Using Social Media to Grow Your Lions Club 

Using Social Media to Grow Your Lions Club

Social media is more than a place to advertise events or show what your Lions club has done.

It is one of the easiest ways to let people see what being part of Lions is actually like.

A good social media presence can show people that Lions is worthwhile, social, enjoyable and something ordinary people can be part of.

Features tell. Benefits sell.

Don't only show people what Lions does.

Show them what Lions allows people to do, experience, achieve and feel.

What Should Our Social Media Show?

Someone looking at your club's social media should quickly be able to see:

• The difference your club makes

• The people behind the projects

• That members enjoy being together

• That there are different ways to contribute

• That ordinary people can make useful things happen

• That new people are welcome

• That Lions can help people support causes they care about

• That getting involved doesn't have to mean making a huge commitment

We want people looking at our posts to think:

“That looks worthwhile.”

“They look like they're having fun.”

“I could do that.”

“I'd like to be part of something like that.”

Photos and Videos

Use real photos and videos of your members wherever possible.

Show people:

• Working together

• Helping in the community

• Laughing and enjoying themselves

• Talking with members of the community

• Learning something new

• Celebrating what they have achieved

• Turning an idea into something real

Where possible, include Lions branding naturally in the photo. Members might be wearing Lions shirts, caps or vests, or there may be a Lions banner, sign, marquee or other Lions branding visible.

Natural branding helps people recognise Lions without making every photo look like an advertisement.

Don't worry if every photo isn't perfect.

Authentic is usually more interesting than polished.

Tell the Story

A photo tells people something happened.

The story tells them why they should care.

Instead of:

“Lions members at the BBQ today.”

tell people what happened and why it mattered.

For example:

“Our Lions spent Saturday morning running a Bunnings BBQ, raising money to help local families stay warm this winter. Thanks to everyone who stopped by for a snag and supported us. We had a good day doing it too.”

You can also show people how achievable volunteering can be.

“You don't need special skills to make a difference. Sometimes a couple of hours and a willingness to lend a hand is enough.”

Now somebody reading the post can imagine themselves doing it too.

Features Tell. Benefits Sell.

It is easy to fill a Lions Facebook page with features:

• We held a BBQ

• We had a meeting

• We donated $2,000

• We packed hampers

• We planted trees

• We ran an event

These things are worth sharing, but don't stop there.

Look for the benefit and the story behind them.

What difference did it make?

Who benefited?

Why did members enjoy it?

What could somebody experience by being involved?

For example:

FEATURE:
“We packed 50 food hampers.”

BENEFIT:
“A couple of hours working together meant 50 local households received some extra help this week.”

Or:

FEATURE:
“We had our monthly dinner meeting.”

BENEFIT:
“Lions isn't only about volunteering. It's also about the friendships you make along the way.”

Show people the result, experience and human side, not only the activity.

Show the Experience, Not Just the Service

Community service is important, but don't make your social media page look like a catalogue of jobs your club performs.

Show what it is actually like to be involved.

That might be:

• Laughing while packing hampers

• Having coffee after a project

• Celebrating someone's birthday

• A new member trying something for the first time

• Members of different ages and backgrounds working together

• Someone using a skill they already have

• Someone learning a new skill

• Friendships that have developed through Lions

• A member explaining why a particular cause matters to them

• An idea suggested by one person becoming a real community project

The story doesn't need to be long.

Two or three sentences can be enough. Say what you did, why it mattered and something about the people or experience behind it.

These posts help people understand something important:

Lions isn't simply somewhere you volunteer. It can also be somewhere you belong.

Help People Find Their Thing

Not everybody is interested in the same causes.

Use social media to show the variety of things that are possible through Lions.

When someone comments on or responds to something they care about, start a conversation. Reply, asking:

“Is this something you're interested in?”

“Is there a cause that's important to you?”

“Is there something you'd love to see happen in our community?”

Sometimes somebody will have an idea for something your club has never done before.

Don't dismiss it because it isn't one of your existing projects. Their idea could become your club's next great project.

Calls to Action

Don't make “Join Lions” the first thing you ask someone to do.

Make the first YES tiny.

Give people an easy next step.

Depending on the post, you might say:

• “Want to see what it's like? Send us a message.”

• “Interested in helping with something like this? We'd love to hear from you.”

• “Fancy coming along next time?”

• “Come and have a coffee with us and find out more.”

• “Got a cause you care about? Tell us about it.”

• “Want to lend a hand at our next project? Send us a message.”

• “Know someone who'd enjoy this? Tag them.”

The aim isn't to get someone to make a membership decision from a Facebook post.

The aim is to get them one step closer to experiencing Lions.

What Should We Post?

A useful guide is:

60% - Community Impact

Show the difference your club and its members are making.

For example:

• Community projects

• Fundraising

• Donations and what they make possible

• Youth programs

• Environmental projects

• Hands-on volunteering

• Local partnerships

• Before and after photos

• People benefiting from a project, where appropriate

Don't only say what happened.

Explain why it mattered.

20% - People, Experience and Club Culture

Show the humans behind Lions.

For example:

• Member stories

• Why someone became involved

• Why a cause matters to a member

• New members

• Birthdays and celebrations

• Club dinners and social activities

• Funny moments

• Team photos

• Friendships

• Members learning or trying something new

• Behind-the-scenes moments

This is where people discover whether your club looks like somewhere they might feel comfortable and enjoy being part of.

20% - Invitations and Opportunities

Give people opportunities to take a small next step.

For example:

• Come and help at a project

• Join us for coffee

• Come to a social activity

• Visit a meeting

• Help with a particular cause

• Bring us an idea

• Send us a message

• Ask us a question

• Come and see what Lions is like

Membership posts don't always need to say:

“Become a Lion.”

Sometimes:

“Come and see.”

is much more powerful.

Five Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Post

A post doesn't need to answer every question, but it should answer at least one or two:

WHAT are we showing?

WHO did it help?

WHY did it matter?

WHAT was the experience like for the people involved?

HOW could somebody else get involved?

If your social media regularly answers these questions, people begin to understand both the impact of Lions and the experience of being a Lion.

Let Your Members Tell the Story Too

Your club Facebook page isn't your only membership tool.

Your members have friends, family, neighbours, workmates and community connections of their own.

Encourage members to share club posts, but also encourage them to occasionally share their own Lions experiences in their own words.

A personal post such as:

“Spent Saturday morning doing this with my Lions crew. We raised money to help local families and had a pretty good morning doing it.”

can sometimes say more about your club than a formal membership advertisement.

People see somebody they already know enjoying Lions and doing something worthwhile.

And sometimes that starts a conversation:

“What's this Lions thing you do?”

That's exactly the conversation we want.

Sharing Other Community Organisations' Posts

It is great to support other organisations and community groups on social media.

But your club page should primarily tell the story of your Lions club, your members and your community impact.

When sharing another organisation's post, don't simply click Share.

Add a few words of your own.

Tell people:

• Why your club supports the organisation

• How Lions is involved

• Why the issue matters to your community

• What your members are doing to help

For example:

“Little Luxton does fantastic work in our community and we're proud to support them. Some of our members regularly buy pay-it-forward coffees so somebody doing it tough can enjoy one when they need it.”

That tells your followers why this post belongs on your Lions page and how it connects with what your club cares about.

How Often and When Should We Post?

There is no magic number of posts or one perfect time that works for every Lions club.

As a starting point, aim to post a few times each week. Regular, interesting posts are more useful than posting every day simply because you think you should.

Think about who you are trying to reach and when they are likely to be looking at their phones.

That might be:

• Before work or the school run

• Around lunchtime

• Around school pick-up time

• In the evening when people are relaxing

Try different days and times and pay attention to which posts get the most views, comments, reactions and shares.

You can also create some regular features. For example, a member story each month, a regular project update, a social post or a recurring community story. Regular features can make it easier to keep your page active without constantly wondering what to post next.

Most importantly, be consistent.

Someone visiting your page should quickly be able to see that your club is active, welcoming and involved in its community.

An inactive page can unintentionally give the impression that the club is inactive too.

Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and Other Platforms

These principles aren't limited to Facebook.

They also apply to Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and other social media platforms.

Different platforms have different audiences and suit different types of content.

Facebook is useful for community stories, events, photos, local connections and conversations.

Instagram is highly visual and works well for good photos, short videos, Stories and Reels.

TikTok is built around short-form video and can be useful for showing the fun, interesting and human side of volunteering.

LinkedIn has more of a professional focus and can be useful for community partnerships, professional connections, leadership stories and larger projects.

You don't need to be on every platform.

It is better to use one or two platforms well than have accounts everywhere that are rarely updated.

Regardless of where you post:

• Use real people

• Tell short stories

• Show the impact

• Show the experience

• Help people imagine themselves being involved

• Give them an easy next step

Before You Hit Post

Ask yourself:

Does this post simply tell people what Lions did?

or

Does it help them understand why it mattered and what being part of it could mean for them?

Remember:

People + Experience + Impact + Invitation

Good social media doesn't simply tell people that your Lions club exists.

It gives them a reason to want to know more.

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Widely attributed to Maya Angelou