The following are notes by Jeremy Holbrook from Kenny Campbell & the Go-Weekly Team’s OC16 presentation.

We want to influence parents and small group leaders so that they can influence children and students in the development of their authentic faith.

1. Know Your Audience

In 2015, mobile traffic finally topped desktop traffic in the USA. Eighty-seven percent of millennials admitted to “never being without their smartphone.”

• Go Where They Are:
  • Parents– Use Facebook pages (not a group) and emails. You are giving them the information they just learned, so post on Monday about what they learned Sunday.
  • Small Group Leaders– Use Facebook Groups, Emails, texting, and/or whatever your team is currently using. You are giving them upcoming information for the week ahead and helping them prepare. Post on Monday what they will learn on Sunday.
  • Students– Use Instagram, Snapchat, and/or texting. Instafeedlive.com will instantly show Instagram pictures that are hashtagged (#). Videos average 62% more engagement than photos. Video shares have increased 43% already this year.

*Hint*  Take a picture of a volunteer who’s doing the motions of a worship song, conducting a group game, and/or leading a small group; post the picture to the group page, where you can brag on the volunteer.  Not only is it seen as a reward by the volunteer you featured, but it is also motivation and encouragement for other volunteers.

• Weekly
  • Create pre-made emails for Parents and Small Group Leaders
  • Create pre-made social media plans
  • Use “WEEKLY” (goweekly.org). It is an incredible tool that compliments our curriculum, provides fully customizable email templates, social media plans for Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and even training video resources. These plans can be used throughout the week to keep parents connected and encouraged to have conversations with their children.

*Hint*  Using MailChimp can help you develop easy to build/design  templates to be used for mass communication via e-mail. Hootesuite is a social media planning software that can schedule your posts ahead of time.

2. Clarify Your Wins

• Connection: Questions, feedback, idea-sharing
• Inspiration: Videos, quotes, encouragement
• Information: What they need to know, when they need it

*Hint*  Utilize social media for training. If you’re focusing on “Lead Small” for your Small Group Leaders Facebook group, you can use one specific point per week. For example– This week we’re looking at “being physically present”. Next week is “being mentally present.” Check out Parent Cue Live, a Podcast directed at parents.

3. Craft Target Personas

• Think
  • Imagine your typical parent, but not a stock photo family; it may be a broken home, single parent, adoptive parent, etc.
  • Imagine your typical small group leader
• Question
  • How is this person going to read/hear/interpret this post?

4. Post Helpful Content

• Quality over quantity
• Be consistent
• Ask questions that prompt conversation
• Use the 5 Lead Small principles
  • Be present
  • Create a safe place
  • Partner with parents
  • Make it personal
• Use the 5 Parent Cue Principles
• Post videos, articles, quotes, and announcements
  • “Telling great customer stories is much better coming from the customer instead of the brand.” –Mechan Litchfield, Head of Global Ecommerce, GoPro

*Hint*  Utilize hashtags (#) for specific ministries and events: #2018WinterRetreat, #WildKidCity, #OC16, etc.

5. Move Them Out

When you focus on those principles, think about the season.

• New school year
• New year
• Holidays
• Other significant times throughout the year

Jeremy Holbrook is the pastor for children’s ministries at Wildwood Church in Ashland, Kentucky.