Connecting your church to Facebook, is it a stupid idea?
I’ve been tinkering with integrating my church Web site with Facebook, using Facebook Connect for quite a while.
For the uninitiated, this allows our Web visitors to log-in to our page with their Facebook username and password. Doing so allows their Facebook profile picture to show up next to comments made on our site, and it also allows them to post their comments on our site to their Facebook wall.
Let me address the why question. The reason I added this functionality is simple – more traffic. I believe that getting more qualified traffic to our church Web site inevitably brings more people into the building on Sunday morning, especially when the traffic is generated through the recommendation of a friend. I also believe that getting more people into the building directly correlates with achieving our vision of helping people to know Jesus intimately.
The question I have is this… is it worth it? I mean, having a Facebook Connect button on our site is a lot like an endorsement of Facebook. Is that okay? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
I’ve thought about it too.
The best reason to integrate, in my opinion, is word-of-mouth marketing. Or word-of-facebook marketing. If one of your members is publicly broadcasting an event or opportunity at your church on facebook to their friends, isn’t that equivalent to them telling their co-workers by the water-cooler? (Facebook is the water-cooler of the 21st century, right?)
And we know that the single best way to get a person to church is by a personal invitation.
On the other hand… as you know full well… what if a person denigrates an event at your church? How can you moderate the integration?
On another note, what does your staff think?
Our church has been very successful with Facebook and has even had some new families come to our church from it. It does feel a little “endorsed”, however you might as well communicate with people where they are. Our church people love it. Over 1000 people after just a few months. ptcc church.
More on this @ digitalfondue.wordpress.com
:)