Brian E. Boyd Sr.'s Blog, page 13

How Social Media Changed the Music Industry

Music has never been as social as it is today. iTunes broke barriers by offering song downloads and giving music lovers an option to download a whole album or just a couple hit songs. YouTube gives us the option to listen to music for free! And Spotify offers us unlimited songs at our fingertips to listen and share with our friends on social networks like Facebook and Twitter.

While this might seem obvious to some, it seems like there are still people who continue to push their music in somewhat of a dated way.  There are guys on the streets of NYC promoting their albums, begging people to take a listen.  It doesn’t work like that anymore. Beyoncé took THE music risk. She dropped her album to iTunes with out anyone promotion – strictly relying on social networks to promote and give her album some buzz.  It worked.

Music hasn’t died, it has adapted, and there are just new ways to keep it alive (and it’s not by selling albums on street corners).  

 

We know how to keep music buzzing on social media. Give us a call today for some tips: +1-800-627-1265

This post was written by Sarah Boyd. Sarah is a Social Media Specialist with media Connect Partners.

Quiz: Which Social Network Should Your Ministry/Business Use?

Which Social Network Should Your Ministry/Business Use? » online testing

Running a LIVE Webcast in FIVE

You know technology is fantastic when you can reach hundreds or thousands of your customers in one place at the same time – and you don’t have to leave your office to do it. MCP’s LIVE interactive webcasts have successfully put our clients in the face of their customers within a matter of minutes. While the results are always rewarding, they’re not easily attainable. So much goes into producing a live event. Here are five things you don’t want to forget.

5. Plan accordingly

You can’t pull off a successful live event over night. You just can’t. Take the time you deserve to craft the best live event strategy. What are you going to talk about? How long? Don’t stop planning until all the t’s have been crossed and i’s have been dotted.

4. Start on time

If you don’t start your live webcast on time, you’re putting yourself at a huge disadvantage. Technology can be so tricky for the average user, that they could think their computer glitched, their internet is out (again) or that their computer isn’t compatible with your software. Not starting on time could make you instantly lose a large majority of your audience before you’ve even begun.

3. FREE SWAG

If you think you can get away with having a live webcast without giving away free stuff, you’ve lost it. You can hardly have a live in-person event without giving stuff away. If you don’t have merchandise available, go pick up a gift card! Remember – it’s never about the free swag, but it’s always about the free swag.

2. 911

I’ll keep this short. Come up with an emergency plan just in case things go south. Want to know what I’m talking about? Email us: info@mediaconnectpartners.com

1. Surprise your guest!

We all love those award show moments when something spontaneous happens. Remember this year at the Oscars when Ellen DeGeneres ordered pizza for everyone? Do that. Or do something like that. Surprising your audience will ensure that they stay tuned throughout the entirety of the live webcast.

This was written by Jordan Moran. Jordan is a Specialist with Media Connect Partners.

The Social Media Mistake of U.S. Airways

It’s a fair guess that U.S. Airways never intended for a pornographic image to be posted on their Twitter account a week ago. That’s a pretty substantial social media mistake-no wait- a MAJOR mistake. Although U.S. Airways has since removed the tweet, the questions remain: How did this happen? What kind of harm can this social media mistake inflict upon a brand? Is complete recovery possible? What are the long-term implications of this error?

Twitter is one of the most used social media platforms that thousands of brands use to interact with their customers everyday. It’s certainly not uncommon for a brand to respond directly to a tweet that has been directed towards them.

Those who follow U.S. Airways on Twitter most certainly didn’t expect this tweet to show up in their feed. Because people are always on twitter, the response to the tweet by U.S. Airways was immediate. It hardly mattered that the airliner eventually took down the offending tweet. It had already been screen-captured, saved, and shared with the entire world. U.S. Airways eventually sent out an apology tweet on their Twitter account, but the damage had been done.

Will the outrage damage the brand over the long term? Scandals on Twitter have become commonplace. New mistakes and poor judgment calls are being made all the time. While it’s likely that U.S. Airways will lose customers over this, it’s probable that in a few short weeks, most people will forget what happened.In the end, it doesn’t matter what the purpose of the tweet was, as much as it matters that the tweet was accidentally released on their public Twitter account. People were outraged about the image, outraged that U.S. Airways would make such a careless mistake, and outraged at what the tweet implies in terms of how the airliner feels about their customers.

At Media Connect Partners we have several safeguards in place to make sure this type of “accident” never happens to one of our clients. What safeguards have you put in place to ensure something like this never happens to your brand?

This post was written by Matt Gregory. Matt is VP of Operations with Media Connect Partners.

How to Use Instagram for Your Christian Business

Instagram is a social media platform that certainly draws a crowd! Have you thought about how Instagram can help your Christian Business? Here are a few things you should consider:

Images

What is your favorite thing about social media? If you answered “images”, then you’re not alone. Taking advantage of this prime feature, Instagram gives your Christian business the opportunity to share images that push sales, inspire individuals, encourage downloads, garnish donations, and more!

Hashtags

Like Twitter, Instagram has adopted a very successful grouping capability – hashtags. Using some of the top hashtags on Instagram will help your Instagram posts reach your current and a new audience. Take a look at some of the top Christian hashtags on Instagram.

Apps

Instagram has become an even better platform for your Christian business because of the different apps available. Apps can be downloaded for free or low cost from the App Store or Android Market. They can be used to take a normal post and transform it into something creative and unique at the touch of a button. InstaQuote and InstaWeather are two great apps that your Christian business can start using today!

Video

Although Instagram is obviously an image focused social media platform, their video capabilities make it very easy for you to share a quick message with your audience. Spice up your Instagram content with videos!

 

Help advance your Christian business now! Instagram is a terrific platform that will help you get in the view of your customers in just a few steps. Want to know more secrets? Let us help you: http://www.mediaconnectpartners.com/contact/

 

This post was written by Jordan Moran. Jordan is a Social Media Specialist with Media Connect Partners.

Why Your Church Should Use Facebook Groups

Facebook groups?  Do people even use those anymore?

My boyfriend and I were chatting about Facebook groups one evening (we’re a little nerdy), and we were asking that very question: Do Facebook groups still matter?

Yes, they do in an odd sort of way.  When Facebook groups were first introduced in 2010, they were wildly popular.  Personally, I was in over 20 groups at once!  One’s that mattered, one’s that didn’t, but hey, I couldn’t get enough of it.  I loved the niche information and the ability to connect with people that shared the same goal as me.

The craze of Facebook groups has lessened in the last few years, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be an effective tool for you and your church to use.

Let’s take a moment and think about the advantages Facebook groups have to offer:

 

Intimacy : Adjusting privacy settings in a group is easy. Groups can be public, private, request to join, etc. You have the freedom to include exactly whom you want at the touch of a button.
Connectivity : Groups connect people from all over. They allow you to meet new people and reacquaint yourself with people from the past.
Interaction : Groups allow immediate interaction. Notifications pop up instantly, and you are able to like/comment as you please.

 

Why does this matter for you and your church?

First off, an online community means connecting with people from all over the world.   If your church is international, or sends members out on international missions frequently, a group would be the perfect way to stay intimately connected.

It’s also a great tool for online churches or for people who do not attend church regularly.  We get it – people are busy and don’t always have time to go to church or weekly Bible studies. Why not connect with people using groups? This is a perfect way to easily take any church groups that are hosted (youth groups, women’s groups, etc.) online.

 

If you’re interested in building personal relationships, connecting intimately with church members, and growing in Christ, then Facebook groups are the way to go! Give it a try and tell us what you think.

This post was written by Sarah Boyd. Sarah is a Social Media Specialist with Media Connect Partners.

 

Why Social Media is Great for Your Ministry

Let’s face it. The times are changing, and with every passing day it looks like more and more of our everyday life is connected to the Internet. If you can do anything from grocery shopping to finding your soul mate online, why should connecting people to God be any different?

 

Regardless of the size of your ministry, the Internet can give you an advantage that our ancestors didn’t have. By using social media, you get multiple outlets through which you can share the Gospel with people near and far… at virtually no cost. (No pun intended!)

 

Here are some awesome things social media can do for your ministry:

 

1)   Gospel outreach and awareness. Technology makes it possible for you to easily live stream your sermons online as they happen. Share the link to the live broadcast on

social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more. This generates tons of awareness for your ministry while allowing people to tune in from anywhere in the world.

*Tip: Facebook has great page features like “tabs,” where you can even embed the video files of your past sermons, giving Facebook fans easy access.

 

2)   Fill the need for prayer. Now more than ever people need prayer. Your social media accounts are the perfect place to reach out to people in prayer and connect believers to one another. A few options:

 

–Create a prayer community onyour website, and link fans to that website from your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

–Want to take it a step further? With Facebook tabs, you can create a prayer community right within your Facebook page.

 

 

 

 

3)   Organize. Social media gives you the perfect way to organize and mobilize your congregation. 

Whether you need volunteers for a mission trip or charity, have an upcoming event, or just want to get believers together, an announcement on social media goes a long way.

 

4)   Teach. Between images, videos, and text, you have a variety of ways to share godly information through social media. People then link to, interact, and share your content over and over, spreading God’s message even further.

 

5)   Build a community. When you bring social into your ministry, you’re ultimately creating a second home for your ministry. You create a space where like-minded believers can join together and grow in their spiritual life.

 

 

So if you haven’t jumped into the world of social media yet, don’t wait another minute. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain. Establish an online presence and before you know it, when someone needs ministry, they’ll know that they can turn to you to fill that need with the click of a button.

 

And if you just can’t wrap your head around doing social media yourself, give our experts at MCP: Faith a call and we’ll be happy to get your ministry’s social media going for you. 1-800-627-1265

 This post was written by Jackie O. Silva. Jackie is a Social Media Specialist with Media Connect Partners.

10 Signs You Should Invest in Social Media

If you haven’t thought about using social media to your benefit yet, it’s about time you do! Whether your company is small or HUGE, social media has a platform and a strategy that will work for you. Here are 10 reasons why you should be using social media to your benefit:

1. Your customers are asking if you have a social profile.

This means that they are interested in knowing more about your business and maybe even sharing it with their friends. It’s a good indicator that you need to up your marketing strategy by investing in social media.

2. Your competitors are making use of social media.

If your competitors are already making use of social media they have a one up on you. If you have some time, look though their profiles and check out how much interaction they are receiving, this will give you an idea of potential business and also maybe give you a few ideas.

3. You do business online and have a website.

If you have a website and do sales or business deals off your website you should think about cross promoting your website via social media. When people go to your website and see no social media icons they assume that you aren’t keeping up with the latest online business trends.

4. Building brand awareness.

There is only so much you can do to build your brand over your website or with standard advertising. Social media has opened up a whole new way to build brand awareness and advertise your company in fun and authentic ways.

5. You have a company blog.

Blogging can be hugely affective in promoting business, but most people won’t even know that you have a blog if you aren’t promoting it on other platforms.

6. Social media is not a passing fad.

Some people believe that social media will die out eventually but at the rate at which it’s growing, we believe it’s only going to get bigger and better. If you don’t utilize social you run the risk of missing out on a whole new generation of marketing.

7. Good profit for little expense.

Most social networking platforms are free and the bulk of your expenses will be in the form of your time. If you have a good scheduling system and a bit of content social is probably the most inexpensive and effective way to promote your business.

8. Targeted ads and marketing.

If you do have a little extra money to throw at advertising Facebook and Twitter have added platforms that allow you to target ads to specific demographics. Advertising over social is far cheaper and easier than running huge campaigns.

9. Customer service.

Social media makes it very easy for people to let you know what you are doing wrong (and right!) as a company, and makes it easy for you to respond efficiently. If you keep your customers happy they will give you good reviews, on and offline.

10. Tracking your audience.

Without analytics you can’t be sure how much impact you are making online. Social platforms make it easy for you to monitor just how much influence you are having online and can be a useful tool to drive sales through your website which can be easily tracked.

MCP takes pride in maximising social media platforms that make sense for your business, so if you see the potential social has for your company, contact us and let us drive sales for you! http://www.mediaconnectpartners.com/c...

 This post was written by Kirstin Venn. Kirstin is a Social Media Specialist with Media Connect Partners.

The Future of Social Media

Where will social media be in 5 – 10 years? Wow! What a loaded question.

If you ask 20 different people that question, I guarantee you will receive 20 different answers. What’s even more interesting is that the answers vary greatly within the social media world. Even “experts” can’t decide.

Just the other week when talking with the head of another company’s social media department I was shocked to discover that he felt social media was dying. According to him, Facebook would barely last another year or two. His reasoning is that Facebook is no longer cool and it’s “trying too hard,” according to a 13-year-old on Mashable. In fact, even a recent survey of venture capitalists stated that investor confidence in social media is dropping.

So what does this mean? Should you be worried? Well, if Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook is to be believed, we’ve only just seen the beginning.

By now you’ve probably heard the amazing and strange news, Facebook purchased Oculus Rift. At first, it may seem perplexing. It doesn’t make logical sense for a social media platform to purchase a 3D gaming headset, at least not at first glance, but what if a real-life version of Sims or Tron is not only possible, but probable within our lifetime?

The new face of social media just may be a social world where distance, education, race, and boundaries are no longer a barrier. Where at any time you can meet with anyone in a realistic digital realm that feels and acts real to your senses. According to Mr. Zuckerberg, this is the dream he is trying to make a reality.

For businesses and consumers, it’s too early to know what a 3D digital realm will mean but the possibilities are exciting.

Will pastors be able to hold digital services for their online congregation where members can come every Sunday, sit in a pew, and read a bulletin, all within the Oculus Rift headset?
Will stores have 3D digital buildings so consumers can browse products, try them on, and purchase all within the comfort of their home?

Would you wear Oculus Rift if your Facebook experience was vastly different and improved? Are we ready for a real life Tron?

This post was written by Kelly Vo. Kelly is an Account Director with Media Connect Partners.

A Quick Social Media Checklist for Your Church

 

Lists, lists and more lists.  We definitely have a love-hate relationship with them, but they are so important to help us stay organized – especially for a church.  While Sunday has always been  the day for worship, there are six more days in the week that churches can use to reach their congregation.  Most Pastors have their own checklist to prepare for a sermon, so doesn’t it make sense that the church’s social media should have a checklist too?

Whether your church makes use of one social media platform or all of them, here’s a checklist of a few social media activities to implement prior to, during, and after Sunday’s worship service: 

 

Post Text:  Make your text as simplistic or complex as you want to get, but allow it to help set the environment for the upcoming service on Sunday.  Include Bible verses people can review and study in preparation for Sunday’s service, offer a Q&A allowing them to ask questions that may be answered during the sermon, or post a short Bible study that will help build the foundation of Sunday’s service.  Post a morning devotional, short prayer, or a call to salvation for fans.  You can even have someone post during the Sunday service with quotes and notes that the congregation can reference later.

 

Post Images: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.  Load them up throughout the week with images of Sunday’s worship service, church events, and Christian memes.  God made us visual by nature so be sure to post images so people can experience your ministry visually.

 

Post Videos: Following Sunday, post the entire sermon or special clips on YouTube for those who may not have had an opportunity to attend in person.  Videos can be shared among a variety of platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, by your church and its members.  This can help spread God’s word beyond the church’s four walls.

 

Post Events: Create a Facebook event for Sunday worship services and for upcoming church events, such as a Fall Festival or Volunteer Day.  Don’t forget to add a date, start/end time, location, contact number, a map or any other important details.  Fans online can easily RSVP, receive new details posted to the event page, and invite their family and friends to join. 

 

Post Check-Ins: Encourage church leadership and members to “check-in” on Foursquare and Facebook Places to let their social networks know where they’re headed for worship.  For people undecided on where to attend, or maybe on the fence of attending at all, a check-in notification just may be the little push they need to get more details on the church or show up to your church service.

 

There is no denying that social media has changed the way churches engage with their congregation for the better and has helped spread the Word of God.  With this checklist, we hope your church is able to create a heart for worship with the congregation not only on Sunday’s, but every day of the week.

 

Tell us, what other items would you include on your church’s social media checklist?