Social Sharing for Great Content

Have you ever been listening to a podcast or watching a video online and have been so delighted that you’ve thought to yourself, “I have to share this with someone!?” Fortunately, we live in a digital age that allows us to share things that are meaningful to us with a single click of a button. The Subsplash social sharing feature allows you to share content that you love; it's simple and quick.

Here are a few ways our platform helps you share great content:

Individual Sharing Pages at Every Level

Whether you want to share a single media item, a whole series, or an entire app, our easy-to-use sharing option allows you to share content with anyone, at any time. In just a few clicks, you can share inspiring content on social channels like Facebook, Twitter, Email, and more!

Automatically Generated Sharing Pages

When we say that sharing in a Subsplash app is easy, we mean it. When you go to create an item, a sharing page is generated automatically, so you don’t even have to think twice about it.

Custom Branded Web Player

If you haven’t already learned about our customizable Web Player, you’re missing out! The Subsplash Web Player is incredibly easy to share with audiences and is the perfect compliment to an app!

Whether your content is consumed on a mobile device or a desktop, we’ve got you covered. The content uploaded to an app is encoded and optimized for playback across every medium. Even if you haven’t had a chance to configure your web player, you can still enjoy the same social sharing experience because we take care of everything behind the scenes.

Beautiful Media Experience

In a Subsplash app, sharing is a comprehensive and aesthetically pleasing experience. The custom social sharing pages that we create are beautifully designed and in-line with the branding for each individual app.

To provide an even more delightful experience, we’ve made it possible to embed videos right into your social media post, so there’s no need for users to leave the page to enjoy the content.

We’d love to hear what you think about our social sharing feature. Try it out on some of our apps and share your thoughts in the comments below!

Client Spotlight: LifeGate Denver

It was only a year ago that Pastor Nirup Alphonse and his family moved from Indiana to plant a church in the busy, urban center of Denver. With support from back home, he and his wife, Hannah, settled into one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. with the hope of advancing the kingdom of God, and helping people start new lives in Jesus. At LifeGate Denver, their deepest desire is to “make Jesus famous and to make heaven crowded.”

Subsplash (aka The Church App) has been working with LifeGate Denver almost as long as the church has been in existence, and it has been a joy to partner with them to see the Gospel move forward, and the good news of Jesus spread throughout the city of Denver.

LifeGate Denver utilizes Subsplash mobile apps and it has made a huge impact on their ministry. Nirup and his team have definitely maximized the use of their app to reinforce their church’s vision. Though the church is still growing and averaging about 250 people in weekly attendance, their app has been downloaded nearly 600 times and has received close to 15,500 impressions.

Here’s what Nirup had to say about how their app has helped them move the message of the Gospel forward:

TCA: What goals are you aiming to accomplish with your app?

NA: We really want people to know what’s going on at our church, so we make full use of the Events feature and social integration so that people can stay connected to the life of our church. We just started using the app as a “program” of sorts so that as soon as people show up on Sundays they can open their app and know what that week’s service is going to look like.

TCA: How has your app added value to LifeGate Denver?

NA: The app is a great way for people to learn what we are about. We even market our app separately. It’s one of the first things I tell people about when I first meet them. When I tell them about our church, I tell them about the app right away. So many people are taken back by the quality of the app. In a city like Denver, where it is difficult to see the Gospel take root, it is so helpful to have a high-quality app to show to people who really value creativity and commerce.

TCA: What results have you seen through the app?

NA: Hundreds of people have downloaded our app. I get emails all of the time from people all over the world who have downloaded the LifeGate Denver app. It’s a really attractive aspect of our ministry.

TCA: Would you like to share any other comments about your app or the Subsplash Platform, and how you’re using it to engage your audience?

NA: I love the simple design of the Subsplash Dashboard. The push notifications are so helpful. I’ve always really appreciated the quality of customer service at Subsplash. Everyone always goes above and beyond to answer my questions and the support team are some of the most patient people in the world to talk with. They walk with you step by step.

I really appreciate that the Subsplash Dashboard allows you to create an app that is unique and customizable. The Subsplash Platform allows churches to showcase their personality. In the future, we hope to focus on getting more messages out on push notifications and take advantage of music, blogs, and other features as our church grows.
 

We love partnering with churches like LifeGate Denver and seeing how different ministries’ apps bless people all over the world. Learn more about The Church App and find out how a customized app can benefit your organization. We’d love to hear from you!

Updates for iOS 7

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Ready to hit the refresh button on your iPhone and iPad apps? So are we!

In step with iOS 7’s simple and clutter-free interface, we’ve adopted a softer visual display that creates a smoother experience for the user.  Our apps now feature refreshed designs, an updated navigation bar, and newly designed buttons and lists.

What really captures me about this update is the relaxing and unobtrusive design. With a softer look, refined typography, and smooth navigation between tabs, the user is in for a beautiful and dynamic experience.

Keep an eye out for your update, it will be here soon!

Do Churches Really Need an App?

It seems that everyone is talking about apps these days. A word once known more for its prowess at dinner parties has now become synonymous with mobile applications. With this craze, people everywhere are thinking, “hmm..maybe I should get an app for (insert creative thought here).” A word of caution, not all app ideas should be invested in and not every organization needs their own app. So how do you know if you should take this venture on, and if so, where do you start? The road of mobile development can be daunting, so it helps to plan well and to know where to start.

First off, there are many kinds of apps. For the sake of this conversation, I’m going to primarily focus on apps built for churches and ministries. For those looking to build an app for your organization, follow two simple rules: provide content and deliver quality. It needs to be done really well and it needs to have a reason for people to use it regularly.

If there is no reason for someone to download and then repeatedly want to use your app, it’s probably not going to be very successful. You need content, lots of fresh meaningful content. That’s one of the biggest reasons a lot of churches and ministries have had wildly successful apps.

At Subsplash, we have had the opportunity to work with incredible ministries of all sizes. We see over half a million page views daily on our platform. People are using it like crazy and the number one reason people use these ministry apps is to access media. Churches are in the unique place of being content creators and at least once a week there is a new sermon that they want to get into people’s hands. Not only are churches and ministries adding sermons to their apps, but there are a whole host of other things you can provide through the app such as blogs/news, events, online giving, sermon notes and bulletins, music, small group resources, Bibles and reading plans, and pretty much anything else you can think of. The app shouldn’t just be a duplicate of your site, but rather a source to get relevant content into people’s hands. Keep it simple and put your best foot forward.

Along with content, you need to make sure that your app is done incredibly well. As technology continues to develop, people demand more. They want it to be cooler, faster, smarter, and much more fun to use. So, if you have incredible content but you develop a sub-par app, people will hit the eject button before you get a second chance.

Apps are a powerful tool if done well. They can do much more than a mobile site or simply accessing the web through your phone. Take a feature like listening to audio in an app. If your app audio player only allows you to hit play and pause or do a simple fast-forward/rewind, you are going to add frustrations to the end user. What happens when you get a phone call while listening to a 45 minute sermon? Shouldn’t the app remember where you last left off? Or what if you live in a place where you don’t have the best cellular coverage, wouldn’t it be nice if you could download that audio for offline listening? These are just a few examples that seem like luxury items, until you start using the software and realize how important they truly are. We often don’t notice the quality until we use something that doesn’t meet our expectations. Don’t get caught being the church that built an app that was frustrating to use.

Overall, your app should be simple to use, it should work how you expect it to, and it should look really nice. It doesn’t have to win awards, but make sure it’s visually appealing and a delightful experience.

Most of the churches that have utilized our software have seen more downloads of their app than attendees in the church. Sometimes up to 50 times more downloads of their app than church members. Also, most churches see their sermon downloads increase as well as a spike in online giving. As an example, one church with a membership of 1000 people saw 2,000 downloads, 22,000 launches, and increased giving within the first six months of having their app. If your ministry has content and wants to present it well, doing an app might just be the right next step.

Discover more: Watch the video

What Did I Do Before...?

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Have you ever found yourself trying to remember how you used to do things before you had your latest gizmo or piece of technology? For example, 95% of the news I read is through a mobile app on my phone. Before the app, I would visit websites every day and before that?... well, I guess I never was a big fan of printed newspaper or waiting around for the 11 o’clock local news. I’m amazed at how fast technology changes the way we do simple things. I’m sure my kids will laugh when I tell them about CDs, land line phones or even laptops!

Technology changes our daily life so quickly that we can’t remember the change even occurred. I’ve had computers around since I was in middle school, so I can’t really relate to working without email or the web, but somehow people got stuff done for thousands of years before that. I’m actually quite fascinated with how people used to do stuff, from keeping foods preserved to doing international business, and how we got to the place we are today. One of the things I have appreciated most about these rapid changes is how accessible media has become. I distinctly remember when iTunes came out. It wasn’t the first place to play mp3s on your computer (or even to categorize them), but it was designed well and linked to an online store where everything was available at the click of a button, and actually legal. That not only helped change how we purchase and organize our music, but I believe it was the catalyst for Apple’s incredible 10 year run as new devices like the iPod came out that synced with the free software you were already using. Now just a few years later, we’ve entered a whole new realm of mobile access. As a sports fan, I have found myself in the past at an event where I was wishing I could check up on the score of the big game. Well today, not only can I keep up with the latest scores through an app, but I can actually watch the games live on my phone - from anywhere! Now, this may not actually be a good thing for me because I’ll always be tempted to check in on that game no matter what I’m doing, but I digress.

Another catalyst for fast changing media technology has been Netflix. Not only did they change the way we rent the latest blockbuster, but they have an entire catalog of TV shows and movies that I can watch online, through my gaming console, or on my phone. Fifteen years ago (when full house was still on the air) I could have only dreamed this would be possible. I’ll have to admit, when I first saw the iPhone, I had a hard time sleeping as my mind ran wild thinking of the possibilities, and it hasn’t disappointed. These days I would feel trapped without my iPhone. I mean, how did I ever get by with just a phone and text messaging? What did I do when I needed to find out currency exchange between the Norwegian Krone and the US Dollar while at the beach?

So, as we now have access to nearly anything at any time, how do we balance that with real life and real relationships? I mean, I’m thankful that I can simply DVR something I wanted to watch from my phone, or listen to a specific artist’s radio station from my car, but there needs to be a proper focus on real relationships and meaningful content. Technology definitely changes the way we live, but it shouldn’t change the purpose we use it for. Here at Subsplash, we have created a platform for churches to share Gospel content through media. It’s simply amazing to see how many people are watching or listening to sermons from all corners of the globe, but this also will never replace real relationships and being a part of a church community, and it’s not supposed to. It does offer us new opportunities to use technology for Kingdom purposes and lets us take advantage of the tools that we have today to make good content readily available to anyone, anywhere. We just have to remember to unplug and engage every once in a while.