If you’re looking to recruit new members, don’t forget a group with rich recruiting potential: the Key Club International alumni associations. Alumni association members are service-minded people. They’re familiar with Kiwanis. They’re looking to do more. Privacy policies prevent Kiwanis and its alumni associations from distributing contact lists—but you can still reach members.
Here’s an idea: Write about your club or district for the alumni associations’ blogs. The blogs are a combination of news articles and alumni stories, updated several times a week. They’re perfect for telling alumni about your club’s service projects, social events and recruiting drives.
It’s easy to get your stories posted—just send them to Sherri McKeen at smckeen@kiwanis.org. She’ll put them up on the association's blog.
But how can you make sure your posts get read? Here are six tips:
- Stick to the point. The more concise your post, the better you’ll retain interest in your message.
- Ask alumni to write. Does your club have Key Club or CKI alumni? Have one write the posts and share an alumnus perspective.
- Emphasize your impact. Key Club and CKI alumni join the associations to extend their service and fellowship. Show how club membership can also help them achieve that goal.
- Post pictures. Add visual interest, and give readers an idea what service and membership look like in your club.
- Respond quickly. Keep an eye on your post for responses. Follow up with anyone who comments. Responsiveness is a good sign for the reader of how efficiently your club operates.
- Keep sending stories. You can’t control when people see (or don’t see) your posts. The more you share, the more likely the right people will find you. Remember, both alumni associations are in the early stages, with 3,500 members worldwide. If you don’t get a response, your community might not have alumni association members—yet.
Again, submit your blog posts to Sherri McKeen at smckeen@kiwanis.org. Once you send them in, we’ll schedule the post and link to it on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
