This document discusses how Rotary clubs and districts can use social media, particularly Facebook, to promote their organizations and engage new audiences. It provides guidance on creating Facebook pages and groups for clubs and districts, as well as tips for personal profiles. An example is given of a district Facebook ad campaign that saw success in generating interest in Rotary. The takeaway is that social media is a powerful free tool that Rotary organizations can leverage for publicity, relationship building and membership growth.

1. Facebook
& Rotary
Rich Lalley
Rotary Club of Winnetka-Northfield
District 6440 Club Service Advisor
& Webmaster
Originally Presented by Simone Carot Collins,
Founder of ROSNF, and adapted for US market by
Greg Garofolo of the New England E-Club.
Updated for District 6440 with permission.

2. What is social networking?
 The use of dedicated
websites & applications
to interact with people
you know,
or to find people with
similar interests.
 Another avenue for
building relationships

3. Social media is not a “fad”
 Social networking sites have been around for
15+ years
1995 2003 May 2003
Feb 2004 Feb 2005 July 2006

4. Who uses social media?
 More than 800 million users (@ 1 Feb 2012)
 Over 155 million Americans (50.14% of population –
over 33 million new users in last 6 months)
 More than 50% of active users log in each day
 The average user:
 Is connected to 80 pages, groups & events
 Has 130 friend connections
 50% of 18-34 year olds check Facebook when they
wake up

5. Who uses social media?
 In America:
13-17: 8%
18-24: 24%
25-44: 50%
45+: 28%
Over 55s is
fastest growing
demographic on Facebook

6. Why use it for Rotary?
 Free, easy PR!
 Big source of potential members to share
your news with in a non invasive manner
 Higher attendance at events
 Showcases the human element of Rotary
 Easily connect with other people
 Get to know your club members better
 Meet Rotarians around the world
 Source people for Rotary programs / projects
 Stay in touch with alumni

7. What about privacy?
 If you are concerned about certain data
becoming public, don't enter it! (Email too!)
 Facebook terms of service:
“You own all of the content and information you post on
Facebook, and you can control how it is shared through your
privacy and application settings.” facebook.com/terms.php
 What you see on Facebook is not necessarily
what other people see
 Make use of “friend lists” to control who can
see what

8. What about privacy?
 Review your privacy settings regularly.
 If using an app, see what data it wants to gain
access to. If you don't want to release that
data, don't proceed with adding that app.
 Like facebook.com/rosnf to be kept up to
date about changes on Facebook.
 ROSNF = Rotarians on Social Networking
Fellowship

9. How to use it for Rotary?
 Personal profiles: share information about Rotary in
day-to-day updates.
 Create a “page” on Facebook for your club
 Share weekly speakers, photos & videos to
personalize it
 Create Events for your club's activities
 Other exciting news – great speakers, projects
 Use “groups” to keep in touch with specific
audiences, e.g. alumni, committees
 Upload your bulletin and/or speaker programs to
SlideShare. Embed programs into website.

10. Social media – Personal level
 Share Rotary through your own networks
 Post / Share Rotary news, links, photos and
videos and life events in your own status
 Invite your contacts to Events
 Build relationships with & gain new ideas from
other Rotarians
 Like Rotary pages and interact with them
 Friend / Subscribe to other Rotarians and
family of Rotary

11. Friending or Subscribing?
 I don't want friend requests from strangers!
 Most are likely to be other Rotarians.
 You can always change your mind and
“unfriend” someone
 You can also change your privacy settings to
make it harder for people to find you or send
friend requests
 You can now allow people to “subscribe”
without friending them
 They will only see posts that you make public

12. Personal Profiles: News
 What news to
share?
 Use your “status”
 Tag people and
pages in your news
 (Re-)share news
other people or
pages have posted
 Use friend lists to
manage who can
see your posts

13. Personal Profiles: Links & Videos
 You can paste
links from Rotary
websites into your
status along with a
comment
 Pasting a link to a
video will embed it
so that it can be
played within
Facebook
 Use “Add This” in
your browser to
make it easy

14. Personal Profiles: Photos
 Profile photos
 Cover photos
 Photo albums
 Life events
 Tagging photos

15. Facebook at the Club level
 Use Facebook Pages to connect with public
 Use closed or secret Groups for specific
audiences
 Share news, videos and photos about your
projects, events and members, including
interesting meeting programs and applications
that are open
 Also share general news about other Rotary
successes

16. Pages: Images
 Profile image: is it
obviously a Rotary
page?
 Include the Rotary
emblem
 Your club banner /
bannerette design
may be a good choice
 How does the image
look as a thumbnail?

17. Pages: Name choice
 Page name: it can't
be changed once
you have 100 or
more “Likers”!
 There may be
several Rotary clubs
with the same name.
Does your club page
showcase your
location?
 Set a “username”

18. Pages: Admins
 Admins: Have at
least two admins
 Make sure admins
are clear about what
to post “officially”
 You can switch
between posting as
the page and
posting as you
personally

19. Pages: Some tips
 “Like” other Rotary-
related pages.
 Use Facebook as your
page to interact with
other Rotarians and
Rotary pages
 Be engaging: post
interesting items and
respond to comments
 Don't spam

20. Pages: Some tips
 If you upload your
bulletin to
SlideShare, you can
easily embed your
entire bulletin in your
Facebook page
 You can also use
SlideShare for
presentations on
PowerPoint etc

21. Pages: Events

22. How to Create a Page
 Click the “Create a
Page” button on any
other Page.
 Choose either
“Company,
Organization or
Institution” or
“Cause or
Community”
 DON'T choose
“Local Business or
Place”

23. Using Groups: Committee Work
 Pages are public,
whereas groups can
be private
 Groups can be
open, closed or
secret
 Can receive
notifications of
updates
 Has collaborative
documents

24. Social media – District level
 Use Facebook Pages
 Main audience: Rotarians
 Can also use pages for ongoing projects or
district-wide programs aimed at new
generations
 Share district-wide events, reminders about
deadlines, news about what is happening
across the district...
 “Like” Rotary-related pages to tag them and
post on their walls

26. Developing your strategy
 What outcomes do you want to achieve from
your online presences?
 Which audiences are you trying to reach?
 How will you reach them (which platforms)?
 What information will you share?
 How often will you share it?
 Who is responsible for updates? Who are
your admins?
 How will you handle negative press?

27. District Facebook
Ad Campaign
Objectives
• Increase awareness of Rotary,
appreciation of our clubs and interest in
learning more about Rotary among
service minded adults living in District
6440.
• Increase interest in membership in
District 6440 clubs.

28. District Facebook Ad
Campaign
January – May 2012
Targeted 220,000 “Service-Minded” adults
living in NE IL (ex. Chicago) on
Facebook

29. District Facebook Ad
Campaign
Over 100 different ads ran like these…

30. District Facebook Ad
Campaign
And these…

31. District Facebook Ad
Campaign
Ads links to Special Facebook Pages
What is Rotary?
20 Reasons to Join Rotary

32. District Facebook Ad
Campaign
• Fans up from 164 to 510, most received
message from Membership Committee
• Over 34 million impressions
• Landing pages visited 9,682 times
• 109 people submitted inquiries for more
information about Rotary and our clubs,
all of which were responded to by our
Membership Committee.

33. Any questions?
 Please feel free to contact me or Luanne
Newman with further questions
 Help is also available through the Rotarians on
Social Networks Fellowship: rosnf.net and
www.facebook.com/groups/rosnf/
 “Snetiquette” Guidelines
 Thank you for having me.
 Thank you for supporting Operation Warm.