Have you considered increasing your club’s public relations efforts but wasn’t sure where to start?  Why not consider reviewing the 30 Marketing Ideas brochure from LCI?

The 30 Marketing Ideas brochure provides 30 ideas for you to consider to help “get the message out”.  It provides ideas to assist you with inviting new members and promoting your club.  Perhaps you could select one category each month and implement an activity within that category to unlock yourselves to the community and share your Lions pride where the payoff is greater membership and public awareness

For your convenience, the 30 ideas are listed below:

Exhibit Marketing

1. Sponsor a booth at a special event. Think of the impact your club could have at the community’s next health fair, festival or home show! Exhibiting at an event connects your club to that event, its topic, and the people attending and so on. Featuring photographs of club projects and providing membership information to the attendees will help get the word out about your club.

2. Exhibit in a public place. Want your club to be seen regularly at the same location? Pick a space in a mall or a popular storefront: use your imagination on which public space could work for your club. Provide information about your next project and invite people to participate.

3. Place an information table at your next project. When attending a service project, people can see first-hand the work you do and at the same time, can inquire about membership, read about Lions and look into serving.

4. Use your prospect information. Did you gain information from your exhibit marketing efforts? Use the contact information of those who express interest in Lionism. Hold a raffle for the people who stopped by your exhibit or information table. Add their names to the club’s updated mailing list. Inform those interested in ways to become involved.

Advertising & Public Service Announcements

5. Place an ad in the local newspaper. Put a call into the advertising department of your local newspaper to announce that you are looking for members. Advertising representatives from the paper can tell you about the cost of an ad, help you place it in a good spot and, if needed, design an ad specifically for your club.

6. Place an ad in school and community publications.  Often, a school newsletter will gladly include your club information in their newsletter—especially if you partner with that school for your service projects. Placing such an ad will create a direct link between the school system or community and your club.

7. Develop a point-of-purchase display. Ask the owners of local businesses if they will allow your club to place its brochures in a holder near the cash register. Remember: By placing information in a business, your club will then be associated with that business and its customers.

8. Broadcast on radio. Invite a local radio station to broadcast from your next special event or request that the station broadcast one of Lions Clubs International’s public service announcements (PSAs) available from the Public Relations & Communications Division.  You can access this advertising type online by going to public service announcements to learn more.

9. Post billboards/mobile advertising. Billboards and mobile advertising also serve as a reminder about your club. You can access this advertising type online by going to billboards to learn more.

10. Utilize Yellow Pages & directories. Place the telephone number of your club in the Yellow Pages and other service directories so that your club is easy to find. (If you do not want to use a member’s personal telephone number in the listing, consider buying an additional line that goes to an answering machine.)

11. Broadcast public service announcements (PSAs) on television. Start by trying to place PSAs with your local public access television station. At the station, contact the public affairs or community services director and ask if they have time to fill. Public Service Announcements are available from the Public Relations & Production Division.  You can access this advertising type online by going to public service announcements to learn more.

12. Use THE LION Magazine. Do you receive an extra copy of THE LION Magazine each month? Are you finished with your personal copy? Consider donating the magazine to your library or putting your extra copies in doctors, dentists or other offices.

13. Develop a Web page. Promote your club on the Internet.  On your Web site include project information, your club’s contact information and steps the prospective member can take to become a Lion. Get started now creating your website, go to e-Clubhouse to learn more.

14. Put information about your club in “Welcome to the Community” packets offered by local agencies or chambers of commerce. Often after they are settled, new residents look for ways to familiarize themselves with the community.

Media Relations

15. Write a news release. Tell your community about upcoming club events, awards and programs. LCI has created several fill-in-the-blank news release templates to get you started.  You can access this advertising type online by going to press releases to learn more.

16. Pitch a story. Is there a person in your local club with amazing accomplishments as a Lion? Are there a series of Lions projects that are making an extraordinary difference in the community? If so, it’s time to pitch your club’s feature story idea to your local newspaper reporter or editor.

Group Presentations

17. Show audiovisual presentations. Showcase what Lions do for their communities. Select the presentation that is right for your club. Show it to groups such as the PTA, community interest organizations and others that may be interested in joining. You can access this advertising type online by going to video presentations to learn more.

Personal Contact

18. Give personal presentations. Offer to speak about your club during community events and other forums that involve community leaders and concerned citizens. Explain how Lions have helped the community and outline the service projects that you currently sponsor.

19. Recruit one-on-one. Meet with a prospective member individually to inform them about the club. Invite them to take part in the next meeting or club project. Follow-up with any prospective member inquiries that you receive from Lions Clubs International.

Direct Marketing

20. Call people. Obtain a list of people who may benefit from a specific program (for example, the names of people who live near a park that will be enhanced or a stream that will be cleaned) and call to let them know what the club is doing for their community. Invite them to take part in the project.

21. Write letters. Develop a mailing list of people who have participated in previous projects as well as a list of other people you would like to invite as members. Mail them a letter explaining what the club does and ask them to contact you if they are interested in attending a meeting.

22. Produce club newsletters. Mail a special edition of your club’s newsletter to prospective members. Outline your club’s accomplishments and announce plans for the future.

23. Send out project announcements. Send announcements explaining a special activity to people who will benefit from the program. Invite them to take part in the project and find out more about the club.

Membership Campaigns

24. Participate in Lions Clubs International awards programs. Make the most of the awards programs developed by Lions Clubs International by planning a special event and motivating people to participate. Award programs include: the Year-Round Growth program, the President’s Retention Campaign program and the Membership Key Awards program.

25. Run club contests. Creating a competition out of “Who can invite the most new members?” is often a favorite and successful activity of Lions clubs. Will it work for your club?

Quick Market Research

26. Conduct a Community Needs Assessment. Perhaps the best way to recruit and retain members is to tie your club to the community. A Lions Community Needs Assessment can help your club discover new projects, ones of special importance and need in the community. If you choose to use the questionnaire provided, you can use the editable PDF version of the questionnaire from the LCI website.

27. Keep former members on your list. Send your newsletter and other announcements to former members to keep them up-to-date on club activities. Invite them to club events and include them in volunteer opportunities.

28. Monitor member activity. Do you know a Lion who has been inactive in their membership, perhaps not coming to meetings or service projects? Talk with them. Let the member know you are thinking about them and would like to make their experience better.

29. Conduct a new member or prospective member needs appraisal.

New Member Needs Appraisal: Identify what motivated each new member to join and help them reach their goals. Encourage them to use talents and skills by matching them with projects they will find rewarding.

Prospective Member Needs Appraisal: Are you familiar with what people in your community are looking for when considering becoming a member of a community organization? Consider creating a questionnaire for non-members to fill out. You may find very interesting information about how your club can gain new members.

30. Conduct a survey. The Former Member Satisfaction Survey includes a questionnaire that a designated club member is asked to complete with the exiting member as well as an instruction sheet guiding a club though the interview process.  Create an atmosphere where your Lions will be less likely to drop their membership.