Yesterday I had a great time introducing a method for crafting a Social Media Strategy for Church and Ministry at the M2Live.org conference.
I had only a brief opportunity to introduce the method and I’d like to provide the entire outline here.
Remember, context is everything and the way that this method plays out will be different depending on the ministry in which you serve.
Please feel free to use this and share with others!
The P.O.S.T. Method
The POST Method is an adaptation from a methodology from Forrester Research and is a method I’ve used in both the marketplace and consulting with many organizations. I’ve created a new version that makes more sense for ministry and churches and have provided it below.
This is simply an outline and a framework for conversation, discussion, and critical thinking and some of these could provide hours of conversation (which might be a critical part of the creation of your strategy!).
I’ve outlined 1 tension that typically is felt at each point, a myth (or 2) associate with each point, and then 4 key questions or considerations for you.
Ready?
People:
The tension point here is Leadership. One of your largest struggles can be your leadership and your current staff to help craft your social media strategy. Lead with love and remember that your strategy has everything to do with your relational ability just as much as your technological prowess.
4 Questions / Considerations:
- Who will be using it? Who is your audience?
- Who will be championing it?
- Who will execute the plan? Who will do the work?
- Who will not be participating? Who will not be a part of the team?
The Myth:
The people who will execute the strategy have to be the people in obvious, explicit, or existing leadership.
Remember that the more specific you can be with your team, your target audience, and defining roles the better!
Objectives:
There, of course, can be many points of tension surrounding this particular part of the strategy development but one that is worth mentioning and that always seems to crop up at some point is how culture impacts the crafting of objectives. For example, having objectives can often times mean creating distinct and explicit metrics and values of success, which can be a “touchy” point for some. An acceptable response can often times be this: “How can we if we’re being successful without explicit objectives and goals?”
4 Questions / Considerations:
- What exactly are you attempting to accomplish?
- Are you seeking to educate or inform?
- Are you trying to energize or evaluate?
- What are the metrics of success? How will we know if we’re accomplishing our goals?
The Myth:
Success is guaranteed; success looks the same everywhere.
Remember that context is extremely important in crafting your strategy and that one strategy for X ministry probably will not look like Y ministry.
Steps (Next):
Besides the obvious difficulties in moving forward in the “next steps” you’re might just bump into a tension that is understood within the ministry and oftentimes not expressed: Historical Context. What this means most simply is that there is history (and culture) in your ministry and a history of how things are done in your organization. Sometimes providing explicit next steps can challenge existing structures and processes (including specific people on staff). Tread softly and carefully here (and with love!).
4 Questions / Considerations:
- What is the timeline and schedule for roll-out?
- What is the budget?
- What resources are available, especially in terms of manpower and headcount?
- What is the decision-making tree? Who’s ultimately responsible?
The Myth:
Historical context limits us; things can’t change.
Remember that Social Media, in general, requires a change in thought, thinking, practice, and execution. It’ll challenge a lot of your existing structure and processes. Essentially, social media requires change in all areas of ministry. Don’t let what has happened (and how things happen) in the past limit your potential for significant change in the future.
Technology:
One of the most significant changes in your perspective and understanding is that your strategy is not a tool or a technology. Rather, your technology and tool is an execution point that is informed by your People, Objectives, and Next Steps. For example, Facebook, Twitter, and other tools are not a strategy/strategies. Rather, they are tools that help a ministry succeed in their mission to reach unreached people groups through online mediums (which can mean that you’ll use a number of different specific techs).
One tension, or rather challenge perhaps, is awareness and education, which are two key ingredients for your continued success. More often than not, all your staff and personnel need is to first be made aware of these technologies and then second to be trained or educated on how to use them well.
Find people or sources who can be “outposts” for your ministry and who can continue to keep your ministry “in the loop” in terms of changing technology practices, tools, and resources.
4 Questions / Considerations:
- Remember, your strategy is not a tool nor a technology!
- Choose tools and technologies that answer as specifically as possible your core needs, your goals, and your mission as an organization. The simpler implementation and tool is typically the best.
- Due diligence and conservative, patient decision-making is underrated and underused.
- It’s about relationships! Remember that it’s not just what you by but also who you buy as well.
The Myth:
Technology is expensive; you need the “big” tools.
With the rise of Open Source technology you’ll be able to find and use robust solutions that can literally cost you nothing to use and implement. Do your homework and research! In addition, you don’t always have to use the most ‘obvious’ and prevalent tools and social networks. For example, Facebook is not for everyone and is not for every ministry. Be wise with where you spend your time and resources; they are limited!
I wish you the very best in your strategy development endeavors!
Matt Carlisle says
John. This is great! Thanks for sharing.
dave miers says
good stuff. thanks.
dannyjbixby says
I somehow missed the m2live webcast yesterday. Displeased.
Thanks for posting this 🙂
Matt Carlisle says
Danny — Not to worry. We will be posting an archive of the webinar at M2LIVE.org in the near future. Be sure to be part of the May webinar; Tony Steward of LifeChurch.tv will be our guest. Blessings.
PhillipGibb says
thanks for POSTing this