The Marketing Edge

Ministries & churches should have pages and groups, not profiles.  It is necessary to have a profile to set up a page, and profiles are individuals who administer the pages.  Just because someone can see your page or group does not mean they can see your profile.  Nevertheless, it is important to note that anything you post online that is questionable can hypothetically be found and come back to haunt you.  Use the "Mom" test - if my mom saw this, what would she say?

Set up your profile, then set up your page.  Upload your logo, contact info, and always link back to your  website.  Use your identified keywords in the descriptions to help impact your search results.

Once the account is set up, you need to implement strategy.  What is the goal of social media usage for your business?  Is it exposure?  Interaction?  Traffic generation for your website?   As I have said many times, tweeting to hear yourself chirp does not grow your business.  Our advertising and marketing consultants at ChurchLink Communications actually design a social media roadmap, which details goals, steps to achieve the goals, and how to measure the goals.  As a leading Christian interactive advertising agency, we believe that efforts must generate results for the clients we serve.

Consider some of these strategies that could help accomplish your goals:

• Give something of value.  Why should someone visit your page, group, or website again?  
• Offer something unique: audio clips, video clips, e-cards, downloads, forums, etc.  It needs to be something that they can’t get anywhere else.  
• Create engaging content, and encourage interactivity.  You want folks to be engaged and take ownership.
• Ask questions, solicit opinions, and make it easy for supporters to post their info.   Reward them for giving you their time and support.  Remember that one of the keys to social media is that listening is important.  We are way past the time when simply pushing out information is effective.
• Remember to provide CONTENT VALUE.  A consumer survey by the JC Williams Group ranked consumer content as the #1 aid to a buying decision, cited by 91% of respondents (JC Williams Group, 2006).

Next week we will tackle the benefits of blogging.  In the meantime, craft your strategy or call one of our marketing and advertising consultants!

About ChurchLink Communications and Edge Media: ChurchLink Communications is a division of Edge Media committed to equipping the Church with every available and effective communications tool. Edge Media is a Christian interactive agency located in Phoenix AZ specializing in cutting edge solutions and technologies that give our clients significant return on their advertising investment.  Our Christian interactive goals and strategies are innovative, rapidly increasing traffic to our clients' websites, and then converting from leads to sales as a result ofour Christian marketing company expertise in the online arena.  We are a full service Christian advertising agency serving local and national clients and delivering exceptional results.