A Quick Guide To Social Media Platforms

When it comes to social media there is a wide variety of platforms designed to target specific functions. Determining which platforms are most beneficial for your church can be a little overwhelming. So we have compiled a quick guide to help you see the value of platforms by their functions.

Social Networks

This group consists of platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Their design is with the main function of allowing you to connect with people and build relationships. We believe Facebook to be the most beneficial for churches as it includes the largest majority of your congregation. These platforms give great analytics on activity, build awareness, and can increase web-traffic through linked content.

Media Sharing Networks

Examples of this group are Instagram, YouTube, and Vimeo. People use this platform to find and share photo and video content. YouTube is a great platform to utilize for livestreaming your services. (At Professional Support Staff, we assist our web customers in creating and connecting their live streaming to their websites.)

Consumer Review Networks

These platforms are extremely beneficial to a church for reaching new move-ins and visitors traveling through your area. Yelp and Google are platforms where people can review their experiences with you. Positive reviews create social proof of your claims. People use these networks to find places near them when they are new and unfamiliar to the area. Statistics show that 88% of consumers today trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation.

Discussion Forums

Great platforms for market research. Sites like Reddit and Quora provide a platform to discuss and weigh in on daily news and trending topics.

Bookmarking and Content Curation Networks

Platforms like Pinterest and Flipboard are designed to inspire and spark creativity. Users can easily discover and save content by bookmarking ideas they like. This allows them to create their own collections to share with their friends who share their interests.

Reviewing these platforms, there are a lot of options. When determining which social media sites to use for your church, think of the audience you want to connect with and which platform gives you the most tools to reach them. Professional Support Staff provides dedicated Virtual Assistants to help with social media management. Call us @ (865) 272-6550, and see how we can start enhancing your social presence today!