1. Take Advantage of Online Marketing Strategies: More people engage in some form of media – social networks or search engines – then ever before. Unconvinced? Next time you are waiting in line, notice how many people are looking at their cell phones. Use tools such as SEO (not sure what that is? See article on District 86 website https://www.tabletsincanada.com/blogs/page/7/), blogging, Facebook boasts, and the District’s free Meetup account to increase your club’s visibility online and bring awareness to potential members.

2. Intensify your Club’s presence on social media (such as Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube – among others), to reach potential members. Make certain your pages are public pages, not group pages. Create content specifically tailored towards inspiring guests, such as interviews with members, success stories, or Toastmasters promotional videos. Use a hashtag for your club so it’s easy for guest to search for information. Remind members to regularly like, comment, and share posts on their own feeds. Have engaging posts and always link the content back to your website page.
Additional Social Media tips are found at https://www.tabletsincanada.com/blogs/page/8/

3. Make use of Community Events: Get involved with local festivals, job fairs or small business expos. Most will have a free or discounted table for not-for-profit groups. Having a table with flyers and other materials that promote your club gives you the opportunity to network, talk directly with attendees, and invite them to join you at your next meeting so they may see the benefits of Toastmasters for themselves.

4. Reach Out to Educational Institutions: Expand your reach. Establish relationships with non-traditional educational institutions that are in close proximity to your club, such as private colleges, trade schools and other adult learning institutions. Connect with the staff at those facilities and see if they would be willing to pass on information about your club to the students who may need some help with their presentation skills. Invite staff to your next club meeting so that they can see firsthand how Toastmasters can help their students.

5. Send Out an Email Recapping the Weekly Meeting: Does your meeting Chair or Toastmaster of the Day send out an email after the meeting to briefly recap the meeting and remind members of who is on the following week’s agenda? They should. Clubs with that have this weekly practice tend to have agendas filled before the next meeting. Include information about upcoming events, and if photos were taken of members to honour their success, include engaging visuals too.
After the meeting, ask guests if its okay to email them a summary of the meeting, then include those guests on the email. Remember to invite your guests to come back again.

6. Encourage Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Studies consistently show that word-of-mouth is more persuasive than any other form or marketing. Remind members to spread the word about how the club has helped them. Provide them with club business cards so they can easily pass on club meeting information when talking with people they meet at networking events. This approach is one of the most authentic ways to build awareness for potential guests that may not have been exposed to Toastmasters otherwise.

7. Reacquaint yourself with the Toastmasters membership recruitment resources. If you haven’t looked at your Toastmasters resources since last July (or never looked at them), now is the time https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/from-prospect-to-guest-to-member

There are lots of great recruitment ideas posted in the Toastmasters magazine: below is a list of some of the articles posted over the last few years:

• https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/magazine-issues/2024/mar/membership-building-tips
• https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/magazine-issues/2023/may/viewpoint
• https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/magazine-issues/2022/may/member-retention
• https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/magazine-issues/2021/sept/build-your-club-membership
• https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/magazine-issues/2020/aug/be-our-guest
• https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/magazine-issues/2019/may/give-members-and-guests
• https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/Magazine%20Issues/2018/Feb2018/Spread%20the%20Word

Which of the above ideas can you use to reach potential members and encourage them to join your club? Do you have any tips that worked for you? Share them in the District group Facebook page, or blog about them!

Created by Nancy Movrin DTM, District Director Manager, District 86 2023-2024, Cambridge Toastmasters