We all have heard it. Social Media outreach is a must in today's society. But do you really take the time to strategize your social media use? Have you even thought about a social media strategy or this type of outreach for your ministry? Perhaps your social media promo efforts are sporadic at best.  A Facebook post can mean nothing if you do not have a vision to implement behind it. Think about the opportunity to reach people with the Truth right from your fingertips. Here is a short video explaining the importance of Social Media. Although this video is geared toward small business, I'm sure God can help you apply it to your ministry.

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Click below to watch a short video about the power of promotion through social media, then download a FREE resource I put together with 10 Tips on being more strategic with Facebook in your ministry. 

Please also consider checking my daily digest of articles and resources from across the web on social media and ministry.  We do the work of pulling it together for you so all you need to do is "fuel up."     Click here  - www.Fuel.PurposeLaunch.com   

Several years ago, Pope Benedict XVI encouraged Catholics to use the web and social media to reach others . In a video released by the vatican on YouTube , he says in part, “So that the Church and its message continue to be present in the great “Mars Hill” of social communications as defined by John Paul II and so that it is not a stranger to those spaces where … people search for answers and meaning in their lives, you must find new ways to spread voices and images of hope through the ever-evolving communications system that surrounds our planet.”  Pope Francis has recently said much the same as recorded in this article from the National Journal. 

Due to this from the Pope, the Vatican added a YouTube account, a personal Facebook page for Pope Benedict then,  and for Pope Francis now, an iPhone app and Facebook app. Outside of the Vatican, many of those in the Church have heard the call and startedblogging and creating other online resources like Open Source Catholic .

If the leaders of the Catholic church are advocating social media use for Catholic outreach, shouldn't we be engaged in a social media strategy for our ministires of solid Gospel truth? 

Most of us have used old outreach options such as “door to door” newspaper ads, radio spots, phone calling and post cards for years. Not that these are wrong, but if they are effective, they are also expensive, require a lot of effort and often annoy as many people or more than they reach. 

Why should we help people find truth? Well, because they are looking for it.

Why should we use social media and the internet to help them find truth? Well, because that is where people look for information – the information highway. 

Check out the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life , about 92% of Americans believe in a higher power, 28% have left the religion of their childhood and 16% don’t identify with a particular religion at all. This means that there are people who are unattached and searching within those who believe in a higher power, and many of these folks are actively searching for answers, especially when life is difficult and certainly as God leads and draws them.

Is your ministry involved in this outreach medium? Is your ministry part of the conversation in social media. Can those who are using social media to find answers, truth and local help find you? If not, don’t miss the opportunity. Get involved today. Put a strategy together and use this mostly FREE and highly highly utilized communication channel to expand your reach.

If you need help or advice, don’t hesitate to contact us at PurposeLaunch Ministries. Our purpose is launching yours.

Click on the offer below for more help and free resources.


- Mike Glanzer

• What if you could promote your ministry more effectively for less money? Even better what if you could reach people in your church with more truth every day of the week as well as the folks in your community or around the world ? You can!

• What if you could have short services and give people truth through video, written and spoken word, pictures and conversation and know that every day, every time the Word would be heard by 50-500 people or more? You can!

• What if this communication was free? It is!

• What if you could grow your ministry, whether a business that is involved in Christian Education, Christian Literature, Christian Camping, Christian music or as a local church with promotion that is cheaper and more direct than ever before? You can!

• If this were all true, would that excite you?

• Would you feel an obligation to rise to the occasion, meet the opportunity head on and deliver?

• Would you feel negligent with the Truth if you didn't have those services and communicate with those people or promote your ministry or church through this means?

If you answered with a resounding "YES," then welcome to the world of social media for ministry.  I know you've heard of Facebook and so on, but perhaps you've not considered how vital it is to be utilizing all of this strategically and consistently.

Many folks age 45+ in ministry think of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn as complicated or for teens or for big business or maybe even as a "time waster."  The truth is that social media is where 75% of the people in your church and community are spending a lot of their time.

They are on the social sites before they get out of bed in the morning and after they go to bed at night.  They are checking Facebook or Twitter in the elevators, on the sidewalks, in their living rooms, in waiting rooms and even in the bathroom.

Social media is a great way to connect with your people, the community and the world all week long almost 24/7. It is a great way to extend your ministry, promote your ministry and communicate Bible Truth. 


If you aren't using social media to communicate truth, Please consider it.

Click below to watch a short video about the power of promotion through social media, then download a FREE resource I put together with 10 Tips on being more strategic with Facebook in your ministry. 

- Mike Glanzer

Local churches and ministries agree that a majority of their people come from a fairly small geographical radius especially in a bigger city where there are other good options for them to find.

Did you know that you can create a Facebook Ad, reach that exact target market and have them join your email list? This article will show you just how to do that.Create a Facebook account and page
You can create a ministry page if you don’t have one already by clicking below to get started.                                               https://www.facebook.com/pages/create/
 
Create an Facebook Ad
The goal of the ad is to get people to your opt-in page which can be either on your business website or on your Facebook page. The basic steps to create an ad are:
enter your destination url-this is your website url or Facebook page url
upload a picture for your ad, create a headline and body text
specify your target market by location (country, state or city) , sex, age, education, likes and interests (think through your ideal people to help you target your ad well)
enter your bid price (the ad generator will help you know how much to spend to reach a specific amount)
 
Landing on your ministry website
If you chose your ministry website as the destination URL, everyone who clicks on your ad will land there. Make sure your sign up form is in a good position at the top of your home page. Your ad must specify you will require them to sign up. If you don’t, Facebook will not approve your ad. You’ll need to give them a good reason on your site for giving you their contact information. Typcially it is best to just ask for first name and an email address so folks feel comfortable sharing this information. You can try to get more as you add them to various email campaigns which are in line with your over-all communication plan.
 
Landing on your Facebook page
You can also set up various email programs such as MailChimp, Constant Contact or Aweber on your Facebook page and attempt to get information there, but that is for another post.
 
Remember that getting contact information is not easy. You’ll need to offer them a good reason for giving it to you, but with some creativity and the right target audience for your ad, you’ll be fine. If you need help, feel free to contact us at PurposeLaunch Ministries.

- Mike Glanzer

Apart from having a regular website, every local ministry or local church owner should consider getting a mobile optimized website for their ministry or local church for these key reasons:

1. Mobile technology use has grown like crazyover the past couple of years. It is estimated that 91% or 285 million Americans are mobile phone subscribers and are increasingly using the phone for text messaging and Mobile web access. Even in developing nations, people may not have running water or decent housing but they still own a mobile phone. Mobile phones are no longer the preserve of just the elite few, but have become a common place device that even kids own. To ignore the ministry or local church potential of reaching out to your members, parents or potential members through the mobile medium is akin to committing outreach suicide.

1. Mobile phone devices have developed from the simple cell phone that can make calls and send/receive text messages. As you know, smart phones are all the rage and they have such tremendous capabilities that they are like a phone, a computer, a TV and personal organizer all rolled into one. They aren’t just used by the young either. My parents who are …. Well above 60…. Are very able on their phones and mobile devices. They use their phones, like most younger folks to access the internet more than they do on a desktop or laptop computer. Not optimizing your site for mobile means will definitely lead to lost ministry or local church.

1. Like my parents, more people are using their phones to go online rather than using their personal computers. Especially for local information. Coupled with the proliferation of wireless hotspots in public areas, mobile phone users can access the internet from more places like shopping malls, restaurants and colleges. They find it more convenient and less of a hassle as they can use their mobile phones while on the go. It also provides them access to their favorite social media connections like Facebook and Twitter, helps them to get directions using the GPS applications and provides them with entertainment as they listen to music and play computer games. In other words, more and more people are choosing the mobile phone as the internet connection of choice.

Check your church or ministry website now on your mobile phone. Does your page look very very small and hard to read or does it perfectly fill your screen with menu options easily assessable?Check out www.purposelaunch.com on your device. We are optimized for mobile so you can see how a website should look. If you’re not optimized, ask your IT guys to help or contact us. We can help too.


- Mike Glanzer

 If you think a blog site is simply a platform for an individual's personal diary or theological rampage, think once again! Local church and ministry blogging is just one of the most recent, most popular methods to build your ministry, increase your enrollment or reach more people. 

Here are a few reasons why every local church and ministry should capitalize on blogging.

Blogging is Easy and Inexpensive

Blogging is one of the easiest ways to improve your Google page rank and get your ministry noticed. Essentially, when you have a good blog going, and you keep it updated, Google’s search engines will notice your ministry before other similar ministries in the area, especially if your entire website has been built with SEO in mind.

It is simple to have a blog built into your website, and it is easy to either maintain it yourself or have your SEO company’s writers craft updates that will keep people informed and get your blog noticed most easily. Blog entries are inexpensive – even if you hire someone else to do them, they often cost less than $10 apiece. One word of warning – do not outsource to a non-native English speaker to write blogs for you! Writers in countries like India and Pakistan, as well as the Philippines and other Asian countries will write content for pennies on the dollar, but the results are not normally useable and can even result in a lower page rank. In a nutshell, you get what you pay for.

Blogging Is Immediate

You can write a blog entry and publish it immediately, so it’s up on your website just as soon as you’ve hit the “publish” button. You don’t have to worry about page structure, coding, or establishing links – and you don’t have to wait for an IT person to work your new information into his or her schedule. Those days of needing professional IT guys to run your website are almost over and they ARE over in regard to blogging. You can basically keep people informed on an up-to-the minute basis, if you want!

Blogging Converts To Leads For Your Ministry

Considering the fact that more and more people conduct internet research on their own before coming to a Christian school for a visit or before visiting a church, ministries that have a great looking website that includes a blog filled with useful information that is both helpful and educational tend to see a great return on investment once they’ve got the site and blog optimized.

Contact an individual or company that specializes in SEO, or learn more about SEO online to find out more about how blogging can help increase your outreach.

- Mike Glanzer