When you adopt a tool like MemberHub as your organization’s primary communication tool you’re essentially telling your members that “this is how we communicate”.  Opening up two-way communication channels and putting your members in touch with each other will result in more informed, more engaged members. This means you get less phone calls and potentially save money on extra staff needed to ensure proper communication is taking place. But “will my members use it”, you ask.

Your members hang out on Facebook all day. You’re likely NOT going to get them to hang out in some other social networking application or communication tool. But that doesn’t mean that you should be using Facebook as your communication tool. And it also doesn’t mean that you need a really cool social tool to enhance communication.

A successful implementation of MemberHub means your members are connected, know how to reach other members, and can take care of the business of being a member (like signing up for an event). There’s no concept of “friends”. It’s not about logging on creating unbelievable online community. Online community doesn’t just happen. Even if you have the best tool in the world, online community only happens will it’s fostered and cultivated by people.

It’s about taking care of the business of being a member so that you can leave time for REAL community when members do gather together; rather than worrying about logistics and planning.

So when you’re considering your communication software needs don’t worry so much about getting members to hang out in the tool all day. Just make sure that you’re using it. Make sure that members know how to reach their group. Make sure that they know where to get the latest information. Make sure that communication can take place. Do these things and you will enhance communication in your organization.

Your organization’s website is important. You’ve spent money on it. Your members spend time on your website. Visitors go there to learn about your organization. It’s your online brochure to the world. Who are you “Church XYZ”? What is your cause really about “Mr. Nonprofit Organization?”

So when you decide to implement a private social network for your members where they can connect and communicate you might consider your website as the launching point for your new network. We recognize that it’s essential to integrate MemberHub into your existing website and we offer you a way to do this through a tool we called a Hub List Widget. You can read more about it over here in our online Knowledge Base.

You can see an excellent use of a hub listing widget in the wild over at Imagine Fellowship’s website.

Start a free MemberHub trial and check try it out. It will only cost your time!

One strategic decision that we made up front when we set out to create MemberHub is to make it family-oriented. We’re all so busy these days and it’s increasingly difficult for families to stay organized with all the activities that each family member is involved. Now this isn’t the place for us to talk about over committing your kids to a million activities and leaving no room for real family time, but suffice it say for those extra involved families, you will be thanking MemberHub when your church, nonprofit and association are all using the same tool. Communications with those groups will be centralized and you will have more time for real community.

What are some of the ways in which tools like MemberHub can help you as a busy individual better manage your time, relationships and communications?

We’d love to hear from you.

I was recently speaking with a colleague (who happens to be an avid MemberHub user) that works with many nonprofits and he revealed to me one of the hidden values in collaboration software.

Kevin was telling me that one of the common challenges in nonprofits is bringing on a new board member, or any member for that matter, and bringing that person “up to speed”. There is often a great deal of information to cover including documents to be read, conversations to take place and general history.

Recently, one of the nonprofits that he works with brought on a new board member and instead of spending a day talking or explaining discussions and opinions of various members, Kevin realized that he could just point the new board member to their MemberHub account. Because the nonprofit groups had funneled communications and collaboration through their hubs, the new board member spent a day reading discussions that had taken place through the hub, downloading and reading documents, browsing the calendar and checking out the profiles of various members. Instead of taking a day of someone else’s time the new board member was able to join the hub and the history was all there!

After Kevin finished telling me this, he turned to me and said, “Now that’s real value.”. That’s what I’m talking about.

So what is your nonprofit using for collaborative technology? Do you see the value and need for it?

Yesterday I listened to a webinar put on by Drew Goodmanson and Cynthia Ware on the State of the Church Online. You can read an excellent review of the research findings that they presented over here and the slides from the presentation are here.

These guys are doing a really good work. I personally believe that this research and the motivation behind it is edifying, reverent and inspired. God’s timing is perfect. Churches are undoubtedly trying to make some sense of all this social networking, private community tools and online technology. And they have nothing to guide them.

Kevin does an excellent job of pulling out the conclusions that have been reached. He points out:

One thing that stands out to me when I look at those key findings is the overwhelming awareness in the church market of Facebook yet very little brand awareness of comparable tools designed specifically for churches. You might chalk this disconnect up to ineffective marketing strategies but I believe it points to a more crucial issue which is: churches aren’t approaching social media strategically.

Kevin goes onto to point out that:

Churches dive headlong into social media (primarily on Facebook and more and more on Twitter), investing their time and their churches reputation without a solid sense of how exactly their efforts are going to redeem lives and bring glory to God.

Let’s also take into consideration the top 5 requested features/functionality sought in church/Christian social networks:

1. Ability to find, register and/or get details for events.
2. Ability to post prayer requests or needs.
3. Ability to find serving opportunities at the church based on interest of gifts
4. Ability to join and interact with home/bible study groups.
5. Integration with existing church website.

Here’s my conclusion so far: The respondents are NOT looking for another social networking tool!

In fact, there are so many instances where churches are looking to use social networking for communications, logistics, planning, etc. when that’s not at all what social networking is intended for. It’s intended to “network”. Facebook is definitely not the best way to connect your members and groups. When you’re in a church and are involved in various ministries and groups you don’t need to network with these folks, you need take care of the business of being a member. You need to plan, share a calendar, get reminders, have discussions and generally be accessible to each other. Technology and the internet is perfect for that! It’s not about social networking. It’s about giving the groups in your church and other organizations a place for them to connect, share information, share ideas, plan, and again, be accessible to each other. This takes the burden off the administrators of the organization, by empowering the groups to connect and get things done on their own accord! What they want is a private, groups communication tool.

The Phase 2 of this research and its findings will be a very powerful step forward in helping churhes sort through the options of online private community and group communications tools (of which MemberHub is one, of course). We are looking forward to that research that will be available in the fall.

In the last week I have gleaned a stronger vision for what I think churches really want from online technology. They just don’t know it.

Social media, social networking, Facebook, Twitter…churches are being bombarded by a slew of social technologies and online tools to help build “community” and connect their members and staff. It’s absolutley mind-boggling how fast all this technology is moving and being adopted. Churches are looking around asking not only What? but also Why?

Churches are hiring consultants to come in and establish a social media plan for their church. In the words of Lee Corso (ESPN’s College Gameday) “Not so fast, my friend”. The market is flooded with social media gurus who simply aren’t *that* at all. Be careful before you pay someone to teach you about social media that takes your money and provides no value. Or perhaps even worse, plugs your church into the grid, only to find out that it doesn’t line up with your church’s vision and value. Churches are being advised to put together a plan and execute it accordingly. But so many churches and other organizations act without really, really thinking about what they want.

What I’m hearing is that churches definitely want private online groups for their ministries, small groups, teams and staff. Internally, churches want to use the power of the internet for logistics, planning, coordinating and communicating. But the other big one that some churches don’t even realize they want or need right now is the ability to communicate with other churches! Learn from other churches, share resources with other churches, and generally learn from each other. After all this is what this “social” media thing is really all about…the sharing of information, ideas and networking. And if churches are sharing information and strategies isn’t this a good thing for the Kingdom? I think so.

What do you think? What does your church use social networking or online technology for? What do you want to see with online technology for churches? What do you think about partnering with and sharing with other churches as opposed to competing against them?

There’s much to say about “online community” these days. Multiple resources are available to learn how to create online community and there are an exorbitant list of tools at your disposal to create one. Millions of people are connecting through Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms. But I insist that community; the real thing, is built outside of technology. I agree with John Saddington that using technology does not prove that you have community. In fact, I would even suggest, as many have done before me, that community should build relationships and relationships should change lives. Social networking should ultimately lead to a real in-person uniting where people can actually meet each other. I’m pretty sure Chris Brogan has suggested something like this before.

And for those groups of people that are already in “community”, I would suggest that you don’t need software to “build” community. You need software to enhance your community. For example, it has been proven that Facebook enhances face time. This makes sense, because you’re able to keep track of the day-to-day lives of your friends, and then touch on those important points when you meet in person. The small-talk can be cut out and friends can get to the “meat” of a conversation.

In a similar manner, groups, teams, ministries, volunteers and people involved in member-driven organizations need software to help them with the day-to-day logistics, planning and coordination of their groups. Many times you don’t need to build community online as much as you just need to take care of the business of being a part of a community. When everyone is informed, up-to-date and accessible then the community can grow stronger. When you can take care of the business of being a member online, you can leave time for real community when you’re together in person. In other words, you won’t have to worry about passing out schedules and documents,exchanging notes, reminding people of events and general planning during real community; you can enjoy each other.

When members are face-to-face is when they can really focus on their relationships; which builds community; the real thing. Do you agree?