Public Image and Rotary South Pacific: Tips for your club

PICTURED: Incorporate impact statements into your Rotary communications: “More than 10,000 wheelchairs have been delivered to impoverished communities across the globe thanks to the Rotary Club of Surfers Sunrise’s Wheelchair Trust.” (Photo: Rhys Martin)

There’s a lot going on in public image at Rotary South Pacific!

By Liz McDougall. Public Image and Marketing Lead, Rotary South Pacific.

Work on Rotary South Pacific’s online presence is progressing, with a focus on using social media and a region-wide website to pique interest in Rotary and encourage people to join. To continue having an incredible impact on the world, Rotary needs more members.

What can your club do?

Remember, public image stems from all that your club and your members do and say. Follow these eight simple steps to enhance the effectiveness of your club’s communications:

1. Check all branding is correct

Ensure your club logo and Rotary branding is used correctly in all club communications. Review Rotary’s brand guidelines and generate a brand compliant club logo by visiting the Rotary Brand Centre at brandcenter.rotary.org.

2. Tailor your communications for external versus internal audiences

Your communications will be different if you are communicating just with Rotary members to when there is even one non-Rotary member or new Rotary members in your audience. This is the same whether in person or in writing.

Make sure you communicate well in newsletters, talks and articles. Avoid things like acronyms and levels of administration – talk about your impact!

3. Plan ahead

Create a media plan for each Rotary year and for every club event. Do this prior and ensure you allocate someone to take great photos.

4. Show the IMPACT of the work you do

Incorporate impact statements into your communications.

For example, instead of saying ‘The Rotary Club of New Day raised funds for a breakfast club’, say ‘More than 1,400 breakfasts have been served to high school children thanks to the Rotary Club of New Day’.

Instead of saying ‘A raffle was held to raise funds for pickle ball sets’ say ‘Children in a village in Fiji now have two pickle ball sets, giving them a new challenging activity’.

We need to raise funds, just like we need to have solid administration, but it is the impact of what we do that is important.
Use facts and figures – data gives people a better idea of what you do.

5. Use powerful photos

Make them light, bright and tight! Show people doing things, not people lined up posing for a photo. Remember we are People of Action.

Use powerful photos in your social media campaigns: Show people doing things, not people lined up posing for a photo. Remember we are People of Action.

6. Incorporate a clear call to action

Do you want volunteers, funds or feedback? Ask for it!

7. Use Rotary’s learning resources

The Rotary Learning Centre includes informative courses on topics such as:

• Building Rotary’s public image/public relations
• Our logo and the Rotary brand
• Promoting Rotary on social media
• Promoting your club as People of Action
• Preparing a media release
• Preparing a media plan
• Social media basics
• Visit rotary.org/learn to start learning!

For some great public image tips, download Rotary’s Action Plan Communication Guide at rotary.org/actionplan

8. Seek support from a Rotary specialist

If you would like some assistance, contact a Rotary Public Image Specialist via the Specialist Hub at zone8specialisthub.au

Top tip: Club guest speakers

When your club has a guest speaker, consider doing the following to strengthen relationships:

• Donate funds or time to the speaker’s organisation.
• Email a short story and great photo to the speaker’s organisation. Ask for these materials to be used in channels such as newsletters and social media.
• Provide a certificate of appreciation, which may end up on their office wall.