There's No YouTube Without You

I recently wrote this article for OutreachMagazine.com. You can read the whole article at Outreach but here are five things for churches to consider as they delve into the world of online video:

1. When in doubt, entertain. The most interesting online videos seem to be either highly entertaining or very funny. No matter what your video content, you've got to remember you're sending it off to a culture that's accustomed to entertainment. If you have a specific message for your video, do it in such a way that you creatively inform a viewer in an entertaining way. Think of it as the spoonful of sugar that will make the medicine go down.

2. Send them somewhere: At least once on the video, you should put up the address to your Web site or a Web site you want the viewer to visit. This is your golden opportunity to request that they spend a few more minutes with you, so don't let it pass without at least asking for them to visit your site for more information.

3. Post on multiple sites: Almost all online video sites work the same way these days. Although YouTube seems to get most of the press, you should put your video on a number of different online video sites. After YouTube, head straight over to GodTube.com. It's a great YouTube alternative for Christians and has some other online video tools your church will find helpful. Beyond these two, put your video on Google Video as well.

4. Make it passalongable. Yes, passalongable isn't a real word but it should be part of your online video vernacular. Is your video one that you would tell 10 people about? Is it good enough (both in content and delivery) that nine of those 10 friends would tell at least one other person about it? If the answer to either of those questions is no, then you should tweak it or perhaps rework it entirely. Online video works best when people tell their friends about it. If your video lacks the needed passalongability, you have likely misapplied the time, energy and financial resources that went into making the video.

5. Don't limit online video to preaching. Preaching is often the first online video use that comes to mind with many churches, but consider other opportunities with online video like classroom-style teaching, global missions, idea sharing, promotion, and video blogging. Maybe you're starting a building campaign at the church. If so, you could post regular updates about the progress of the project and even interview some of the building crew, just to give the church a differrent perspective on the project (and also keep it top-of-mind so those campaign pledges aren't forgotten).

Back from NRB

We had a good couple days in Orlando at NRB. Yesterday morning I got to sit down with Brad Abare for a little while. Brad has his hands in a lot of different things. I knew him more for his work as the founder of ChurchMarketingSucks.com but he's also the Director of Communications for the Foursquare denomination and runs his own cause marketing agency called Personality. It was great to meet him (and he was even kind enough to drive me over to another hotel on his way to the airport.) I look forward to future conversations with Brad.

The middle part of the day was filled with meetings of various sorts. We had a client meeting for Walk Thru the Bible (a White Post client) and later met with the GodTube guys for a while, a brand new addition to our client list.

We had dinner with some Walk Thru staff and friends from Crosswalk.com, Christianity.com, and OnePlace.com.

I ended the evening talking with Greg Atkinson. I first discovered Greg many months ago through his blog, ChurchVideoIdeas.com. He's also a presenter at numerous conferences (he spoke three times at NRB I believe) and just recently joined Bent Tree Bible Fellowship to serve as their Technical Arts Director. Greg's a great guy with a sincere heart for ministry and a passion for excellence in churches. It was really good to meet him in person after trading emails for so long.

Today we had one final meeting and that was it for the trip. I heard multiple times that NRB will be in Nashville for the next ten years. That works for me.

GodTube taking social media to a new level

The web 2.0 landscape just got a little more interesting. In December I was talking to a friend who mentioned a project he was working on. That project turned out to be GodTube, the social media/online video/networking site looking to provide Christians and non-Christians alike with Christ-centered video content and the tools to connect with each other.

When I first went to the site my initial impression wasn't very good. I knew it was in beta (and still is) but I couldn't help but think "geez, this seems like just a Christian copy of YouTube." After a little more time seeing the site develop and learning from my friend about some different avenues they would venture down, I saw the emergence of the areas that will distinguish GodTube from everyone else.

The primary difference between GodTube and any other online video site I've seen is the technology to let people connect with each other (for free) via the live video conferencing as well as the implementation of a very cool video email feature. To me, this is where GodTube truly separates itself from the pack (and not just in the "Christian sites" pack but the pack of all online video sites).

Having already played with the video chat feature I can vouch for the fun there. The ministry opportunities are endless too. Got a team going on a mission trip and want to video conference a few families in? Give the GodTube video chat a shot. Or maybe this will be the opportunity for people around the world to connect live for discussions on leadership principles or evangelism strategies. This has all the ingredients needed for a virtual classroom where you could teach or learn about an infinite number of applicable studies.

The video email feature is a great way to send a memorable email that will certainly get anyone's attention. It provides all the benefits of sending a video to someone via email without sending a massive file to someone's inbox. The recipient just clicks on a link to see the video.

I have high hopes for GodTube. I know it's still in development but I think it's off to a very compelling start with some exciting new technology.