Marketing Communications

Promoting a Club Activity/Club to the PROBUS Membership

Congratulations and thank you for volunteering to run an activity/club for PROBUS. Your contribution is greatly appreciated. Now, the challenge is to encourage members to participate in your activity.

We have approximately 230 members in our club, but less than 50% attend the monthly meeting. It’s therefore important that you use both in person, as well as electronic methods to promote attendance. The following outlines the best approach to maximizing attendance at your event. You’re free to do all or a subset of these steps, although please ensure that any reference on our website to your activity is accurate.

Step 1 – Create a poster. The first step involves creating a one-page poster that vividly describes your event. This poster will be posted on our website, featured in the monthly Newsletter, and serve as the cornerstone for all promotional activities. You can also distribute printed copies during meetings. Examples are available on our website from the following links https://probusblue.ca/resources/activity/skillet.pdfhttps://probusblue.ca/resources/activity/Base%20Borden%20Visit%20Poster.pdfhttps://probusblue.ca/resources/plasticRecycle.pnghttps://probusblue.ca/resources/activity/MEDATech.Poster%20Nov9.pdf

The poster should be created in Word format and can include graphics, photos, and text. Describe the activity and remember that this is a tool to boost attendance, so don't be shy, use your imagination and be creative. The sky's the limit! Be sure to include all logistical information, such as the event name, location, date, costs, payment instructions, and the organizer's name and contact information.

Step 2 – Get your activity documented on the website. Visit the Activities page on our website and review the description of your activity. The description should be concise and generic, outlining your activity, its general timing, and your contact information. If you need to make any changes to the Activities area, please send them to our webmaster, Bill Booth, at bill@billbooth.ca."

Step 3 – Promote the monthly Newsletter. The Newsletter is sent via email to all members every month before our regular Thursday meeting. We strongly encourage activity leaders to promote their activities in the newsletter. To do so, please send your poster and any associated verbiage you want to include in the Newsletter to the Newsletter editor, David Eaman at davideaman@hotmail.com. Be sure to send this information at least two weeks before the monthly meeting to allow sufficient time for David and Bill to assemble it in the Newsletter and publish to our website . You can find samples of past newsletters at the following links https://probusblue.ca/News/newsSep23/ https://probusblue.ca/News/newsApr23/

Step 4 – Promote at the monthly meeting. The most effective way to promote an event is during the monthly meeting. Bring copies of your newly created poster and distribute one on each table. Additionally, consider setting up a table on the side where members can ask questions and sign up.

Our Event Coordinator typically has a standing spot on the agenda to discuss activities in general. You have two options for promoting your activity: you can ask the Event Coordinator to highlight it during their slot, or you can request an agenda spot for yourself. Please get in touch with the Event Coordinator to discuss either scenario.(Chris Meleskie chris.meleskie@gmail.com).

Step 5 – Post Event Promotion Activity Leaders are encouraged to provide feedback, including photos of their event after it has been run. An example is available in the following link. To be included please send your information to the Newsletter Editor for inclusion in the Newsletter. https://probusblue.ca/golfphotos/#&gid=golf-tournament&pid=15

Step 6 – Ongoing communication to activity members. Activity leaders are encouraged to maintain email distribution lists of those members who have attended and/or expressed interest in attending the activity. This way, any updates or club information can be sent via email as needed.