I am new to this, where do I start?

Most of us get handballed the Public Image portfolio by a simple "Can you make a website" or "Can you do a Facebook Page?". Whether your answer is yes or no is the last question on your mind! The real question is what are you going to put on it!!!!

From where I sit, your website is your Club's anchor. This is the place where your members and the public use the resources you provide to learn, engage and interact with your Club. 

Contacts, Meeting times, Calendar, Bulletins (outward facing) and showing your core values through current stories and experiences presented on your website will provide a "Contact Point".

 

What you need to think about is what the public will see when they land on your page. In Newspaper terms, "Above the Fold" (ie the first thing people see on a folded newspaper) is the reason they will buy or the reason they will pass.

 

Please ensure that there is enough going on in your "Above the Fold" area to engage your visitor. Remember you have only a few seconds to turn a NOT INTERESTED to INTERESTED. 

 

 

Facebook is your lure site. That might sound a bit cheap, but Facebook posts have a very short life span for the average viewer. Facebook is great to show and promote an event, putting together some happy snaps of a project, displaying a video and having casual interactions with friends and visitors. Facebook is a lot of work to keep it fresh but it is also a fast platform to capture and engage with people in the moment.  Remember to keep your posts sharp and to the point!

 

 

In District 9820, Clubs are using a variety of platforms to engage with the community. Website, Facebook, Instagram, blog spots and various other platforms are all in the mix. Sometimes it is all about what the skillset of the membership is like or who can do a swish website. 

 

Please, Please Please ensure there is a team effort with your outward-facing platforms (website, Facebook, etc) and think about members having holidays, members leaving, and new members wanting to learn and contribute. It is not always about being swish, it is about sharing inspiring content with good images. Content and images are the core of engagement.

The fact of the matter is that Rotary is an International Organisation. Whatever we might do at a Club level may inspire someone on the other side of the world to engage with Rotary in their own community. What holds us together and what translates our message is our consistent Brand. In the Facebook image above you may have noticed a mix of old and new branding.  Please have a look HERE for more information about Branding