Is Your Club Posting?

How many people in your Toastmasters Club are on Facebook?  How about Twitter, LinkedIn or Google+? Do any of your members post on Pinterest, Digg or any other social media site?

If you asked these to your club, an average guess would be at least 50 % of them are on one social media or another several times a week, or at least follow one. After all, it is more and more the way the world inter-communicates. For example, the Olympic athletes were tweeting as they entered the Opening Ceremonies, after they’d finished their competition rounds, and while they were just hanging in the Village. Videos went viral. Facebook likes soared in the thousands. It’s the way we find recipes, cute pet pictures and the latest political buzz.

Now,  here’s another question. How many of your members tweet or post about your club? Ah. The hands are not so highly raised now are they? The question is… why not? Especially if it will help the world know how great being in Toastmasters is, and—drum roll please—it can count as a project towards your Competent Leader.

What??? Yep. Look under Project Six. “Help Promote a PR Campaign.”  At Top Notch Toastmasters we have developed a new opportunity – Social Media Promoter of the Week. That person is responsible for taking a picture with their phone of some event during the meeting and then post, tweet, tag or pin it to the site of their choice within two days. Then the VP Public Relations checks to make sure it is done and encourages other members to comment or like or re-tweet it.

It not only gets our name out there in cyberspace, it helps the member achieve their leadership goals. I believe they call that a “win-win”. Besides, it’s fun. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Get permission from each member to be exposed in pictures or in writing on social media sites. Have them sign a form giving that permission and then have the President or VPPR witness and date it. Make it good for 6 months.
2. Make the post or tweet a “hook”. Did you know rice can clink on a plate? We found that out at #825TopNotch. Next week?? Who knows. Don’t miss out.  Generate interest. Be creative.
3. Use hash tags, link to your website, link to your club’s Facebook or Twitter account.
4. Keep the website fresh with new pictures, up to date news and be sure you do not put too much for the eye to scan on one page or brain-overload can kick in.
5. Make sure your website links back to your club Facebook Page, etc.

Then go out there, conquer the web and have fun doing it. It’s time the world knew more about TM, and your club. The computer is your oyster. Just be sure to let your VP Education know you have ticked off one more box…

Submitted by Julie Cosgrove
President Top Notch Toastmasters #825