Social media trends in 2010

Social Media Corner:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rotary-International/7268844551
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=858557
http://twitter.com/rotary
http://www.youtube.com/rotaryinternational
http://www.flickr.com/groups/familyofrotary/


This year, the mainstream news media embraced social media, and Rotary clubs and districts demonstrated that they're comfortable using it, that it can provide great marketing, and that it can serve as an effective communication tool for reaching out to potential new members. With 2010 around the corner, social media predictions abound. Read about how social media will change in the next year.

Start the new year by writing better headlines
Your headlines matter. They are the words that make someone want (or not want) to read your Rotary story. When you send a press release about your club's efforts to local news outlets, does your headline catch their attention? Read more about writing better headlines.

January is Rotary Awareness Month
Because January is Rotary Awareness Month, it's a great time to reflect on what it means to be a Rotarian. Rotary's strength lies in the more than 33,000 Rotary clubs in 200 countries and geographical areas, and this an opportunity to make sure your community knows who you are and what you do. Consider these tips during Rotary Awareness Month:

*Share your club's Web site or blog through an electronic news release highlighting Rotary Awareness Month.
*Invite a journalist, media professional, friend, or co-worker to an upcoming club meeting.
*Write a letter to the editor of your local paper about your club's community and international humanitarian efforts.
*Coordinate a community service project with another local organization.
*Purchase or download the RI publications This Is Rotary, What's Rotary?, or Rotary Basics, and distribute them at key locations throughout your community.

Did you know that Rotary PR Tips reaches more than 6,000 people in 115 countries from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe? It's a great opportunity to learn how the media works and how other cultures promote their projects. What PR tip would you share with readers? Send it to pr@rotary.org.

See Yourself in Print!

Bryn Stiles, editor of Membership Matters, the Zones 24, 25, 26 & 32 Newsletter, is soliciting articles for the 2010 newsletters. Please send him your ideas and "best practices" or an article that you read or wrote that you think might be applied to Rotary membership (generational, social networking, PR, etc.) Send these ideas to Bryn at bryn.styles@gmail.com and while you're at it, how about sending to me too at judi5110@comcast.net.

Happy Holidays to you all!
Judi

Membership Recruiting Ideas

When it comes to recruiting club members, there are almost as many ideas as there are Rotarians, which is not surprising considering Rotary's diversity.

There are some universal themes that come up again and again. Others capitalize on new technologies and communication methods, or are targeted at expanding Rotary’s demographic reach. Below are 10 tips from Rotarians for increasing membership:

1. Invite friends, colleagues, or neighbors to participate in one of your club's projects.
2. Keep a supply of the Start with Rotary postcards and wallet cards, and give them to potential members.
3. Encourage prospective members who live outside your geographic area to visit the RI Web site, view membership videos, and complete a prospective member form.
4. Ask your district membership chair to contact qualified candidates who have come to the district's attention through an online referral.
5. Talk with potential members about Rotary's humanitarian work, including programs like PolioPlus. Mention the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's involvement in the polio eradication effort through Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge.
6. Invite professional women in your community to one of your club meetings. Initiate projects that focus on women's issues, and invite prominent women in the community to participate, speak, or lead.
7. Maintain contact with all local alumni of Rotary's educational and service programs, and organize events for them. Work with qualified candidates to help them join your club.
8. Advertise special programs or projects on social networking sites such as Craigslist, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Orkut, and invite visitors to your club meetings and events. Learn about RI's official social networking pages.
9. Sponsor an open house (or an open meeting with a special guest) that caters to a demographic group or classification that isn't represented in the club.
10. Maintain a Web site for your club so that interested individuals can easily find out who you are, what you do, and what inspires you.

CLASSIFICATIONS -- Food for Thought

It is just as important today as in 1905, when Rotary was first established, to recognize the worthiness of all useful occupations. ALL means ALL, not just medicine, law, science, theology, finance and education, but also law enforcement, repair, sales, service, farming, ranching, carpentry, etc. John W. Gardner, former Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare said: "The society which scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity, and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity, will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither it's pipes nor its theories will hold water."

Thank you to PDG David Allen for sharing this quote.