5 Ways to Put the ‘Social’ Back in Social Networking

I feel guilty. My Threads job is managing our online presence which includes not only this site but other sites as well—such as our YouTube channel, MySpace profile, & Facebook group. I have to admit that I’ve dropped the ball. I haven’t had the time to update our Virb space in quite awhile. I know… bad Internet Producer.

It’s not just a professional issue, either - it’s an issue that’s prevalent in my personal life as well. My MySpace is collecting moth balls. My Twitter hasn’t tweeted recently. About the only thing I am halfway faithful about is keeping my Facebook up-to-date.

Web 2.0 has pushed the limits of what we are able to do online - both as individuals & as churches/ministries - which is a wonderful thing. It can also be a bit overwhelming at times with hundreds of social networking sites available right now & with that number increasing every day. As a leader, even if you want to be online where your young adults are, the task can seem daunting, to say the least.

With all of this ‘social’ activity, it’s important to spend your time wisely. Here are a few tips to help you as you get started…

1. Do Your Research

   Before you dive in, ask around. Find out what sites young adults in your ministry are using the most. The ‘big ones’ (aka MySpace, Facebook, & the like) are fairly safe bets, but you want to make sure before you begin. The point of social networking sites is connecting people. If you are the only friend on your MySpace profile, it isn’t social. :-)

2. Do As Much As You Are Comfortable With

   Social networking sites can become Internet black holes if you are not careful. Again, the point is to connect you with people - both online & in the ‘real world.’ Spending hours updating your profile, posting pictures & notes, adding links, sending messages, etc. is only as good as these things are translated into relationship. Decide in advance how much time you can give to updating your space online.

   Another option, if you are creating a space on one or more of these sites for your ministry presence, is to enlist the help of a young adult or two who spend a lot of time on those particular sites. Have them take it up as a ministry opportunity - posting pictures from recent events, sending out bulletins & notes about upcoming events & studies, enlisting friends, etc.

3. Be Flexible/Keep Your Eyes Open

   Remember Friendster? Friendster arrived on the scene in 2002 and can probably be designated as one of the (if not the) first social networking sites. It caught fire, spread quickly & reigned supreme as the king of online social activity. That is, until 2004 when MySpace surpassed them and stole the crown. They’re still around, but only as a shadow of the prominence they once held.

   Things change—that fact is only accentuated when discussing the evolution of technology, the Internet & social networking sites in general. What is trendy today will fall by the wayside at some point in the near future. New sites are coming out every day. Feel free to plug into one or more, but be willing to pull that plug (or move it) when the need arises.

4. Understand How Your Young Adults Communicate

   In the young adult ministry I serve in (up/rooted) the majority of contact I have with our other young adults is via social networking messages & posts. I still rely a lot on email, but many of our young adults only communicate via email as much as people like I do. Ask them how they communicate with each other and the majority are likely to admit they hardly use email in comparison to other forms of communication like MySpace & Facebook, or text messaging.

   Take an informal survey of your young adults & learn how they prefer to communicate. Is it through social networking sites, email, instant messaging, text messages, or via phone? Connect with them in the way they are most comfortable.

5. Remember Relationships

   It is easy to get caught up in updating your profile, posting pictures/videos/event information, posting to people’s walls, etc. The point, though, is to build & deepen relationships. In fact that’s not only the point within your ministry, it’s the reason why many of these sites/services exist—connection, community & relationships. Use the technology that is out there to connect with your young adults. Avoid spending time doing things that don’t serve that goal.

Back to updating our Threads Virb space. Feel free to pop in & visit or add us as a friend. I promise, we’ll have more on there soon :-) Feel free to post a comment below to let us know your favorite social networking site(s), or to share a link to your profile/sites!