A little over two years ago I left the staff team at Park Community Church and became a free agent, working with many great churches, organizations, businesses, and individuals with their presence on social media. While I’ve been in the communication/marketing space for over a decade now, in the past few years I’ve increasingly become passionate about social media.

I believe that social media isn’t just a tool or a new marketing platform, but one of the greatest opportunities we have to connect people and spread ideas that matter.

I’ve loved being a one man show, but lately I’ve had the itch to work with others who care about social media as much as I do.

Well, that time has come…

Today I’m excited to announce that in partnership with my friends Justin Wise and Justin Lathrop, we are officially launching Some Company, a social media company.

Although today is our official “public” launch, we’ve already been working behind-the-scenes on some incredible projects. In the past few month we’ve been the social media team behind a national book launch for a book that reached the New York Times best sellers list; we’ve worked with someone named one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world; and we have been contracted to do the social media for a worldwide album launch for top-selling Christian artist. It’s honestly humbling and exciting to be part of these projects and I cannot wait to see what’s ahead for our team.

We will focus primarily on helping with content strategy, platform building, and short-term management for campaigns and live events, but in the future will undoubtably expand our offerings as our team grows.

Learn more about Some Company by visiting our website.

You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

If you or your organization need SOME help, we’d be happy to talk with you.

Thank you to everyone who’s followed along these last few years and to those of you who have played a part in making all of this possible. Now, let’s go do SOME work!

Read what Justin Wise and Justin Lathrop have to say about Some Company.

I’ve been working remotely for over two years now. While I have a great home office space, I oftentimes need a rhythm and routine that gets me out of the house. So, most days I opt to work from many of the amazing coffee shops around my neighborhood in Chicago. Over the past couple of years I’ve learned a few things about working from coffee shops and thought I’d share them with you.

1 – Go Local

While life has moved on for all of us, for those in the Tohoku region of Japan, the epicenter of the earthquake and tsunami, life has not been the same.

A couple of months ago, some mutual friends introduced me to a guy named Wesley. Wesley lived in Japan as an English teacher for two years with an organization called JET [the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program]. He returned to the USA to pursue his Master’s degree and later returned to Japan to visit his students and celebrate their graduation. Their graduation happened to be on March 11, 2011, the day of The Great East Japan Earthquake. He was luckily spared from harm but the experience marked him in a profound way and gave him and many of his friends a burden to help the Japanese people as they rebuild and recover from this tragedy.

Countless people have given themselves and have created organizations to help with the relief efforts in Japan, and Wesley had the vision to create a documentary, Tohoku Tomo (meaning ‘a friend of Tohoku’) to tell their stories and share about the progress being made in the Tohoku region.

I was moved by this story and asked how I could help, and before I knew it, I had a plane ticket booked to travel with Wesley and small crew of people to head to Japan a week from Tuesday to make this documentary a reality. While we are there, my job will be to share the story of what we are doing, the people we are meeting, and first-hand accounts of what’s happening in Tohoku. While we are there, we will also be volunteering with a couple of organizations and lending some of our efforts and finances to the recovery efforts.

I would so appreciate it if you would consider supporting this trip and this project. There are a number of ways you can help…

1 – First and foremost, your prayers are appreciated. As the final details of our trip and this project come together, as many good thoughts, prayers, and well-wishes that could be sent our way would be immensely helpful. While we are there and traveling around,  there will undoubtably challenges and barriers along the way — so prayers for our trip are much appreciated.

2 -Consider financially backing Tohoku Tomo. Wesley has personally invested in seeing that this project becomes a reality, but any way you can help support this effort would be greatly appreciated. The project is on Kickstarter and is already halfway towards meeting its goal. Any gift — large or small — will make a significant impact.

3 - Spread the word. If you or anyone you know have a connection to Japan, please consider sharing this project with them! Visit TohokuTomo.com to learn more!

4 - Stay connected. Throughout our trip we will be tweeting, blogging, and sharing about what’s happening. Follow @TohokuTomo on Twitter, “Like” it on Facebook, or follow our blog to stay up-to-date with everything that’s happening.

We will be traveling March 17-31, making a quick two-day stop in San Francisco, then flying to Tokoyo and then heading to the Tohoku region.

I’m personally excited about this amazing opportunity and for the chance I have to be a part of this project. I know that being there, seeing what’s happening, and meeting the Japanese people will truly be a life-changing experience. I’m a little nervous and apprehensive, but have no doubt it’s going to be an incredible 2 weeks.

Thank you in advance for your support and well-wishes as this exciting journey begins!

The holiday also means that many businesses, including banks, are closed.

Normally bank holidays don’t make much of a blip on my radar, however this time around I was in a bit of pinch.

Here’s why…

On Friday I deposited some checks from some clients. Yes, checks… being a freelancer oftentimes means you get paid the old-fashioned way. I deposited the checks into my account on Friday afternoon. My bank, Chase, does allow you an advance amount on checks deposited before they are cleared, which is great. The only problem was that over the weekend I paid some bills, ran some errands, and in the end came up a bit short from the available amount [I know I need to read a Dave Ramsey book ASAP].

No problem, I figured … on Monday everything would be clear.

Well, then I woke up this morning and realized that it was a holiday… Uh oh. I quickly hopped online to see that indeed Chase was closed for the holiday. That meant it would be another day before all of the funds would be available in my account.

UGGGGGH!

I freaked out a bit and decided to take to social media to vent my frustration to Chase Bank over this minor fiasco. I Googled “Chase Bank Twitter” to get their Twitter ID and saw that they had @ChaseSupport, the official customer service Twitter handle for Chase. Sure enough it was legit and they were posting replies to customers.

No way.

The banks are closed but their customer service is still working AND on Twitter? This can’t be!

So I shot them a quick message:

They replied back within minutes:

Not wanting to expose the entire Twittersphere to the state of my finances, I followed them and they followed me, and we then went to a Direct Message conversation where I explained the situation. [Note that I didn't give them any personal information about myself... I didn't give them my account number, any security info... all they literally knew was my Twitter ID and that I was in Chicago, based on my bio.]

Mentally, I’m thinking… will this really work? For real?!

Within minutes they DM’d me back saying:

Seriously?!

I quickly logged in and checked my account — everything had been fixed!

THIS IS WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA IS ALL ABOUT!!!!!!!

Even when the actual branches were closed for a public holiday, Chase had their social media team working for their customers. They were there to listen, answer questions, and help!

I was completely blow away by this experience, am an even more loyal customer to Chase than I was before! Even though I would have normally had to wait another day to get my situation straightened out, I didn’t have to!

And what’s crazy is that this all began when I had initially set out to do what people tend to do best on social media: complain. By being proactive and having people ready to listen and to help, Chase made me a very happy customer.

That’s a lesson we need to file away — and one I’ve definitely learned from. Even though a business may have set hours, social media doesn’t sleep. Your presence on social media, regardless of your industry, needs to always be present, willing, and able to help your customers… even on public holidays.

Great work, @ChaseSupport team!

In social media — as in life for the matter — people want to be acknowledged.

People want to be heard.

Recognized.

Responded to.

Treated like humans.

Social Media is Social.

Regardless of what type of brand or organization you represent on social media, you have to remember that social media is, at its roots, social. It’s dialogue. A conversation. An opportunity to connect. Sometimes we forge that. Sometimes we can automate our tweets and updates and share great content but completely miss the human element that makes social media, social. 

Social Media is a Two-Way Conversation.

Social media, regardless of the medium, is not a exclusively marketing platform, it’s a conversation space. Yes, social media provides any individual, company, or organization the opportunity to speak out and share great content. However, it is most valuable when it’s used as a way to interact and engage with your customers, followers, and Fans. Having a presence on social media communicates to your audience that you’re present online… that you’re listening. Conversations are happening RIGHT NOW on social media and if you’re busy broadcasting messages but not listening and proactively responding, you’re missing the point. There’s a huge difference between having a presence on social media and truly being present. Engage in the conversation… talk to others, don’t just talk to yourself. That’s crazy.

Simple Steps Make a HUGE Impact.

Taking the time to acknowledge and engage with your audience on social media isn’t as complicated as you think. In fact, it’s just as easy as building a few simple steps in your daily workflow. Here’s a few suggestions:

• Build time in your schedule [anywhere from 15-20 minutes per day] to read through what people are saying about you on social media. This means searching your “@ replies” on Twitter, perusing comments on your Facebook Page, and looking through any other feedback/comment streams you have… and take the time to respond.
• Set some goals for the number of replies or forms of engagement you want to make each day or week.
• If people said something great, reply back and say, “Thank you!”
• If people said something helpful or really great, share it with your audience.
• If there’s a problem, address it. If people have questions, answer them!
• If people say something that makes you smile, “Favorite” or “Like” it!
• Pro tip: If you manage a Facebook Page and aren’t actively responding to Messages sent to your Page, disable the ability people have to message you via Facebook.
• If you have an alternate means for people to engage with you, publish it! [Email, phone, etc.]
• Enlist help to manage interactions on social media — whether its volunteers or other social media savvy team members. I’ve actually heard of large organizations that are replacing call center operators with people to respond and engage on social media!
• Another pro tip: there should be a steady stream of “@ replies” in your Twitter stream … if not, you’re doing it wrong.
• Take note of what people are saying — you have no idea what a valuable source of feedback social media can provide.
• If you really want to be proactive, set up active searches on social media for keywords related to your business or organization and search out other conversations that are happening about you indirectly — and respond!

Treat People How You’d Want To Be Treated

Realize behind every interaction on social media is a person and everyone wants to be acknowledged! In some instances you can’t reply or respond to everyone [although I think you should!], but even taking time to acknowledge a few communicates a lot to everyone who is following you and watching you. In the words of Andy Stanley, “Do for some what you wish you could do for many.”

Your level of engagement speaks VOLUMES to the people watching and following you.

You’d be amazed what a HUGE impact simply treating people as human beings — listening, engaging, and responding to them — will make a difference with your presence on social media.

Why This All Matters

No matter what you’re representing on social media, your social media presence is a powerful, visible, and active representation of your brand online. Think of all of the work, time, and energy you put into marketing and promoting what you do … how much care and planning you put into the experience you create with your customers or your audience in person… and understand that your presence on social media is a virtual extension the overall experience people have with your brand. It matters because at the end of the day the people following you matter to your business. You wouldn’t want a phone to ring without being answered, an email to be unreplied to, or a customer to go unacknowledged … so why would you NOT answer, reply, and acknowledge on social media?

What About You?

What are some great [or not-so-great] experiences you’ve had with brands on social media?

Is this thing still on?

Hey blogging world. It’s me, Tim. I haven’t been around these parts lately, but I’m still here… and in the following days I’ll be more present online, especially here on my blog.

It’s a bit late to do a New Year’s post or year-in-review for that matter since it’s January 7, but I am really pumped for 2013 and grateful for all of the great experiences and opportunities I had in 2012. Here’s a quick snapshot…

• In January I started a health revolution of sorts, and to date have lmaintained a weight loss of 40 pounds! I’ve still got a ways to go… but I definitely feel great!
• In March I was let go of a consulting job I had, but trusted that God would provide.
• In May I flew to Australia for what was supposed to be a 2-week trip. It ended up being a 3-month adventure living in Sydney and spending a great deal of time with some of great people at Hillsong Church. I also got to attend Hillsong Conference, which was incredible.
• In August, I flew back to Chicago and decided to take a bit of a break from full-time church work and to spend time refocusing and praying about my future. I stepped down from co-leading the Center for Church Communication and can say with my whole heart that it was a tremendous honor to help lead and shape that organization for the time I was a part of it!
• Over the past few months I’ve been doing freelance work with some incredible clients in the area of social media… some Chicago-based companies, some major national organizations, and for a few individuals. I’ve loved the work I’ve been doing and am thankful for how God provided!
• I’ve been attending Soul City Church here in Chicago and am LOVING it.
• … and more than anything, I’ve been seeking God and have planted myself with a great community of people who are loving and encouraging me forward — it’s so goo dto be home!

Here’s a few quotables from the night:

• Begin a project by defining your own success.
• Don’t let other people define success for you.
• The best freedom and security comes from creative self-employment.
• Sometimes we need moments of forced transition [layoffs, etc] to find what we are truly called to do.
• Have a sense of urgency about what you are doing.
• We have never had an opportunity like we have today.
• We have a responsibility with the opportunity we have been given.
• Don’t focus so much on innovation… focus on helpfulness.
• We are on the fringes of micro-enterprise becoming mainstream.
• What’s the worst thing that can happen from taking a risk?
• Every experience is a learning opportunity.

I am a huge fan of Chris’s work, especially his book The Art of Non-Conformity. It was inspiring and encouraging to hear stories of people who have made a living doing what they love and to connect with other local non-conformists. The $100 Startup Tour is continuing worldwide… [Australia, he's coming your way!] so make sure you check it and the book out!

Thanks for a great night, Chris!

I shared in my previous post that I have resigned from my role as the co-director of the Center for Church Communication. I also expressed that I had felt the need to take a bit of a break from ministry, having been in the trenches for over 12 years now. Well, I am officially going to be taking a break from active church work.

I’ve landed a great job in social media here in Chicago and at least for the foreseeable future will not be actively engaged in church ministry. I’ll still be attending church and contributing as a volunteer, but will not be taking any active ministry roles or doing any paid ministry-related work.

Serving the Church for the last decade has been an honor — the experiences and opportunities I’ve had are beyond anything I would have imagined and I’m so thankful for all of the great things I was able to do and be a part of. I love what God is doing in the life of the Church and know that even greater days are ahead for her. It was a difficult decision to no longer pursue a career in ministry, but one I know that is necessary and needed for me personally. I’ll still be around some conferences here and there, but will no longer be involved in the day-to-day life of a church or para-church organization. My heart is still there, though!

Refresh & Relaunch

I also took some time over my break to refresh my website and to refine the focus of my blog.

While a majority of my blog content was church communications-realted and conference notes, moving forward it will focus on social media and urban life… and I’m sure there will be some churchy stuff in there from time-to-time, I can’t escape it!

The site is nearly done, with a few tweaks to be made. Check back for updates

Moving forward, I am going to focus on helping businesses and organizations with social media. I love social media and the ability it has to connect people, spread ideas that matter, and to rally people together to make a difference. I’m currently working with a company here in Chicago part-time and do have availability to consult and help manage social media for other businesses and organizations. A brief list of services I can offer is here and if you’re interested in having me work with you or your business, fill out this form and let me know.

I’m grateful for the experiences and opportunities I’ve had in the past and am excited and expectant for what lies ahead. This is definitely stepping out of my comfort zone, but as one friend recently shared with me, “your life begins at the end of your comfort zone,” so I’m definitely ready to start living!

Welcome to Tim Schraeder, 2.0!

On May 1 when I left for what was supposed to be a 2-week trip to Australia I had no idea I would end up staying for three months!. I initially went to speak at the Christian Media Australia Conference, but ended up spending a great deal of my time based in Sydney working alongside the team at Hillsong Church.

If you’ve read my blog or have followed me for any period of time, you know how much I love the work Hillsong is doing. While I was there I was able to be a part of Hillsong Conference helping with social media…was there when they launched their iPhone app… had the great opportunity to guest lecture at Hillsong International Leadership College… and even got to speak in a breakout session at Hillsong Conference! I am humbled by the chance I had to be there and see what they do, up close and personal. It was a remarkable experience and I feel like I learned so much more in my time there than what I was able to give. I love what they are doing and it was great to be small part of it for a season.

During my time away I barely blogged and was fairly disconnected from social media, especially since a majority of the people I follow were awake and tweeting when I was asleep! That, along with the step of faith it took me to stay there for three months, really made me pause and think about my future.

This month I’ll be marking my 12th year serving in full-time ministry. I started at age 18 working for my church as a director of communication and have now logged over a decade of non-stop work in the life of the local church. It has been an incredible experience and as I approach of the age of 30 in November, I’m sensing that it’s time for me to take a break to consider my future and where I feel God is leading me.

Last week I resigned from my role as the co-director of the Center for Church Communication, the parent organization of ChurchMarketingSucks.com, and today am announcing that I’ll be taking a break from blogging regularly at TimSchraeder.com as well as from my active presence on social media. 

I’ll still be around and will be tweeting here and there and definitely Instagramming [I’m timschraeder on Instagram!], but I am going to give a majority of my time to working on small projects (some ministry related, some not) and devoting my time and energy into being present in the here and now.

There is potential I may return to Australia in January, but as of right now I am committing that opportunity and my future into the Lord’s hands. I am anxious and excited to see where life will lead me in the coming months as I take a break from being “the church communications guy” and focus on being Tim. Don’t worry, nothing has happened and nothing’s wrong… I have just realized it’s time for me to take a bit of a break to regroup, refocus, and plan for what’s next.

The work we do of serving the Church is very important work, but it’s equally important that we allow time and space for Christ to do the work He needs to do in each of our lives.

One of my favorite passages of the Bible is Matthew 11:28-30 [paraphrased from The Message]:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

That’s what this sabbatical is all about for me.

To all of you who have followed along… thank you. It’s been an exciting ride, that’s for sure. Keep up the great work and keep pressing on… what you do matters, but remember WHOSE you are matters even more.

I’ll be back soon.

Two months ago TODAY I boarded a plane for Australia for what was supposed to be a 2-week trip, and tomorrow I’ll be joining over 30,000 people who have come from around the globe to be a part of Hillsong Conference. I would have never dreamed I’d have this opportunity and am so expectant for what God has in store. This entire journey has been a story of God’s faithfulness and I can’t even begin to imagine what the next days few days will bring.

Hillsong Conference 2012 from Hillsong Church on Vimeo.

I’ve been attending Hillsong Church for the two months I’ve been here in Sydney and it’s been cool to see anticipation and excitement within the church for the opportunity they have to host pastors and church leaders at Hillsong Conference this week. The heartbeat of the Hillsong Conference is to champion the cause of the local church, and Hillsong truly a local church that is having a global impact.

Today they released the latest Hillsong worship album, Cornerstone, which includes many of the songs we’ve been singing in church. [GET IT... USA, it releases on Tuesday!] One of my personal favorites is a song called “I Surrender.” We sang the song tonight in church and its words echo my prayer for the week that’s ahead:

Like a rushing wind / Jesus breathe within / Lord have your way, Lord have your way in me…
Like a mighty storm / Stir within my soul / Lord have your way, Lord have your way in me…  

God has already done some remarkable things in my life the past two of months and I’m expecting and praying for that work to continue this week in my life and in the lives of everyone that’s gathered. And the great thing is, even if you aren’t here in Sydney you can follow what’s happening at Hillsong Conference by tuning in to Hillsong Conference Backstage!

Hillsong Conference Backstage will stream some of the sessions of Hillsong Conference along with behind-the-scenes interviews with the Hillsong team and special guests including Louie Giglio, Steven Furtick, Joyce Meyer, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, and others.

You can access the stream beginning tomorrow night at www.hillsongconference.com. Or, you can stream Hillsong Conference Backstage [and set reminders!] by downloading the Hillsong App. Check out an article I wrote about the Hillsong App over at ChurchMarketingSucks.com.

Join me in praying for the Hillsong Conference and follow along — I’ll be tweeting and blogging! Also, follow #HillsongConf on Twitter to see the latest.

In the meantime, check out Cornerstone! These songs literally echo the heartbeat of what God is doing at Hillsong Church.

Lord have your way, Lord have your way in me…