Optimist International Tech Tips

Starting a Club Facebook Page: Yes, you should. Here’s how.

By Jennifer Bagwell

Social media has been around for a long time, but we know there are still folks out there who don’t know how they can use it to promote their Optimist Club.

Why should you use social media? Because that’s often where people search for volunteer opportunities or social events in their communities. You want to make sure your Optimist Club is front and center with information for them to find.

There are dozens of social media channels available, but Facebook remains the biggest in the U.S. and Canada. If your Club does not have a Facebook page, you can start one in just a few clicks. From your own Facebook account, go to facebook.com/pages/create, follow the prompts and fill out the required information.

1. Make sure your page is named after the Club, so you will be searchable. You will then need to upload some images to your page. Your Club’s logo makes a good profile picture. You can access your Club’s logo from the logo section of the Optimist.org website, or you can use one of the general Optimist International logos.

2. Now that your page is set up, invite people to like it. Start with people on your friends and family list, and encourage Club Members to like, share, and invite others to like the page as well.

3. Now to the good stuff: Your Club does so much for others and the community, so now it’s time to share it! Post about your Club’s upcoming events, share photos from projects and share posts from Optimist International.

4. Posts with images, photos, graphics, and video are great when trying to communicate and engage others, and are more likely to attract an audience.

5. People in the community will see your Club’s efforts and seek to learn about your Club. Local news, government, businesses, and other organizations may also see your Club’s posts and might offer additional resources and help for your Club. The outreach, networking, and resources your page can offer will be a huge boost to your Club.

6. Keep the information and content on the page updated. If your Club is doing a lot, then you should have no shortage of great content posts. Post at least once a week. If your page looks inactive, people might assume your Club is inactive.

A few extras to help your outreach efforts:

• Make sure to create a username for your page. This creates a URL that is easy to search and easy for others to tag. On the left bar under your profile pic, you should see @username. If you do not see this you can also find it under the page’s About section. Click on this, and type in the name you would like for your Club’s page. Anything that is a version of your Club’s name is good.

• In the About section make sure to add a location, contact info, and a description of your Club. The description will provide keywords needed for when people are searching on Facebook.

• Last, remember you are acting as a Facebook page for your Club, not as you. The page is not your page for your own opinions or use. Keep the content on your page related to Optimist International, your Club, community, and members.

Your page is your Club’s link to thousands of people in your community and billions more in the world. Using it wisely can take your Club to new heights.