- Be Specific.
- Be Measurable.
- Have a Time Limit.
- Be Your Goals, Not Someone Else's.
- Be in Writing.
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Beat the Bots: Latest on Facebook Algorithms
I have a simple agenda: I want to make Heaven more crowded!
Social media is a tremendous tool in reaching people far from God.
Thanks to Mark Zuckerberg, the robot algorithms that determine what Facebook content you see and don't see are always changing.
For what it's worth, here are the latest tips & tricks to beating Facebook's algorithms and getting YOUR content seen:
- Remember the 80/20 Rule: Always make your post 80% Image and 20% Text (this includes any text on your image), otherwise your post will NOT be seen!
- Personal Pages must have MEANINGFUL POSTS that spark positive interaction.
- NO. CLICK. BAITING! Facebook's bots are cracking down on your old dirty tricks like, 'Comment Here' or 'Post a _______ if you agree!'
- LIVE VIDEOS always WIN! Post a live video like you are talking to a friend. Over-produced = Ignored.
- Do NOT post more than 3 times per day or your posts will get dinged down by the bots. Your posts must also be at least 90 minutes or more apart.
- If you have traction with lots of comments/interaction on a post, Facebook values your content as HOT! This will mean that it's okay to post MORE than 3 times that day without your content getting demoted.
- THINK UNIQUE! Valuable content resonates with audiences and boosts your eyeball counts.
- Bots like: admiration, amazement, curiosity, sharing studies, facts, and quotes.
- POST PHOTOS w/ARTICLES -- Make it PERSONAL! Bots and people prefer PERSONAL > Highly Produced.
- Do NOT ask people to share or vote.
- Video is King! Nearly 90% of people scroll through Facebook with the volume turned OFF. If you add CAPTIONS, your post engagement JUMPS to 367%!
- Best times to post: Thursday - Sunday evenings.
- Live Video is 6 times more likely to be seen. Best length is 7-10 minutes.
- BONUS: Want to see examples of awesome Facebook content? Follow me on Facebook now!
8 Powerful Questions Church Leaders Need to Ask Themselves Ahead of This Weekend
Tips & Questions to Ask Ourselves Before Serving This Weekend:
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Are we the CENTER or are we a SERVANT?
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How do we want new Guests to feel when they drive onto our Campus?
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How do we want CHILDREN to feel during the hour they are in our care?
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How do we want people to FEEL during worship?
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What do we want people to EXPERIENCE?
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Who am I discipling/investing in at my church? The minute we stop investing in others is the inute they stop investing in us.
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Am I chasing a PLATFORM or am I chasing after PEOPLE far from God?
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This Sunday, what worship journey do we want Guests to go on?
Receive Raw Encouragement + Insanely-Practical Equipping when you join the Fearless Leadership Network!
Nobody Follows the Guy Marching With the Sign: 'Onward Toward Mediocrity!'
There's always a voice - more of a whisper - in your head that says,
"You're not good enough, you're not smart enough, you're not __________ enough."
That voice is the sound of your dream's death.
Believing its words is a leap into mediocrity and status quo.
No one wants to be led by a pessimist.
Nobody follows the guy marching down the street holding a sign above his said that says:
"Onward toward mediocrity!"
You matter.
Your dreams matter.
There is a gift within you waiting to explode into the world with beauty and majesty.
Everything about you matters except for one thing: Negative Self-Talk.
Ignore it.
Mute it.
And go see what God can do through you.
That Time Tina Fey Helped Me Pick Out Pantyhose
Years ago while working at a comedy theater in Chicago, I was activated as an understudy for a children’s theater performance the next day. This sounded exciting until I realized it involved dressing up as a pirate and I needed to provide my own pantyhose.
After working the late shift at the theater, I clumsily fumbled through the pantyhose aisle of a Walgreens at 3 am. I think my Man Card was suspended for the night.
Luckily, two coworkers from the theater walked into Walgreens and came to my aid: Rachel Dratch and Tina Fey. I wish I could say it was one of my finer moments in life but there’s no way to spin it: I was a twentysomething dude looking pathetic buying women’s pantyhose.
Tina and Rachel must have thought I was nuts and easily could have assumed the worst about me and walked away. Instead they walked toward me. Instead of talking about me, they chose to talk with me. They recognized me from the comedy theater and came over to ask what I was up to.
After I explained, Tina took a few minutes to choose just the right color and size of pantyhose for me to dress up in as a pirate the next day. Yes, it’s true: Tina Fey helped me pick out pantyhose.
Actually purchasing the pantyhose was embarrassing. The cashier stared at me in judgment. He jumped to conclusions and assumed the worst about me.
Isn’t that how we all react sometimes when we encounter something out of the ordinary without all the information? What if we chose to believe the best about the things we hear? What if we eclipsed our inner judge with a presumption of compassion?
Whether it’s on Facebook or ministry blogs, I often see critical comments left by church folk who are assuming the worst instead of believing the best. Online comment sections make me feel like a hemophiliac in a razor factory. Throwing rocks online is silly and can lead to unnecessary blackeyes within the Body of Christ.
Friendly-fire is preventable. God gave us one mouth and two ears for a reason. It is always wiser to listen more than we speak. If we are unable to gather all the facts, then our default as Christ followers needs to be believing the best about people, not assuming the worst.
Believing the best can be a game changer in your life and your leadership. When we talk to people instead of talking about them, the world takes notice. Jumping to positive conclusions creates energy, trust, and forward movement in any organization. Believing the best helps eliminate gossip and unnecessary drama. And believing the best is how Tina Fey helped me pick out pantyhose.
Jonathan Herron studied comedy under Tina Fey (SNL, 30 Rock) before entering ministry. An experienced church startup strategist, Jonathan is now the founding pastor of Life Church Michigan and author of Holy Shift.
Make a Holy Shift & Laugh Your Mass Off
There are only two professions that involve writing fresh new material every week that is delivered behind a solitary microphone in front of a live audience: StandUp Comics and Pastors.
This new book from author and pastor Jonathan Herron will reveal the secrets of comedians, shake pastors from tired old formulas and equip church leaders to passionately generate contagious enthusiasm for reaching people far from God!
HOLY SHIFT releases nationwide this February -- Discover more and join our Street Team!
Monday Motivation: Be Direct + Be a Coach
Your job is not to make people feel good about themselves.
A fearless leader will step up and be direct, challenging their people to achieve more than they could ever dream of!
Fresh Leadership Resources to Motivate You
1) 3 New Ministry Tool I Can't Live Without --
https://jonathanherron.typepad.com/…/new-ministry-tools-pro…
2) Fearless Leadership Podcast #23: First Steps toward a Fast-Growing Church Start-Up -- YouTube.com/FearlessLeadership
3) NEW 2020 Staff Playbook + Worship Arts Playbook -- FearlessLeaders.net/membership
- * * BONUS: Live + Personal Online Coaching this Wednesday, 9am EST
Email [email protected] for a complimentary link!
Three New Ministry Tools I Can't Live Without
I am a busy leader.
Kicking Monday in the face requires having the right tools in my tool belt.
Here are three new ministry tools that I LOVE and I cannot live without:
- Evo - I have tried every organizational tool on the planet to no avail: Google Cal / Planners / Writing on My Hand... Nothing worked. Then I discovered Evo - this is a gamechanger!
What makes Evo different is you first take a free Brain Type assessment that helps you understand your brains natural rhythms (I tested out as an Explorer -- spot on!).
Then you download the free Evo App and get your Brain Type's Evo Planner.
It. Is. Amazing.
My Evo Planner tells me exactly WHAT to write WHERE plus my App scans each day's writings to better assist me in being the best me possible!
The only negative is Evo's clunky website -- It looks like something from the Dharma Initiative on LOST. - Breeze - Our church was recently named the 11th Fastest Growing Church in America. We have a LOT of guests who come through our doors across 4 worship experiences. Tracking and connecting with guests is a huge hurdle. We've tried software like Fellowship One (confusing and clunky), Planning Center (better, but still hard for volunteers to navigate), etc.
Enter Breeze. I have a hunch that Breeze was developed as a start-up from a Planning Center ex-employee -- it is very similar, yet WAAAAAY more easier for volunteers to navigate, more intuitive, and 75% cheaper than Planning Center. - Aplos - Clumsy name (sounds like a disease) with outstanding service. Aplos is Life Church's new accounting service with industry-leading online finance management tools plus a personal off-site Bookkeeper that creates robust integrity for our donors.
Our bookkeeper is Miguel -- super cool guy who has patiently walked us step-by-step through a process for creating stronger accountability and systems inside our Finance Department.
Aplos easily links with Gusto for payroll services and I can't speak highly enough of these ministry tools.
