rather than the mechanic – the communicator rather than the computer geek…. But easier if support from others – are sharing story of the whole organisation (which for the church is the people in it)…
- Individually and corporately… Overall, this requires wisdom, a willingness to engage with the digital at a deeper level, thinking about how we can use it well, help the world use it well, and how we can seek to be counter-cultural where necessary, etc.
- Use an app – e.g for interim support, give an encouragement, what else…, and when to have that face-to-face conversation – neither is the be-all-or-end-all!
- We can always look at these websites and take some critique…
- An overview of the apps, connections, website and FB pages, etc. I was sent when I asked what Catholic friends used…
- Catherine Wybourne Being a religious m'self, I tend to use t'internet for things like the Fathers (several good sites) and texts we can't afford for the library, Vatican web site (for official Church documents-very important to have these to hand for religious), local diocesan web site for local stuff ditto, and the Catholic Church in England and Wales site at http://www.catholicchurch.org.uk/ for anything else we need to know about. I don't have much time for other people's blogs, nor Youtube, either, though I try to do a sampling from other religious traditions than my own. There are useful sites that have reliable content rather than official documents/devotional material/opinions. An important one is PrayTell (http://www.praytellblog.com/) which has useful liturgical as well as theological resources. Liturgical music has a rich vein. Will look out some links, if I can find time. There is also the very useful http://www.catholicliturgy.com/index.cfm. The trouble is, as religious will probably tell you, many sites claim to be Catholic but are not always reliable or careful about distinguishing between what the Church actually teaches and what they'd like the Church to teach. That is especially true when canon law is touched upon. Most religious congregations have quite big sites for their own members. Some of the sites aimed at younger people are orobably already on their radar, eg Phatmass.
- *note the naming of these pages…
- Key thoughts from this session – take us into a break for half-hour…