Simple tips for getting the word out.
Almost every Toastmasters club needs to be promoting itself constantly. How do you do that though? What techniques work? What can you do with a club-level budget? This article will explore some promotional strategies you can use not only in TM, but with small business, and with minimal investments.
Internet
An increasing number of people are finding out about Toastmasters via the web. Almost universally, I hear “I heard about your club via the web” when I ask guests how they find us. With it being so easy to set up and keep going, maintaining a web presence is a must.
For most clubs, there are three sites you need to worry about: Toastmasters International, your district’s site, and your own. Most clubs will want to register for a site with Free Toast Host, as it provides the capability to set up a mailing list, directions, duty roster, and more essential items. As an added bonus, if your club registers its own domain name, FTH can be adapted to use that as well. After you have your club’s site, make sure TI and your district have them listed in their directories.
Many clubs get to this point and think they can ignore the internet from then on out, but there’s more that can be done to improve this foundation. If your club records their speakers, you may want to consider putting these videos up on YouTube or some other video sharing site (with speaker permission, of course!). Make sure you link your profile page from your FTH site.
Other promotional opportunities include posting free ads on classifieds sites like Craigslist, Oodle, Kijiji, Backpage, and Blurbpage (you can reuse your ad across multiple sites like this, so it’s not too hard). Just make sure to renew them every month or so.
Social networking sites like FaceBook and MySpace can also be useful for attracting attention. Some clubs also like to use MeetUp for meeting reminders, but this service comes with a fee.
If you’re in a corporate club, see if there’s a company-wide e-newsletter that you can advertise in. At one such club, advertising this way brought in several new members (over ten) to an already strong club.
One thing that helps bring back guests and turn them into members is to have a meeting reminder mailing list for guests. If you have a technically inclined member of your club, or you yourself are, you can use mailing software like Pommo to maintain a database of names and e-mail addresses.
Your district website (or other district’s websites!) can also be useful — many contain marketing material you can use including printable brochures and flyers.
Print
Print media is a mainstay of advertising for clubs, and you can make good headway with it. There are lots of different forms. You can make your own fairly cheaply, have it professionally done, or order pre-made material from the TI store.
I recommend every club have some business cards or something of similar size. They’re cheap, easy to carry, and if you get some custom-made with member’s names on them, it can help make them feel a part of the club. Cards can be distributed almost anywhere. Always keep a stock of these, and give some to members so they can be involved in marketing the club.
Brochures (tri-fold and the like) are useful for leaving at Chambers of Commerce, or as part of a door-to-door campaign (given that solicitation is okay in the neighborhood, of course!). TI has some very professional looking ones, and you can get some free whenever you place an order with the shop.
Pull-tab flyers are also great, especially for public bulletin boards. These can be posted at colleges, libraries, coffee shops, smoothie/juice stores, restaurants, and more. Try to think of places you’ve seen collections of business cards at; these make for good spots. Some samples are available in the files section of this site.
As far as print media you don’t have to make yourself, if your members live in subdivisions with newsletters, get the contact info for the producers (or just have the members bring the newsletter in and get it from there). Most classifieds in the back should be cheap to advertise in.
I haven’t seen this done, but TM bumper stickers (or vinyl decals, etc.) could be an effective method of passive advertising.
TV and Radio
The realm of TV and radio has been left undiscovered by Toastmasters, from what I’ve seen. Call some radio stations and see if they’re interested in some interviews, whether it’s on FM or AM, morning or afternoon. You may not be able to precisely target your own club, but you will undoubtedly help many.
Speaking Engagements
Surprise — a good way to promote your club and Toastmasters is to — gasp — speak! Libraries and civic clubs are places to start. Many libraries run activities where they want outside speakers. Arrange for an hour long seminar, spending some time marketing Toastmasters. Give them some material to take with them afterward.
Leveraging Your Members
Many VP PRs seem to think that they have to do the job of promoting the club all by themselves. Not true. You can and should leverage your members to market the club. Get the success stories of other members and share them with guests. Give your members cards and flyers and ask them to pick at least one location to post them to. Make people aware of the CL manual’s “help the VP PR” project and get them to help you!
Another way to leverage members? Ask ex-members who may’ve wandered off to see if they’re willing to come back. Most already know the value, they just need a little prodding.
Closing Notes
Now you have some low or no cost ways to market your club, but make sure you use them! Remember though; heavy promotion can’t replace lackluster meetings. If your club fundamentals aren’t strong, you may bring in guests, but you won’t convert them to members. Even if you do, you won’t convert those members into long time members. I’ll cover that in a future article.
