Ministry At Scale

In this episode, we bring to you another session from the 2021 Digital Ministry Conference. Brent Wilson, with Five Q, explains the importance of website speed and performance and how it can improve the online experience for your customers and users. 

According to Brent, website performance is mostly about speed. This involves the initial load time of the page, important information, and interactive elements. User perception is an important factor in website speed as well because a user might perceive faster loading times than are happening if done correctly. They’ll also be more likely to put up with slower load times if they have a good user experience.

Why is website speed important? Because the users are important and their experience matters. If they experience slow load times, they are more likely to leave the website. Every customer who leaves a website out of frustration because of poor website performance is another customer lost. There’s not much time to wait either. Users make their first judgments of a website within the first two seconds. The longer a site takes to give a user useful content, the more likely they are to leave. So, you only have a few seconds to keep a customer based on first impressions. 

Users aren’t the only ones that matter either. For the last few years, Google has said that faster sites will rank higher than slower sites.

Some tips for creating a faster site and a better user experience:

Use servers that are geographically close to your users

Use good coding behind the scenes

Incorporate optimized images onto your website

Do what you can to reduce third party scripts if possible

You can also ask yourself “Does the website feel fast?”. This will help give you an idea of what the user experience is like and can help identify parts of your website that need adjustments. For more tips on improving website speed, listen to the full episode with Brent Wilson.

In this episode, we hear from Brad Davies of Salem Cultivate. Brad gave this talk at our 2021 Digital Ministry Conference and shared about how AB testing can significantly increase conversion rates, even as much as 1,000%.

To start with an example of what AB testing is, read each piece of copy and decide which is better:

Version A

Turn your financial parenting trouble spots into a positive learning experience and request your copy of raising money-smart kids with your gift of $25 or more.

OR

Version B

Invest in the future of the next generation. This time-tested book is one of the best resources to train your children to manage money wisely. Find out how you can get your copy when you support this broadcast ministry.

In the real scenario when AB testing was used on these two pieces of copy, version B had a 508% increase in responses. If you thought that version A would be more effective, you’re not alone. Our gut is not always right. This is where the power of AB testing becomes useful. It allows you to learn more about your audience and what is important to them. In the case above, the audience cared less for other parents in version A and cared more about the wellbeing of the kids in version B.

Hot Takes About AB Testing

You want a learning more than a lift. More important than getting a winner is the ability to learn more about what your audience wants. If you don’t learn anything, you won’t get much out of testing

If you don’t document test results, don’t even bother testing. By sitting down with the testing data, you can process and interpret the results to apply them in the future.

Start at the top of the funnel. Start by trying to reach as many people as possible. For example, ministries may want to start by trying to get as many emails from people as they can.

You learn more when you get it wrong. Sometimes the best way to learn is to have the results of a test completely miss what you thought would happen. Processing those unexpected results can help you to change your thinking and make the necessary adjustments.

Brad knows the significance of AB testing from experience. He and his team began testing where once people completed a survey, they could get access to a certain piece of content. One test gave a .43% conversion rate, another gave a .85% conversion rate. From there, Brad and his team knew they were on to something. From there, they took that knowledge and kept testing. They tested changing the imagery and title and began to find effective ways of increasing email acquisitions. Through their testing, they found that survey acquisition is the best way to get email addresses and the team eventually found a way to have over a 5% conversion rate.

Listen to the full podcast to learn more about how Brad and his team achieved a 10x increase in responses.

Resources:

Journity

Winston Knows

NextAfter Library

In this episode, we hear from Jason Thacker of the ERLC (Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission). Jason gave this talk at our 2021 Digital Ministry Conference and shared the importance of prioritizing ethics over engagement.

The digital age has offered much innovation, development, and promises about a better future. Although a lot of good has come from this new era of technology, there has also been a lot of unintended harm done especially when considering misinformation and polarization in the name of engagement on social media. Technology can shape a large part of our worldview toward a particular end or goal, so it is important that we as marketers, content strategists, and ministry leaders steward technology wisely.

Large tech companies such as Facebook, Google, and Twitter are collecting data on their users to gather insights. How this data is used can be good but can also be dangerous. They are powerful tools for disciple-making and impacting and informing people, but they can also be used by bad actors to manipulate people and spread misinformation. Ultimately, we need to remember that the end goal of these large tech companies is profits.

The most important thing we can do as ministry leaders is to slow down and ask some important questions about how our presence online will affect others. These types of ethical questions are essential to ask as we consider how to use technology for growth and engagement in an ethical way:

How was this data captured in the first place?

What are some of the things we need to be aware of as we use these services?

How is the data being used to influence the behavior of people in the real world?

Not only “can we?”, but “should we?”. 

We also need to be aware that while divisive content gets more engagement and exposure, it’s important to consider how content will be received by people. The loving thing to do is slow down, be mindful of your goals and purposes and identify your motivations by asking questions such as:

Are the messages we are creating intent on stirring outrage on a particular issue or topic?

Are we representing those with whom we disagree in the best possible light?

Are we seeking to edify others?

Are we trying to sensationalize a moment? 

While we may lose a percentage of engagement by being more thoughtful about what we post, we can know that we are championing the dignity of our fellow image-bearers as we ask questions like “can we?” and “should we?”.

Resources:

ERLC.com

Book: Technopoly

Ministry Benchmark Scorecard

In this episode, we bring to you another session from the 2021 Digital Ministry Conference. This session is from Tabitha Kapic, the Director of Innovation at the Chalmers Center. Tabitha shares with us practical ways to bring innovation into your ministry. 

Hasn’t Everything Been Done? How Can I Innovate?

While innovation can be big things, like landing people on the moon, but it doesn’t have to be. In many cases innovation that impacts our everyday lives can be just as powerful. For example, we landed someone on the moon, before the innovation of adding wheels to suitcases. While it doesn’t get as much coverage you have probably used a suitcase with wheels, but never been to the moon. 

What Do Frogs Have To Do With Innovation?

Tabitha shares a story about a time she was on a family hike. They encountered some other hikers coming out of a cave, carrying a frog. When she asked about it, the hikers said they found this frog and it was in the cave, and they thought they would “rescue” the frog by bringing it out where it was warmer. When Tabitha’s family got into the cave they found many of these same frogs, it was actually their natural habitat. The well-meaning family brought the frog out of its natural environment because they thought it would be more comfortable. When trying to drive innovation, it’s critical to listen to the people you are serving, because it’s more important to understand them, than it is to design toward your perspective.

So when you start getting into innovation it will feel uncomfortable for you at first, but remember the frog!

Listen, Make, Test

The Chalmers Center uses “Listen, Make, Test” as their model for innovation. This is a cycle rather than a linear path. Be sure to listen to the full episode to get practical tips and tools on how to tackle each step. Things like brainstorming with constraints, rapid prototyping, and designing to the edges.

Resources:

The Chalmers Center

Episode 47 is a special Digital Ministry Conference episode, where we share some of the top sessions from the 2021 Digital Ministry Conference. In this session, we hear from Misty Phillip, Founder of Spark Media. Podcasting is a powerful way to share your knowledge and connect with new audiences, and yet many are too intimidated to get started, and even more get started but never really get their podcast off the ground, there are over 1.9 million dead podcasts out there. Misty Phillip has developed the Spark community to help you get started and keep going with your podcast. In this session, she shares her 5 tips to grow your impact through podcasting. 

Why is podcasting important?

Podcasts have become the new pulpit. There are currently 2.6 million podcasts with roughly 1 million of them that were created during the 2020 pandemic. Not only is podcasting seeing a meteoric rise in popularity, but with the increased need for digital connectedness churches and Christians are finding podcasts to be their go-to medium for staying connected, evangelism, and discipleship.

Not only has the number of podcast creators grown but there is a significant number of listeners, 68 million people in the united states alone listen to multiple podcasts weekly. 

What are the 5 Steps to Grow your impact with podcasting?

Step one is to start with why you want to create a podcast in the first place. If you don’t know who the podcast is for, and how it will add value to your audience then you are likely to get lost in the noise.

Step two is to know your who. Once you have your “why” it’s critical to know the pain points of your audience and how to effectively navigate those pain points you can really be of service to them. With you “why” and “who” nailed down you can jump into the five steps for building impact with your podcast.

1. Name and brand your show.

2. Decide on a show format.

3. Take time recording, editing, and producing your show.

4. Publish your show!

5. Promote your show.

Be sure to listen to the full episode because Misty dives into each of these steps in detail to give you everything you need to know to get started and drive impact. 

Resources:

Sparkmedia.ventures

Ministry Benchmark Scorecard

In this episode, we speak with Mike Henry Sr, the founder of Follower of One. Mike shares his story of God’s faithfulness throughout the years, even when Mike didn’t realize it, and how that lead him to start Follower of One, with the goal of helping every Christian view their job as a mission field. Mike reminds us that no matter where God places us, we work for him, and can bring glory to Him through our vocation.

Be sure to listen to the full episode to hear what the five activities to keep you focused as a missionary at your job are, and how they can impact your life. You'll also learn what a “Marketplace Mission Trip” is and how you can be part of one.

Resources:

Follower of One

Marketplace Mission Trips

Ministry Benchmark Scorecard

This is a special episode of the ministry at scale podcast, where we highlight some of the best sessions from the Digital Ministry Conference. In this session, Natchi Lazarus, co-founder of Open Minds Agency, shares how to cut through the clutter in a noisy social media space. 

Why Focus on Social Media

This session on social media is specifically about creating awareness for your ministry. When it comes to the ability to reach an audience there are few if any places you can reach a larger audience than social media. 57% of the world is currently on social media that includes 500 million new users between 2020 and 2021. 

Where to Engage On Social Media

While there are 100s of possible channels and it may seem daunting to know where to engage. However, there has been a big consolidation among the largest users, Natchi shares data that shows, if reach is your main concern, you can access 97% of all social media users just through engaging on one or two of the largest social media platforms. 

How do I cut through the noise?

We are experiencing content shock at the moment where the creation of content continues to skyrocket, but we don’t have extra hours in the day, which creates a phenomenon where people don’t have the ability to consume all of the content that is being created. Natchi encourages that there is still hope for our content to be seen, and he shares three essential steps to getting heard. Listen to the full episode to learn what those steps are, and how you can grow your impact.

We’ll be sharing the best sessions from the Digital Ministry Conference over the next few weeks so be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode.

Resources:

Natchi's Website

Benchmark Scorecard

In this special Digital Ministry Conference episode, you'll hear Chad's keynote speech entitled building a legacy. Chad discusses why it's important to realize that legacies are not just something that happen when you die, they are built by consistent intentional living every day.

Listen to the full episode to hear the exercises that Chad gives to help you think through your personal legacy, and the eternal impact you are building within your ministry. We'll be releasing all the sessions from the 2021 Digital Ministry Conference right here over the next few weeks to be sure to subscribe to make sure you don't miss an episode.

Resources:

Ministry Scorecard

Ministry Benchmark Study

Digital Ministry Conference Replay on YouTube

In episode 43 we speak with Jim and Martha Brangenberg, the founders of iwork4Him ministries. Their story begins as 13-year-olds, they both attended the same youth conference and committed their lives to Christian ministry, even though they hadn’t met each other yet. While they maintained their commitment to full-time ministry, they both felt called to entrepreneurial endeavors and struggled to figure out how to live their commitment to full-time ministry and live out their talents. Through God’s providence, they met a woman who worked in Christian radio who encouraged them to put their message of workplace ministry on the radio. Since then, they have done over 2,000 podcast episodes, written three books, and partnered with 1000s of workplace ministries to help Christians live out their faith in the workplace.

Be sure to listen to the full episode to hear Jim and Martha share their knowledge about workplace ministry, retirement, discipleship and so much more.

Resources:

iWork4Him.com

Strengthfinder

In Episode 42 we speak with our very own Ben Martin. Ben is the Senior Digital Strategist at Five Q. He got his start in radio, then has transitioned to internet marketing, With experience ranging from international ministries, schools, and broadcast, Ben brings a ton of experience in digital marketing, and managing the Google Ads Grant, which is what we discuss today.

Ben shares, a wide range of tips and tricks for effectively using the Google Ads Grant in your ministry including how to decide if you are going to manage your account yourself or use a 3rd party, how to get started, and even what to do if your account does get suspended. Be sure to listen to the full episode to hear all of his insights before you get started with your Google Ads Grant Account.

Resources:

Google Ads Grant Guide

Digital Ministry Conference