“Think of your website as your digital home
and of social media as the space in which to connect
with like-minded individuals and organizations.”
— Andy Sternberg, head of social media at RI
Do a refresh - Raise your club’s profile with online updates
The Rotary Club of Philadelphia does great work, such as volunteering to support a food pantry during the pandemic. But the club wasn’t getting its message out in the place where most people could find it: online. “Our old website was hard to use and was actually doing our club a disservice,” says Jay Pennie, club president.
As part of a three-year strategic plan that includes boosting its public image, the club built a new website, turning to the Rotary Brand Center for resources such as logos, color schemes, and photos. “Our local photos show our personality and the friendships that we have formed,” says Lisa Leonard, the club’s public image chair. “The Brand Center photos show a bigger view of Rotary, which to a prospective member is very attractive.”
The club also enlisted a professional videographer to create an eight-minute video in which members told stories about what it’s like to be part of the club; the video was posted on the refreshed website and shared on social media channels, including LinkedIn. Pennie says visits to the updated website have increased, and over the past two years, the club has seen a healthy growth in membership.
“We polled our new members about how they had heard about us, and they’re all coming through our website,” says Pennie. “It’s opening us up to the people we didn’t know before.”
CLUB WEBSITE REFRESH INITIATIVE
A club website is the foundation of a club's publicity and communications activity...so it needs to be a good one!
For the 2022-2023 Rotary year, the District 7030 Communications Team has launched the Club Website Refresh Initiative as part of its digital transformation program in support of all clubs having a more effective and functioning online presence.
To better facilitate and encourage every club in District 7030 to establish and enhance a proper club website, the Club Website Refresh Initiative will provide support to any Rotary and/or Rotaract club wishing to engage in a refresh, rebrand or establishment of its website.
The main purpose of this initiative is to provide Rotary and Rotaract clubs across the District with an established online presence and official centralized public reference, as well as, a consistent brand look, strong visual impact and ease of access to key information. So whether your club currently has a website that is in need of some upgrades and attention or is actively looking to set up a new website, this initiative will not only ensure that your club is provided with proper guidance and expertise in building or enhancing a website, but also, provide sustainable resources for club personnel to continue maintaining and updating your club website.
Whether a club currently has a club website and/or has a preference for a content management system, there are a few options available on what platform a club chooses to use for the refresh initiative. While the recommendation for clubs in District 7030 is to use ClubRunner as its content management system as it also provides the additional benefits of club and member management features, clubs also have the option to select other content management systems such as WordPress which may provide a more economical solution.
Regardless of the platform being used by a club, the District 7030 Club Website Refresh Initiative can include:
Homepage re-design with a visually engaging layout with simultaneous user focus for both members and visitors
Creation of a membership join page with email form
Creation of additional content pages as required (contact, causes/programs, about us, youth programs, Paul Harris, Rotary Foundation, etc.)
Integration of social media account links and feeds
Creation of Google Analytics account (if required) for website statistics
Information on e-Commerce capabilities and creation of Donate page
Current and correct usage of the Rotary Brand and Rotary Theme logos.
Improving website adaptiveness to ensure it displays better on mobile devices
Training of club personnel to keep your website fresh and current
For more information on Rotary District 7030 Club Website Refresh Initiative, visit: https://go.rotarydistrict7030.org/ClubWebsiteRefresh
REBOOTING YOUR WEBSITE
DO IT NOW
- Simplify the content on your website and make sure that images are strong and that all text is clear, accurate, and concise. The Rotary Club of Manly, Australia, divides its site into three main sections: club, projects, and speakers. This helps ensure that calls to action such as “Get involved” and “Donate” stand out prominently.
- Incorporate Rotary’s People of Action graphics and web banners, which are available on the Rotary Brand Center. This will help you to make your content relevant to your club while staying true to Rotary’s global brand.
DO IT NEXT
- Make sure your website is easy to maintain so you can spend less time updating and more time focusing on fellowship and community service.
- Integrate social media feeds into your website. This ensures that there is always something new for visitors to your site to see; it also helps increase traffic to both your website and your social media channels.
BECOMING MORE SOCIAL
FACEBOOK FIXES
DO IT NOW
- Add a “Donate” button to your club’s Facebook page. This is a simple way to increase your online fundraising. As always, make sure that the content on your page is engaging and up to date.
DO IT NEXT
- Consider a paid advertising campaign. This can be a relatively low-cost way to boost visits to your page or promote your next online fundraiser. You can also target your audience, Pennie notes. “That’s the advantage of digital versus traditional advertising.”
TWITTER TWEAKS
DO IT NOW
- Get on Twitter if your club isn’t already there. This channel is a great way to share news stories and inspirational messages, retweet Rotary International, and share photos and graphics from your events. Once you have an account, make a plan to tweet on a regular basis. One way to do that is to follow and retweet Rotary International, other Rotary clubs, your district, and other Rotary members.
DO IT NEXT
- Now that you’re tweeting with confidence, upgrade that chirp by identifying Rotaract leaders in your area and retweeting their Rotary-related content.
OTHER SOCIAL CHANNELS
DO IT NOW
- LinkedIn: Many clubs use this channel to attract professionals who share Rotary’s values. You can repost articles from Rotary.org and My Rotary or share relevant news.
- Instagram: With more than 1 billion active monthly users, Instagram is a great place for visual storytelling.
DO IT NEXT
- Consider YouTube and TikTok. Although videos require more work, the payoff can be huge. Check out the Rotary Club of Philadelphia’s YouTube video at philadelphiarotary.org.
LOGO TO GO
- The stories you tell about Rotary and the way you tell them matter, and Rotary’s brand provides a consistent context for a variety of stories from clubs around the world. If you haven’t updated your site recently, you may be using an outdated logo.
- Visit the Brand Center at brandcenter.rotary.org and download everything you need for use across your club’s digital presence.