Social Media Archives - Page 4 of 10 -

Category: Social Media (page 4 of 10)

What keeps you up at night…

…reveals what’s important to your heart.

Here are things I’m wrestling through:

Is our small groups system really creating disciples?
Is our small groups system a great picture of Gospel community?
What does it look like for our whole church to be moving in the same direction?
What’s next?
Am I leading in such a way that others are growing to love God and people more?
Is my ministry online truly helpful? What needs to change so that it does more good?
Am I leading my family well? How can I do a better job?
Is my son growing towards being a man of God?

These are the things keeping me up at night.

If you’re leading an organization…what is it that is causing you to sweat, go to work early, pray more, fast more, sleep less, and work harder?

If you don’t know what that is, maybe you should stay up at night and figure it out…

One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles… – Luke 6:12-13

Social media as Amuse Bouche

April 12, 2011 / Ben Reed / 2 Comments

Recently, my wife and I ate at a 5-star restaurant. It was a fantastic experience. you can read about it HERE.

For the first time, I started the meal off with an amuse bouche.

I had to Google it.

Amuse bouche is, according to Wikipedia HERE, a small, bite-sized hors d’oeuvres. Sounds pretty…un-filling, right?

It was.

But that wasn’t the point.

The point was for the chef to show his artistry and skill in combining flavors, textures, and temperature. It was for him to put his heart and soul into one bite, so that you take that bite and instantly see his skill, care, precision, and love of food.

And I’m pretty sure that social media is quite similar.

Social media as amuse bouche

Communicate more through communicating less. With Twitter, you have 140 characters. On my blog, I try to keep it less than 500 words. And that doesn’t mean that you can’t communicate much…it means that you’re required to craft your message to be consumed in one bite. So that, in one pass, a reader comprehends your message and knows what you’re calling them to.

It’s not intended to be a full meal. Don’t think that you have to flesh out a thesis in social media. Communicate one message clearly, and be okay with the fact that you’re not going to be able to dispel all arguments in 140 characters. That can’t be your goal…you don’t buffet-style an amuse bouche. If the thought takes more time and words to develop, consider spreading the post(s) out over the course of a few weeks. Think: bite-sized.

Pour your heart and soul into the effort. You only get one shot. One bite. One read. If you don’t capture their attention quickly, they’re gone, moving on to someone who has perfected the craft better than you. Highlight your artistry and creativity.

Use multiple ingredients that don’t apparently go together. In an amuse bouche, artistry is highlighted when the chef pairs flavors and textures that one wouldn’t naturally pair. Social media is strong when you challenge people to think differently about each aspect of life, drawing truth from environments and situations that others may overlook.

Do you tend to ingest social media in broad, quick passes?

Do you create social media knowing that this is how it’s consumed?

The limited value of guest-posts

April 11, 2011 / Ben Reed / 6 Comments

I’m in the middle of a series of guest posts. You can read it HERE.

And I’ve had people asking me how my blog traffic is changing because of these guest posts from big-name players in the small groups world.

You’d think that it would drive traffic up. These guys I’m getting to guest-post are well-known in the small groups, social media, and church conference world. You’d think I would get a significant hit the day that these posts go live, and a residual effect moving forward.

Because not only are these guys well-known in these spheres, they’re putting great posts together! So I’ve got consistent, high-quality guest posts…the numbers should go up, no?

Nope. The numbers have stayed relatively the same. There have been no positive gains.

But that’s not why I solicit guest posts. I’m not looking at my blog asking, “What’s in it for me?”

Benefits of the guest post:

Helping someone else get their name out. When you allow a guest to post, you open up their content to your readers. Their “name” can then extend to the people who visit your site regularly, and thus their message is broadcast to a wider audience.

Using your platform to benefit someone else. You’ve spent time and energy building your platform. Through consistent, quality content, you’ve crafted an image of who you are. Allowing someone to guest post gives them the chance to build on your success. Especially when the guest poster is new to the blogging scene.

Continuing to reinforce your brand. As long as the guest post fits within the normal range of your topics, you can reinforce your personal (or corporate) brand by adding another voice to the conversation.

But you know what the best part of guest posts are?

Being generous. And this generosity goes both ways. It’s extended to the blog, because this guest author is sharing his or her valuable insights and wisdom. And it’s extended to the author, because that author is given a platform that he or she didn’t work to attain.

Social media is at its best when people are being generous.

How have you seen the generosity of social media in action?

Have you guest-posted on a blog before?

The frustrations of blogging

March 29, 2011 / Ben Reed / 30 Comments

I love blogging. I really do. I believe that the impact it can create is quicker than in any other media. And the potential for a message to spread worldwide is present more in blogging than elsewhere in leadership and communication.

But there are things about blogging that frustrate me regularly. And if they frustrate me, I am going to guess that they frustrate you, too.

Blogging frustrations

I’m the only one creating content for it. Nobody else is going to write for me. Which, incidentally, is the most difficult part of blogging: writing and creating content. There are so many reasons you can find to not write. And those times when you choose to not write…nobody else does that work for you. In fact, “guest posts” end up being more work than writing my own! (I’m compiling a series of guest posts from small group experts. You can read it HERE).
I’m the only one thinking about the design. And since nobody is volunteering to take on that role, it’ll stay with me.
SEO. If you don’t know what that is, just Google it. Too lazy to Google it? Click HERE. Most days, I just want to write. I don’t want to have to think about the back-end stuff. But alas, I do.
Marketing. I don’t like pubbing my own stuff. It feels self-serving, and that’s definitely not why I write. Not in the least.
Short shelf life. A post is typically is dead after ~12-18 hours. It’ll never be seen again. And though someone could do a search for it, likely it’s going to sit in the archives and gather digital dust.

But these frustrations also push me to make the best content possible. To make the greatest, short-term impact as I can, using this medium.

The impact that any given post can create is exponentially decreasing once you hit “publish.”

Create the best content that you can. Stretch your mind. Share your heart. Make us think.

Are you ever frustrated by blogging?

Have you ever thought about starting one?

Software tools I’m using right now

March 28, 2011 / Ben Reed / 10 Comments

You probably already know about Hootsuite as a Twitter client…and hopefully you use it. I do. See why HERE.

You also probably already have an RSS reader (see my explanation of what RSS is HERE). No? Then check out NetNewsWire (and my review HERE). I love how it syncs with my iPhone, and I can stay within the application to leave comments, ReTweet, and subscribe to new feeds.

But I want to tell you about a couple of software tools I’m using right now that are helping me to be more productive.

Productivity apps

Evernote – I use Evernote primarily for idea capture. When I have an idea I want to remember, I record it in Evernote. I used to use a Moleskine notebook to write things down…or whatever paper I found closest to me. But what kept happening is that I would lose the paper, or didn’t have my notebook with me when I needed it. Evernote is with me wherever I go…as long as I have my phone or computer with me…and it syncs up between my devices.

In addition to capturing ideas, I also use it when there’s a website or blog I need to go back and check later. I just click the Evernote icon that I have installed as a plugin for Google Chrome (details on how to do that HERE), the web browser I use.

Wunderlist – I use Wunderlist for ongoing task management. Whenever I have a task, I just add it to Wunderlist. If I need a reminder, Wunderlist can send push notifications to my phone.

I have my lists divided up into the various areas that I am responsible for at work. Each area has its own list. So over the course of time, whether leading up to meetings or for projects I’m working on, I just add them to the list and don’t have to worry about forgetting to talk about it in the next meeting.

I can also share my lists, and have others collaborate on them, by clicking the icon and sending collaborators an email. And when we make a change, it’s reflected on everybody’s lists.

The great news is that both of these applications are free cross-platform. Meaning that they’re free as a desktop client or a mobile application.

Which means that you have no good excuse to not give these a shot.

Are there tools you’re using right now that are helping you be more productive?

The new social media

March 18, 2011 / Ben Reed / 4 Comments

This is a guest post by Jeremy Chandler, social media director at Souls 4 Souls, a charity that collects shoes and distributes them around the world. Jeremy is all over Twitter and Facebook.

__________________________________________________________

Let’s go back a few years to when you first started noticing the potential social media could have (circa 2006). Back to the days when the idea of creating a community of friends in a digital world excited you. Remember the days you actually had to ask someone if they were on Facebook?

Social Media not only connected us with friends from high school and new acquaintances, but people around the world who shared our same interests. It was a new and easy way for us to bond together for something greater than ourselves. With social media, we had the power of a new collaborative technology to impact the world in a way we never had before. People were joining together on sites like Facebook Causes to partner together to make a greater impact in the world. And it was awesome.

Since then, there’s been a shift of sorts in the fundamental thinking about social media. As more and more people are getting into it, the less “social” it is becoming. Over time, the chance to become a social media rock star has captivated our focus & intentions. It’s become more about the “me” than about the “we”.

The problem is that we’ve forgotten what made these elements so intriguing in the first place.

Think about it this way, when someone gives you a compliment in front of their friends in person, you don’t repeat what they just said about you or pull them off to the side & whisper thanks in their ear. Yet, in social media, we are quick to retweet nice words someone has said about us or send them a direct message saying thanks. I’m just as guilty as the next guy.

When we stop being social, we lose what this new media is all about. We’ve forfeited an opportunity to make a real difference in the world.

There is still hope. Jon Acuff has worked hard to develop his platform, but decided to use it to make a tangible difference in the lives of kids in India & Africa. TwitChange is an organization that is leveraging the fame celebrity twitter accounts have accrued to help nonprofits increase their impact.

So what does this mean for us? As social media continues to develop, no matter if its Facebook or Twitter or Quora, may we never forget the reason social media became so popular in the first place, and carefully guard against forfeiting something bigger than ourselves to make our name big.

What advice do you have about guarding yourself from social “ME”dia?

Have you seen how social media has become all about “Me”?

Blogging’s not cool anymore

March 17, 2011 / Ben Reed / 8 Comments

Blogging isn’t cool anymore.

There, I said it.

It seems that almost every person on the planet can say either, “I have a blog…” or, “I used to have a blog…”

You used to be cutting edge if you had a blog, back when the first ones launched in 1999. Now, in 2011, bloggers are a dime a dozen.

And there are so many mediocre blogs out there that if yours doesn’t significantly stand out, you’ll get lost among the noise. Here’s what I mean:

There’s no guarantee today that if you start a blog, it’ll become successful.

There’s no guarantee today that if you have a blog, it’ll continue to be successful.

And though this may frustrate you, it thrills me. It drives me to work harder, faster, more creatively, and more passionately. Creating art that is relevant, helpful, and sharable is difficult, given the level of noise that social media is creating in our world. But the product that successful bloggers are creating is getting better and better.

In the long run, the fact that blogging is difficult will make you a better writer, communicator, and artists (assuming you stick with it). And it will force better artists to step up and continue to create better art. And in the long run, the number of active blogs may decrease. And that competition is good for the system.

People aren’t just clicking on blogs anymore. They’ve got to have a reason.

What reason(s) are you giving them?

Why should someone read and subscribe to your blog?

Promoting quality content

March 7, 2011 / Ben Reed / 3 Comments

Do you believe that your content is worth promoting? Worth rising above the noise?

No?

Then why are you creating that content?!?

Yes?

Then why not figure out the best way to promote it?

*Hint: the answer is not in yelling louder, and more often, about your content. Just in real life, if you yell often about how awesome you are, people don’t like it.

Here’s a principle you can take to the bank:

You have to capture your audience and engage them in your promotional content if you ever expect them to click through.

The words you use to promote your content are just as important in driving traffic to your blog as the actual content. Let me explain by example.

Unhelpful update:

New blog. Check it out! http://lame.twitter.update.com (fake link)

Helpful update:

Ever wondered how to write a successful blog? New post: http://engaging.twitter.update.com (fake link)

Your content is battling an increasing amount of noise every day. If you don’t engage your potential readers at the level of Twitter and Facebook, piquing their interest, you can forget them ever clicking through.

I’ve written posts I thought were paradigm-shifting. I’ve written others where I poured my heart out. I’ve written others that I could barely finish because I was laughing so hard.

And in each of those instances, I’ve had posts that never got off the ground.

The more people that engage social media, the louder, more chaotic the noise that we all create. And if you’re adding multiple voices (Twitter, Facebook, blog, etc.), then you’re adding an exponential amount of noise, hoping that your noise produces more noise (through ReTweets, Facebook Shares, StumbleUpon “thumbs up”, and Diggs)…right?

I assume you’re crafting substantial, helpful content on your site. Don’t let your status updates and promotions of your site fall flat. They should start reflecting the quality and effort you’re putting into your blog.

Do you publish content to a blog?

Have you found success in promoting it?

How are you measuring that success?

Content is King

February 28, 2011 / Ben Reed / 9 Comments

Design is crucial. I just wrote about that HERE.

But when it comes to blogging, content is still king.

I have helped a number of people out with their blogs. Making tweaks. Customizing them. Telling them the “secrets” I used to create my blog.

And I’m okay with that.

In the design world, design is sacred. If you design something, you reserve the right to that property…and people pay big bucks for your expertise and creativity. You don’t just give that design away.*

But in my world, I give it away. Partly because I’m not a designer. Partly because I believe that social media is built for generosity. And mainly because, though design is incredibly important and attractive, it’s not king. Content is.

Design may be flashy, but it’s the content that’s driving this blog, not the design. Design is an important aspect, but it’s not the one that keeps me writing.

Design is important, but it’s not why somebody would come back to your site. It’ll only get you (and your readers) so far. I’ve seen some incredibly well-designed blogs…filled with fluff. I don’t go back. I’ve seen some no-design blogs, with lots of great, fresh content. I return often.

People may initially click your site because it looks cool. But they’ll choose whether or not to come back because of the content you produce.

Which is why I firmly believe that the number of subscribers (those who buy in to what you have to say, and return regularly) you have to your blog is more important than the number of blind hits you have.

Are you producing high quality content?

Are your subscriber counts reflecting that?

Do you find yourself working more on your blog design than your content?

Can the same be said of your church?

*let it be known: 1) I’m not a designer. 2) I have no problem with designers charging for their services.

Category: Social Media (page 4 of 10)

Here are things I’m wrestling through:

Social media as amuse bouche

Benefits of the guest post:

But you know what the best part of guest posts are?

5 Reasons you should read Turn the World Upside Down

Blogging frustrations

Productivity apps

This is a guest post by Jeremy Chandler, social media director at Souls 4 Souls, a charity that collects shoes and distributes them around the world. Jeremy is all over Twitter and Facebook.

Blogging isn’t cool anymore.

Unhelpful update:

Helpful update:

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