Churches, Social Media and Financial Success

July 21, 2009

According to a recent study “the most valuable brands in the world are experiencing a direct correlation between top financial performance and deep social media engagement.”

I wonder. Is this also the case for churches, denominations and other religious organizations? While we’re not Toyota, Dell, Amazon or even Starbucks (much as my congregation loves coffee and coffee hour), I can’t help but think if it’s true for corporations, it’s true for us too. It might even be more so. Religion is much more personal.

The study was done by two groups: Wetpaint, a company I hadn’t heard of before, and Altimeter, the company of Charlene Li, co-author of Groundswell and one of the world’s most trusted voices on social media.

Here are some of the findings that leap out at me as particularly helpful and noteworthy for religious organizations.

• “Socially engaged companies are in fact more financially successful.”
• “Resembling any in-person exchange, socializing requires more than just being there — you have to interact with others, instigate discussions, and respond during conversations.”
• “As the number of channels increase, overall engagement increases at a faster rate.”

And here are a few of the lessons learned that might be of use to us.

• Deputize people throughout your organization.
• Centralize coordination.
• Be in it for the long haul.
• Engage in new channels where people already are.
• Be conversational from the start.

To learn more, see the study itself, ENGAGEMENTdb: Ranking the Top 100 Global Brands (a 34 page PDF) or visit the companion website, engagementdb.com. If you are very brave, you can even take their five-question survey and see how your institution compares to the very top brands.

Posted in: Social Web