If you have read any of my social media posts on ChurchMag or seventy8 Productions, you know that I preach that you should at least consider investing in social media so that you can reach a group of people that you may never reach any other way, and if you do use it, use it effectively.
For many churches, they have no idea what to do with social media, where to start, and how to approach it at all.
For these churches, ‘Going Social’ is for you.
We want to offer you some things that we loved about the book as well as some things we wish we would have seen done differently.
What I Loved
Terrace did some amazing things in this book that I have not seen done so well anywhere else and want to highlight here for you.
- #ThingsWeLove
Just like this sections title, Terrace uses the different features that are unique to social media well. Because many different people who have had minimal exposure to social media are going to be reading this, quietly integrating the terminology into the context of this book is teaching them how to do it well on the network long before they right their first status update or tweet. - No Favorites
Too many times I have read a social media blog, ebook, or magazine article only to come out of it thinking that the person was too biased on one specific network and the author did not do right by remaining unbiased for the reader. Terrace does this well by simply being neutral for the reader. - Talks About The Myths And Failures For Users
Terrace does not shy away from talking about how people fail at approaching social media because of things they have assumed, misunderstood, or simply have been too stubborn about. Sometimes people simply need to be called out and pushed into trying something because they are too scared or complacent to try.
What I Wished Would Have Been Different
Terrace could not have given us everything in this book, but I did notice that there were several different things that could have been better for the reader.
- Insult To Your Intelligence
In Terrace’s description of the different major networks, he goes through and shows you how to sign up for an account, send out a tweet, and add content to your profile. This should honestly be nothing more than a footnote in most books because it is super easy to do and even worse, may be completely different of a process next week if the networks think they want to do it differently. I can figure out how to do this and if I have to get some help, all of the major networks provide great step-by-step instructions that do not need to be in print. - Not Practical instructions
Throughout almost a third of this book, I found myself simply skipping it because it was just not practical for me. I did not need to read about stories of people, but would have loved ideas for using the networks to engage with volunteers, students, and other youth pastors better. He had the opportunity to create a firestorm of creative ideas for people to dream, but took the time to handhold and let other people market their own blogs and twitter handles. - Not for Someone Already On The Network
The opportunity to make someone’s social media usage go from good to great was there and missed in this book. So many people do not know how to make a social media strategy, integrate volunteers into using their ministry’s social network well, provide powerful teaching lessons for teens in youth ministry, or empower youth workers to network well online and none of that was done here. I felt a little cheated in this thought.
Overall, there was nothing inaccurate that I caught, but I was left wanting so much more. For someone who is not on social media ever, this is the book for you. For the 2 billion other people in this world who has been using a social network for more than six months, I do not recommend this book at all.
If you have read the book, what do you think of it?
Chris S. says
Well, the title is “Going Social” implying the first steps into the social networking…
Mike Glover says
Jeremy – This is the first post of yours I have read…in fact I am here because your blog post showed up in a Google search (albeit on page 2) for this book.
I have read the book cover to cover. Here’s my take on it – It’s PERFECT for people who have never been on Social Media. Do you know why? Because that’s who the book was written for. I personally got NOTHING out of the book. As a somewhat savvy Social Media person, I learned nothing. But this book was not intended for me or people like me who are already active on Social Media.
So that being said…why are you ripping Terrace apart in your review? Was the book titled…”How to go from good to GREAT on Social Media”. Nope it was not. In fact the title alone implies it’s for people just starting out which Chris S. pointed out.
I just don’t understand the undertone in your post brother. What am I missing?
Peace!