Social Media + Strategy + Jesus= Cooking with a recipe

Have you ever tried cooking? Did know what you were doing the whole time or just going with the flow? I guess not. Almost everyone follows a recipe- whether it is written or just something long passed to you and memorized. It makes the cooking easier right? When you are following it, you efficiently use the time for preparation and cooking than just throwing it all in the pot.

But what if there was no recipe? The end result might be a disaster or not as good as you expected it to be.

Last semester, one of my papers for my Masters degree was about Social Networking sites or Social media in the workplace (Like or Unlike: The Effects of Social Networking Sites in the Workplace). Their has been a current influx of the utilization of the internet not just in the workplace but even in the churches. Social media has served as a great platform for any church or company to promote what they could offer and the message of Salvation.

However, like in my mini thesis, social media without strategy is also like cooking without a recipe.

Cooking with a Recipe: Social Media with Strategy

There are a few prominent marketing specialist that I learn from and can correlate with my current work as a Pastor of a 'young' church. When almost all of the population in the congregation are young people, virtually all have a Facebook account or an Instagram and Twitter. Even my mother have an account! If you don't have one (which you do coz you won't be reading this post) is living under a rock.

I want to quote Ms. Julie Roehm, the Chief Storyteller, SVP of Marketing for SAP from her twitter account;

“Social media without strategy is like cooking without a recipe. Sometimes it works but sometimes its disaster. With a recipe, at least you know what ingredients to have before you get started. Along the way it’s great to improvise to make it your own but without at least a plan, you end up wandering aimlessly.”

Same with using a recipe when it comes to cooking, a strategic plan has the 'ingredients' and procedures written down. Before social media becomes a tool for the church or company, there should be a plan to be implemented to utilize the ingredients well. The 'flow' just becomes easy and momentum will be gained. Improvisation just follows when problems and obstacles arise. But everything started with a plan.

Here are a few Ingredients:

A recipe or plan of action requires the main 'ingredients’ to start you cooking! To avoid just putting all in the pot and see what happens next, here are a few things to remember when using the Social Media for the church:

Start with a Vision:

What is it? It is at the center of determining the church's long and short term course of action and the foundation for a mission statement. It simply answers the question, ‘what do we want to become?’ Social Media with Vision sees beyond what others could only perceive with the naked eye. Its seeing the possibilities and opportunity to reach un-reached people.Does every interaction online gets you closer to what you are aiming to become?

Determine your Mission:
this answers the question ‘what is our business?’ and the foundation of priorities, strategies, plans and values. Simply the statement of purpose of an entity. That Social media with mission doesn't just do any good deed but living by it- The Father's business, to win the Lost and make Disciples. To use the Social media as an avenue to not just evangelize but keep the connection. I know this for I experience it in a daily basis with my own Pastor and some of my disciples. 

There was another part of the 'recipe' that is essential- Jesus. He is the center of it all actually. The Cook, the Recipe Maker and the Main ingredient. The Salt that makes everything full of Flavor.
Social Media and the Internet are just neutral grounds. But use it, Adding the vision and mission, for the edification of the Body of Christ, a platform where Jesus can shed and shine His light and a place where the voice of Truth is spoken and we could create masterpieces.
Start your strategic plan for social media right. No matter how good you might be as a preacher or leader, never underestimate the value of cooking with a recipe. Have you been reading your own 'recipe book'? Maybe its time to crack up that Bible and find out what God's strategic plan is for you and your church.
Lastly, use social media with the main strategy of giving God all the Glory! Now that's a perfect Recipe!