1. Social Media Chat Best practices for engaging congregational audiences through social media.

2. Agenda Facebook and Twitter at-a-glance Demographics Advantages and Disadvantages Best practices Resources Q&A

3. Facebook: Demographics According to a Pew Research survey release this winter, Facebook is the top social media platform used by adults on the internet. It also has an even split among race, gender, age, education, and incomes. 18-29 year olds still have the largest percentage of Facebook users among their age group (87%). In 2013, only 45% of 65+ year olds were active on Facebook. Now it’s 56%.

4. Twitter: Demographics According to the same Pew Research survey, Twitter is the fourth social media platform used by online adults. Percentage of users is growing among urban millennials, college graduates, and those with an household income of $50,000 or more. 29% of Facebook users also use Twitter.

5. Advantages Facebook Variety of posts types. Multiple levels of representation (brand page versus group). Segmentation of audience (i.e. location, gender, relationship status, etc.). Analytics (track what works). Twitter Great for sharing live or in the moment coverage/commentary. Audience listening through hashtags. Peer-to-Peer conversation. Analytics (track what works).

6. Disadvantages Limited reach without advertising. Need to budget additional time for content creation. There can be a lot of noise to cut through in order to reach your audience. Not all social media platforms are appropriate for your goals. You may have to use a combination of them at once.

7. Best Practices Develop a content calendar or strategy, have it match what is currently happening with in the congregation. Post on a regular basis, train your audience when to expect updates from you. Experiment with what posting times work for your audience. (It may vary depending on the platform.) Don’t be afraid to repurpose content, created by yourself or a comparative organization.

8. Engagement Opportunities Host a “Friends & Family” event and create an event page on through your brand page and encourage fans to invite their friends. Use video to pose a question or share a reflection about a current event. Share highlights from a recent sermon. Ask your followers or supporters to share their favorite moments from the recent sermon. Photos are king. Post images from events, post representational images, or motivational quotes.

9. Engagement Opportunities Tweet Chats or Facebook Q&As Promote a few days in advance. Invite discussion (or questions) about the recent service, community event, or popular topic. Create a unique hashtag for Twitter to keep track of the conversation and potentially use in the future. Examples include: MomsRising’s #FoodFri chat on Twitter#FoodFri chat New York Times’ Q&A about marijuana legalization on FacebookQ&A about marijuana legalization

10. Measuring Success Facebook and Twitter offer free analytics on a post/tweet and profile/brand page level. Engagement vs. Reach or Impressions Followers and Page Likes Influencers Set measurable goals and check regularly.

11. Resources Beth’s Blog: Tips on how nonprofits can leverage social media and data www.bethkanter.org JC Social Marketing: Best practices for social media and analytics www.jcsocialmarketing.com/blog NpEngage: Best practices for content marketing and fundraising for nonprofits www.npengage.com Pew Research Center: Social media, e-mail, and Internet trends www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/09/social-media-update-2014 Social Media Examiner: Great for news, updates to social media platforms, and practical tips www.socialmediaexaminer.com TechSoup: Tech, design, and website tutorials for nonprofits www.forums.techsoup.org/cs/community