Media Awareness New and Social Media

Dictionary Definition media awareness - noun ​an understanding of the different methods for presenting information in newspapers, on television, on the internet, etc., and of the possible uses and dangers of these methods: Only staff who have received media awareness training are allowed to speak to the press. Some schools teach media awareness in order to show children the difference between advertising and other information.

Social Media

Definition of social media in English: Websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking Social media is the collective of online communications channels dedicated to community-based input, interaction, content-sharing and collaboration. Websites and applications dedicated to forums, microblogging (twitter), social networking, social bookmarking, social curation, and wikis are among the different types of social media.

The Impact Of Social Media 90% of Millennials use social media 1 in 5 couples meet online Every minute, 72 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube (that’s over a decade a day!) If Wikipedia were made into a book it would be 2.25 million pages long The most active group on social media is mothers with children under the age of 5 The fastest growing user base on social media is 65+

Why Social Media Is Important Even if your church isn’t thriving on social media, your community is. The reason social media is important to your church is simple: go where the people are. Your community is longing for hope, purpose, and belonging – your church can offer that. But if you think a 60-minute talk once a week inside your church building is the best way to offer that – you’re doing it wrong. 

Social media serves two purposes: It engages your congregation: Social media is all about trust, so start with your congregation first. Engage them. Post things that are relevant to their everyday lives. Interact with them when they update their statuses. It reaches out to new people: The best way to reach out to new people on social media is to have a viable presence. If you are doing church well, it will speak for itself.

The 5 Pillars Of Social Media 1. Don’t Do It All :  The worst thing you can do is go out and sign up for five new social media accounts.  2. Be Yourself: Your social media personality needs to be an accurate reflection of your church. 3. Listen: The biggest benefit social media will bring to your church is the opportunity to listen.

The 5 Pillars Of Social Media 4. Give Value: People don’t care what you have to say. Be the church that cares for others. 5. Repeat: Don’t expect a really fast turnaround. Just work at it, be persistent and most of all be consistent. It won’t happen overnight,

Actionable Content Steps 1. Respond To Every Comment 2. Post Often: Consistency in social media is key 3. The 80/20 Rule:  Always post 4 things that are helpful to other people before you advertise about yourself 4. Share stories 5. Don’t Try To Be Perfect 6. Keep It Light  There is no better time to start than now!

OK Now over to an Expert: Phil Cooke is a writer, television producer, and media consultant based in Burbank, California, as well as a critic of some aspects of contemporary American and American-influenced Christian culture

Why Your Church Should Be On Social Media Social Media is the New Town Square - Apostle Paul preached in open squares where the people gathered. “All Things to All People”- “I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some... Social media is no longer a fad. It is established in our culture.

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