Highlights from around the web – 1/15/10

Here are the online ministry news and opinion highlights from around the web this week.  I am sharing these via Google Reader – you can read them all there or subscribe to the feed if you like.

• Vimeo Goes Mobile: Continues to be a Great Ministry Video Alternative
  Posted: January 15, 2010
  From: ChurchCrunch
  Vimeo is a video-sharing service alternative to YouTube. This article discusses a new feature they are offering regarding mobile video.
• 3 Things You Need to Know About Social Media Strategy
  Posted: January 15, 2010
  From: Mashable!
  Here is another great summary from Mashable on one aspect of social media.
• Google Lures Local Businesses With Place Pages Bait
  Posted: January 15, 2010
  From: Mashable!
  Another reason to be sure you are registered in Google's local business directory.
• Google Suggest Gets Location-Aware, Too
  Posted: January 15, 2010
  From: Mashable!
  For churches and local ministries: read this and then go register your organization as a local business in Google.
• Ministries Respond to Haiti Earthquake Via Social Media
  Posted: January 15, 2010
  From: Christian Web Trends Blog by OurChurch.Com
  Of course, the biggest news in this past week has been the Haiti earthquake. This article documents how ministries are using social media to get news and coordinate their responses.
• Tim Keller Is Not Your Pastor …
  Posted: January 15, 2010
  From: Collide Magazine
  Another older article that has some interesting implications. Should you put disclaimers on your web site on how NOT to use it?
• For Churches, Content Isn’t King
  Posted: January 15, 2010
  From: Collide Magazine
  This is a bit old, but I just got to it this week. What do you think, for a church web site, is content still the most important thing?
• The Case for Excellence - Providing Strategic Clarity
  Posted: January 14, 2010
  From: State of Ministry Online
  More from State Of Ministry Online - this time from yours truly!
• New CFCC Leadership
  Posted: January 14, 2010
  From: Church Marketing Sucks
  If you haven't checked out what the folks over at CFCC are doing, you are missing out. Whether you are a church or another sort of ministry, they are always providing great resources. And now, with a formal leadership structure in place, look for even greater things down the road!
• Wednesday Website Weview – The Grove Church, Hattiesburg, MS
  Posted: January 13, 2010
  From: Christian Web Trends Blog by OurChurch.Com
  This is the first of the website reviews that OurChurch.com will be doing. The review covers a lot of good ground. For more on what I think about this particular review, check out my comment.
• Twitter and Foursquare Become the New Loyalty Program at Tasti D-Lite
  Posted: January 13, 2010
  From: Mashable!
  Here's another example of how Twitter and Foursquare are being integrated into businesses. How could this be used for ministry?
• 5 Tips for Creating a Successful Social Media Contest
  Posted: January 13, 2010
  From: Mashable!
  Have you ever used some sort of contest or competition to get people to use your web site? I actually did this as part of my dissertation research into how online social networks affect the social capital of members of a community. And let me tell you: we got the highest usage of our social network site when we held our competition!
• Google Reclaims a Slice of its “Don’t Be Evil” Mystique
  Posted: January 13, 2010
  From: Mashable!
  Though maybe not directly related to Internet ministry, this is an important story.
• Does Your Ministry ‘Like’ Your Web Team?
  Posted: January 13, 2010
  From: ChurchCrunch
  A great reminder of how people skills are an important part of online ministry.
• Passionate About Web Tech? Do Something About It (In the Real World)
  Posted: January 12, 2010
  From: ChurchCrunch
  Great post from John Saddington. One of the most difficult things to achieve, however, is figuring out the best way to merge the physical world with the virtual.
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