Ten Commandments for Church Tweeting
1. Thou shalt use Twitter to push the vision
Twitter should be a piece of your communications pie that uniformly presents the church’s vision, mission, and purpose. Each medium has its own strengths and weaknesses. Twitter can fill a gap left by other communication devices.
2. If thou choose to use Twitter, thou shalt keep it up
We have all seen Twitter accounts where the last update was over a month ago. It gives off a sense of abandonment. It is the empty storefront, begging someone to occupy its space. In the world of social media, frequent updates are the norm. Churches are better off without an account than with an abandoned account. The abandoned account is unattractive and can give an unnecessary negative vibe to potential visitors. Also, please fill your icon box with something, preferably your church logo.
3. Thou shalt Tweet at least 1 to 5 times daily
Most recommend 5. Take advantage of other technologies such as Hootsuite to schedule out your tweets. This makes the upkeep seem much less daunting.
4. Thou shalt choose one person to Tweet
Your tweets have a voice. Just like an author has his or her own style of writing, tweets have their own nuances. Some spell out “for.” Other use “4.” The audience gets used to these distinctions and becomes comfortable with them. In order to maintain consistency, choose one person to update the Twitter account.
5. Thou shalt make content useful
Mundane is acceptable with personal Twitter accounts, not an organization’s account. No one needs to know that the staff is having birthday cake in the workroom. Provide content that is useful to your followers. Is there a new service starting? Where can they find a missed sermon? What is the weather forecast for this Sunday? There is plenty of good content out there. Feed that information to the audience.
6. Thou shalt use extreme discretion when Tweeting
Like other social medias, Twitter has no rules, just consequences. A lapse of judgment often falls on those who use social media. Many forget that it is not just a few close friends but the entire world that hears the conversation. For churches using Twitter, the management of perception becomes crucial. Scrutinize every Tweet before sending. This may be the difference between an opening and a barrier to the front doors of your church.
7. Thou shalt celebrate
Share the good happenings of your church. Retweet other individuals’ positive comments about your church. This will encourage both members and other church leaders.
8. Thou shalt allow humor
Humor is good content. Feel free to make your followers laugh. It does not even need to be your own material. There is plenty of good, funny material out on the internet. Just provide a link to it. Have a day when you tweet nothing but hilarious 80s music videos.
9. Thou shalt not play the role of the pastor
Some statements are best left to the pastor. Refrain from controversial theological statements and sensitive announcements that cannot be explained in 140 characters or less.
10. Thou shalt present your church in an attractive manner
The culmination of your Tweets produces a perceived persona. Each Tweet builds upon former tweets and constructs your church’s story to the world. Strategically build your portfolio of tweets to present the church in a manner that attracts rather than repels.
Millennials and Social Media
PewResearch released their numbers on Millennials and social media. I pulled data from their study, concentrating on young adults (18-29 year olds). Enjoy.
93% of young adults go online.
81% use wireless internet.
Young adults have the most gadgets (cell phones, laptops, mp3 players, ect.). They average 4.
67% of 18-29 year olds own a iPod or mp3 player.
18-29 year olds use social networking sites as much as teens
52% have two or more profiles on social networks
33% of 18-29 year olds read or update status posts on Twitter. This segment leads the Twitter category. Only 10% of 14-17 year olds use Twitter.
71% of online young adults have a Facebook profile. 66% have a MySpace profile. Only 7% use LinkedIn.
Those with a high school diploma or less slightly utilize MySpace more than Facebook (64% v. 63%). Those with at least some college experience utilize Facebook more than MySpace (78% v. 41%).
Only 4% of young adults engage in virtual worlds.
59% of 18-29 year olds have a game console.
Men are more likely to work on their own web page than women (17% v. 12%).
15% of 18-29 year olds blog, down by 9% two years ago.
33% post blog comments.
72% of 18-29 year olds look for health information online.
Women seek more information on health online than men.
Women are much more likely to search weight loss help online than men (42% v. 24%).
Leaders in Twitterworld
Few predicted the significant foothold Twitter now retains in social media. It seems that the little blue bird was right: 140 characters is enough to disseminate a plethora of information. Users range from the casual Peep, driven by personal relationships, to the professional Peep, updating millions of followers with their news. Whatever your fancy, you fit in Twitterworld.
Organizational leaders found quickly Twitter to be a powerful tool in their PR repertoire. Now they are lining up to get their passports stamped in Twitterworld. The leaders have arrived, and, for the most part, will have an extended stay. With just a few clicks of the keyboard, they are suddenly in conversation with swarms of followers. They can talk without saying a word. Creating buzz about their company is as simple as a few ReTweets. From the public sector to the church, everyone is on Twitter. But with such great capability comes much responsibility.
Quickly, we arrive at the drive for this blog. I have read the good and the bad from organizational leaders in Twitterworld. And it is from observation that I derive the following lessons/recommendations for organizational leaders and their tweets:
Tweet like you mean it
You can be purposeful with your tweets. Those who are most engaging are producing a consistent message with a few personal moments intertwined. Choose a focus: leadership, church planting, Jesus, ect.. If you want to use Twitter to reach others, you must plan. Remember, content is king.
Twitter is real
The 140 words you place in the text box are real words that will be read by real people. And not just followers. Many Peeps regularly check another Peep’s profile without actually following. Remember, behind most profiles is a living, breathing, impressionable human.
Think before you Tweet
Like other social medias, Twitter has no rules, just consequences. Twitterworld grants you the right to speak your mind, to say what you want. But sometimes we do not need to say what is on our mind. Sometimes, our 140 characters do more harm than good. Try to do good.
You are what you Tweet
The culmination of your Tweets produces a perceived persona. Each Tweet builds upon former tweets and constructs your story to the world. If your Tweets are consistently encouraging, you will be seen as an encourager. If you are consistently critical in your Tweets, you will be perceived as one who is critical and bitter.
Speaking of criticism…
When you criticize another on Twitter, you criticize publically. I unfortunately see this often. This is not harmless. It hurts them and it hurts you (see You are what you Tweet). Take a pause before you publically critique another. Try another avenue to address your concern. But if you must criticize through Twitter, do a direct message (DM).
Go ahead, ReTweet
One of the great facets of Twitter is that you can easily help others. Promoting other ministries, organizations, or individuals is a good way to use Twitter. Don’t be afraid to be a part of another’s success story.
Find a Tweet Model
To guide Twitter usage, Peeps need a role model in Twitterworld. Find a user whose Tweet style you admire. How are they connecting with others? How often do they Tweet? What is their content? What makes them so interesting? Feel free to use another well-travelled Peep as a guide to your stay in Twitterworld.
For leaders, Twitter is an amazing device to reach others. But the Tweets you share are not contained in a protective bubble; they go out to the world. Be cognizant of both the potential good and harm you can do to yourself and others while navigating Twitterworld. One way or another, your story will be told.
