We’re now on the final and last part of a 7 Part Series on Elements of a Successful Social Network.
It’s been a great ride, for me especially, since I’ve been able to unpack a lot of what I’ve learned in the marketplace and share it here. I’ve got thousands and thousands of emails stuck in old Microsoft Outlook archives that feed this blog, and this has been a series that I’ve been looking at blogging about for a while now.
The thing about the final element is that it isn’t something that was originally included in the “elements.” Rather, it’s something that I’ve personally added to the list.
But, before we get started, just in case you missed the previous 6, here they are for your perusal:
- Ownership and User Customization
- Getting and Giving Feedback
- Exchanges and Gifting
- Collecting Things
- Earning Points
- Competition
Great. Let’s jump into the final element.
Element #7 – Christ
When the research first began that fueled this particular series long ago, we had thrown a “few” million behind it to make sure we could get the best, most complete, and robust statistical data on how to grow our own social networks for business.
The first 6 were battle-tested and proven to provide the results that we needed to achieve success.
But I knew that there was an additional element that existed that the million-dollar research wouldn’t find, and that was the element of Jesus Christ.
For some (understandable) reason, as I survey the development of social web community in an evangelical lense, people have begun to gather simply because their affinity and shared interest in Jesus Christ.
We could unpack this as much as we’d like, citing Scripture (besides the obvious, right?) and a host of other “reasons” but the fact remains that believers do, in fact, commune and connect online.
But it’s important to understand why it’s both necessary and important for “success” in what we do. It’s because Jesus Christ is the only reason that we are motivated to share our faith in a digital world.
It is the element that will set us a part and it is the element that is absolutely necessary (although it may not be explicit in it’s manifestation in some communities) to fulfill our calling to share the Gospel.
So as you consider developing “social networks” or engaging socially online, don’t forget this final element; it is the “chief cornerstone” in what and how we do online community.
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