Use this Pew research to figure out where your people are and into which social media platforms your church should put time.
As we talk to churches about their plans and goals, many of them are saying the same thing: They want to put a renewed focus and strategy on social media. While this is a great goal, it also comes with a certain level of ambiguity. What platforms will you focus on? Will you add any new accounts? How will you use social media to engage with your audience? Is your audience even there? These are just some of the questions that bubble up when you begin to strategize for social media.
And while some will be more difficult to answer than others, it looks like questions about who is using each platform might be easier to answer than we originally thought. This Pew research outlines the demographics of social media use. Here's what you can expect to see:
- The total percentage of adult Internet users currently on each platform (Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter)
- The breakdown of specific demographics using each platform (this includes gender, age, income and more)
- User engagement frequency (the percentage of users who engage daily, weekly or less often)
While we know the goal is to reach as many people as possible, each church really does have a unique audience. Maybe your church has already decided who you want to reach or target.
If you haven't, now would be a good time to start. Create a profile for each audience group that outlines their basic demographics, hopes, dreams and pain points and what your church can offer them.
Once you know this information, check out the Pew research and make sure you are putting the right amount of effort into the right platform.
