Best practices: Communication resources

Websites Digital Faith: Diocese pays for hosting, domain, all tech support. ◦ Examples:       Information:

Websites  WordPress:  Joomla:

Website questions  Who is my primary audience?  Will this be an interactive site (with blog capabilities, registrations, etc.) or information only?  Who are the primary contributors?  How often will/can/should we update?  How can we integrate other multi-media components: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube

Website tips Do Post regular updates Use photos, video Commit the time to keeping the site updated and relevant Minimize clicks (2-3 clicks should get you to most of your information) Spend the most time on your homepage – Make it sing! Edit text carefully Make sure links work Use analytics

Website tips Don’t Overdesign Use Flash – or only very limited Date pages Use any typeface other than Verdana, Arial, Courier, or Times – and only pick one! Use clip art Make people scroll Be afraid to ask for help!

Social media  Facebook: Diocese of Southern Ohio  Invite friends to “Like”  Post regularly  Commit to uploading photos/videos  Create invitations  Integrate with website  Use Facebook help  Create a targeted FB ad  Review analytics  Group vs. Page

Social media  Facebook  Groups vs. Pages Fan pages are visible to unregistered people and are thus indexed. Pages are generally better for a long-term relationships with your fans, readers or customers Groups allow you to send out “bulk invites.” Groups are generally better for hosting a (quick) active discussion and attracting quick attention.

Other social media  Twitter  LinkedIn  MySpace  FourSquare

Google  Calendar  Picasa photo album  Checkout  Groups (changes!)  Analytics

E-Newsletters  Constant Contact  Revenue sharing  Free year of newsletter  Sign up for trial at: tures/signup.jsp?pn=diosohio tures/signup.jsp?pn=diosohio

Integration – cross-pollination

Database Virtual training to update diocesan list of members (takes about 30 minutes)  Importance of up-to-date list  Letter from bishop for visitors  Richelle Thompson

Teleconferencing Diocesan teleconference system available to any church or commission  Up to 8 callers  No long distance  Any time of the day  Check calendar to see if time is available: we are/conference- call-center.html we are/conference- call-center.html  Call to reserve time and get instructions: Julie Murray at

Virtual meetings: Webex Diocesan subscription to Webex available for any congregation  Share desktop with up to 20 users  Virtually edit/review documents  Can record session for later training/viewing  Virtual Bible studies, training sessions, etc.  Any time of the day  Call/ to reserve time and get instructions: Richelle Thompson at or

Other resources  Vestry papers: Now Vital Practices – new & free resource  Help desks: Facebook, Google, Twitter  Episcopal Communicators:  E-Newsletters with insights, ideas   hub/

Diocesan resources  Communications office:  Richelle Thompson:  Julie Murray:  Digital Faith: or