The very best social media tool for just about any relationship-building goal is email. Rumors of the death of email have been greatly exaggerated.
Why do we use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and all the others? To connect? Stay in touch? Build relationships? If we list all the benefits of social media, I believe we would find that email provides inherent benefits that exceed the best of even the most popular social megaphones.
Many of us spend significant time in social media strategy and execution. Lately, there has been a lot of hand wringing about why Facebook doesn't "show" my posts to all my friends. It's really a simple answer. Facebook owns your mailing list and they can do what they want with their site. You gave them permission to do so under the "Terms of Service." If you dump Facebook today, the database of your friends goes poof. It's the same for every popular social tool in use today. Why would I work so hard to build a "mailing list" I cannot take with me?
I need to make it very clear that a leader must have a lifelong process of building and maintaining a personal mailing list. Without question, your most important platform is your email list. It's better to have a complete database of the names on your list, but first commit to a daily drip of building an email list.
To be clear, your personal list of email addresses is a platform—the best platform.
Please don't wrinkle your nose and proclaim that "email bothers people" or "I don't like email and don't like a cluttered inbox." If an email from you to your list is spam, there is something wrong with your list. And there's probably a problem with your content.
If your argument against email is that other people use the medium poorly, you probably won't be able to preach again.
In part 5 of this series on Friday, I will provide a more information about the development of effective email content. I will also challenge readers to consider another key marketing principle that most people misunderstand.
"But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:4).
Please click here for part 1, part 2 and part 3 of this series.
NOTE TO READERS: For a limited time, I'm offering my monthly private newsletter, "The Pastor's Platform" to anyone who subscribes to Ministry Today.
If you subscribe to Ministry Today I will send you 24 issues (published monthly) of my newsletter written without fluff or sales gimmicks to teach and coach various keys to platform expansion. The content is rich and meaningful to any leader desiring to expand a sphere of influence.
If you are already a subscriber to Ministry Today, simply extend your subscription by one year and I will begin sending you my private newsletter on platform growth.
Click here to begin receiving Ministry Today. Once you have subscribed, please email [email protected] and I'll add you to my private newsletter.
Dr. Steve Greene is the publisher and executive vice president of the media group at Charisma Media and executive producer of the Charisma Podcast Network. His book, Love Leads: The Spiritual Connection Between Your Relationships and Productivity, is now available.
Leaders, Dr. Greene wants to help you understand the spiritual connection between relationships and productivity. Read his new blog, here.
Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
Dr. Steve Greene is now sharing stories, teachings, and conversations with guests who lead with love on Love Leads, a new podcast. Listen now.
Dr. Mark Rutland's
National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)
The NICL is one of the top leadership training programs in the U.S. taught by Dr. Mark Rutland. If you're the type of leader that likes to have total control over every aspect of your ministry and your future success, the NICL is right for you!
FREE NICL MINI-COURSE - Enroll for 3-hours of training from Dr. Rutland's full leadership course. Experience the NICL and decide if this training is right for you and your team.
Do you feel stuck? Do you feel like you’re not growing? Do you need help from an expert in leadership? There is no other leadership training like the NICL. Gain the leadership skills and confidence you need to lead your church, business or ministry. Get ready to accomplish all of your God-given dreams. CLICK HERE for NICL training dates and details.The NICL Online is an option for any leader with time or schedule constraints. It's also for leaders who want to expedite their training to receive advanced standing for Master Level credit hours. Work through Dr. Rutland's full training from the comfort of your home or ministry at your pace. Learn more about NICL Online. Learn more about NICL Online.
