| JUNE 6, 2015 -- If there was a surefire way to get hundreds of people to attend your Grange event, visit your Grange meeting, or have an interest in joining your Grange, every Grange would see its membership overflowing. But that being said, there are tried and true methods for promoting your Grange that do work - and can better position your Grange in the public eye.
Here’s a few tips:
• Create content that is relevant to your community, and then engage. Keep up with the latest news for your community, and then find a way that your Grange can be a part of that news. This could be as simple as collecting non-parishable for items and donating them to the local soup kitchen, hosting a tag sale where the proceeds benefit a local animal shelter, helping out a family that lost their home in a fire, or something more involved such as maintaining a community garden, building a gazebo on the town green, or creating a memorial to fallen soldiers. The possibilities are endless. Once your Grange begins a project, write a press release and send it to the local media. Relevancy will generate positive results.
• When you do receive coverage from a newspaper, tv/radio station or even on social media, be sure to ride the wave. Share the news with your social media entities (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), send an email blast or even a postcard to your members with the good news, call your members and tell them to buy a copy of the paper, watch the news or listen to the radio - and have them call their friends and family too! By promoting the publicity you receive, your coverage will continue to spread. Also, don’t forget to publicly thank the media source for their support.
• Give your members something to talk about. There is no better promotion than word of mouth. When one of your members/supporters/volunteers is excited and passionate about being involved with your Grange, they will tell their friends and family, and even random strangers they meet. When a member believes that your Grange is worth their time (and their dues money), they will shout it from the roof tops. Enthusiasm spreads - and attracts others to see what the buzz is all about.
• The most important tip to remember is to always keep your efforts in proper perspective. Don’t neglect the foundational core of your Grange just to generate publicity. People need a reason to become (and stay) members. Members need to feel as if they are wanted in the group, make a difference, and that they are important to your Grange’s success.
It all comes down to being smart and consistent in your approach to publicity. Be patient with the media, be considerate and as helpful as you can when asked for information, always be professional when dealing with others, and be enthusiastic about your Grange! |
