Mistake #2—No Social Media Strategy
Does it sound crazy to think that because we have so many people in ear-shot of our message we still need a strategy? Why not just throw the message out there to whoever will grab it?
We could ask Jesus the same question. Why did he relegate himself to one geographic area on the map? Why not shout from high-heaven to anyone who would listen? Why did he spend the bulk of his time with just a small crowd of men and women?
Because Jesus had a strategy. And his strategy was simple: create a social network that spreads and eventually covers the earth. (Yes, Jesus created a social network of his own!)
First it was Jesus, then it was Jesus’ disciples and then their disciples and so on. They multiplied and spread and were able to reach and change far more lives together than Jesus could have by trying to connect with everyone himself.
When we use social media we should take Jesus’ example. We should fill our social network with people who are most likely to receive our message. We need to be selective and targeted.
We need a strategy.
Mistake #3—It’s All About Me
In today’s world people are suspicious of religious bullhorns. People want to be loved, they want to be cared for, they want to be appreciated.
When we use social media like a bullhorn we’re saying that each person doesn’t really matter. We’re treating people more like a number than an individual.
We need to see people online as the individuals they are. Shouting an evangelical message with the “get saved” tagline and hoping someone will hear and get saved is insulting.
We’re not reaching out to random numbers. We’re reaching out to real people.
- Susan, a mother of three, a nurse, a woman with a painful past but a bright future.
- Tom, an insecure teen struggling to find his place in the world and still reeling from his parents’ recent divorce.
- Jenny, a retired widow who still blames God for the death of her son 20 years earlier.
When Jesus went about sowing seeds and making disciples he did it by calling people by name. To be effective on social media we need to see people as individuals and build relationships with them. Numbers on Twitter or Fans on Facebook mean nothing if people aren’t the most important piece.
So let’s follow Jesus’ example and build a social network that has real impact!
