9 Lessons Pastors And Church Leaders Can Learn From Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White

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How effective is your church in building an audience and engaging those who sit in your services each week?    

The Ultimate Fighting Championship, led by president Dana White (pictured above), is the fastest growing sport in America.  White is one of sports most unfiltered and engaged personalities on social media.  In fact, the UFC is one of the most innovative organizations in the world, sporting or otherwise, in how to grow a product or brand through social media.  As a result, few brands have their level of customer loyalty.

Recently, Maria Burns Ortiz of www.ESPN.com profiled the charismatic White and discovered some of the secrets that have led to the sport’s growth and its use of social media.  As I read the article, I found the principles have obvious parallels to the local church.  To read Ortiz’s full article, click here.

The following are nine lessons pastors and church leaders can learn from White to grow your church’s brand and deepen the loyalty of those attending your services:

1. White Is Passionate About Social Media – On fight nights, he operates out of what he calls “the lab”.  White watches Twitter traffic and is proactive about what is tweeted from his team.  Pastors and church leaders, implementing a social media strategy will not be successful unless you are involved on a daily basis and committed to its content and success.
2. White Engages Key Influencers – White is also proactive about knowing which celebrities are talking about the UFC and engages them online.  Let’s be clear – the purpose of any ministry initiative is to multiply mission and vision.  Pastors and church leaders, do you know who your social media leaders are and actively engaging them?  They will help you spread the word.
3. White Has Media Consultants – The article references White working with media consultant Kristin Adams.  White has also worked in the past with Amy Jo Martin of Digital Royalty.  Make sure you click here for 45 lessons from Amy Jo on the best use of social media.  Most churches would call this position Director of Communications.  Do you have one and is social media part of their success metrics?
4. Social Media Allows You To Extend The Reach Of Your Audience – As of this writing, White has over 2.4 million followers.  Pastors and church leaders who effectively leverage social media have greater Kingdom impact.
5. Social Media Allows You To Engage Directly With Your Audience – Social media allow you to control your message, not anyone else.  Because it is unfiltered, social media allows you to have greater clarity of your church’s mission and vision.
6. Social Media Is FREE – “There’s no greater marketing tool in the world than social media,” White said. “It doesn’t cost you anything. The only thing you’re limited by is your imagination and how fun you want to make it and what you want to do.”  If your church has a lack of financial resources, social media is your best vehicle for promoting your church to the community.
7. White Pays Attention To His Audience – I am always impressed by how much White cares about his audience.  As a result, he and his team monitor everything said on social media.  For those of you who may be shepherds, there is no greater tool to help you know the challenges faced by those in your church than social media.
8. The UFC Engages Its Audience On Multiple Platforms – One person shoots photos specifically for Instagram and Facebook.  Another team member resolves complaints about cable problems they hear on the internet.  YouTube video is being shot and the UFC live streams some preliminary bouts on Facebook.  Pastors and church leaders, social media provides that platform that allows you to pastor those in your church Monday through Saturday.
9. The UFC Utilizes Multiple Platforms – “I don’t know,” White said, after being asked would the company be as successful with a strong social media presence.  “That’s a good question. That’s a really good question. It would be a lot harder. It would make our job a lot harder.”  Pastors and church leaders, moving forward your church’s success will be greatly impacted by how well you engage your audience through social media.

Pastors and church leaders, we can learn a lot from Dana White and the UFC.  What one lesson listed above can you implement TODAY to expand your church’s message and deepen congregational loyalty?

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