Social Success: An Interview with @MattJABrooks for #CNMAC12

Over the next couple of weeks, in the run up to #CNMAC12, we’ve asked a number of speakers to respond to the following questions, and we’re pleased to hear from another speaker, Matt Brooks. Matt & Adam are speaking at 3.45pm in the ‘Jump-Start’ Session:

So you are on Twitter and Facebook, but how do you make them work for you? This session explores the keys to engaging people on Twitter & Facebook

Who are you, what do you do, and how do you come to be speaking at #CNMAC12? What’s your personal ‘story’?

https://www.facebook.com/mbriomusic

My name is Matt and along with my big brother Adam co-founded M-brio Music, a Christian music website for the latest information on your favourite Christian bands/artists and also fresh names and faces. We also have an online magazine called M.E.X (M-brio Express) which deals with Christian lifestyle as well as a deeper look into music and the lives of the people who sing our favourite songs. We also have a PR/Marketing, Social Media company called The M PR which in a nutshell devises strategies, ideas and concepts for getting the word out about just about anything (product/service/announcement etc).

My love affair with music came from a young age. I got into drumming at around 11 years of age and have had the opportunity to travel around Europe playing with different bands. Now I primarily focus on media and also working with young people. I’m a Pastor’s Kid as well so I’ve been brought in church my while life… In fact, Adam and my older sister Rebecca pretty much lived at church growing up and still do now we’re a bit older. I love God, I love my family, I love music and I love to have a good laugh.

We’ve been working with Premier/Christian New Media Centre Of Excellence for a few months now delivering seminars about how to get the most of social, or as our title rightly says ‘Social Success’. The seminars have been going down pretty well and seem to be inspiring people to get on board with Social Media so I guess the team thought it would be a good seminar for the conference.

Can you give us a ‘sneak peak’ into the story of your session at #CNMAC12?

Everything Adam and I have done has been in house so we’ve found a lot of ways to make things happen and have a strong online presence, gaining new skills, tips and techniques along the journey. That’s the story we want to share and empower others to do the same.

What is the best ‘good news story’ to come out of your journey as a disciple? What keeps you going when times are hard?

When things are hard and I want to throw in the towel I remember that when God blessed me with the gifts He gave me, He gave them to me as gifts, meaning that I should give them away. I don’t take it lightly that God has entrusted me with so much and also to be in a position of influence over those coming up behind me. So when I think about giving up or throwing in the towel I’m always taken back to the bigger picture… I’m here to do a job for God and although sometimes it’s hard, not everyone is afforded such a great privilege.

We’re working on the @bigbible project. How do you think the (stories in the) Bible can inform what we do online, in whatever sense?

I use the stories in the Bible a lot. I often choose particular scriptures and apply them to everyday life, (normally my own) and often share my thoughts on Facebook and Twitter where many people seem to connect with my experiences and find peace, comfort, wisdom and knowledge in the scriptures I share too.

Outside of your own session, what are you most looking forward to at #CNMAC12?

One of the things I want to do more of is share my faith in such a way that people are captivated by what I have to say. Because of that the ‘Evangelism Through Story’ session by Andrew Flynn, Christian Vision is very appealing to me.

See full conference programme.