From Monlee Quach
With over 4 billion people using social media, it is our responsibility to maximize our presence on the internet if we want to attract more guests and potential members to our club. Meetup is a FREE platform that District 57 provide for clubs to promote events such as open houses, club meetings, and special educational gathering.
Here are 3 tips to ensure people are seeing your Meetup events.
- Branding – As a Toastmasters International club, we use the Toastmaster’s brand manual to align standards to convey a clear message that resonates with our audience. Your Meetup events should advertise the Toastmasters International brand on it. Cajetan Barretto has a beginner YouTube tutorial on using Canva to get you started. You can upload an event photo onto Meetup Featured photo when creating an Event or add additional photos to your event to distinguish your club from other clubs. In addition to stock images, we also have pre-made templates that are ready for use from District 57.
Here’s a great example from Chamber Chatters Club.
2. Content – Your Meetup event should answer the Who, What, When, Where, & Why. There are many resources at Toastmasters International and District 57 Public Relations Support to help you get started. Meetup comes with templates that are available to clubs when creating an event. When generating an event title, it is recommended that you include ‘Toastmasters’, the club’s name, and the event like ‘Open House’. Search engines have algorithms that will index these words so that guests can find you easily.
Of course, every club is unique, and we want you to leverage the templates and cultivate a message that reflects the things that resonate with your audience. Whether it is a Distinguish Club that you want to advertise or a specialty club for leaders, tailor the message for what you are looking to attract with potential members.
3. Share your event – To ensure we are promoting our clubs to a wider audience, we must share our Meetup events to other platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. There is a Meetup app for mobile users to make sharing convenient. It is also available on the desktop version. The up arrow within Meetup will allow you to share your event with ease.
When your event is shared to another platform, it is sharing your Meetup featured photo and title. You are also given an option to craft a message on why you are sharing the Meetup event. This message should capture the audience like ‘Be Prepared to Lead’.
Here’s what it looks like on Facebook.
Our goal is to provide options for clubs to grow with networks that potential members are already familiar with. Make a lasting impression by promoting your club that has the Toastmasters International brand with creative content that is current and relevant. Whether you are sharing your event organically or with a larger audience, we look forward to an amazing year of new members for District 57.
Reach out to News@D57tm.org if these tips are helpful.
