Half of Catholic websites make no use of social media, says a study that looked at websites of both Catholic nonprofit organizations and parishes.
The study, Use of Social Media by Catholic Organizations, by Karl Bridges, says,
It seems equally clear that the majority of these uses are not focused on the use and development of social media but, as suggested above, on the use of the web as replacement for traditional publication channels.
The study also noted that while only 4% of Catholics consider themselves very involved in parish life, 73% of teenagers use social media, and 47% of adults do.
The study also says,
It seems clear that: 1) the subject of content analysis of Catholic non-profits should be addressed in future research to determine what effects, if any, design components have on website usability; and 2) training and education of staff in Catholic non-profits regarding basic web design principles and best practices would be beneficial—especially if it could be offered online at a nominal cost.
We say it’s time for Catholics organizations to ramp up and make the most of the internet in their outreaches.
