(For writings on outreach not related to social media, go here.)
Update from 2023: In the past six years, Facebook has adjusted its business model a number of times, with a particular emphasis on adapting its algorithm to keep users online and show more ads. Everything written in the reports below is still representative of something meetings can do, but the results will be different now. Ads are likely to reach more or less the same number of people and have similar results. But organic (meaning “unpaid for”) reach through Facebook pages is much reduced. Links to websites or YouTube videos are often suppressed altogether, though photos without links do well sometimes.
The reasons to engage, or to not engage, with Facebook have not changed. But as a matter of integrity, it seemed important to add this note: you can still do this, but it will be harder than it used to be.
Social media represents an unprecedented platform for witness and ministry. Many people under the age of forty use social media as their exclusive source of information and communications.
New York Yearly Meeting has now run two phases of a 50-day experiment using social media ads as Quaker outreach.
Between May 12 and July 1 of 2017, six local meetings reached over 90,000 young adults.
Between August 18 and October 6 of 2017, twelve local meetings (plus Powell House retreat center) reached over 250,000 people.
Turning, Turning 