Don't think I'm clueless to what you're thinking right now. I know you clicked on this post because of the title, while saying to yourself, "hey, I wanna hangout with a cool 'click' of social media gurus, who share LDS General Conference online", and then like, you saw that picture over on the left with all of us hanging out together on Temple Square acting all cool-like, in between sessions -- having a first-time meetup... and then you looked a little closer and detected...





MAJOR GEEKS!

I. am. SO. on. to. you! So, give me a chance and stick around for a while, because once you hear what I have to say, hopefully, you won't run away --  and just maybe, you might consider this particular kind of "click" to not be so bad after after all --  despite your first impression.

The type of click that I'm referring to has absolutely nothing to do with the people you hangout with on the corner, but rather, with what you choose to physically click on --  as in the click of a computer mouse -- when you click share to post something on your Facebook or Google Plus wall -- now that's a very cool click -- if you click the right! (choose the right)


My goal today, is to unofficially inform you about this Social Media "click" which requires no call, (and no groupies -- but I will tell you about the awesome friends you will make online, some you will eventually meet - pictured left) except for a personal desire to assist in the work, and a willing heart to engage in the cause, by using #LDSConf social media and clicking share as often as possible to post it on social networks, wherever you can!


Sidebar: If you are not familiar with the use of hashtags #, as I've used it here and in title: #LDSConf -- please see this post.

Beside the tremendous amount of officially created Church content (a.k.a. social media) to share the gospel online, there is also an abundance of excellent LDS content that is created by many faithful members of the Church, with a similar desire to share the gospel with others, by helping to assist in the work -- which is exactly what I am doing right now as I create this post to hopefully inspire you to act. Together, we make a great team!

I hope you can tell from what I do here, that I try very hard to be a support to what the Church is doing, and not do my own thing separately -- that's how this all works for the good, to build up the kingdom as one.

So, let me see if I can explain social media and social networks to those of you who might not really understand the differences, and know how these two online 'friends' come together to make things happen, in sharing the gospel online, and how we use them.

What is Social Media? 

Social media are created messages that have an address, that can be shared. An example would be a blog post, like this. It lives here, but it has a link address that you can share all over the Internet -- like a calling card. Which means you can copy the address to this post (the link) and paste it in an email, on your Facebook wall, on Twitter, etc... Wherever it is left, anywhere online, when someone CLICKS it, they are brought right here, to my doorstep at WBMW, to read my post!

Each posts that I write is considered media, as it is created content intended to be consumed and digested socially -- meaning absorbed and passed from person-to-person. Imagine just how much created content travels throughout the Internet via this process, constantly and exponentially... Every picture, song, article, ad, etc... think on this for 2 minutes. Just two. The potential, when social media is launched successfully, boggles the mind.

What is a Social Network? 

A social network becomes extremely important when we understand how social media travels, or gets around, and the influence that it can have, when its message has the ability to affect large numbers, within the same demographic, rapidly. When this phenomenon occurs, all sorts of dynamics are affected -- such as politics, markets, popcultures, etc. -- making these communities vulnerable to industries, social issues, activism, etc. As well, creating wonderful opportunities to make positive things happen, such as sharing the gospel!

Popular social networks are Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Tumblr, Yahoo, etc. Anywhere large groups of people gather online, and set-up a pseudo-permanent address, where they basically hangout with other people (pseudo clicks) whom they connect with, form connections and most important share opinions thus build networks -- we have what is referred to as a social network.

Be the CLICK.

Now, let's make sure we have this CLICK thing straight. Because the kind of click I'm talking about has nothing to do with excluding anyone. In fact, it's about inclusion, without intrusion. It's about reaching out through social media and finding ways to share with others, in ways where our friends feel that they are not being put upon, but rather have given us permission to lay something before them, (through their newsfeed for instance) in which they are then given an opportunity to decide, without our looking over their shoulder, what they will do with it. That's how simple using social media can be. So, you shouldn't ever worry about sharing something, or offending someone by posting it to your wall that they might happen to see in their feed -- they choose what to do with it -- or not?

And if perchance they are interested, then they are free to ask questions and you are available to answers those questions. One of the other beauties of social media and social networkings is, that you might strike up a conversation with another friend or two, and others are free to observe that exchange without ever being detected.

Sidebar: I hope you're always aware that you are always being read when you respond to others, by others, online. You are never interacting with only one person, when you are online. Never.

When you CLICK to LIKE anything online, others SEE it and notice what you LIKE and/or SHARE, which gives them thought about that CLICK. So please keep in mind the POWER of your CLICK. And in the context of this post, we want to be proactive and use our CLICK to SHARE by posting social media on various social networks in order to invite others to participate in General Conference.

A Well-Behaved Mormon Woman Conference Classics 

To understand my personal online journey, the first post listed below probably gives the best overview of what has happened to me over the last few years, as one who simply had one desire when I started writing online, having no clue and no ambition as to where that would lead -- only a willing heart to do what I felt compelled to do -- share basic Mormon beliefs with others.

Now that you understand more about social media and social networks, what I've written in each of these posts should have more meaning, application, and give you a better understanding of the power within you, to truly make a difference in this work.

Note: Although the dates of the various General Conferences differ in each of these posts, the content is still vibrant, relevant and as useful as the day that  I wrote it. (I will try to update)

Ten Easy Ways to Share #LDSConf Using Social Media  
The cat is totally out of the bag when it comes to knowing how much sharing General Conference using social media means to me personally! My passion for sharing the gospel online, over the last few years -- even prior to the official LDS Church doing it -- eventually caught their attention and has actually led to an incredible invitation to share General Conference, live, from the media center inside the LDS Conference Center.

Noising Abroad All things Mormon...
This blog post is task specific to those members, online, who love to use social media to share the gospel and, in so doing, also help broaden the "official" presence of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints(Mormon) on the Internet. Maybe you didn't realize, but that is exactly what you're helping to accomplish whenever you share a Mormon Messages video, link to a General Conference talk, pin a cool LDS infographic on Pinterest, etc...



Continue reading at the original source →