Brian E. Boyd Sr.'s Blog, page 9

What to look for when choosing a social media agency for a nonprofit

Choosing a social media agency to manage your nonprofit’s online presence can be a challenging decision. At MCP we help nonprofit businesses and organizations (NPOs) make their mark online by using platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Pinterest. Media Connect Partners has worked with many nonprofit organizations to generate exposure and craft dedicated social media strategies that benefit not only the nonprofit, but the community as a whole – while staying true to the nonprofit’s cause and/or brand.

Below is a list of key factors to look for when choosing a social media agency for your nonprofit.

A social media agency should begin by conducting a social media audit. This allows your social media agency to get you started off on the right foot.


The next step will be to develop a social media strategy for your nonprofit. Developing a social media strategy that is unique to your nonprofit is key. Social media strategies are not a one-size-fits-all solution. This should involve an in-depth review of the current state of your social media and research about your target audience. This will also include compiling a list of goals along with tactics to deliver the ROI that you want most.


Social media website optimization is an often overlooked aspect. Your social media agency should keep track of overall social media performance so that you know what social media is bringing to the table.

Media Connect Partners is a Christian social media agency offering a variety of services guaranteed to fit the needs of each and every client. MCP has partnered with many nonprofit organizations promoting awareness and creating compelling social media strategies which have a positive impact for both the nonprofit and the communities they serve never compromising the nonprofits cause.

Contact us today to learn more about how our social media agency can help your non-profit achieve its goals.

Satire: When News from The Onion Stinks Up Your Newsfeed

Did you hear that Apple promises to fix glitches in its map software by rearranging Earth’s geography?  Or that Bank of America has introduced a new $50 under-draft fee where a penalty is incurred whenever a customer makes a withdrawal that results in a positive account balance?

 

You read that correctly, but that doesn’t mean it’s correct.  The online hoax-news industry is a booming one and fake-news sites, such as The Onion, Clickhole, and Empire News, are popping up left and right infiltrating our newsfeed with…. well, garbage. 

 

I’ll admit, I’ve been known to accidently share satire articles with my friends and family online under the assumption of its authenticity. (Sorry everyone!) Whether gullible or not, Facebook felt like there had to be a better way to help users, like me, weed out seemingly real articles from fake news sites – aside from fact checking, having a longer attention span to read the entire article, and using critical thinking skills to understand, and question, what is read online. 

 

Last month, Facebook introduced and began testing the ‘[Satire]’ tag in front of links to satirical content.  While some scoffed at the “ridiculously unnecessary addition,” I for one was happy to see the experiment in action.  This tag could be a step toward addressing the problem of hoaxes spreading wildly online by cutting them off at people’s main source for news: Facebook.

 

You’ll notice the [Satire] tag only appears in the “related articles” box under a posted link.  After testing is complete, I speculate that will change so it is more prominent in the newsfeed.  Another oversight discovered during testing is the occasional miscategorization of articles and new sites, whether real or fake.  These miscategorized articles run the risk of tricking people to believing the content is real when it’s not, and thus continuing to spread misinformation.

 

It’s not a perfect science yet, but it’s definitely on the right path.  And while the [Satire] tag is sure to ruin a couple of decent punch lines, it’s much simpler than plastering all over Facebook a [Stop Believing Everything You Read on the Internet] tag.

 

 

 

This post was written by Ashley Scolaro. Ashley is a Social Media Manager with Media Connect Partners

Don’t Stagnate! 5 Ways to Keep Your Social Fresh and Captivating

It’s not always easy to constantly present yourself with your best foot forward. It takes work and beyond that, it can be exhausting. We’ve all had those days where we leave the house in our PJs and it’s no different for your business or church. In fact, too often we don’t even think about our ministry putting its best foot forward, and that’s a big problem.

An easy way to ensure that your church, ministry, and brand is always a star attraction, is to ensure that your social media best represents who you are and what you stand for. A good place to start is to follow these 5 tips.

1.)     Add images

Images are the most-interactive type of content on social media. Follow the old saying, “A picture says a 1,000 words.” This is especially true when dealing with social media where short-and-concise is the order of the day.

2.)     Invite guest writers

Sometimes content can become stale and stagnant simply because you need a fresh set of eyes. Asking someone else in your organization or church to write a blog or a few Facebook posts or tweets, can bring a new perspective and invigorate your brand.

3.)     Mix it up

It may be time to leave Facebook. Take a look at what other organizations are doing and what platforms they’re on and then see if you can and should join them. Maybe Medium is the new “in” and if so, it’s time to try it out.

4.)     Keep it fun

People respond to humor and fun. If you want your fans to interact and keep your brand, organization, or church in mind, give them something fun to remember you by. Take your cue from the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge—they raised $112 million dollars by asking people to dump ice water on themselves.

5.)     Reevaluate often

Just like you change out your wardrobe, or paint your house with a fresh-coat, your ministry needs occasional TLC. Don’t let years pass before you take a critical look at your ministry and make changes. It doesn’t always have to be a big change; even small changes—such as voice/demographic reevaluation—can have a large impact.

 

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

Social Media: Just the Way I Like It

 

Social media has been blamed for ruining our generation because of the simple fact that we can’t “communicate” anymore. For the fact that we “vicariously live our lives through our phones and PCs” rather than living in the real world.

The truth is people don’t need an excuse to get lost in something other than reality. Before social media hit the scene, we chose to lose ourselves in many other things. The desire to unplug from the world and get lost in something virtual has always been an issue and a desire. Social media has opened up a portal into a new world and the extent that you get lost in it is entirely up to you.

Here are my 5 reasons that I use social media – just the way I like it:

 

1. What Happens on Social Media Stays on Social Media

Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have opened up a world where you can store and share all your photos, thoughts, videos, memories, and ideas, and it is virtually eternal.

 

2. My Brain Can Only Store So Much

…for everything else there’s a social platform.

As much as I would like to remember every event in my life, I find myself struggling to remember what I had for dinner last night (until I check Instagram). Social media has provided a way for you to remember events and track appointments. Yes this is the easy way out…but am I complaining? Definitely not.

 

3. Store Your Social Nuts for the Winter

Every so often while trolling the internet, I come across a recipe I want to try, a blog I want to read, or a style I wish I could save for later. Platforms like Pinterest have made it possible for you to save neat ideas in categories and store them away for when you need them. Social media platforms are programmed to figure out what you like and keep churning out content that suits your style. Talk about convenience, right? 

 

4. Job Hunting and Building Relationships

The age of door-to-door job hunting is over, and the age of “if you aren’t on LinkedIn you probably don’t exist” has begun. This may sound unfair, but if you don’t have an online social presence, you may not be considered for a job – especially over someone who uses social media.

 

5. Staying Connected – ‘Round the Clock

Yes, social media can be a bit of a mood killer when someone you were trying to avoid pops you a friend request. But in general, it allows you to keep up with friends you would have otherwise forgotten or possibly never contacted again. It is convenient, easy to use, and you can access it from virtually anywhere at any time.

Do I think you should be on social media 24/7, 365 days a year? No. I definitely think there is a time and place for everything and nothing should ever come to the point of being an addiction in your life. But I also don’t think writing it off and blaming it for the world’s current problems is wise, either.

 

Yes, social media is my profession and yes, admittedly, at times I’ll clock off from using it and wish I could do a “social media fast”. But ultimately, the pros outweigh the cons heavily.

What are your views? Are you a social media butterfly or a social media hater?

 

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

Past and Present: Memorizing Information vs. Having Access to Look it up

Memorizing Information vs. Having Access to Look it up

 

Watch and listen to Brian Boyd’s video blog and weigh in on what you think in the comments below. Brian is the CEO of Media Connect Partners, LLC. 

 

5 Easy Ways To Boost Your Social Media Engagement

Are you interested in boosting your fan engagement on social media but have little time or budget for advertising or giveaways? If so, take a look at these 5 quick and easy ways to boost engagement and help grow your social media platforms with little cost or time!

 

1. Crowdsourcing

According to SocialMediaExaminer.com, Crowdsourcing is a way to engage with your online community by asking them for their suggestions. For example, VitaminWater asked their Facebook fans to create their new flavor of water. This can help to boost engagement, because it encourages fans to participate in the decision-making process. For example, you could ask your fans to vote on a few ideas for a new design, book cover, or movie poster. Remember, people naturally like to feel they are a part of something bigger.

 

2. Align With Viral Trends

As we have seen in the last year, viral trends are becoming more and more frequent and engaging. For example, the recent viral trend, “the #icebucketchallenge” has funded over $41 million dollars in donations for their cause, ALS.

A key to making a viral trend happen: search for breaking viral content within your industry using Reddit or YouTube. This way you know the content has already been proven and you can tweek it to reinforce your brand’s purpose or goal.

 

3. Revealing Products in An Interesting Way

Instead of presenting new products by simply displaying an image of them, social media enables you to use creativity to build excitement and suspense around the launch of them. For example, our team at MCP recently revealed the cover of Stormie Omartian’s new book, Choose Love, by covering it entirely in flowers. As fans reached a certain goal of ‘Likes’ or ‘Shares,’ pieces of the flowers were slowly peeled off. This cover reveal tactic resulted in over 16,700 total likes and 2,800 shares.

Another example is, Nescafe. Nescafe did a campaign that involved the unveiling of their new packaging. They filled an aquarium with coffee beans, buried the new package in it, and then told fans with each “like,” they’d reveal a little bit of the package. Within 22 hours, the company had received more than 3,000 new likes to their brand page.

 

4. Put the Spotlight on Your Fans

Everyone loves attention, especially when it comes from someone they look up to or admire. By spotlighting your fans, you can give them an opportunity to be on your main social stage. You can do this by retweeting, tagging, regraming, or even giving fans their own hashtag or day such as “#FanFriday.”

When fans see that you’re willing to give someone time in your spotlight, it encourages them to talk about your brand more often. People are more likely to engage when they feel their chances are increase on being on your stage. Also, it shows that you appreciate them and that your brand is listening to their feedback and comments on social. When people feel they are listened to, they are more willing to comment, like, retweet, or share.

 

5. Introduce Employees/Behind The Scenes Footage

Fan’s love to feel like they are part of something exclusive. As SocialExaminer.com states, “People like to do business with companies that they feel they ‘know,’ and there’s no better way for them to get to know you than by introducing them to your employees.”

By posting a photo of your employees or behind-the-scenes footage, fans feel they “know” your brand. They also feel by engaging with your page, through liking and sharing, they are allowed to see exclusive footage not seen anywhere else. Setting some photos aside exclusively for social media content can really make an impact.

There are many ways to boost engagement. Sometimes the best way is through trial and error. Don’t be afraid to try an idea a couple times because there’s often reasons for why it didn’t work the first time, such as the time of day it was posted, language used, or type of graphics. Experiment with different ways of saying something or show your online community different ways they can engage. Lastly, know your target audience. Make sure your brand’s voice and idea is in line with them.

 

This post was written by Bethany Couture. Bethany is a Social Media Specialist with Media Connect Partners.

Gaining Followers Like Jesus

In the social media industry, one of the most common measurements desired is audience growth. Everyone wants at least a million followers in 6-months, right?

Reality check: that’s not going to happen.

While consistent presence on social media is key to gaining a following, there is a lot more that goes into a quality audience than just being present.

Let’s take a look at a case study from One with the worlds largest known following! 2,000 years ago, that was Jesus Christ.  Yes, technology has changed, but the process hasn’t.  There’s always so much to learn from Him, even when it comes to social media. Take notes from the Most Holy One, Jesus Christ Himself, and start gaining followers on your organization’s social media platforms:

 

Positive Interpersonal Interactions

Have you ever heard a story of Jesus being rash towards anyone? In all of His 33 years of life, I don’t think I’ve read any scripture about Him being the mean guy. Take note of this in your social media. When interacting with your followers, remember that it pays to be “nice”. Even when someone is being offensive, don’t let it ruin an opportunity to be an example and potentially gain a new follower.


Personal Invitations

Sometimes, even famous people have the humbling experience of meeting a person who has never heard of them before. Jesus did. (Not often) Social media gives companies the opportunity to have this experience more than most. Through advertising and various cross promotion tactics, we’re now able to grow audiences so that followers are highly targeted and quality.  Each follower is able to receive a personal invitation to interact with a specific company, therefore receiving top-notch treatment.


Conversions

Are you offering your new followers anything besides good content? Jesus did. Eternal life! Also, His followers gave their substances to support His ministry, which is a perk of having a following. Once you find your followers on social media, figure out a way to give back to them. When you find what that perfect gift might be, they’ll give back to you in ways that will make you feel like you’re in social media heaven!


Delivery

Once you determine whom your audience is, your next move is to figure out the BEST way to communicate with them. Day in and day out, Jesus was sharing his message with the poor, the sick, the sinners, and then some. He did this so eloquently that they began to tell their friends about Him. Take note. Your social media accounts are probably swamped with lurkers. Waiting to see you do something right – or terribly wrong. Make sure that you’re always delivering your message in the most articulate way.

 

So, do you still think it’s hard to establish a strong following online? Next time you find yourself feeling stumped, ask yourself: WWJD?

 

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

Technology, Tablets and Apps, OH MY!

Remember when paying the parking meter was done like this:

 

Park car.
Get out of car.
Get quarters out of pocket.
Forget that quarters are kept in car.  ::Insert frustrated sigh::
Get quarters out of car’s center console.
Look at parking meter and noticed that 1 quarter = only 10 minutes.
Begin pouring quarters, nickels, dimes, (do they take pennies?) into meter.
Walk away with note to self: “I should come back in an hour and add more time.”
Walk away and enjoy whatever beach side restaurant or city attraction you are there for.

Well, now you can leave the quarters at home because it can be done like this: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That sign promotes a free downloadable app that makes the need to carry heavy change a thing of the past.  Answer a few questions including personal information, your location, parking spot number, amount to be paid, and payment information and voila!

 

Now, if I chose to follow the step-by-step directions on the sign, I would have to add about ten more steps to my parking process, including but not limited to: downloading, opening, typing, cursing out loud, pulling credit card information and double checking everything. By that time, in a state like Florida, you could be rained on, twice. I’m not saying it’s not useful; thankfully, a lot of our city websites allow you to sign up online beforehand so that all you have to do is download and sign in when you actually use it. But, when you are in a time crunch and see this option for the first time, this may not be the best solution.

 

Here’s another example. If you haven’t already been to an Applebee’s or Chili’s restaurant, next time you go, you will notice a new device sitting on the table.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I asked our restaurant server how she felt about the device, she said, “Honestly people haven’t been using them much, I think they need to get used to them. But it does work best when we are really slammed.” I used to be a server, I get it; anything to make your job easier. But, what about servers that are easy going, full of smiles and well informed?  It made me ask myself: If I’m using this device, then what do I need a server for? In fact, if I’m ordering and paying for my food on this, why even tip the server? She’s no longer standing there with her smiling face, asking what I would like, how I would like it, and if I want a side with that. With this device, she has only become a food runner now. Which again, I used to do, and it’s not an easy feat carrying trays all night, especially if you don’t normally work out. Trust me; I’ve dropped a few after a long night. But, overall if that’s all you’re doing, and I don’t need your expertise on anything because of my “smart menu” then I won’t feel like tipping you a full 20%. A lot of the articles I read claim that the management doesn’t see much changing about their servers with the adoption of this digital menu, but I think time will tell.

 

When it comes to technology, you don’t necessarily have to have the coolest new app or device to run efficiently. Will you be cooler? Probably. But that doesn’t mean you won’t run into problems or negative reviews.

 

Have you come across any cool, new apps or devices that are supposed to help you in your day to day routine? Let us know in the comments below.

 

This post was written by Ginger Marks. Ginger is a Social Media Specialist with Media Connect Partners.

Should Christians Run Your Faith-Based Organization’s Social Media?

I’m a Christian and I work in Christian social media. It’s true. I can speak “Christianese”, recite Scriptures, and sing gospel tunes. I can completely understand a Christian brand, their purpose and their audience. But what if I wasn’t a Christian? Would I still be as effective in “spreading the Gospel” on social media?

That’s a hard one. Besides the legality issue (we won’t go there), it’s hard to accept/reject someone who may/may not be a good fit for the job. Whether they are a practicing Christian, somewhat associate with Christianity, or believe in something completely different, the question is: who should run your organization’s social media?

When deciding on a candidate, ask yourself these questions:

 

Do their beliefs interfere with your brand?

If they let anything get in the way of your social media goals, then they’re probably not a good fit.  Let’s say you’re a pet shop on Facebook and the person you hired hates cats.  All they post about are dogs.  Well, that’s an example of letting their opinions get in the way of your brand.  No matter if it’s faith based or not, this issue comes up a lot.  Decide if they are treating your brand as if it’s their own.


Can they establish a middle ground?

Okay, so maybe they aren’t Christian but they have a great work ethic and are skilled in social media marketing. What do you do? Well, can they can professionally set aside any personal beliefs and portray your brand on social media in an accurate way? There’s more to social media than direct interaction, too.  Instead of having them work on content, perhaps their skills would be better suited in tracking stats, creating strategies, or finding exceptional resources.


Are they able to communicate?

Social media is all about communication.  Are they able to communicate in a way that your audience understands and agrees with?  The last thing you want to see on your social media is content that your brand and audience don’t resonate with. For example, maybe profanity, alcohol, or even certain phrases such as “Good luck” would send the wrong impression to your audience and represent your brand in an untrue way.

Christian social media should be good social media.  At the end of the day, you want your church or ministry portrayed in the best possible way.  So go and find the person that can best accomplish that.  Who knows, maybe working for a Christian organization might have an impact on their faith, too.

 

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

Mrs. Sattler’s Rules on Measuring

I was taught about it in the third grade in Mrs. Sattler’s class. She pulled out a big clear tub of multi colored rulers and started to talk about measuring distance. Throughout the year I remember learning about different ways to measure distance. Sometimes you needed a one-foot ruler; other times a yardstick, sometimes an odometer to measure really long distances. Mrs. Sattler explained we needed to know what we were measuring and pick the best tool to do it. We wouldn’t measure a mile using a one-foot ruler, and we wouldn’t use an odometer to measure two steps. We learned measuring requires knowledge of what exactly is being measured as well as what tool is best to measure with.  

Measuring anything seems quizzical until you realize that measuring is the only way to tell you how far you have come and how much farther you have to go. I believe that this is the same with social media.

The biggest concern with anybody looking at social media is that at first it can seem chaotic, and hard to track. It would seem that with over a billion people on Facebook and over 300 million on Twitter that to get any measurable results you would have to hire legions of data crunchers. This is all true to a degree, however, there is good news! Many social media platforms have ways to measure and see results from social media efforts in real time. Some look with a macro view others look at individual, seemingly obscure data points that develop into a rich bank of information.

As Mrs. Sattler said, you must know what you are measuring then pair it up with the correct tool, not the other way around. There are a many tools available to measure and track results in real time. Some of them you have to pay for, some free, some simplistic, some incredibly dense.

I personally like getting a look behind the scenes just to see how social media is performing and seeing what can be done to make it better. Mrs. Sattler might take this as a measure of how much I love social media and I would have to agree.

 

This post was written by Chandler Elmore. Chandler is a Social Media Specialist with Media Connect Partners.