reach: social media for the glory of God

November 15, 2012

reachbigbuttonreach is a little book with a big vision: spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ online.

Laura and Angi share powerful stories about using social media in campus ministry and worldwide missions.  Just the story of the way they met and came to be writing a book together is a testimony to how God can use Facebook to bring people into His kingdom!

The first part of the book shows the huge opportunity we have; the second half gives practical suggestions for ministering on everything from Facebook to Instagram.  Then come the appendixes with conversation starter questions for every personality.  I really appreciated the honesty and clarity with which Angi and Laura discussed the potential pitfalls and the recommended safeguards of online ministry.

No matter your comfort level with the internet, reach will give you a glimpse of the potential we have to use the world wide web to fulfill the Great Commission.  The authors’ passion is contagious.  Maybe you won’t feel comfortable searching Facebook for random conversations to join, but perhaps you will consider filling your Pinterest boards with Scripture.  Maybe you aren’t the type to ask provoking questions, but you might post a Bible verse to your Facebook wall a bit more often when you are reminded that God’s Word does not return void.

reachreach is the Conversational Evangelism for the internet.  reach shows believers that they don’t have to get on a plane to be a missionary—they have only to go online.

Angi and Laura are giving away copy of reach to one of you! 

Enter below via Rafflecopter.  (Prize is a .mobi eReader copy.)

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Buy Now

P.S. If you’re interested in using the social media of blogging for God’s glory, you’ll want to check out The No Brainer Blog – a fabulous book to help you make the most of your blog!

Disclaimer: I purchased my own copy of reach but the authors provided the giveaway copy.

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: , 5 Comments

Facebook: the biggest small town in the world

November 13, 2012

facebook: the biggest small town in the world by @thetinytwig http://gretchenlouise.com/?p=7661

a guest post by Hayley Morgan,
author of The No Brainer Blog

Facebook. The modern social hive.

I’ve been part of Facebook since it’s earliest days, when it required a university email address and a willingness to allow ex-boyfriends to see your every move. Since then, as far as Facebook is concerned, everything and nothing has changed.

Facebook has since turned into a marketing juggernaut, but the reality is that you must still reconcile a loss of privacy and a willingness to share.

I don’t let social media rule my life — but that said, Facebook is the largest referrer of traffic to my blog. Facebook is clearly something I’ve had to make some “rules” and “filters” for. These are the things I’ve set for my life on Facebook, both personally and professionally. They may not be the same as what you would set for yourself, but they may provide a basis to begin.

In my dealings with social media, here are my definitions:

A rule: a hard and fast, will not cross, absolutely set-in-stone line.

A filter: a set of concepts I abide by, but that have exceptions.

Rule #1 – I do not post anything controversial or snarky. There are not as many social repercussions in online life as real life for impropriety. I don’t want to be misunderstood or maligned because of something I post. My job is to communicate well, and if I cannot do that I refrain from posting. I am not snarky.

Rule #2 – I do not post anything negative or anything that could be construed as negative about my husband or children. I do not want them to have a digital footprint that proceeds them. I also find that, by nature, I get over frustrations quickly…any I don’t want other people to hold onto a grudge long after I’ve moved past it.

Rule #3 – I do not post pictures of the front of my house (this goes for anywhere online).

Filter #1 – I have a “blog” Facebook page that is separate from my personal Facebook page. This came to be when I felt I was spamming my “real life” friends and acquaintances with blog updates. I didn’t want to spam classmates from ten years ago when they just want an occasional update about my kids.

Filter #2 – I do not “friend” blog readers on my personal Facebook page. I cannot always control the content other people (my mom, mother-in-law, best friends, etc.) post about me that is linked to my personal page, and I prefer to have “editorial control” when it comes to my business.

Filter #3 – I do not respond to business inquiries sent to my Facebook messages. I simply cannot keep up with the system Facebook has in place in regards to their private messages. Plus, there has been some talk of security breaches within private messages and I don’t want someone’s business question splashed on my timeline for everyone to see. Email is far better to conduct business.

More than anything, I don’t let Facebook rule my life and I certainly don’t tell Facebook everything. I use Facebook as a tool and nothing further. If the tool doesn’t work any longer, I either figure out a new way to use it or I’ll toss it in favor of a better tool.

Hayley Morgan wrote newly released eBook The No Brainer Blog. The eBook helps women cast a vision, define their voice, and refine their blog space to ultimately propel their blog to be successful on their terms.

Hayley also writes at The Tiny Twig, a lifestyle blog inspiring women to create lives of more passion and less fuss. She recently hosted The Influence Conference and is launching The Influence Network in January 2013. You can follow her on Twitter, “like” her Facebook page, or follow her days on Instagram for the latest updates, resources she loves, and a peek into her life with 3 (almost 4!) boys.

Click here to enter a giveaway for two copies of The No Brainer Blog (and read Gretchen’s review).
Filed Under: Facebook, Social Media & Tech Tips Tagged With: 6 Comments

The No Brainer Blog

November 12, 2012

The No Brainer Blog by @thetinytwigIn her inimitable “less-fuss” style, Hayley Morgan has created a “No Brainer” eBook that will do for your blog what her first eBook did for your wardrobe.  The No Brainer Blog is practical and realistic, and truly a must-read for anyone who blogs or has ever thought about blogging.

Hayley’s approach to blogging is the same as it is to life: keep it simple, re-evaluate often, and if it doesn’t work, throw it out or do it differently.  That approach makes for an easy to read 43-page eBook jam-packed with information that applies to all different styles of blogs.

First, Hayley explores “Casting Your Vision”. Whether you’re just beginning to plan a blog or have been blogging “forever”, Hayley’s book will provide food for thought about your blog’s vision and purpose.  Should you monetize?  How often should you post?  How much time can you invest?  Hayley guides you through each question with a view towards sustainability and worth:

“It is important to think about how to make blogging sustainable for you.”
(The No Brainer Blog, page 6)

When it comes to finding your niche, Hayley says it can be confusing, and even if you do think you’ve found it, hold it loosely.  She encourages bloggers instead to focus on “Defining Your Voice”:

“A topic might draw a reader to your blog, but your voice will be what keeps them coming back.” (The No Brainer Blog, page 7)

No blogging eBook would be complete without a section on writer’s block, and Hayley doesn’t disappoint.  But she puts her finger on the pulse of the problem, arguing that when you lose your voice or your words you may have been spending too much time consuming rather than creating.

Finally comes the graphic-rich section of The No Brainer Blog: “Refining Your Space.”  From sans serif fonts to graphic elements, from matching typefaces to coordinating color palettes, Hayley focuses more on the design aspect of your blog and brand than any other eBook I’ve read on blogging, but I found it to be incredibly helpful.  Not only will The No Brainer Blog be worth every penny of $7.99 to those who need some expert tips as they endeavor to design their own blog, but it will be a key tool for those who hire and work with a designer as well, to make sure their design will be up to par.

“Think of your blog as your small home on the internet. It can be decorated any way you like and it can evoke all kinds of feelings from your reader.”  (The No Brainer Blog, page 25)

There’s even a short section on photography as well as thoughts on doing a blog redesign, with some helpful points to consider.  The eBook closes with some how-tos on everything from sponsorship to growing your readership, and best practices for social media.

For Hayley’s followers (who know her as “The Tiny Twig”), it’s obvious that she has long practiced what she preaches in The No Brainer Blog.  Hayley doesn’t just blog: she blogs to inspire women to live out their passion with less fuss.  She’s taken the time to find out what works, and she’s sharing her best “less-fuss” blogging practices in The No Brainer Blog. 

Hayley is giving away a copy of The No Brainer Blog eBook to two of my readers!

Enter below via Rafflecopter, or buy a copy now if you can’t wait!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of The No Brainer Blog.  Opinions expressed are my own.

Filed Under: Blogging, Books, Social Media & Tech Tips Tagged With: , 21 Comments

don’t let blogging keep you from writing

October 31, 2012

Creating pinnable graphics, composing the perfect Tweets to promote our posts, and then sharing them at the optimum times on Facebook take time.  It’s easy to get so bogged down in blogging that we lose the joy in writing.

If you don’t have time to find the perfect image, don’t worry—spend your time writing the words that will make a difference regardless of whether they have a Pinterest-friendly image with them.

If you won’t be able to promote your post on social media, don’t stress—write a post that is so likeable and Tweetable that others will promote it for you, and it will reach further than you could make it if you tried.

Don’t let blogging keep you from writing.

Staging photo ops for post images and reading books that need to be reviewed take family time. It’s easy get so focused on blogging opportunities that we forget to live the memory making opportunities.

Too often I sacrifice my family for my blogging time, rather than organizing my priorities in light of the eternal.  But if I live first, then blog, I’ll always have something to blog about.

Don’t let blogging keep you from living.

Filed Under: Blogging, Social Media & Tech Tips Tagged With: 1 Comment

clean up your blog sidebar

October 30, 2012

I don’t know about you, but left to itself, my blog sidebar quickly resembles my kitchen counter: it becomes a catch-all.  Every button, link, and feed I don’t know where to put ends up there.  And before you know it, the sidebar is so cluttered you can’t see anything!

I like clean and simple sidebars when I visit other people’s blogs.  But I don’t always remember to put my sidebar on my cleaning list along with my counter!

“Your sidebar may be working AGAINST you…”
-“Leaks Cost Subscribers” on socialtriggers.com

An article on Social Triggers points out an interesting concept: your sidebar could be taking people away from your site before they’ve even shared or consumed your own content. Unless it’s a paid ad, having something in your sidebar that directs people away from your site may not be a good idea. Put it in the footer instead, if you can—or move it to your links page.

Have you really analyzed your sidebar contents lately?

  • Is this button a paid ad? 
  • Is this button really necessary in this location?
  • Could this link go on my links page?
  • Do I need my latest Tweets or should I just use social media buttons?
  • Do the links in my sidebar keep people on my site or take them elsewhere?
  • Is my sidebar leading people away from my post before they’re even finished reading?
  • Do I have too many calls to action in my sidebar?

Think of the sites with sidebars you like, and examine their methods.  Maybe you need to delete every widget and start over.  Maybe you just need to move some widgets to the footer area.  Take a good hard look at your sidebar and make sure that everything that is there really must be there.

What are your sidebar must-haves? 

Comment and share!  Here are mine:

  • search box
  • social media buttons
  • recent posts
  • archives
Filed Under: Blogging, Social Media & Tech Tips Tagged With: 2 Comments
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