The Church Marketing Minute

Today's question comes from Ben Borman: _How do you handle negative comments on church social media? Not inflammatory, but voicing opinions in a negative way._ It's time we talked about internet trolls and negative comments. Since the internet allows practically anything to be published online, you sometimes have to deal with negative content. In this episode, we talk about how to deal with these...

Today's question comes from listener Tobey: _I pastor a great small rural church which is an older congregation (but getting younger as God brings new faces). I have done my best to take all that we do to our website, email, Facebook, etc. Well it is not met with glee as most of our members never touch a computer, resist email, and abhor Facebook. I know it is a cultural mindset but is there a way...

Today's question comes from a conference I spoke at earlier this year: _Should my church use Snapchat?_ Snapchat... I've made it pretty clear that I'm not a big fan of this social media network. However, I know that Snapchat continues to grow at pretty rapid pace, so at some point it's worth looking at. So while, I'm not crazy about Snapchat, it's still worth discussing whether or not your church...

Today's question comes from listener Jordan White: _YouTube... should videos be posted under a user and "user/churchname"? Or a channel linked to a business page?_ Of course this question spawned a whole different set of questions. This led me to answering the question about YouTube vs Vimeo. Which one should you choose? The answer might not be as clear as you think. (Don't worry, I do answer Jord...

Today's question comes from my mid-year evaluation. When looking through my content for 2015, it seems that Instagram is by far the most popular topic. So, I think it's time we had a talk about how to get the most out of Instagram. So today's question is... _How can my church get the most out of Instagram?_ Instagram continues to grow at a rapid pace. In my mind, it really has displaced Twitter as...

Today's episode is composed of two questions from multiple listeners : _1. Can I take photos of our church's kids and post them on Facebook?_ _1. Can I download videos from sites like YouTube and upload them to our Facebook page?_ DISCLAIMER: The information in this episode does not constitute legal advice. The listener is advised to check for changes to current law and to consult with a qualified...

Today's question comes from listener Kristy Henry: _How do you handle multiple Facebook pages for your church? Do you allow each ministry to have their own page?_ This is a tough question. It's tough because you want your ministries to engage on social media, but also represent your church well. In this episode we'll talk about the conversations that you need to have, and what you need to do to en...

Today we're talking about of the top questions that I get asked. _How do I get my pastor involved on social media?_ This episode is part my story of how I got started as a digital strategist and part how we work with our pastor on social media. If you're interested in getting your pastor on social media, then this is the episode for you. We're on iTunes! [Click here](https://itunes.apple.com/us/po...

Today's question comes from listener Andrew: _Hey Darrel! I run social media at my church and was just wondering your thoughts on good event advertising for Facebook. We’ve been creating image posts to promote events, then boosting them for greater engagement, but lately we’ve been considering using Facebook’s “events” feature instead. What do you suggest?_ This episode is a rundown of some tips a...

Writing for the web isn't flashy, but it's a fundamental skill that everyone needs to develop. Writing for the web is different than writing a college paper or any other piece of academic work. However, many of have been trained on how to write for an education setting, but not for the web. In today's episode we talk about key two key things you need to think through when writing for the web. We'r...

Today's question comes from listener Kevin Rutledge: _How much should my church be paying for graphic design?_ This is a great question! While there's no standard fee chart for graphic design, there are some things to think through when paying for graphic design. We'll cover that in this episode and talk a little bit about 99 Designs. We're now on iTunes! [Click here](https://itunes.apple.com/us/p...

Today's question comes from a conference I recently spoke at: _When is the best time to post on social media?_ While there's no perfect time to post on social media, there are some things that you need to consider when posting on social media. In this episode, I’ll cover what I've found the best times are to post on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We're now on iTunes! [Click here](https://itunes....

Today's question comes from multiple people: _How can I run social media on a tight budget?_ If you’re like most churches, you’ve got a really small communications budget and your social media budget is probably even smaller. However, there are some things that you can do to either significantly reduce your budget or do things for free. In this episode, I’ll cover how to keep your budget small and...

Today's question comes from [Amy Smith](http://twitter.com/runlikeagirl): _Are people more impressed and more likely to engage in a creative graphic or a more clean, branded look to the graphic? My goal is to create an attention grabber infused with our culture and still maintain the viewer's discernment of our brand. I'm just seeing other churches execute this, some with a more creative style and...

Today's question comes from Blake Norris Battin: What is the best way to introduce and use Facebook in an Episcopal parish with demographics skewed older? Getting senior adults to join Facebook or any other social network is not a simple task. In this episode I'm going to share some of my successes and failures trying to get our church's older audience to join Facebook. I'll also share what I woul...

Today's question comes from Andy Hammond: I'm currently using Buffer for my church, should I look at using Hootesuite? In this episode, we cover the difference between Hootesuite and Buffer and which one might be best for your church. We're now on iTunes! [Click here](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ask-darrel-podcast/id980727799?mt=2) to subscribe.

Today's question comes from John Finkelde: How does a small church pastor use social media to disciple church? In this episode, we cover the Taught vs Caught framework for discipling people online. We're now on iTunes! [Click here](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ask-darrel-podcast/id980727799?mt=2) to subscribe.

Today's question comes from Zaryland Ervin: How can churches stay relevant online during national events? In this episode, we cover six things churches must do to stay relevant during national events. We're now on iTunes! [Click here](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ask-darrel-podcast/id980727799?mt=2) to subscribe.

Today's question comes from Nathan Holder: What to look for in volunteer when they don’t have experience. In this episode, we cover three essential elements to needed in a great communications volunteer. We're now on iTunes! [Click here](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ask-darrel-podcast/id980727799?mt=2) to subscribe.

Today's question comes from Stephen Morrissey: What Problems Do You Most Frequently See Churches Trying to Solve? In this episode, we cover four key areas online that churches struggle with trying to solve? We're now on iTunes! [Click here](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ask-darrel-podcast/id980727799?mt=2) to subscribe.

Today's question comes from John Amos: How Do You Develop Your Church's Social Media Strategy? In this episode, we cover four essential elements to creating your church's social media strategy. We're now on iTunes! [Click here](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ask-darrel-podcast/id980727799?mt=2) to subscribe.

Today's question comes from Amanda Akey: How Do I Create a Social Media Package for a Sermon Series? In part two, we cover a content calendar and a content calendar meeting.

Today's question comes from Amanda Akey: How Do I Create a Social Media Package for a Sermon Series? In part one, we'll cover how to set up the design process and how to make sure you get right dimensions for each social media network.

Welcome to Episode 1 of the Ask Darrel podcast. In this first episode, we talk about to help your church leadership change strategy. [Click here to get the show notes.](http://darrelgirardier.com/episode-1-how-to-help-your-church-leadership-change-strategy/)