Church, Social Media & Networking, Strategy
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The 5 Eras of Social Networking and What the Church Should Do About Them

Posted by John Saddington on Apr 28, 2009

The evolution of the “Social Network” is rapidly changing and is so fast at times that more than a few find research like the following ultimately lacking value because there’s a good chance that by the time of publication the research is void and obsolete.

But there’s wisdom in understanding the patterns of growth and change from a historical perspective because it’s the only way of adequately predicting the future.

Take a look at the following two three [Thanks Jeremiah!] images produced by Jeremiah Owyang through his research:

5erasofthesocialweb

5erasofthesocialweb2

5erasofthesocialweb3

A quick overview of the landscape as it has unfolded before us by anyone who has been in the space for a while shouldn’t find any surprises. This is how it’s been and evolved.

But take close note of the “social commerce” idea that’s estimated to begin it’s maturation process in a few years. I personally think it’ll happen a lot sooner.

“Social Commerce” is where the community will ultimately control products and services. I think the same thing is beginning to happen in the church as more options are made available to the church-goer, whether it’s technology that has enabled people to see sermons online, consume material on their mobile devices (YouVersion, etc), and even watch broadcasts via the same vehicle.

The “consumer” has driven innovation instead of the institution and we should take note.

Finally, Jeremiah’s suggestions for how “Brands Should Prepare” is also valuable. I think the final bullet point, titled “Shatter Your Corporate Website” is especially applicable.

The Church “website” is going to quickly evolve to include vastly more social features and interactive elements, not because it’s cool or the “next thing” for its own sake but because the end-user demands the changes.

And they aren’t arbitrary changes, they are valuable elements that are helping ministries and organizations connect more deeply with their constituents.

I’m personally convicted about this last point, and I’ll be looking to “expand” on this idea a little later.

What’s your take?

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John Saddington

John is the Chief Editor @ The 8BIT Network and Senior Blog Junkie here at ChurchCrunch.He enjoys Triple-Tall Americanos, developing Wordpress Themes, and a few other Random Things.

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11 Responses to “The 5 Eras of Social Networking and What the Church Should Do About Them”

  1. Josh Wagner
    Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 1:24 pm

    Personally, I think it's about time the church starts to step out to the leading edge. The church should be leading, not following.

    Reply
  2. kevincooper
    Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 1:47 pm

    Great information here…no longer can churches ignore the web and social media. I still get so frustrated when churches think they have a "web presences" because they have a website. I agree with Josh W., we need to be leading…thanks ChurchCrunch for helping us lead!

    Reply
    • human3rror
      Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 1:49 pm

      kevin,

      this year is a big one… thanks for being a part of it.

      Reply
  3. JakeSchwein
    Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 1:57 pm

    Man…we are coming into a very important season/shift for the church. As people depend more and more on the web for ideas and idea creation the church will either have a say or have nothing. As is, the church would have very little influence. We need to change this sooner than later. Thanks for the post. I appreciate the visuals to go with the concept!

    Reply
    • human3rror
      Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 2:00 pm

      don't thank me, thank @jowyang! ;)

      Reply
  4. Phillip Gibb
    Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 2:06 pm

    absolutely!!

    it does seems that we are either hopelessly out of it or playing catch up.
    with a few good exceptions like lifechurch.tv

    Reply
  5. Phillip Gibb
    Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 2:08 pm

    So where are we going John?
    What are we going to do to blow the world away?
    just patent it first ;-)

    Reply
  6. Paul Steinbrueck
    Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 6:35 pm

    >>The Church “website” is going to quickly evolve to include vastly more social features and interactive elements, not because it’s cool or the “next thing” for its own sake but because the end-user demands the changes.

    I think that's accurate. Today most church websites are a place where all the church's info is dumped and members of the church then go and find what they want. What church websites must become is a place that facilitates connections and communication between members (tribes) and then allows people to have the specific information they want delivered to them in medium they want it.

    Reply
  7. sirleia
    Sunday, January 24, 2010 at 6:37 pm

    jesus DISSE EU SOU O CAMINHO A VERDADE E A VIDA NINGUEM VAI AO PAI A NAO SER POR MIN

    JESUS É O CAMINHO É ELE QUE LEVA A SALVAÇÃO

    Reply

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