Social Media: Building Community Part Two
Evite
In part one, we discussed how social media can be used to build community. These subsequent posts will take you through three tutorials to help you get started. I think perhaps the easiest tool to use to get your group connected and plan events is a free website called Evite. It is free because it is ad driven, so like Facebook, you will have to put up with advertisements. Evite features included:
- Organizing your contacts into groups
- Create and send invitations to meetings
- Built in map features
- RSVP section that lets you know who is coming.
- Menu planning that allows people to select what items they will bring.
- A forum where members can communicate about the event or anything else.
Click on images to enlarge.
To get started, navigate to www.evite.com and click Register on the right. Fill in the the necessary information and submit it.Admin Section
Access the the admin section can be found under your name on the right hand side. In the admin section you can:
- Edit your profile and privacy settings
- Manage your events
- Add contacts
- Manage your settings (Under settings is the option to get messages via text on your phone.)
Adding Contacts
First select the Contacts tab. Under this tab, select Add New Contact or import your contacts from another program.
Add all of your group contacts.
Select New Group and enter your group name. Then select Add Contacts To Group and select all of your group members.
Creating An Invitation
Select Create An Invitation and select your design. I have found that the Clubs/Groups section has good designs for a Life Group. After you click on a design, you can edit it. Enter your details and click next step. Add your contacts. You can filter contacts by group. Click next step. Under invite options, notice the reply options you have. Select all that apply. Click Finish and Send.
Editing Your Event
After you send your invitation, you will be taken to the event’s landing page. This page is also listed under upcoming events on the home page when you are logged in. On the landing page you will be able to track who will attend and people who are invited can communicate with each in the comments section. The navigation at the top will also allow you to post the event to your Facebook page and add it to your calendar.
To plan a meal and have people sign up to bring dishes, drinks, etc., select What to Bring. Add items to this section and quantities so that people can check off what they want to bring. Members can also comment on this section if they have questions or suggestions.
That is it. Keeping your group informed and planning events is easy with Evite. You can also use evite to let members know what you will discussing and links to any supplemental material you might want to add.