Marketing Your Chapter in the New Year

Gage Donovan | Collegiate DECA President

It is hard to believe that the first semester has come to a close and 2020 is finally over. I know that the past year was not easy and many chapters had unique struggles, but it is important to remember that we are all in this together. The second semester still presents a world of opportunities filled with virtual association conferences, the International Career Development Conference and the chance to win DECA glass!

Virtual member recruitment is something we’ve all had to quickly embrace. The best way to spread the word is to develop a consistent social media effort and increase your following by connecting with as many students as you can find at your campus. If you haven’t already, explore the resources available in the Collegiate DECA Digital Member Recruitment Toolkit. Once you have built up your social media following, you then have the opportunity to host campus-wide events to encourage students to become members.

A great incentive for prospective members is the chance to compete before fully committing. Your chapter can do this by hosting a virtual or in-person mock competition. When creating case study teams, pair up returning members with new members. Returning members can help guide recruits and share their DECA experiences throughout the process. DECA Inc. has an online library of practice exams and case studies that can easily be used during your mock competition.

Take 2021 to the #NextLevel by connecting with members around the globe on DECA Connect, leveraging social media and hosting a mock competition. If your chapter has hosted a successful mock competition or other recruitment activities, share your experiences and best practices on DECA Connect for the rest of our members.

A new calendar year may be beginning, but we’re only half way through this academic year and we have so much yet to accomplish. We are all in this together!