More NOM posters needed

[moksha]

I support the Field of Dreams idea that if you build it, they will come. However, other affirmative actions can be effective once the structure is built. How is the quest for getting the word out regarding this message board coming? What can be done to advertise? Is there a budget for a sign board and a chicken suit? Can we the members help in any way?

[CaptainSalty]

I support the Field of Dreams idea that if you build it, they will come. However, other affirmative actions can be effective once the structure is built. How is the quest for getting the word out regarding this message board coming? What can be done to advertise? Is there a budget for a sign board and a chicken suit? Can we the members help in any way?

I have been told that the man who wakes up and finds he is a success has not been asleep. The "Field of Dreams" idea virtually never works in actual practice no matter what Kevin Costner said in the movie. This first month of NOM 2.0 has been enjoyably successful, but I can't claim that this will continue into the long future. Any successful, public business venture requires lots of adjustments and planning even for something that is not intended to be an income generating venture.

So let's operate under the idea that a budget for something interesting is nominally available. The next step is figuring out our goals, our target audience, and how these two ideas work with each other. Here are my ideas and I would gladly enjoy seeing criticism:

NOM goals: This was informally started as a place for discussion and support of LDS faith reevaluation. We don't want to moderate away further discussion, but I presume that most conversations will point back to this idea eventually.

NOM target audience: Any Latter-day Saint that is reevaluating their faith through a faith transition or to better understand someone that is going through a faith transition. I expect that a forum member has a distinct interest in some connection to LDS thought and culture. There are two major spectrums of NOM membership:

1. Formal church activity: This can range from people who formally resign, or become comfortably semi-active, or stay in fairly regular attendance and holding some level of a calling, and possibly retaining full attendance and be eligible for LDS leadership
2. Faith and belief: The result of a faith transition can range from atheism, deism, theism, basic Christianity, membership in a non-LDS church, limited LDS beliefs, True Believing Mormon

The TBMs in our lives would be on the right hand edge of both spectrums: full attendance and full belief. I doubt they will want to be engaged nor would I want to moderate the forum to cater to those desires. They have their support groups starting with three hours of church each Sunday. The complete unbelievers on the other end of both spectrums would be atheists that want nothing to do with the LDS church and are welcome here but probably won't have a desire to stick around. I have complete respect and some envy of people who transition fully through their faith and have no reason to maintain any contact with the LDS church. On Reddit and NOM you will periodically see people write an elegant, thankful "good bye" to the forum as they have healthily transitioned out. We wish them well but cannot expect them to stick around.

The target audience is the broad spectrum in the middle that retains some connection to the church through interest or family. People in mixed faith marriages and with close community ties are going to work well. Where will people like this congregate? There are plenty of Facebook groups and there are large discussion boards like Reddit. The MDB board is another place along with cesletter.com and mormonthink.com. Even Tumblr has appropriate forums. A semi-regular announcement and introduction in each of these locations might help.

In the real world our choices are a bit more limited unless we want a billboard. I want to steer entirely clear of door-to-door proselyting since that afflicted so many of us on LDS missions besides being largely a waste of time. But some informal pass-along cards would not be out of the question as long as they had the right message.

OK, my esteemed forum audience, these are some of my basic ideas. Tell me where I am wrong and how we would better focus our message and mission.

[Silver Girl]

I think you captured some essential points. I would add (or further emphasize) that the healing culture of this site cannot be underestimated. It has been a life-saver for me and many others. I truly hope the new NOM (is that redundant? new-new order mormon?) can grow and continue as long as there are people who are confused, hurting, needing support, searching for their own best path and are in need of a safe place to land.

As for the pass-along cards - I agree that we need to let people know the site is here. I have started mentioning in in posts I make to Reddit when I am in a conversation where it appears someone might benefit from this site. So far they haven't blocked me for spamming. I also share the information in various groups on FB, and I will continue to do that as appropriate (when new opportunities arise - not just randomly).

Here's an idea - not sure how useful or doable - I found NOM through another site and through a referral from a friend (it took two visits to drink from the Well of Wisdom). Can we get backlinks on sites that would be open to listing this site for others who would be interested? The original NOM is probably backlinked in several places, but of course the links don't work right at this point. Would IOT, or John Dehlin, or Bill Reel or others consider adding a link to help spread the word for a while?

If any of us have websites or do blogging (and mention the church in what we write), those are other options for helping people find the site. A quiet little link, well-placed, can do a lot of good.

Another idea - how about a news release to the SL Tribune? Or contacting Peggy Fletcher Stack? This site is all part of the evolving awareness and information process of members - it can't hurt to ask.


The rapidity with which the site grew in the first few weeks shows there's a need, and that people will indeed come. If there's any time in the past few years when NOM was needed, I believe it is now. Things are still changing. People are still hurting. You guys have done a wonderful service by creating a Son of NOM site.

Thank you!

SG

[Corsair]

I honestly will look into the costs of some Google Adsense and Facebook targeted advertising. It's not all that expensive. For $100.00 you can get a surprisingly targeted coverage. No one is trying to make money off this forum and the hosting costs are not very large (about $15 / month). So getting a bunch of new users could contribute to a higher level of discourse.

With that in mind, what is the Twitter sized description of newordermormon.net that we would put in a Facebook ad or Google Adsense?

[Silver Girl]

I don't have the phrasing for Twitter, but how about using Tiny URL to make the url take fewer characters? I haven't used Tiny URL myself, but I know many who have used it - I guess i would work with Twitter?

[Corsair]

I don't have the phrasing for Twitter, but how about using Tiny URL to make the url take fewer characters? I haven't used Tiny URL myself, but I know many who have used it - I guess i would work with Twitter?

What I meant is that Twitter allows 140 characters in one message. This is about how much text that would show up in Google Adsense and certainly a short amount of text would make sense in a Facebook ad. My rough first draft of text for a Facebook ad would be something like:

"LDS faith transitions and reevaluations: You're not alone at NewOrderMormon.Net"

What short phrases would the snappy, quotable, clever, and interesting for encouraging the kind of forum members we would hope for on NOM 2.0?

[Silver Girl]

That's what I meant, too - I was thinking about making the url shorter to add more to the message. I like what you wrote.

[Silver Girl]

uld be something like:

"LDS faith transitions and reevaluations: You're not alone at NewOrderMormon.Net"

I'd suggest using a different word than reevaluations - if you read it on the run, it looks like 'revelations.' How about 'doubts' ???

[shadow]

We just need a NYTimes article written about us.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/02/us/02religion.html

[alas]

I think those of us who participate on other websites can spread the word just by mentioning how NOM helped us. I just put an advertisement up on Feminist Mormon Housewives.

[Fifi de la Vergne]

I'd suggest using a different word than reevaluations - if you read it on the run, it looks like 'revelations.' How about 'doubts' ???

It does kind of look like revelations.

How about reassessment? Or rethinking? Or something about a new light, or in a different light?

[moksha]

I honestly will look into the costs of some Google Adsense and Facebook targeted advertising.

Is that like where you can type in the terms <Liberal Mormon> or <Thinking Mormon> and a link to NOM 2.0 will pop up?

[moksha]

uld be something like:

I'd suggest using a different word than reevaluations - if you read it on the run, it looks like 'revelations.' How about 'doubts' ???

Good point, we should never underestimate the dyslexic factor!

I would worry that the word transition might frighten some potential posters off. Many who find they need to reexamine their faith might find the word transition to be overly directive, sort of like something an evangelical ministry might use to lure Mormons to some other faith.

I do like your thought about this board furnishing support and a place to belong without any litmus test of faith or any of those rituals where we have to dress up in a business suit and become intoxicated on that Mesoamerican Pele Ale drink (BTW, does that actually contain a maguey worm?).

[2bizE]

Maybe we need to create small cards, maybe business cards. They can have information like the web address and that it is to help support Mormons in faith crisis.
I suppose a good place to post them would be to the ward bulletin board. You will know if is a success when the NOM site is blocked on the church WiFi.
The downside would be I couldn't search NOM during church, which would be such a downer it wouldn't be worth it. I have to use NOM for many of my responses in SS and EQ.

[Fifi de la Vergne]

I honestly will look into the costs of some Google Adsense and Facebook targeted advertising. It's not all that expensive. For $100.00 you can get a surprisingly targeted coverage. No one is trying to make money off this forum and the hosting costs are not very large (about $15 / month). So getting a bunch of new users could contribute to a higher level of discourse.

You're probably way ahead of me, but you would want to step this up around GC time for obvious reasons. Reddit always picks up a lot of new subscribers in October and April.

[FreeFallin]

I've noticed that when I search "newordermormon" or "nom," this site doesn't show up on the first page of Google searches. What does it take to get the site to show up quickly when typing the actual name or key words of the site?

[Silver Girl]

Maybe we need to create small cards, maybe business cards. They can have information like the web address and that it is to help support Mormons in faith crisis.
I suppose a good place to post them would be to the ward bulletin board. You will know if is a success when the NOM site is blocked on the church WiFi.
The downside would be I couldn't search NOM during church, which would be such a downer it wouldn't be worth it. I have to use NOM for many of my responses in SS and EQ.

That's when you bite the bullet & use your phone for a hotspot.

[Corsair]

I've noticed that when I search "newordermormon" or "nom," this site doesn't show up on the first page of Google searches. What does it take to get the site to show up quickly when typing the actual name or key words of the site?

Brand new domain names take a while to get searched. There are a couple of steps I can and will take to expedite that.

You're probably way ahead of me, but you would want to step this up around GC time for obvious reasons. Reddit always picks up a lot of new subscribers in October and April.

Right. We will be around for April 2017 conference.

[MoPag]

We could pay a low level 70 to give a talk about us during conference.

[Corsair]

We could pay a low level 70 to give a talk about us during conference.

Not some Seventy! We need a stalwart apostle to denounce us. I recommend a revision of Packer's 1993 "three enemies of the church" talk.

The dangers I speak of come from the "inquire of Google" movement, the "pay tithing on net surplus" movement (both of which are relatively new), and the ever-present challenge from the so-called "New Order Mormons".