youth ministry infographic

How To Create The Perfect Post [infographic]

What do you post to your social media networks?

This is a simple question, but when I want to see what the youth ministry pro’s out there do when posting to Facebook, instagram, twitter, and so on, I like or follow them. Over the past years I have seen terrible posts, and looking back I have published some of those posts.

I don’t know about you, but I want to put something on social media so that people will see it, and hopefully the students friends or parents will see it. There is an art to creating a post, and here are some helpful tips when creating a post with Facebook, twitter, and pinterest.

Here is the info graphic called How To Create Perfect Posts from MyCleverAgency.

Here are a few things that stand out:

1. Images matter. Each social media account except for twitter needs to have a image. The infographic states how important the image is for better visibility and retweets or shares. This is crucial. When I am promoting something on my Facebook page, I always use an image to hit home the message. This is a visual cue that communicates to the student what I am doing that night, or during that event. Don’t mess up the images…they really matter in a digital world. If you need some help you can go to youth min.org’s marketplace for some awesome images.

2. Engagement matters. Posting online isn’t about just communicating information. I know that is basic, but the important think is to engage with the students in your ministry through a digital way. One of the important things we make sure to do is not reply to questions on out youth ministry Facebook page while logged in as my youth ministry. I want the response to be attached to a person.

Engaging in a conversation is important today online, but it really is effective when those conversations in a social network are followed up in a face-to-face conversation. I have seen way too many youth pastors rely solely on social networks to build youth groups and relationships. Digital relationships should never be the end goal, real face-to-face relationships should be.

3. Post in the late afternoon. I have realized this the hard way. I have often posted stuff to our Facebook page only to have no one read it because everyone is in school, and by the time they are out, it is so buried in their news feed. I schedule all the social media accounts now to notify students of things coming up 30-45 minutes after they are out of school. This gives them enough time to make plans for that night, or to invite a friend one last time before youth. It really matters when you post things. One rule I use is to schedule everything. This way I can control when it will most likely be viewed more.

What else stands out to you in this infographic?

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Why Facebook Still Dominates [infographic]

Do you still use facebook? The rumblings out there is that facebook is dying in the teen demographic, which means it could be dead in a few years. Anyone remember myspace? That is what people often say about facebook lately.

Personally, I think that facebook is too big to fail. It could acquire any technology, at any time. Facebook will be around for awhile, and it still is one of the most effective ways to communicate to students and parents today.

Here is an infographic called: Why Facebook users are valuable to marketers. If it is relevant to marketers, it is relevant for youth workers. We are in a way marketing to students. We want to use social media in order to help people stay connect to our community, and to Christ.

Here are a few things that stand out:

1. 1.26 billion people used it in the third quarter last year. This is crazy. That means that 1 in ever 7 people on the planet used facebook. The reason why facebook has lasted so long is because it has the critical mass. Everyone is on it.

Do you have a facebook page for your youth ministry? If not, you need to spend the next 10 minutes building one.

2. There are over 800 million mobile users. As facebook does a great job to keep their social media site mobile, it will attract more users. Everyone has a smartphone, and people are staying connected. I think this will be the next battle online, for the experience to stay similar on the mobile phone as it is on a traditional browser.

3. 83% of 18-29 year olds use facebook. This is the reason why you need to leverage facebook. People are on it. It won’t take a ton of time to learn how to build a page, or set up group. I have multiple groups for my youth ministry. I use groups for my adult leaders, student leaders. For my whole youth ministry I use a page. This is just an easier way to stay connected!

How do you use facebook to reach the students in your community?

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10 Surprising Social Media Stats [infographic]

What social media tools do you use? Are you using facebook to communicate with students? Twitter? Instagram?

If you use any social media tool to communicate with teenagers, this infographic might alarm you. I stumbled across this over at visual.ly. Everyone who is using social media to communicate needs to check this infographic out.

Here are a few things that stand out:

1. The average lifespan of a piece of content on facebook lasts 80 minutes. It is only 5-25 minutes on twitter. What does this mean? It means we need to be strategic when we send out messages. I have been playing with this. I will get more interaction 30-40 minutes after school ends. I usually set up my facebook post 30 minutes after school, and my text message goest out 30 minutes after that.

2. 50% of companies have acquired a customer through twitter. When we think of being in the physical community, we need to get our minds around being in the digital community. Your facebook page, twitter account, instagram, and website are the front doors of your youth ministry whether you like it or not. Be strategic on when you post.

What else stands out? Leave a comment below.

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Growing Up With Technology [infographic]

Here is another awesome infographic. This is talking about how kids are growing up in a digital world. The students I work with are almost only living in a digital world of selfies, and likes. It is changing the way a generation connects with each other. Here are a few things that stand out:

1. 10% of teens say that social media makes them more depressed. This is a staggering stat. Technology isn’t supposed to replace relationships, but for a lot of teenagers today they are replacing the real relationship with a digital one. Teenagers are building identities in a digital world on likes, and follows. They are more likely to be unhappy in a digital world.

2. 51% of teens have been bullied online. This stat gets me every time. I wish more parents were filtering the content of their kids. This is one stat that needs to change.

I had a student recently that was being bullied and he posted what the bully said for the whole world to see. It was pretty humbling, and shocking what people are comfortable to say to each other when there isn’t a consequence.

3. 72% closely monitor their students behaviour. This really encourages us. We need to see more parents involved, and connected to what their students are doing online. This will always be something that the parents will be playing catch up on. This is where the youth worker can bridge the gap, and help the parent navigate the digital world.

What else stands out to you? Please leave a comment below.

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Where youth pastors spend their time [infographic]

I have been reading Aaron Helmans blog, Smarter Youth Ministry, for the past few months. He is a great guy, and you really need to check out his website. There is tons of amazing content for youth workers.

This week he released an infographic on how much ministry is in modern youth ministry. You can check out the post on his site here. This is really interesting, and I thought it was worth the share.

Here are a few things that stand out:

1. We find our worth in what we do, and not who we are. I have known for a long time that youth pastors/pastors in general are workaholics. It is alarming that 26% of youth workers are working 50% more hours. I am praying for all the youth workers out there who are over worked, and are allowing it to happen. You need a rest, and I pray that you find a season on rest soon.

2. We are forgetting the calling. We need to be with students, and we need to get out of the office. In the past 10 months I went from having no office to having a huge office. I love having a office, but I have been wondering if it is getting in the way of mission and calling. I am called to work with families, and students. I have to ask the hard question to myself, When was the last parent/student in my office? When did they just drop by?

If I am honest it is easier to sit in front of a computer screen, it is safer to stay in a nice office than be out dealing with the stuggles and hurts that the students deal with.

This is a great infographic from Aaron Helman, what are your thoughts on this infographic? Please post below.

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[infographic] Instant America

This weeks infographic was provided by online graduate programs.

We live in an instant society. What could this mean for the students you are trying to reach? Here are a few things that stand out.

1. We are Impatient. If a website doesn’t load in 4 seconds we are out of there. Also, almost 50% of americans are skipping theaters and movie stores for pirated movies because of connivence. A few times a year, my youth ministry takes time away from the speed of our culture to actively slow down, and try to listen to God. Our expectations of speed in everything doesn’t translate well into relationships. Relationships take time, and especially our relationship with God. How can your youth ministry value relationships this coming year?

2. We are rude. The other day I was waiting in line at starbucks for a coffee, and it was taking forever! When I mean forever, I mean 5 minutes. I remember thinking after that day, why do I feel like this? Why am I being such a jerk if my coffee isn’t served right away. According to this infographic, 1 in 5 people admitted to being rude if they were being served too slowly. I see that all the time. Actually, I do that all the time! Lately, I have been seeing people for who they are, children of God. How can we get rid of this rudeness?

If anything stands out to you from this infographic please comment below!

Created by: OnlineGraduatePrograms.com

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[infographic] Millennial Branding Gen-Y & Facebook Survey

Generation y is just another term for the Millennials. Here is another interesting infographic about the Millennials and facebook. Why isn’t your youth ministry on facebook yet?

Here are a few things that stand out to me.

1. 80% of Millennials post at least one school on their facebook profile. I guess this generation isn’t the dumbest generation to have walked the earth. This generation is intellectual, and are more likely to go for post grad studies.

2. 10% have worked for a fortune 500 company. They want to work for the best, and learn from the best. This generation isn’t willing to settle.

3. Average work friends: 16. This generation more than any other generation longs for community and relationships in all things. Work is a place where relationships grow, and flourish. This generation won’t settle for lousy relationships at work.

What stands out for you? Please comment below.

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youth ministry infographic

How To Create The Perfect Post [infographic]

What do you post to your social media networks?

What else stands out to you in this infographic?

Growing Up With Technology [infographic]

Where youth pastors spend their time [infographic]

[infographic] Instant America

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