Facebook page or website? What small groups should do

"We have a Facebook page, do we really need a website as well?" It is one of the most common questions small groups ask, and there is no need to pick a side. The two do different jobs.

What Facebook is good at

Quick news. A cancelled class, a change of venue, a photo from last night.
Conversation. Members can comment, ask questions and share.
Reaching people where they already are. Many people check it daily without thinking.
Being free and easy. Anyone on the committee can post from their phone.

What a website is good at

Being the reference. Times, prices, location and contact details in one stable place.
Being found. People searching online for a class or a hall can find a website, whether or not they use social media.
Reaching everyone. Someone without a social media account can still read it.
Being yours. You decide how it looks and what it says, and it does not depend on one company's rules.

A simple rule for using both

Put the facts on the website, and put the chat on Facebook.

When you post about an event, keep the post short and link to the page on your website that has the full details. When someone asks "what time does it start?" in the comments, point them to the page. Over time this keeps the facts in one place that you only have to correct once.

Common mistakes

Different information in each place. If the Facebook page says Tuesday and the website says Wednesday, people stop trusting both.
Putting the only copy of important information on Facebook. It scrolls out of sight and is hard to find later.
No link between them. Add your website address to the Facebook page, and a link to the Facebook page from the website if you want people to follow it.

If you only have the energy for one, choose the one that people use to find you, then link from it to the other when you can.

What if nobody has time for two?

That is a real worry for volunteer groups. It is one reason I run a weekly update round: you send me your changes in one batch and I publish them, so the website stays correct without anyone logging in. You can read about it on the how it works page.