Yesterday Mark Zuckerburg of Facebook revealed the next move for his company to expand the social media giants reach into making the web more social.  The team at Facebook has developed the Open Graph API allowing site developers the ability to add the Facebook “Like” feature (commonly used on their wall posting and news feed pages) to any web page.  ”Helicopter view” thinking is that this will allow a visitor to“like” a particular page which will in-turn notify your Facebook friends that you have visited and enjoyed specific content at a particular site.

This new “greater” socialization of the web can have great impact on several facets of your site and web presence including:

• Quality or visual appeal to your target demographic
• Perceived value of content at visitor level
• Ability to engage and connect instantly
• Opportunity to aggregate information to develop future content

Churches, non-profits and businesses must realize this technology is another paradigm shift in how the world interacts with the web and should begin to take steps now, to fully understand how this free tool can be leveraged to help their organization better connect with the culture and the audience they hope to reach.

Based on offerings at the recent CES show the convergence of web to the family room plasma / TV is rapidly approaching. Up to this point our clients at 316 Networks have resisted delivering advertising alongside or within their content. As ministry moves closer to being a sole broadcast entity their will be more opportunity to engage some form of ad supported streaming.

This article in Ad Age describes some of the latest in how Madison Ave is offering online inventory to advertisers. Just wondering if someone will step up with an ad aggregator that suites ministry. What are our thoughts?

Good to be back posting. Much has happened to my career since my Echo postings. Have moved from the Ministry Media Integration space into Ministry Media – Digital Asset distribution space. Currently working as Client Manager and Media Consultant to Ministries for 316 Networks.  Having the time of my life.   Anyway… so much for the career update.

Was just reading an article in the latest Ad Age Mag about Pepsi’s Mt. Dew brand pulling user generated content from viewers to their 12seconds.tv web site asking for a video promoting their brand.  The Ad world has been wrestling with how to monetize the new digital space model while big brands and marketers continue to re-define digital marketing methods.

Was just thinking how much impact a ministry could have on the culture by leveraging similar initiatives – extracting testimonies or positive church / ministry experiences.  When online viewers see something real they know it – and believe it.   This User Generated Content Widget offers ministry an excellent way pull, review and post UGC  to their site.

Stay tuned for more info from this blog as well as my friends at WPTribe.

Today I came away with this collective thought – “Creatives in ministry are story tellers using technology.  Not for technologies sake but for Christ. So use the technology to create and deliver your ministry story to the culture (not the church!)”.  Thanks to those who invested their time in our ministries today.  Excellence – which Christ deserves – Amen!

Next was leveraging Social Media for Ministry.  Cynthia Ware and Dawn Nicole Baldwin shard several case studies on ministry using new and ways to use both web based and mobile social media tools to move the church to more dialogue and away from the standard monologue.  Both presenters maintain helpful blogs that will be posted in this blogroll.  Several seminars and the keynote used Twitter allowing the attendees to post questions to the presenter and speakers.

Following some bustin worship with the Watermark Church Praise team the Father of the Veggie Tales Phil Visher wrapped up with a moving and compelling keynote presentation outlining his rise (and subsequent fall) from fame in the world of Gospel sharing Vegetables.  Phil’s new gig is called Jelly Telly . Kudos to Phil for being so transparent and grounded.  Day two looks to be just as informative and inspiring.  More later…

Social Media ROI Confirmed

This article confirms what many are experiencing in ministry as well. There is no doubt that your audience, followers and ministry can grow and build recognition and dialogue through social media. Your conversation should no longer be if… but when – and that should be now. Go here to read the entire article.

Social media for ministry

Speaking to worship and technology leaders on Saturday at Church Music Ga about Digital Media in Ministry.  Came up with this analogy…

A church website would be compared to the church building.  You can find information there about all the ministries and goings on regarding the church as a whole.  A facebook page is like the Sr. Pastor, on his fb page you can find out information about him, his friends and family and what he is passionate about.  And finally, Twitter is like the sign and marquee out by the road.  You share short statements about what is going on with the pastor and within the church and direct people to important events to get them to visit the church or Sr. Pastor.

I guess the point is, when a church leader asks if they should Tweet in Twitter – ask if their church has a sign or marquee in front of their church building…  Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

Being the quality husband and dad the Milan is, he decided to do something about it.  Within 24 hours he launched I Am Not Every Girl The site drew attention within hours-literally. Through his Twitter and Facebook posting he was covering phone interviews with local radio stations and national magazines before the end of the week. As of this posting the site has over 1400 fb fans ind still counting. Digital tools are available and enable us to change our world. I can only wonder how many Twitter followers Jesus would have..

We currently use an “old school” spreadsheet via email for our weekly scheduling.  We’ve been testing Planning Center Online with some success.  Check it out.

We’ll cover the web, social media, ministry branding, media related equipment and the use of audio, video and lighting in a variety of small to large worship areas.  Info will be designed to erupt your thinking and shake you out of that same’ol-same’ol stale attitude that can sometimes creep into weekly worship service planning.

Our mission is to provide information that will enhance a worship experience or teaching of the Word.  As with any media ministry, our goal is to focus on technology that seamlessly fits so as not to distract from the message.  As we all know, if media is a distraction it has not been executed properly.

We’ve got lots to share in so many areas we’ll do our best to keep you up on all we can related to digital technology in ministry.  Stay tuned for more info…  Please go ahead and follow me on facebook, twitter or linkedin to get a jump on new postings.  Again, welcome to our new blog and thanks for following.