Now that school is in session, it’s time to plan for the coming Key Club year. And that plan should include recruiting new members to keep your club strong and sustainable. Here are five tips to get you going:
Start with your current members. Offer incentives for early sign-ups. Start mapping out your recruitment plan and set membership goals. How can your club leaders seek out new members? What events can you host in person or online to make sure all students see your club in action? Start brainstorming opportunities for your club to get exposure and be sure your club officers have their guidebooks from our resource page. Plus, ask each member to personally invite a friend with our invitations.
Don’t just tell. Show. Show off your best Key Club look with branded gear. When you post photos on social media of members in action, choose images of them hard at work during a service project or interacting with the people they’re helping. Encourage them to smile — and to retweet posts so their followers will want to join the fun. Try using our Key Club GIFs via Instagram.
Get creative. Build excitement by sharing these posters on your club’s website and through social media. When tabling at your club or activities fair, you are fighting for students’ attention. Let them know you are approachable by having a few members stand in front of the table to greet potential members. Add posters with photos of past service projects to demonstrate how much fun members have together. Hand out KCI stickers, brochures and candy.
Capture contact info. Host an online, in-person or hybrid callout meeting. Make signing up for your club easy! Create a simple Google form to collect names, email addresses and cell phone numbers (optional). Keep the form short and sweet. You can collect other information later. Find a free online QR code generator, such as QR Code Monkey, and create a personalized code to display at your table. Don’t forget to share the member guidebook to provide details on international opportunities, scholarships and awards like the Youth Opportunities Grant, Global Leadership Certificate Program and Virtual Key Leader.
Stay connected. Don’t forget to follow up and thank students for stopping by your table or event. Ask if they have any questions, but most importantly, tell them about your club’s first meeting. Send a reminder email/text letting them know the meeting is coming up and that you can’t wait to see them. Encourage them to stay in the loop by opting in to receive your newsletter or KCI communications, including news about events, training, scholarships and the many membership benefits we offer. Plus, keep up through social media.