By Brittany Wilson | Diocesan Social Media Coordinator

And the most influential tweeter in the world is … @Pontifex.

You might know him better by his formal name, Pope Francis.

More than 14 million people follow His Holiness on one or more of his Twitter accounts in nine different languages. Each tweet sent by the Pontiff is retweeted almost 17,000 times on average, according to Twiplomacy 2014, a study of how Twitter is used by world leaders. 

That’s impressive stuff.

In comparison, @TrentonDiocese averages between one and two retweets per original tweet sent. And I’m OK with that — for now.

In the coming months, @TrentonDiocese, @TrentonMonitor and other accounts from various diocesan ministries will be interacting with the faithful in the region more than ever before.

We want to hear your stories, what you think and how you spread the Good News. We’ll be tweeting, Facebooking, pinning, and Instagraming (coming soon!) prayers, Gospel passages, news stories, photos, videos and more.

And while 14 million followers for @TrentonDiocese would be spectacular, social media isn’t just about gaining followers and fans.

One of the first lessons I learned when I was working as a cub reporter at Penn State’s independent student newspaper “The Daily Collegian” was to focus on how to be social, not how to do social media.

Social media should be used to passionately share something you love with others, and to listen to what they have to say about it — have conversations, not monologues.

Some parish and school Facebook pages and Twitter accounts are doing just that.

They’re getting the attention of their audiences through prolific postings of things they love. From sharing workout photos (the Strong Mind Body Spirit program at St. John the Baptist in Allentown) to showing what students are doing during the summer (St. Aloysius School, Jackson, Summer Gators), they’re engaging with their fans on a daily basis.

However, others have been a little shy so far with what they share on various networks. But I’m certain that with a little guidance, they too can become exceptional.

That’s why I’m here.

The Diocese of Trenton is expanding its use of social networking platforms to engage with as many of you faithful as possible — whether you are the owner of a parish or school account or not — to spread the Word of God, something we all are very passionate about.

If you aren’t familiar with social media or it seems daunting to you, that’s OK.

 I can try to help you understand how to best use it in your personal life, for your ministry and for evangelization. Through this column, each month I’ll address a new platform or tool to help you connect with others in your social media circles and spread the Good News.

Social media isn’t just a collection of websites; it’s a strategy for listening, engaging, sharing and being more transparent — it isn’t a soap box from which we solely share our own agendas.

So what are you waiting for? Pope Francis is on board, you should be, too.

Brittany Wilson is the Diocese of Trenton’s social media coordinator. Email her with social media questions, comments and concerns at [email protected].