Social Media Roundup: Millennial Membership Lessons From Churches

Much like associations, churches are trying to attract millennials as members—here’s what they’ve learned. Plus: Condense that speech if you want to hook and keep your employees’ attention.

As a group, millennials might not necessarily be religious (a third of adults under 30 in a 2012 Pew Research poll had no religious affiliation), but churches haven’t given up trying to reach them. Instead, many denominations have rethought and reconfigured the services they offer to attract millennial members.

How your association can do the same, and more, in today’s Social Media Roundup:

At Your Service

Bring the association religion to Millennials http://t.co/9eUQxyeeH6  (opens in a new tab) #assnchat  (opens in a new tab)

— Deirdre Reid, CAE (@DeirdreReid) November 21, 2013  (opens in a new tab)

Cross the lines: Many places of worship have morphed into social environments— catering to those looking to cultivate relationships beyond religious devotion—using unusual means. (Church at a bar? It’s actually a thing  (opens in a new tab).) While a significant number of millennials say they aren’t religious, many still feel the need to be a part of a community, Deirdre Reid writes for Avectra’s blog  (opens in a new tab). For associations, this is an opportunity: Millennials are keen to be a part of something bigger and willing to join a circle to do so. But it’s also a lesson: The community has to be relevant to their lifestyle, or they’ll turn away. “You don’t have to convince millennials to buy into your profession or industry—your religion—they’ve already done that, for now,” she says. “But you do have to prove that you understand them and their needs, and you’re the right community for them to join.” How do you encourage millennials to take part? (ht @deirdrereid  (opens in a new tab))

Daydreamer

Talk Faster: You Only Have Seconds to Make Your Point [Infographic] http://t.co/k3K12JT0aP  (opens in a new tab) #socbiz  (opens in a new tab)

— Andrea Incalza (@CustomerKing) November 21, 2013  (opens in a new tab)

You were saying? Count to 60—and, zap, you may have just lost your colleague’s interest. A survey from the BRIEF Lab finds that nearly 75 percent of professionals “lose interest in presentations within a minute—and have equally limited attention spans for email and conversation,” reports CMS Wire’s Noreen Seebacher  (opens in a new tab). So how to keep coworkers’ attention? Stop talking, she suggests. “[Y]ou only have seconds to make your point.” Simplify the information you present and go for brevity—say, by reducing the word count in your emails. (Want some more practice? Try tweeting. You only have 140 characters to work with.) (ht @CustomerKing  (opens in a new tab))

What techniques do you use to keep others’ attention from drifting? Tell us in the comments.