4 Obstacles to Using Social Media
A recent study of social media reveals that there are four main barriers to the implementation of Social Media in organizations.
They are:
- Lack of knowledge and understanding
- Fear
- Absence of a model to follow
- Unprepared leadership
The Church as an organization should study these barriers if we are to overcome them.
Each fear can be overcome. We will address each fear broadly now and later in more depth.
Lack of knowledge and understanding
The Church is no different that any other organized entity. We are facing a new world with enormous potential. We are all novices at how this new media works and we are uncertain as to how it will affect us and our mission. Scary!
Fear
There is always the fear of abuse. This is nothing new. Religion has had abusers in the past and the Church has moved forward regardless. Social Media may actually overcome some of this. It is entirely open platform. Participants lay their hearts on the line and others — anyone — can respond.
The biggest fear is not about abuse but in facing the changes that are necessary to implement Social Media. Are we prepared for the changes that are likely to happen? How do we proceed?
Absence of a model to follow
There are models to follow, but they are not necessarily in the religious realm. Until the Church adopts Social Media as a viable tool, it must follow the models of the secular world. (We might learn something in the process.) There is no way around the fact: someone has to create the first model.
Leadership
Church leaders are busy being church leaders the way they were trained to be church leaders—anywhere from one to sixty years ago. This new tool is outside the experience and comfort level of many.
The Church must recognize that leadership in Social Media may come from the bottom up. Lay people are likely to have mastered these skills while clergy were studying Greek! Both are valuable! It doesn’t do much good to understand the Gospel and then ignore the tools that will help you share your understanding.
photo credit: Stuck in Customs via photo pin cc