If you're investing in custom content through tools like Nick's Seasonal Social Media Pack, this mic guide ensures your message lands with excellence and clarity—not broom closet vibes.

☀️ SUMMER SOCIAL MEDIA PACK
https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry/shop/summer-seasonal-social-media-1540452?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=productshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

*🦸 HYBRID HEROS GET THE PACK FOR FREE! *
https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry

SHOW NOTES
Shownotes & Transcripts
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/159

CELLPHONE MICS [Budget]

//Microphones For Android: USB-C
BLUETOOTH WIRELESS MICROPHONE:
https://walmrt.us/4neBo5g

SHOTGUN MICROPHONE:
https://walmrt.us/3SDIbZ3

//Microphones For iPhones: Lightning
BLUETOOTH WIRELESS 2 MICROPHONES:
https://walmrt.us/4bm7DJV

MID TIER MICS

Rode Wirelss GoII
https://walmrt.us/3T669vA

PRO LEVEL MICS

(Require Audio Interface Equipment - see below!)
Sennheiser EW 112P G4 Portable Wireless Lavalier Microphone System Band G
https://walmrt.us/4b8jhr3

Sennheiser MKE 600 Shotgun Mic with XLR Plug to Jack 18’ Cable
https://walmrt.us/44eGCFh

PODCAST STYLE MICS

(Require Audio Interface Equipment - see below!)
FIFINE XLR/USB Dynamic Microphone for PC Computer, Studio Recording Mic
https://walmrt.us/4e2Or53

Microphone Arm
https://walmrt.us/3Zqkvex

XLR Cables
https://walmrt.us/3zgmEPr

AUDIO INTERFACE

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 USB Audio Interface 3rd Gen
https://walmrt.us/3WivDZD

Focusrite Scarlett 18i8-in-8-Out USB Audio Interface, 3rd Generation
https://walmrt.us/3Qgznqs

Sennheiser HD 569 Closed Back Wired Headphones
https://walmrt.us/3w5AgLI

CAMERA

Small Rig Video Trippod CT210, 75” Video Camera Tripod
https://walmrt.us/4b7iaIe

ILOKNZI 12in Liftable Teleprompter with Remote Control and APP
https://walmrt.us/4a6ZJU1

Sony ZV-E10 New Mirrorless Camera
https://walmrt.us/3JvVSE8

✅ CHURCH COMMS DONE FOR YOU
Hire me to run your church website, social media or communications!
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/comms

📊 [FREE] HYBRID STRATEGY GUIDE
https://hybrid-ministry-40060036.hubspotpagebuilder.com/free-hybrid-ministry-e-book

📋 "PICK NICK'S BRAIN" Coaching Call
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/coaching

👉 STAY CONNECTED WITH NICK
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@clasonnick
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hybridministry/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@clasonnick
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HybridMinistry
Website: https://www.hybridministry.xyz

--------------
🎉 FREE STUFF 🎉
We have all kinds of FREE Things that you can use in your context!
The best way to pay us back is a review or a YouTube Subscribe!
https://www.linktr.ee/clasonnick

--------------
🛠️TOOLS I USE THAT CAN HELP YOU!
Some of the below links are affilate links in which we do recieve a small commission based on your purchase or use of products
//VIDIQ
https://vidiq.com/hybrid

//BEST DYM RESOURCES
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/dym

//OPUS.PRO FOR AI SHORTS & REELS
https://www.opus.pro/?via=a5d361

//YOUTUBE STARTER KIT FOR UNDER $100
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/youtubestarterkit

--------------
🕰️TIMECODES
00:00 Which Mic is Best for You?
01:10 Budget Mic - Bluetooth Mic
03:01 Mid Tier - Rode Wireless GoII
04:28 Pro Level - Sennheiser Portable Wireless Lavalier
05:37 BONUS - Sennheiser MKE 600 Shotgun Mic
07:39 BONUS #2 - Podcast Mics

--------------
TRANSCRIPT
00:00:00:03 - 00:00:06:06
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
This microphone right here is less than $10. And I'm talking directly into my cell phone,

00:00:06:06 - 00:00:09:21
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
camera video and is being recorded to that audio track.

00:00:09:21 - 00:00:22:10
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Meanwhile, if you switch to this lapel style microphone you see on news anchor host weatherman Stephen Smith on ESPN, this microphone is nearly $700, and it requires an audio recording interface.

00:00:22:10 - 00:00:27:02
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And then we also have this middle of the road microphone here, podcast style microphone.

00:00:27:04 - 00:00:48:18
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
If you take my seasonal summer social media pack, which is less than $20, and you download it, you realize that as I'm hoping to help youth pastors create custom content that it's going to require at some points in time, a microphone. And what I want to do in this video is I want to show you all of the different array of options that you can use.

00:00:48:18 - 00:00:49:20
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
All the way from like

00:00:49:20 - 00:00:50:25
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
budget microphones

00:00:50:25 - 00:00:51:25
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
to the most

00:00:51:25 - 00:00:54:00
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
expensive Cadillac style microphones

00:00:54:00 - 00:01:09:22
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
to these mid tier podcast, but really cool and vibey looking microphones that your students are going to love. Because in this episode, we're going to answer the question, which mic should you use for the content that you're creating in your youth ministry? Welcome, my friends, to the Hybrid Ministry Show.

00:01:10:21 - 00:01:31:29
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
What's up everybody? Welcome to the Hybrid Ministry show. You and I haven't had a chance to meet yet. My name is Nick Klassen, and we're going to explore microphone. And they're really important because actually, right now, this exact audio is coming. Me talking directly to my camera on the other side of the room. You can see that so far of all the audios you heard is the worst style of audio.

00:01:32:00 - 00:01:51:27
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And we're going to go through budget options as well as all the way up to the most expensive style of options. And you'll notice if you follow my hybrid ministry social media recommendations, that it's going to require you filming some of your own custom content, and that's going to require you to want to have a microphone, because this audio right here is just not doing it.

00:01:52:03 - 00:01:53:28
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
So first we're going to look at budget

00:01:53:28 - 00:02:20:26
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Audio. This is my budget audio recommendation. It's one of these Bluetooth style microphones. They are really cheap. They clip on. They are wireless, which is nice. And they plug directly in to your phone. You can get these for less than $10. And at a minimum, what this does is the requirement for decent microphone audio is you just want to isolate the audio source away from the video source.

00:02:20:27 - 00:02:45:04
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Now this one records directly into the actual video file. So you you like your video and your audio will be immediately linked up, which is good news. But I would say this one here, we're going to call this like the student ministry volunteer microphone. Like it's helpful. It gets the job done. But there's certainly like a lot more potential in your microphones.

00:02:45:04 - 00:03:01:09
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
But this is the run of the mill, the most basic. And if you are on a tight budget, you should definitely consider grabbing something like this. This is usb-C direct into Android or into the newer iPhones, or you can find the lightning connections. Both are available at the links down below in the show notes.

00:03:02:12 - 00:03:18:22
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
So this one right here is actually one of my newest recommendations. It's the road wireless go to. Not because I've been against it, but because it's just brand new. I just got it. And so right now I'm actually talking direct into my cell phone camera.

00:03:18:24 - 00:03:41:15
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And right now I'm talking direct into my Sony ZV one camera, which that, camera is actually also linked down below in the link included in the description. I would call this one like the church in terms of microphones, but it's the church intern that actually reads commentaries and has maybe gone to at least a couple like Bible College or seminary classes.

00:03:41:15 - 00:03:58:00
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so, like, they know a little bit more what they're talking about. You can tell the quality on this microphone is quite a bit better than the quality of the last microphone. The pro, of course, is once again it's wireless. It's easy. And it can go direct into your cell phone. And so you don't need like a whole nother camera or anything to do that.

00:03:58:06 - 00:04:17:05
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
It also doesn't need any sort of audio interface. The downside is that, you know, it's going to run out of battery, and the quality just it might not be up to, you know, full like, professional grade level of quality. But once again, these are for social media. So maybe that's totally not that that needed, you know.

00:04:17:07 - 00:04:27:17
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
There are two of these actually in the pack. And so like you and then like, another person could each have one clip of mine or even use them for like a podcast, or something like that, if you really, you know, want it to go that route as well.

00:04:28:22 - 00:04:55:29
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
This pro-level microphone is the Sennheiser lavalier system. It is the senior pastor of microphones. It's buttoned up, it's expensive, it's intimidating, and it's very, very serious about what the job needs to be and about getting the job done. This one is probably the most overkill. It is more broadcast quality. It's great for live, it's great for studio stuff.

00:04:55:29 - 00:05:14:06
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
It is wireless. So you see, I have a pack that I have right here in my pocket. And this wire that's just like clipped on. Then here through my shirt. And then I have a receiver over there on my focus. Right. So this one does require an audio interface and it's not recording directly onto any of the video.

00:05:14:07 - 00:05:36:16
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
So you need to record this separately. You can use something like GarageBand or we use like Adobe Audition. But then you have to link this audio up with the audio from the camera. Now, I do have a couple other bonus options that might be worth considering, and I think I can add a little bit of punch to your studio, and we're going to check those out in the next section.

00:05:37:29 - 00:06:03:19
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
This microphone right here is the Sennheiser M-k 600. I would call this one if the last one was the senior pastor of microphones. This one is the executive pastor of microphones. It you know, it knows where to aim. And it's going to hit every single time. But you also better know what you're doing. So the pros and cons of this are you do not need pro as you don't need a wireless interface.

00:06:03:19 - 00:06:25:11
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
I am plugged directly into my Sony camera a can of course, is you will probably need some sort of adapter as this goes through an audio like one eighth cable inch headphone jack. And so you're going to need some sort of adapter, probably a microphone to usb-C or to lightning to go directly into your phone. The other con, of course, is it's wired okay.

00:06:25:11 - 00:06:43:14
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so like you're going to need, to have like an XLR cable. It's like what you would use for your worship, music or worship department. But you can see some of the pros of it. We use this a lot. We've used this almost exclusively, on our man on the Street videos. And so we've bought this, like, microphone flag with, like, our church branded logo in it.

00:06:43:16 - 00:07:02:17
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
It's also battery powered with just double A batteries. And so that's easier than trying to remember to plug in something that's like, usb-C or like rechargeable in that way. And so, this is a really good microphone. It is cheaper than the lavalier. And so this may be something that you want to do, when you buy it again, once again, link down below.

00:07:02:20 - 00:07:24:19
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
There is an option to mount it directly on to your camera. And you can mount it there and then it's like a shotgun style. The downside of that is if there's any distance between the camera and the person, it's going to pick up everything in between. So, like this entire episode, I've been moving around to different corners of our youth ministry, social media studio.

00:07:24:25 - 00:07:39:08
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And, we have had incredibly bad sound bleed through these walls, which go and lead to our auditorium, which is why we ended up going for this next bonus item that you're going to see here. In the next section of this video.

00:07:40:12 - 00:08:04:01
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And here we are. Back where we started. And these right here are the, podcast style microphones. There's once again a link down below in the show notes. You can check these out. These microphones are kind of like the youth pastor of microphones. They are professional. They're paid, they're full time. Hopefully you're full time and they're cool looking or like try hard, cool looking.

00:08:04:01 - 00:08:27:15
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Maybe you're giving it too much. But the fact of the matter is these much, much to the opposite of the shotgun microphones before I catch almost zero sound bleed. And so for most of our like, we do drafts and we do seven questions here in this room for most of these videos, these microphones do a fantastic job of picking up the audio of the students that are talking directly into it.

00:08:27:18 - 00:08:47:07
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Not to mention it cuts out some of the exterior wall noise that we were talking about in the last section and in the last clip. The cons of these, however, are they once again, they're XLR, so you are going to need like a music microphone. And oftentimes we use two of these. So you're going to need at least a two channel audio interface.

00:08:47:10 - 00:09:08:26
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
We use the focus rate Scarlett. Air you can check that out once again. Link down below for that in the show notes. The con of that, of course, is that is going to be an upgraded and an additional cost. And so you'll just have to figure out between this one or the Bluetooth wireless or the Rode Go Wireless two, or the condenser microphone or the lavalier microphone.

00:09:09:03 - 00:09:32:24
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
What microphone is best for you? Now here's what I'm going to tell you. I recorded all of this audio in its raw and rarest form. And so you're going to hear it. And you can now make the decision, based on listening to this podcast episode, which one you prefer and which one you like best, and which one sets in and makes the vibe for your student ministry and your social media.

00:09:32:24 - 00:09:53:23
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
But the good news is, this is no matter what you decide, my content, regardless of the quality of your microphone, whether you go budget or whether you go pro level, my content works for all of it. The 1799 summer seasonal Social Media Pack, which will allow you to not only get some done for your content, but it will also help encourage you to create some custom content.

00:09:53:23 - 00:10:18:20
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And why you want custom is because you want your students, your face, your leaders, and you want your social media to feel real, and you want it to feel like you. And these microphones will help enhance that experience. And I want you to have an amazing and popping off social media. Hey, members of my Patreon who get a bonus weekly podcast also get that downloadable social media pack which is going to drop four times per year.

00:10:18:20 - 00:10:33:26
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Every new season, they get it completely for free and as an included part of their membership tier, and it's actually cheaper to become a member than it is to download the pack outright. So consider doing that. But until next time. And as always, my friends, don't forget to stay hybrid.

https://hybrid-ministry-40060036.hubspotpagebuilder.com/free-hybrid-ministry-e-book

💥[CUSTOM] Hybrid Coaching💥

https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/coaching

======================================
DESCRIPTION
Discover the six online platforms that are essential for churches to thrive in 2024! In this video, we explore the top tools and technologies that can help your church connect with members, streamline operations, and reach a wider audience.

From website builders to social media, learn how these platforms can revolutionize the way your church engages with the community and spreads its message. Stay ahead of the curve and ensure your church is equipped for success in the digital age with these must-have platforms!

======================================
📓SHOWNOTES
//SHOWNOTES & TRANSCRIPTS
http://www.hybridministry.xyz/105

#1 Website: Nucleus
//Nucleus Website Builder
https://www.nucleus.church

#2 YouTube
//YouTube for Churches
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLngXlSr64YaLHMhNNfqmmmAsKRJ1VCBJl

#3 Instagram
//Is it dead?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qlr41_Y7E3Q

//Complete Hybrid Guide
https://hybrid-ministry-40060036.hubspotpagebuilder.com/free-hybrid-ministry-e-book

#4 TikTok
#5 Facebook
#6 Texting/Website

👉 STAY CONNECTED WITH NICK
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@clasonnick
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hybridministry/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@clasonnick
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HybridMinistry
Website: https://www.hybridministry.xyz

======================================

🆓 FREEBIES 🆓
📅 "The Full Hybrid Ministry Strategy"
https://hybrid-ministry-40060036.hubspotpagebuilder.com/free-hybrid-ministry-e-book

🖥️ "My 9 Favorite DYM Resources"
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/dym

📨 Full Proof Recruiting Email
EMAIL: https://hybrid-ministry-40060036.hubspotpagebuilder.com/recruiting-email

🍩 "FREE World's Greatest Donut Event Guide"
GUIDE: https://hybrid-ministry-40060036.hubspotpagebuilder.com/worlds-greatest-donut

😨 "Have I already Ruined my TikTok Account?"
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/ebook

======================================
🛠️TOOLS
Some of the below links are affilate links in which we do recieve a small commission based on your purchase or use of products
VIDIQ
https://vidiq.com/hybrid

BEST DYM RESOURCES
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/dym

OPUS.PRO FOR AI SHORTS & REELS
https://www.opus.pro/?via=a5d361

//YOUTUBE STARTER KIT FOR UNDER $100
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/youtubestarterkit

AUTO POD
https://autopod.lemonsqueezy.com?aff=MX7Vv

TRY REV.COM FOR TRANSCRIBING
https://rev.pxf.io/R5nDOa

--------------
🕰️TIMECODES
00:00 Hybrid Ministry Toolbox Platforms
01:21 #1 Website: Nuclues
02:28 #2 YouTube
04:47 #3 Instagram
06:16 #4 TikTok
07:34 #5 Facebook
08:33 #6 Texting/Email

--------------
✍️TRANSCRIPT
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:15:19
Nick Clason
So we've looked at all the software that you need and you got all of my hardware recommendations, which is all linked in the playlist right here at the top of the screen if you're watching on YouTube. But what do you do in your hybrid ministry toolbox, and where do you put the things

00:00:15:19 - 00:00:21:01
Nick Clason
that you create? You need graphics and you're creating videos and you're putting together slides.

00:00:21:03 - 00:00:23:07
Nick Clason
Where do these things

00:00:23:07 - 00:00:38:11
Nick Clason
go? Well, in this episode, I'm going to give you the six places that I think all churches should be leaning into and utilizing and how they should be manifesting. This idea of hybrid, right.

00:00:38:11 - 00:00:48:17
Nick Clason
And hybrid is taking your in-person moment and your digital experience and melding them together, because people are full people and they're not at your church for

00:00:48:17 - 00:00:52:02
Nick Clason
all hours of their week and all hours of every single day.

00:00:52:02 - 00:01:17:07
Nick Clason
So we as churches need to find an opportunity and a way to show up in the places and in the spaces where our people are, which is why I have created this podcast that will help us, all of us, navigate this brand new and ever growing and ever evolving experience of hybrid ministry. So what are the six places?

00:01:17:08 - 00:01:40:09
Nick Clason
What are the tools that you should be using? Well, first and foremost, you need a solid website. And so if you don't already have a website for your church that you like, or are looking to upgrade it, the number one recommendation that I have is from the, people up in Canada Pro Church Tools. They have a website builder called nucleus and it is a fantastic tool.

00:01:40:14 - 00:02:02:15
Nick Clason
It's a website builder for churches because it is so easy to use. It's just simple. Like you don't have to understand web, you don't have to understand coding. You just have to get in there. And they make it so simple to be able to build it looks really, really good. If you're watching here on screen, here's mine. And I've often have only spent like a day or two like in total on this thing.

00:02:02:17 - 00:02:28:03
Nick Clason
And this is what it looks like is pretty good. I don't know. I'm not saying that to brag because I have absolutely no website skills. Like of all these things, have all these tools like this is the one that I'm the least skilled with. So I'll have it link down below in the show notes if you want to explore, to explore pricing or what that looks like for you in your church, but I recommend using and utilizing the tools that they've built out there over at nucleus.

00:02:28:06 - 00:02:51:02
Nick Clason
Now, what about social media? So if you've been following along any length of time, you know that I recommend that you, as youth pastors be on YouTube. But what if you're a church? What if you're in church marketing? What if you're in church social media? I still recommend YouTube. You know, for the longest time, YouTube was, sort of like the video holder, like, that's all it was.

00:02:51:02 - 00:02:52:20
Nick Clason
It was a platform that was

00:02:52:20 - 00:03:15:03
Nick Clason
in existence for us to record videos and plop them on to a, website like YouTube. And that was all that we did with YouTube. It was just a video container, but now it has so many more social media components. It has like the community tab, you can do lives, you can build playlists, you can drive your videos, you can do all sorts of things.

00:03:15:03 - 00:03:21:17
Nick Clason
And then they've also now added and woven in the component of YouTube shorts. You know, it's interesting. I

00:03:21:17 - 00:03:40:03
Nick Clason
was talking to one of my high school students this week, and I was trying to create like a game for download Youth Ministry called Pick Em. and it'll be on the site here soon. But I was like, should we include TikTok or Instagram or like what I was trying to figure out, like, what are the kind of go to social networks?

00:03:40:03 - 00:04:02:00
Nick Clason
And he was like, nah, no one's really on TikTok that much anymore. Which, keep in mind, this is somewhat anecdotal experience. But what we do know about YouTube is that 95% of teenagers are on YouTube, and it's got long form videos, and it also has the shorts feature, which has taken the world by storm. My my resident was talking on that same conversation.

00:04:02:00 - 00:04:25:15
Nick Clason
He's like, you know, when YouTube first came out with shorts, it was kind of like the least used platform of all the social media of of the shorts options. He was like, but now it's actually got legitimately good content. And so you can post your longform videos, you can post your live sermon, you know, live streams. You can post shorts and clips from those things.

00:04:25:15 - 00:04:28:18
Nick Clason
You can post shorts and other things, all of that stuff. If you're

00:04:28:18 - 00:04:41:29
Nick Clason
wondering, what do I post right here detailed in that line in my 100%, Complete Guide to Hybrid Ministry. It's posting ideas. It's it's some of the hardware we've talked about. It's some of the softwares we've talked about, like it's sort of

00:04:41:29 - 00:04:45:24
Nick Clason
the all encompassing guide to all of this, but the next

00:04:45:24 - 00:04:52:27
Nick Clason
social media that I think that you should be leaning into is the social media platform of Instagram.

00:04:52:29 - 00:05:14:14
Nick Clason
Now, Instagram really has 3 or 4 sort of like feeds built into it. It has the Instagram feed, which is the OG and has been around for the longest time that we see what your friends are up to and what your friends are posting. It also has stories, which is probably where you dive a little bit deeper and see a little bit more of like the the nuance, like the real life kind of elements of them.

00:05:14:16 - 00:05:26:27
Nick Clason
and then it's got reels, which is, the short form vertical based video is where you find a lot of the discovery type things. And then it also has the explore feature. And so Instagram has

00:05:26:27 - 00:05:38:06
Nick Clason
so many places for you to lean into as a creator and as a social media marketer. Now, you might be thinking like, should I be doing that even in student ministry?

00:05:38:06 - 00:05:47:01
Nick Clason
Because we have explored even recently, like the question Is Instagram dead? And I don't think it's dead, but I do think that it is less realm event with

00:05:47:01 - 00:06:04:23
Nick Clason
younger generation. And so you just need to know your context, and you need to know what your people and your students are leaning into. But if you're like a church marketing or church communications person, Instagram is definitely a platform that you should be leaning into, maybe even more in some cases.

00:06:05:00 - 00:06:36:02
Nick Clason
Then Facebook, which owns Instagram, and both of them are under the meta ownership umbrella. The, the next one I would say that I would recommend is TikTok and and TikTok is still relevant depending on what's going to happen with the Congress ban if it gets banned. but TikTok invented this short form, vertical video based platform. TikTok is probably the hardest of the ones that I've mentioned so far between YouTube and Instagram to actually build an audience that matters.

00:06:36:05 - 00:07:01:06
Nick Clason
and that's why you need to have a really clear next step or action step based off of your short form, vertical based video. Like if it's a sermon clip at the end of a have an end card, or I like to have a little watermark up in the corner that just points people to my long form video, because out of my long form video, that's where they can take a next step with a connect card or some sort of like, you know, typical church connect card, next step type of thing.

00:07:01:11 - 00:07:19:17
Nick Clason
I don't want to just have a lot of people views or a lot of followers on TikTok without giving them something to do in some significant way for them to take a meaningful next step. And so that's what I'm always trying to do, is I'm trying to get them from there to the next thing. And the downside of TikTok is that that's getting them off of that platform.

00:07:19:17 - 00:07:39:14
Nick Clason
And over on to another platform, which is why I love YouTube so much, because if we catch them with shorts, they don't have to leave the YouTube platform to go engage with our our main source and piece of content. Furthermore, I would then add Facebook in here. And again, this depends on the age that you were trying to reach.

00:07:39:16 - 00:07:48:21
Nick Clason
But Facebook is fantastic for groups. Groups is a great place for community to kind of build, and for people who may not know each other in person to get to know each other

00:07:48:21 - 00:07:59:11
Nick Clason
and like a digital experience, digital moment. I so like Facebook parent groups are a fantastic place to to kind of lean in and try to cultivate a little bit of community.

00:07:59:13 - 00:08:30:22
Nick Clason
If you are in a church, a Facebook page is worth having because you can also run ads to both Facebook and also subsequently Instagram. And that's going to be where you can create a lot of your traction and your moments for trying to get people to to kind of experience and see your church for the first time, because you can sort of target them with advertisements and ads and things like that that will help them, who maybe don't know anything about your church now, know some things and have the opportunity to get to know some things about your church.

00:08:30:27 - 00:08:53:27
Nick Clason
And then the sixth and final piece I recommend is a text slash email strategy. Either or both, whichever one is most suited for you and for your context. I think it's something like over 95% of text messages get opened. That doesn't mean that we can abuse it. We have to be, strategic of what we do and not just send only text messages.

00:08:54:00 - 00:09:18:13
Nick Clason
Also, a weekly like update email from your lead pastor is going to do wonders for your church communications, for your church marketing. And once people are in past, sort of like the top of the funnel pieces of, your, your church, they can then you utilize and and use email to just know what's going on. And it's almost, almost like a, a weekly update.

00:09:18:15 - 00:09:41:24
Nick Clason
It can also be a moment in the experience for your pastor to sort of like have that opportunity to to have a conversation and to chat with his members and, and let people know. Kind of like the pause in the state of the church. without doing that, it does feel like you are only then relying on in-person announcements or in-person moments to really communicate and convey information.

00:09:41:26 - 00:10:00:13
Nick Clason
And that's what I'm saying. Like at the beginning, we live in a more hybrid kind of sort of space where where people that may not be at church on Sunday. So if they missed the announcement on Sunday, then how do they catch back up with that announcement? So we've looked, at software that, you know, we've looked at hardware that you need.

00:10:00:14 - 00:10:21:17
Nick Clason
We looked at we've looked here at different like platforms that you can lean into. But what do you do? Like what is an actual like getting started strategy. Like, you know, the places now what should you actually start doing? Where should you start spending your time? Well, I'm glad you asked because that's going to be the video in the very next, installment of this playlist.

00:10:21:17 - 00:10:38:10
Nick Clason
It's going to be linked right here on screen. If you are watching on YouTube, go ahead and tap that. And as you do, don't forget that we are making digital discipleship easy, possible, and accessible. So as always, don't forget to stay hybrid.

https://hybrid-ministry-40060036.hubspotpagebuilder.com/free-hybrid-ministry-e-book

💥[CUSTOM] Hybrid Coaching💥

https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/coaching

======================================
DESCRIPTION
The Usage of Instagram among teenagers is reducing.
According to some recent studies the adoptiong and usage rate of Instagram among teenagers is shrinking.

Additionally, in my recent anecdotal experience, I've noticed that Instagram in both of my last two church stints, Instagram served college and former youth group graduates really well.

And not as well, at least from engagement, of our current youth ministry students.

Which leads me to ask: "Is Instagram Dead?"

======================================
📓SHOWNOTES
//SHOWNOTES & TRANSCRIPTS
http://www.hybridministry.xyz/102

//Tiktok Vs Instagram Vs YouTube?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r73ceADGZxQ&t=3s

//100th Episode
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0L-Dxhs7cI

//YouTube for Youth Ministry
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLngXlSr64YaLHMhNNfqmmmAsKRJ1VCBJl

//Research Sources
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/01/31/americans-social-media-use/

https://www.sentiment.io/how-many-teens-use-social-media/#:~:text=TikTok%2C%20Snapchat%2C%20and%20Instagram%20remain,about%20seven%2Din%2Dten

👉 STAY CONNECTED WITH NICK
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@clasonnick
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hybridministry/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@clasonnick
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HybridMinistry
Website: https://www.hybridministry.xyz

======================================

🆓 FREEBIES 🆓
📅 "The Full Hybrid Ministry Strategy"
https://hybrid-ministry-40060036.hubspotpagebuilder.com/free-hybrid-ministry-e-book

🖥️ "My 9 Favorite DYM Resources"
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/dym

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😨 "Have I already Ruined my TikTok Account?"
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/ebook

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🛠️TOOLS
Some of the below links are affilate links in which we do recieve a small commission based on your purchase or use of products
VIDIQ
https://vidiq.com/hybrid

BEST DYM RESOURCES
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/dym

OPUS.PRO FOR AI SHORTS & REELS
https://www.opus.pro/?via=a5d361

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AUTO POD
https://autopod.lemonsqueezy.com?aff=MX7Vv

TRY REV.COM FOR TRANSCRIBING
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--------------
🕰️TIMECODES
00:00 Instagram's Usage in Youth Ministry
00:50 Hybrid Ministry During COVID
03:25 Two Weeks to Flatten the Curve
07:01 The Most Fun Memories of Unscripted
09:27 What this means going forward for churches in 2024 and beyond

--------------
✍️TRANSCRIPT

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:05:05
Nick Clason
Is Instagram on its deathbed

00:00:05:05 - 00:00:13:03
Nick Clason
for youth ministry? Instagram actually started October 6th, 2010.

00:00:13:03 - 00:00:35:07
Nick Clason
I became a youth pastor in January of 2011, and so I became a youth pastor. Since within, 2 or 3 months of Instagram beginning. and so years ago, when I started in youth ministry, Instagram was a platform that I was implementing and bringing into the fold and framework.

00:00:35:07 - 00:01:02:22
Nick Clason
Right? Coming off of kind of the Facebook era into the now Instagram era and that became a platform that I really doubled down and leaned in on Instagram versus TikTok versus YouTube is actually a topic that we've explored. Isn't right here on screen or down in the show notes. If you are listening in a podcast catchup. But slowly, over time, the key social network my students were using was Instagram.

00:01:02:25 - 00:01:21:27
Nick Clason
And so I remember in first couple churches I worked in, I launched and started an Instagram program program, Instagram social media account and gained a following. but then as it does and as it always seems to happen, and grew in more and more popularity, which is a good thing for the app and the creators of the app.

00:01:21:29 - 00:01:57:06
Nick Clason
slowly, that meant more and more adults began to infiltrate and adopt the app, which then made it less and less interesting to teenagers because it wasn't the new thing on the streets that their parents were not a part of. And so, just like the meteoric rise of TikTok during the pandemic, which was once an app for teenagers, in order for them to to lip sync and to dance has now become an all out news source, complete with ads and sports analysis and anything else that you might possibly want to find on TikTok.

00:01:57:06 - 00:02:29:19
Nick Clason
And this Instagram thing. Now it's no longer this undercover app. It's a mainstream app. It was purchased by Facebook and owned now under the meta umbrella. And so it's it doesn't carry the same cachet that it once did. When I first started as a youth pastor, one of the reasons I'm even asking this question is I, as a youth pastor in my last two stints in student ministry, have recently noticed that when I started, one church I started in 2020 and then the other one where I'm currently serving, I started in 2022.

00:02:29:26 - 00:02:31:23
Nick Clason
My anecdotal experience has

00:02:31:23 - 00:02:43:17
Nick Clason
led me to ask this question because in each of these contexts, Instagram has best served the young adult and former youth group students who have graduated out of our

00:02:43:17 - 00:02:59:26
Nick Clason
programs. Again, this is anecdotal and this is just my experience, but I went back several months ago and I did a deep dive analysis, and I realized that about 25% or less of our posts were being engaged with current students in our youth ministry.

00:02:59:29 - 00:03:20:26
Nick Clason
So there are still students in our youth ministry using it. And your percentages may be different and may be varied, but I was noticing that it was a lot of leaders and it was a lot of parents. Which led me to this question is Instagram for youth ministry dead? Well, let's explore it. Well hey everyone, welcome to the Hybrid Ministry Show.

00:03:20:26 - 00:03:54:23
Nick Clason
If you and I haven't had a chance to meet yet, my name is Nick Clayton. I am a youth pastor currently serving in the DFW Dallas Fort Worth area, and in addition to the typically youth ministry duties that I have such as preaching and writing, small group guides and onboarding leaders, and all the youth ministry things. One of the major things that I was tasked with and also had a passion to get started on once I began at this church here was to create a digital or a hybrid experience, as we talked about kind of the origins of that hybrid experience in episode 102 episodes ago.

00:03:54:29 - 00:04:28:00
Nick Clason
Go back and check that out or head to Hybrid Ministry. Dot xyzzy slash 100. But we are talking about is Instagram dead? So I'd be curious a little bit of like, do data and research here. Give me a like if you use Instagram exclusively in your social media and then if not, give me a subscribe. If you use any other social media platform, including Instagram, but also beyond Instagram and hit, you hit the bell because we have some really cool things in store on this channel.

00:04:28:00 - 00:05:02:00
Nick Clason
And coming up ahead on YouTube and on this podcast. But according to Pew Research, Instagram was in 20 2014, Instagram was up to about 52% of a usage rate among teenagers. Fast forward to 2022, that usage rate went from 52% all the way up to 62% and then down in 2020 4th January of this year, we saw that that usage rate ticked down only slightly from 62% to 59%.

00:05:02:04 - 00:05:18:16
Nick Clason
So, tick tock. Snapchat and Instagram, respectively, ages 13 to 17, are being reported to being used, 63% with TikTok, 60% with Snapchat, and 59% again with Instagram. One of the

00:05:18:16 - 00:05:34:08
Nick Clason
things that According to sentiment I o linked to this and the Pew Research study down below in the show notes shared, was that, the uptick of usage would you would see to, be increased when the ages got older.

00:05:34:08 - 00:05:47:25
Nick Clason
So it studied 13 to 17, but when they shaved off 13, 14 and just made it 15 to 17, they saw these, increase about 7 to 10, in usage. And so what's interesting

00:05:47:25 - 00:06:01:10
Nick Clason
is that in my completely free e-book, which is linked right here on screen or down below in the show notes, if you are listening, is I recommend that we use digital and social media to our advantage.

00:06:01:10 - 00:06:12:03
Nick Clason
And one of the good things about it is that regardless of which platform you're on, all four of the main social media platforms right now by forming Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube

00:06:12:03 - 00:06:21:15
Nick Clason
offer the same type of content. When I started in 2011 and beyond, posts for different Facebook had like a wide screen base post. Instagram had

00:06:21:15 - 00:06:24:01
Nick Clason
a square base post, YouTube was only for videos.

00:06:24:02 - 00:06:43:16
Nick Clason
TikTok didn't even exist. But then in 2021, TikTok burst onto the scene it implemented and ushered in this new type of medium, which is short form vertical video we saw quickly after that that reels was adopted in both Instagram and Facebook, and YouTube also brought along shorts. And so now all of those platforms are

00:06:43:16 - 00:06:53:28
Nick Clason
using those mediums. And so if you have a camera, which by the way, you do, because it is in your pocket on your cell phone, you can create short form vertical based video.

00:06:54:00 - 00:07:15:02
Nick Clason
I recommend that you start with pre filming your messages in a long form widescreen version, and you cut those up for social media. And then I also recommend that you supplement some of your content with some fun and engaging social media content with your students and or leaders. I mean, just look right here on screen. If you're watching on YouTube, some of these most recent performing YouTube shorts are incredible, and they are just with our students.

00:07:15:02 - 00:07:36:21
Nick Clason
We filmed them before or after youth group, and we just do silly, fun challenges with them and they get incredible amounts of views. And so the good news is, is that what is being used and what is best available in your context is that you can do your context and you can do what works. If all of your students are on Instagram, then by all means continue to use Instagram.

00:07:36:21 - 00:08:04:13
Nick Clason
But if you are starting fresh, I may offer an I may recommend something slightly different based on at least the national study and some of the national trends. But here's the good news is that every single church, every single context, is different. What I do know that's not different is that teenagers are speaking a digital language, whether they have unfettered and unfiltered social media access on their cell phones or whether they are just used to seeing things done via video.

00:08:04:16 - 00:08:23:23
Nick Clason
Which is why right now I am offering three slots of free coaching. If you're interested in taking me up on that, hit the link in the e-book or the link down below in the show notes, and I would be happy to begin a discussion with you about what that looks like and how we can get you up, and to begin hybridizing your ministry.

00:08:23:25 - 00:08:46:24
Nick Clason
Okay, so let's look ahead. If you're completely brand new and you don't already have some sort of, established Instagram following, and you're looking to start right now, well, then here's what I recommend, which we outlined and explained all in our most recent playlist, YouTube for Youth Ministry, which is linked, down below in the show notes. But I recommend YouTube.

00:08:46:26 - 00:09:16:27
Nick Clason
All right. Check out what Pew Research said. This is a survey done by adults and for adults. But it said YouTube, by and large, is the most widely used online platform measured in our survey. It. Roughly 8 in 10 U.S. adults report ever using the video based platform. Look at this chart right here on screen. You'll see that YouTube is at 93% a wide margin above the second most, which is TikTok only, which is only at 63%.

00:09:16:27 - 00:09:47:19
Nick Clason
By comparison. And so you might be asking like, what's ahead? Or how do I get started? What do I do? I have all of that detailed and outlined for you in a nine part playlist titled YouTube for Youth Ministry. It's actually it's actually linked to right here on screen. So if you're interested in that and information about YouTube for youth ministry, how to get started, what you're going to need a crash course for YouTube shorts and beyond, tap that video on screen and we will be happy to see you over there.

00:09:47:19 - 00:09:54:23
Nick Clason
But until next time, and as always, don't forget to stay hybrid.