Twitter Tip: Creating a Custom Twitter Background

Mojo Tip: Custom Twitter Backgrounds

Your digital assets should have a similar look and feel. When a visitor, donor or member checks out your YouTube, Twitter or Facebook pages, they shouldn’t be jolted by graphical weirdness (technical term). They should be met with logos, taglines, and brand consistency.

Rather than reinvent the wheel, here are some great posts that tell you the sizes and steps to create that background. We do custom work, too, as part of our a la carte offerings (specially discounted for churches and nonprofits), so if you need help, just let us know. Otherwise, check out these DIY articles.

From twitip, this article is comprehensive and includes photos, graphics, patterns, and more.

From Mashable, a how-to and some super small business examples. Just think creatively for your needs as a nonprofit.

Remember, it doesn’t have to be fancy, just consistent with your theme, brand and tone. As one of the articles said, generic is for prescriptions, not for marketing.

Enjoy!

Choosing a Twitter Name/Handle

What's your Twitter name and why?

The details matter in social media. One of the key things to consider when setting up your organization’s Twitter account is the name you will use.

Why is this important?

It will be what you are known as in the Twitter community. It’s your
identity.

It counts towards the 140 characters. Do your best to keep it short. Nothing is more annoying than taking up 10% of the Tweet with the name.

It can assist with extending the brand of your NPO or church. This may be particularly important if one of your objectives is to improve SEO.

It helps set the tone of the account.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

1) Generally, a good Twitter name is a variation on your own name or something that you’ve established a following for on other sites, maybe Facebook or your organizational website, e.g. Doglover, MarketingMojo, YouthFirst, etc.

2) If you use an organizational name, make sure that your bio includes the name of the person handling the account. Remember, this is about personal relationships. For example, our OutreachMojo Twitter account is exactly that – for NPOs and faith-based orgs. My name is clearly associated as the person maintaining the account, and my picture is the avatar, not Mojo’s logo.

3) You may want to consider the product or service instead of an unknown company name, e.g. TopFramer or UrbanMinistry. Sometimes branding is not the objective. Be sure you have a plan so you know why you are using Twitter.

4) A combination of organizational name, regional area plus area of expertise will work, too: FLMethHelp or ATLHumaneSoc.

There are a few no-no’s to consider with Twitter and you can find them here. They include squatting on names, selling names, infringing on trademarks and copyrights. In general, be thoughtful and ethical about your choice.

So, what if you choose a name and then you hate it or it no longer serves your marketing or relationship purposes? Well, Twitter is one of the few platforms that allows you to change your name. Paul Annett, in a blog post from 2/2009 does a great job of explaining this.

Looking for available domains and Twitter names? Check out Mashable’s article on a cool app called Tweexchange. Remember, everything should have a clear objective and purpose, even a name.

Let us know what your Twitter name is and why you chose it!

Interested in help planning or executing on your social media marketing efforts? Need an updated website? Maybe you’d just like to visit monthly with a mentor. Mojo can help.

Connecting the Unconnected

Churches should be radical, not timid.

It was recently laid on me, my husband, and another couple who are very good friends of ours to start a sunday school for people who don’t do sunday school. Heh. I like that description and it came from my husband.

As part of the research for creating an opportunity that would feel radically different from anything else in our home church, I reached out to a lot of folks in a lot of different places via social media. Some wonderful best practices emerged to connect the unconnected in our churches and communities. Even if you are engaged in these activities, they bear repeating.

1) Secular needs lead to spiritual interaction: That came from a great video by the United Methodist Church’s RethinkChurch.com campaign, and it fits. When we’re reaching out, both internally and externally, to the disenfranchised, nothing is wrong with using a secular carrot to bring them into the fold. In fact, I feel strongly about this. Churches are losing their relevance because they are not competing well with other nonprofits, community activities and sports. Create programming that speaks to your surrounding communities and serves as a needed connection with the unconnected. Then, it’s up to you to make a place for them and show them what God’s love is all about.

2) Look outward, not inward: One of the premises of our new opportunity (I am not going to call it sunday school) is a monthly service project. In addition to creating innovative weekly Bible studies that focus on being fearless and relevant, we’re putting that into action. Enough of warming the pews and yawning through a structured morning study…the key to engaging is connecting to each other and to the folks outside our walls.

3) Technology connects the unconnected: Like many of the cutting edge churches I spoke to, we’ll be utilizing multimedia, music, social media and more in the morning class. Professional Mojo is creating a customized Facebook page so we can keep in touch when out and about, and I’ll be doing some Twitter tutoring, too. We may even stream our morning class live to those who can’t make it. I’m toying with the idea of having a blog dedicated to our group, as well, that will allow them to express themselves in a new way.

4) A strong vision is key to change: Radical and courageous change only comes about when there are leaders crazy enough to make it happen. The folks in your church who are on the fringes and are unconnected feel left out. A strong, clear vision about what the opportunity is, who is involved and what it means to their life can be a beacon to them in these tough times.

This my vision, today, for what our new opportunity can be. What other ideas do you have for making this a radically refreshing opportunity to connect the unconnected?

Social Media on Caffeine

It’s almost official. Google’s first major update since 2006, affectionately known as Caffeine, may be launching as we speak in some specific data centers. Here is what Neowin.Net has to say (from just a couple of hours ago): “A colleague of mine pointed me in the direction of some breaking news. One of his friends, who’s the founder of Search Engine Roundtable, has discovered something very exciting. It seems that many of Google’s data centers have begun kicking in the new Caffeine indexing system. He reports that many threads have been buzzing about this. People in those threads seem very sure that the results are from Caffeine’s new algorithm. The writer has emailed Matt Cutts over at Google to confirm the change, but has not heard back yet.”

This would jive with the information Google shared earlier in 2009 noting that they would release Caffeine some time after the holidays. So, what does this mean to you?

The purpose of the new algorithm is to improve the speed, accuracy, index size, and overall result relevancy of the search engine, but the best news is that Caffeine also puts a strong emphasis on real-time indexing.

It will reward fresh, unique (not duplicated) content served up regularly. What fits that criteria? Why, social media, of course. Your social media assets will continue to skyrocket in importance. Don’t be left behind.

We’ll update you as more information becomes available.

Customer Service and the Church?

Customer Service and Your Ministry

In a recent article, The 10 Customer Service Trends for 2010, SmallBizTrends.com outlined how we as customers and business owners would need to change the way we think about customer service. As I read the article, I thought about how it also could inform your social media strategy for 2010 as you look for better ways to serve your congregation and reach out to the community. Let’s take a look at the list:

1. Article says: “With the economy still struggling to recover and unemployment at record highs, all ‘customer facing employees’ actually will try harder this year to attract, satisfy and keep their customers.” In our online and inperson workshops, we consistently talk about how your front-facing personas must get it right, understand the culture of your ministry and what your overall outreach objectives are. Social media really can help you attract visitors and develop ties with members.

2.Article says: “Zappos’ tag line is ‘Powered by Customer Service’. With the company being sold to Amazon for almost a billion dollars, there is no denying that customer service can build companies.” As ministries, we’re not looking for an exit strategy, but there is no denying that churches that are growing are offering services that were historically found outside of church walls: coffee, cafes, counseling, movie night, concerts, political debates, and more. What can you offer your community that draws them into your walls? And, once there, how will you treat them?

3. Article says: “Technology has allowed companies to personalize my visit when I go to buy from their web site. This is the type of personalization I come to expect when I go to any face to face retail establishment.” How are your visitors, donors, and prospects treated when they contact you via your site, phone, email or in person? Do you follow up with them by name? What about when they visit your place of worship? How special are they there?

4.Article says: “Tools like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube allow me to tell not seven people but 10,000 my pleasure or dissatisfaction with a company immediately after I interact with them. No more secrets here! Every satisfied customer is now a booster for your company and every dissatisfied customer potentially can hurt your business. Now, there is more of an incentive for every company to get it right for their customer. This year, no bad deed will go unpublished by a dissatisfied customer.” This also means you, church and ministry family. Word of mouth is powerful and today’s tech-savvy families expect your ministry to be fully engaged online, reaching out to them, giving them reason to contact you, and addressing their needs.

5.Article says: “You as the customer are talking on Facebook and Twitter, but companies are also beginning to listen. Chances are that if you post a complaint using one of these tools, the company will respond directly to you.” You see, friends, this is no longer the exception, but is rapidly becoming the expectation. If the biggest brands are listening to me when I post, why shouldn’t my local ministry or church? People want to have multiple online avenues to ask questions and dialog. Give it to them.

6.Article says: “Forget the lag time of email or waiting for a call back. This year, more and more web sites will allow you to chat directly to customer service people either through chat or video.” Your prospects and members, too, would like to interact with you via chat or Twitter – maybe while the service is in progress (internet church, anyone?) or during Sunday School hour.

7.Article says: “More and more American companies who outsourced their customer service will bring that function back home either by hiring a domestic company or bringing it in house.” If you are looking for assistance upgrading your website, providing training to your staff or even managing your online digital assets, look domestically. It’s that important.

8.Article says: “Companies you do business with will want to know everything about you. Tighter relationships with customers will continue as the economy remains poor. Companies can’t afford to lose profitable current customers. This year, companies will continue to track everything about you to make that your relationship as personal as it gets.” Your engagement in a personal relationship with your community and prospects can be aided via social media and a consistent online presence.

9.Article says: “Not every customer you have is profitable. Look for more companies this year to fire you if you cost them money and recommend you take your business elsewhere.” Hmmm. That’s a novel idea for a ministry, isn’t it? But, clearly, a small group of people usually do most of the work in a church or nonprofit. What can you do to engage the other 90% so you can grow and thrive?

10.Article says: “All startups used to want to appear big. Now, everyone company, as Chris Brogan says, wants to be human. I call it getting small.” Whether your ministry is big or small, the key is to feel personal and be nimble. Churches are historically well behind the eight ball when it comes to adopting best practices and, especially, techonology. Don’t fall into that trap. Act fast and reach more so you can do more.

You see, friends? It’s not hard to look at these customer service predictions and see how they can inform your ministry’s strategy for 2010. Learn from the private sector, use every tool you can, and apply those best practices. You are needed now, as much as ever before, in the community as people continue to turn away from church and God.

Have questions about how Professional Mojo’s Outreach Division can help? Contact us.

Merry Christmas: Luke 2:1-14

Luke 2:1-14

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” (KJV)

Merry Christmas to all of our friends around the world who minister every day of every year to those who need it most. God bless you.

Lee & Rachael

Why isn’t your Twitter ministry successful?

Are you guilty of bad Tweets?

For those of you who have been reading some of my thoughts about leveraging the web and social media for outreach, you’re aware that I fully believe that social media and community building is, well, social in nature. Seems crazy simplistic, huh?

Alas, a quick review of ministry Twitter accounts reveals a different story. What are these ministries missing?

1) Engagement: There is a difference between pushing information about your church or ministry out and pulling people into your community who might have spiritual needs, be looking for a church home, wish to volunteer, or want to donate. Outreach is the purpose no matter what online tool you are using.

Upwards of 80% of the ministries whose accounts I visited were simply pushing out information, not asking questions, engaging the community or sharing opinions. Why are we so afraid to talk about our faith, what we do, and why we’re passionate about it? (Oh, that’s another post.) Get your hands dirty and engage your prospects.

2) Commitment: To create community and build interest, you must be committed to the social media process. It doesn’t have to be a black hole or time-waster (that’s where strategy and mentoring are helpful), but it must be a priority. Many accounts posted only occasionally or stopped posting after the honeymoon wore off. Don’t be a negative Twitter statistic:
* Check your account routinely
* Make an editorial calendar or plan to help you stay focused
* Stick with it and don’t give up

3) Passion: Eh, I know this is related to #1, but I don’t care. I’m saying it again. The biggest element missing from the ministry Twitter accounts I reviewed was passion – passion for the ministry’s cause, passion for their faith, passion about how they can change the world and people’s lives.

That’s big news, folks. Did you hear me? You can change people’s lives and the world in which we live. So why don’t the Tweets, the Facebook pages and the YouTube videos reflect that?

Please reflect on what I’m saying and then do your best to share your passion.

If you are looking for a trusted partner to help train your staff, provide monthly cost-effective mentoring or coaching, update your website or customize your social media assets, contact us. You know, we’re committed and passionate, too, about what we do and about what you do.

Mojo’s Social Media No-No’s: A Top Ten List

Mojo's Social Media No-No's

I rarely write something that is on both the Professional Mojo blog and our special Outreach Mojo blog, but this one was worth it! Enjoy. —-Lee

Last week I reviewed an online audio created by some self-proclaimed “inspirational” dude who goes around the country giving talks on social media and how it can help your association or business. It was almost physically painful to listen to him discuss all of the shortcuts to use to “automate” your relationships and “push” content to friends and followers. He so misses the point. And worse, he’s running around the United States spouting off this drivel. (Can you tell I’m irritated??)

So…thought I’d share our top 10 list of things you should NOT do – even if you hear it elsewhere. And, I think when you see the list and the business reasoning, you’ll agree, too.

10) Don’t jump into social media without a strategy. Please see our previous posts about planning to illustrate this point. You started your business with a plan. You make calculated decisions based on concrete, written goals and objectives. This should not be any different.

9) Don’t focus solely on Facebook, Linked In and Twitter. The social media landscape is rapidly changing, with new applications launching every week. Despite what you might have heard, not every application is for every business. If you need a strategy, a once-a-month mentor or just some initial planning help, call on us.

8 ) Don’t forget to observe and monitor BEFORE you leap. Rushing into social media without understanding how your brand is perceived is just plain dumb. Monitor your brand before you start conversing. Determine who the influencers are and what your customers/prospects are saying. That will help you get the lay of the land.

7) Don’t focus only on quantitative metrics. Alas, there is a component to social media that many businesses just don’t understand – the, uh, social component. Consider qualitative metrics that can help you assess the quality of the dialog and conversation.

6) Don’t forget to prioritize. You cannot do all things well. It is much worse, as many of you have heard me say in our workshops, to launch multiple social media initiatives only to have them die a slow and painful cyber-death due to lack of nourishment. Choose wisely based on what you need to achieve and do ONE well first. Collect your data, then move to the next initiative. Rinse. Repeat.

5) Don’t try to buy your way in. Despite what many self-proclaimed “gurus” say, it is less about the number of followers and fans and more about the quality of interaction. You cannot achieve your goals by purchasing followers, buying your way onto Twitter lists or engaging in other nefarious activity that promises quick returns. If you approach your social media strategy this way, you will not be successful in building the kind of robust, word of mouth relationships for which social media is known.

4) Don’t grab the latest intern and stick her on the project. This is a no-brainer. Understanding the technology is NOT the same as understanding the business strategy and the purpose behind the initiative.

3) Don’t hesitate to look for outside assistance. Don’t you reach out to mentors in your business community? Have a once-a-month call with your finance or tax expert? Make sure you’re on the right track? This is no different. It’s a fallacy that since the platform is free, you shouldn’t seek customized assistance. Mojo offers monthly calls, group mentoring, online workshops and a suite of content-generation services.

2) Don’t automate your efforts. I am also disgusted with folks advocating automated software and bots that will tweet or post for you or writing a single tweet that populates everywhere. That is not conversatiion. That is not dialog. It will backfire. Do not engage in social media if your sole purpose is to spam and push propaganda out. Please.

1) Don’t make it all about you. You knew this one was coming after reading #2, right? It cannot be all about your business. It must be about what you need to achieve and what your community members will receive in return.

Ahhh, I feel better now that I’ve cleared the air. What are your top social media no-no’s? Share ‘em here.

4 More Tips to Create a Better Ministry Website

4 Website Tips to Takeaway

In Star Trek VI, the intergalactic head honcho said, “Just because you can do a thing doesn’t mean you should do that thing.” I wholly subscribe to that theory when it comes to your online web presence and specifically when it comes to your ministry’s website. It’s not about you, friends, it’s about your visitors, prospects, and members. What do they need and how are you going to give it to them?

Eric Murrell wrote a great post back in May that supports exactly what I’m talking about here: you cannot rely on your website to be the only one-stop shop in town. He goes on to say, “Once Facebook made it so simple to pump all of our content directly into our Fan Page, our “fans” had all of the information they desired from us right where they wanted it; any time we post a message online, link to a new photo gallery or promote an upcoming event, it’s funneled right in front of their nose along with everything their friends are doing. ” His point was that your website does not need to be a dumping ground for all things. You have other avenues to share quality content.

Here are few tips to make the most of your site:

1) Streamline your navigation: Many sites I review in our workshops are loaded with navigation, leaving a visitor to wonder what to click and where to go next. Keep the navigation clean and simple. Top nav is easy to see and easy to understand. No, you don’t have to put everything on your website.

2) Make it easy to contact you – Part 1: As Murrell notes, give your folks the content they want in the way they want it. Today, that often means via Facebook, Twitter, blog or another social media application. Well, if that’s how they want to contact you, then make it easy. Place your social media assets at the top of EVERY page. Make it dummy-proof to fan you, follow you, ping you.

3) Make it easy to contact you – Part 2: I can’t tell you how many sites I have to poke around before I find an email address, a phone number, something that allows me to start a dialog or ask a question. Stop the madness! The site should convey a clear purpose, have a clear call to action and give prospects a clear way to get in touch.

4) Use valuable real estate wisely: If you have a long, vertical site that goes on and on with small, independent graphical elements, um, nobody is looking at it. In fact, much like the old-fashioned newspaper, what’s below the “fold” probably won’t get read. Don’t hobble your efforts by cluttering up that valuable real estate. Put your main attraction (remember that clear call to action/purpose I mentioned earlier?) above the fold so it can be reached without scrolling.

Want more? Find additional resources over on Facebook.com/ProfessionalMojo or contact us if you are interested in training or a website upgrade. You won’t find better partners. Check us out.

Really Simple Syndication. Really, it is.

Do you need an RSS feed on your site?

We’ve received a number of requests to talk more about RSS or Really Simple Syndication. So, here it is.

In a nutshell, RSS makes it possible for your ministry or NPO to syndicate or distribute your fresh web-site content worldwide at minimum cost. Rather than making your guests, customers, prospects, donors visit your calendar or site every day to get the latest and greatest news, you can set up a syndication button and let your followers subscribe. Then, they are notified with the latest content.

The Nonprofit Resource Center describes it this way: RSS feeds can be thought of as a push and pull service. RSS feed providers “push” content to subscribing users, and subscribers choose information that they want to “pull” or receive.

We recommend using RSS to ensure your key events, updates, and more are routinely delivered to your visitors. Here are a couple of resources to get you started.

How Do I Put an RSS Feed on My Website

FeedForAll & FeedForAll Mac Software

Most blog platforms have the RSS feed option built into them (WordPress.com an example)

Once you have the feed set up on your site, you need to publicize it. One of the best ways to do that is with Feedburner, which is now a Google product.

Developing and maintaining a cohesive, integrated online presence for your ministry or NPO is vital to your success. Using an RSS feed to distribute your fresh content in a more timely manner to a larger audience can be a crucial part of your strategy, as well as a time saver.

For more information on Professional Mojo, our web design solutions and online or onsite workshops, contact us.