Generation C (the YouTube generation) is relying on a number of unique digital touch points to make decisions about whether to engage ministries.
The goal is to find easy and affordable ways to realign internal staff and resources to improve Generation C experiences and relationships with the ministry.
The process is important to gaining their trust and moving them forward on their life journey in a healthy way.
The endeavor takes a champion inside the ministry. In most cases, a senior executive.
Working together and sharing information, we hope to foster industry-wide adaptation of practices that improve the Generation C experience with Christian brands.
They consume massive amounts of media daily, appreciate community and desire seemingly constant feedback.
How can you effectively communicate with this audience? Get started by understanding that Generation C is not an age group. It is an attitude, a mindset.
Here are four steps I view as essential when it comes to engaging Generation C in Digital Missions:
1. Increase digital footprint: Generation C connects on all screens
Generation C is constantly connected. Over half said they would rather give up their sense of smell than give up their technology. They eat, sleep, and breathe the Internet across multiple devices. And with falling data costs and rising network speeds, mobile video is set to explode. Ministries now have more opportunities to come alongside the audience in real time and explore innovative ways to show and tell people about God.
2. Make connections personal: Generation C cares deeply about community
For Generation C, connecting is what digital technology was invented to do. 88% of Generation C has a social profile, with 65% updating it daily. They are moving en masse to like, retweet, comment, +1, etc. Relationships are all about connecting by any electronic means. In their world, WWW stands for whatever, whenever and wherever. Open channels of one-to-one communication. Become a trusted guide. Help each seeker along her individual path.
3. Connect through content: Generation C is creative
They are making their own personalized digital content: videos, photos, music mashups, and multimedia presentations. Everything they do, think and experience is shared through multiple networks. Generation C is laying the foundation for a renaissance of creativity. What should ministries do? Get creative too. Your surrounded by people interested in exploring creative ways to connect people with the gospel. Make it known that you’re a hub for this content. Build your own digital creative business.
4. Reach out to the digital natives: Generation C is Church-averse
Over 25% of Generation C have no religion at all. Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) rarely or never attend religious services. If Christian ministries want their words and images to be engaging to Generation C, they need to think like Generation C, be where they are, and keep up with their distinctive digital habits. Learn their language. Speak digital. Keep the main thing the main thing.
Photo Credit: 451 Heat