Need a boost?

Are you confused by Facebook’s many advertising options and how to choose the right one for your club?

Do you know that when you pay to boost a post you could potentially reach over 300,000 plus people?

Understanding the options of boosting and promoting various posts can help you make better budget decisions.

I’m sure you’ve heard the news that Facebook has changed their algorithm again, and that means it’s probably decreased the reach and views of your own Rotary club’s Facebook page. This means that to be seen in your community’s news feed, you may need to spend a little bit of money on a Facebook ad.

But you don’t need to pay to boost or promote every single post you put on your Facebook page. Just choose the best posts made up of your own content – and the best ones show a vibrant, happy club in action.

Boosting a post is very easy to do and available for any post on your page’s timeline. All you need to do is click “boost post” in the lower right corner of your post. It’s that simple!

When you decide to boost a post, you have the option to choose either pushing the post to “People who like your page and their friends” or “People you choose through targeting”. The targeting option is usually a better option, because it lets you select which people you want to reach, as well as their location, age, gender and interests. You’ll also be able to set your budget, which can be very cost effective.

If you do boost a post, be clear on what you want to achieve. Are you wanting people to come to an event, or is it just a general awareness advertisement?

The ability to reach a vast, targeted audience at such a low cost is revolutionary. So, why don’t you give it a go?

Article by Evan Burrell

How to delete a doppelganger

Has someone pretended to be you or a friend of yours on Facebook? It can be a horrible experience when you realise, can’t it?

But how can someone just impersonate you on Facebook, I hear you ask?

It’s easier than you might think. Setting up a new Facebook account with a name the same as yours, or a very similar name, is pretty straightforward. Then, all they need to do is find a profile picture of you, go through your friends online and start posting to them or the world at large.

Of course, your close friends and family will usually spot that something isn’t quite right and call out the ruse. It can be a bit of a distressing experience, though, especially if the imposter posts deliberately nasty content.

Thankfully, there are steps that can be taken to have these evil doppelgangers removed and to protect your online reputation.

Facebook provides a quick way to report accounts that you think are impersonating your own. To start the process, go to the imposter’s account and click on the three dots to the right of the message box in the cover photo section at the top of their page.

A drop-down menu will appear, from which you’ll need to select “Report”.

A new window will appear with three options. Select “Report this Profile” and follow the onscreen instructions. Facebook will then investigate the imposter’s behaviour and hopefully remove their account very quickly. It is also a good idea to change your own profile picture and check the security settings on your account.

If you’ve been a victim of account impersonation on Facebook or any other social media site, then be sure to report it as quickly as possible. Let your online friends know what’s happening, and not to add or interact with this new account, as it is probably a fake.

Fear not, though, these social media giants like Facebook do have safeguards against this sort of identity fakery, so don’t let this turn you off from your own enjoyable experience of using social media.

The safety measures to report these fakes are there for your protection, so don't be afraid to use them.

Article by Evan Burrell

When trolls attack: How you can protect yourself online

When you hear the term “troll”, what do you think of? I suppose most people would think about three Billy goats trying to cross a bridge!

However, the troll now takes a slightly new form. In today’s lexicon an online troll, or simply troll, is a malicious person who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages or spam online, such as a comment on a Facebook post, an anonymous email or another online discussion forum. The primary intent is to provoke other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal online discussion – hence the term “trolling”.

Does your social media account get negative comments? Or do you unintentionally post negative comments yourself? How you respond to trolls can impact on you and your club’s reputation.

Here are a few tactics that may help you defuse the negative situation in the best possible way.

1. Don’t give them the satisfaction: Retaliating, commenting and reacting will give the troll the satisfaction of knowing you saw their nasty comments. Ultimately, once they realise they’re not going to get a reaction, they’ll move on.

2. Report or delete: Some trolling that takes place can be highly abusive and offensive. Occasionally, trolls even make threats to people. In these instances you should be reporting them. Facebook makes it easy to report a nasty comment and they won’t know it was you that reported them. Remember, though, there is a thin line between being free-spirited and opinionated and being a troll, so you may just want to delete a comment.

3. Set boundaries: If you have a troll problem or want to make sure you don’t run into one, set some personal or club guidelines on social media. The goal isn’t to completely remove all negative comments and photos etc., but the guidelines should be reasonable (for example: no abusive language, no harmful remarks, no bullying) and not too harsh so as to stop people from engaging with you.

4. Be nice: Treat all your friends, fans, followers and trolls kindly. In most cases, trolls are looking for a reaction, so don’t turn to angry mode on social media. The worst way to deal with a troll, hater or even just a disgruntled person is to be combative or sarcastic. Whether you respond to the trolls or report their doings, you should always be professional and pleasant on your social media.

Remember, “Don’t feed the trolls”; keep your cool when the going gets tough and you’ll make the online experience a safe and fun place for everyone.

Article by Evan Burrell

Broken Windows

Broken Windows Theory dictates that if windows are broken and left unfixed, people tend to infer a prevailing sense of indifference toward the upkeep of order in the neighbourhood.

Subsequently, they show less inhibition towards breaking further windows or similar anti-social behaviour – if nobody really cares, why not? Similarly, if it doesn’t really matter, why prevent it taking place?

If this attitude continues unchecked, it can cause the entire area to be affected by a rise in crime. Petty vandalism can lead to larger wrongdoings, as people perceive an apathy to lawfulness and feel free to act without restraint.

So what does this mean to Rotary?

Our clubs’ successes are defined by their internal cultures. High levels of meaningful service, ethics, integrity, respect and unity, as well as a commitment to fostering goodwill and assisting the development of both our own members and the wider community, are the foundations of Rotary worldwide.

These are our windows.

Occasionally, and regrettably, these windows get broken.

Areas of service may become neglected. We may fail to bring in new members or members who add fresh perspectives. We may defer the opportunity to undertake projects of significance or may not embody our values when interacting with other club members or when facing difficulties in reaching our objectives.

We have two choices once this occurs: we either identify and set about fixing the problem, or we do nothing and watch the resultant drop in standards… and membership.

Seems like an easy choice. But we all know that the right choice isn’t always the easy choice.

We can look to others to fix the problems, or even expect they will do so. We may believe we “aren’t responsible for” or don’t “own” the problems, so therefore they aren’t ours. We may even figure that nobody will notice, or that the problems will fix themselves over time.

In reality though, these “windows”, which our success rests upon, are every Rotarian’s priority. Small fractures left unchecked can lead to large breaks.

Great teams comprise of individuals prepared to be self-managing. They take personal responsibility for ensuring standards are met and raised further again. They don’t need to be prevented from breaking windows, they are out there fixing windows, polishing them and take pride in them.

We all, at times, get off course and our windows get broken. But it is how we respond to both our own broken windows and those within our vicinity that will define Rotary’s future success.

Published in Rotary Down Under September 2016

Creating a sure-fire social media strategy

Not having a strategy for using social media is no longer an option for your club. In this day and age, it’s just too hard to “wing it” online.

Rotary clubs are starting to use a wide range of social media tools, however, in the rush to get on the Facebook and Twitter bandwagons, many clubs have forgotten about the planning required to achieve success in social media.

Here are some steps your club can take to create a social media strategy and plan for your social media efforts. As we know in Rotary, a little planning goes a long way!

1. Create a social media committee

The day-to-day work of social media cannot be done by one person. In order to form a dynamic and working committee, think about the people involved with your club who:

·        Like communicating

·        Like technology (they do not have to be tech-savvy)

·        Have a creative flair

·        Have their finger on the pulse of the latest news

·        Are well-connected and enthusiastic

The key is to get this group of people thinking through a public relations social media lens.

2. Plan

Start by defining your goals and objectives. What can you measure that can be directly attributed to your club’s social media? Success can include increased event participation, new members and increased website traffic.

3. Create a social media policy

Make a plan for crisis communications. What happens in the event of a PR crisis?

·        Be smart about talking to members on what they should and should not share online.

·        Who are the administrators of the club’s Facebook page? Who will take charge when this person is on holidays or leaves the club?

·        Who has the passwords and login information to the Facebook page or website?

4. Be active

Social media engagement shouldn’t be a passive experience. Rather than waiting for people to reach out to you, proactively engage with people in your community.

Follow/like other businesses or similar organisations in your local community. Listen to what people are saying – what moves them? What are they sharing and retweeting?

5. Create great content

Creating great content that your online community wants to share with others is the key to success on social media.

Watch what other organisations are posting – is it going viral? Get ideas and see what you can adapt to suit your own club’s message. For example, on my Facebook page www.facebook.com/rotarianevanburrell I post new content daily that you are welcome to use for your own club’s message.

Article by Evan Burrell

WOW your website

Just imagine for a moment that you have a guest coming to stay at your place. What would you do before they arrive? You’d probably give the whole house a bit of a spring clean, wouldn’t you?

Your personal or business website is no different. For many potential visitors or customers, your website will be their first glimpse at you and you want them to get a good impression of who you are and what you do.

These easy steps will give you ways to make your website the best it can be.

Hello, is it me you’re looking for?

Imagine a potential member looks you up on Google and finds your club. Awesome, you have someone visiting your website and they are actively seeking out what your club has been up to, so they click on your calendar to see what’s coming up… hang on, it’s empty. No events, no meetings, no social events. Does this leave the best message to a potential member? No! The solution is really simple: fill your website with enough information about upcoming events so it’s easy for a potential member to find and know it’s current.

Dead link dilemmas

There is nothing worse than finding something you’re really interested in then clicking the link only to find the link is dead. Do a regular check-up on your site and make sure your links work.

Living in the past

If your website is not up to date, prospective members will think your club is out of date! Don’t be the club who is still advising members that Rotary Shares is the theme of 2007. Make sure your website has your club’s current information and correct Rotary branding. It may involve uploading new photos from club meetings and events, but people will realise it’s 2016.

Members, members, members!

If a potential member has made a visit to your website, they will probably want to look for information on how to join your club. They may be looking for how they can come to a meeting, what the criteria is, how much does membership cost? Is this information clear on your website? Your club information must be easy to find; you can’t expect a potential member to spend 20 minutes searching the depths of your website looking for the relevant information.

It’s your club’s responsibility to make a good first impression, so make the effort by making your website shine!

Article by Evan Burrell

The social media virus: Creating viral content

Want to make your social media content go viral? The secret is to get contagious!

“Viral” has definitely become a bit of a buzz word lately, but that doesn’t mean it should be dismissed as just a passing fad.

What people tend to be referring to nowadays when they talk about something going “viral” isn't necessarily covid19, but a piece of social media content that is seen by millions of people around the world. It’s the kind of content that gets talked about at your workplace or at the dinner table and usually ends up on breakfast TV. Usually it has something to do with cats or a crazy dance craze, Gangnam Style anyone?

But understanding the elements of good viral content, and realistically adjusting your expectations of what it can do for your social media marketing and public image plan, you can actually employ it with a degree of success.

“Viral” is content that’s designed to be shared — content that an audience will want to distribute among its own audience. People are also more likely to share something if they have a strong, positive emotional response to it.

It’s perfectly natural that we should approach our social media marketing with an eye toward the sharing of content, how else do we expect people to know about our next Bunnings barbecue?

The main objective for your Facebook page be it a business or a community group should simply be to create content that is regularly shared by other people. End of story. And this is probably the most important element of good viral material. To be successful, you really have to create your own content. It needs to be personal and it needs to reflect you and your organisation or business and what you do in the community. Showcase your own employees or club members and how you are still relevant.

Very few people have ever had viral success by simply sharing other people’s material.

So experiment. See what works and what doesn’t. Make some adjustments and tweak a few things. And be prepared to fail. Some things will be successful, other things won’t be, but if you follow a sort of viral best-practice approach, you will ultimately be building towards a larger audience reach, which will hopefully lead to direct enquiries about membership of your club.

By approaching your viral content with more reasonable expectations and implementing the elements listed above, you’ll have a much better chance of achieving meaningful, more consistent success in the long run.

So focus on creating shareable content, not winning the viral “lottery”.

Article by Evan Burrell

The Times They Are a-Changing!

I have always loved and been inspired by those certain kinds of people who were willing to stand up and make a difference, to do some good in the world, to be the Changemakers in a society where it’s all too easy to remain in our comfort zones and not question the way it has always been.

Through personal experience I’ve found that being someone who champions change and has a message that isn’t always easy for others to hear, is a challenge, I take on with gusto. 

I am someone who is out to do some good and make real lasting change. I am a Changemaker, and to be one requires the willingness to take a leap of faith and stand out from the crowd. It has made me an easy target for those who would prefer to stubbornly stick to the status quo. Yet there is nothing more important than seizing the opportunity to become the change you wish to see in the world and dedicating yourself to that cause in whatever endeavour you undertake. 

I used to have terrible anxiety about how little of an impact I felt I’d really been making in my life and to the lives of others. Some days I felt left behind, overlooked, impatient, and stressed out. Like I’d never get to where I wanted to be, that initiating change was hard and the path of change for an organisation was too slow. 

If you are feeling that way yourself, remember: It’s not a race, there’s nothing to “catch up” to. Making lasting change is, truly playing the long game. 

Being a Changemaker is more than just simply doing good and hoping the change happens. It takes courage to see and do things differently from the status quo and giving yourself permission to do something about it plus the courage to try an alternate strategy. By actively tackling a problem, a changemaker demonstrates they are motivated to act. It is not enough to have good intentions to do something good, intentions must be translated into action, we are all people of action right?. 

A Changemaker is someone who keeps trying until they have made a difference. Someone who has the freedom, confidence, perseverance and skills to turn challenges into solutions. 

In the end, being a Changemaker means being someone who’s able to inspire others, being able to adapt to the challenges around you and being able to become the change you want to see happen. I have undertaken an effort to implement positive change while setting a new direction for myself. I am a Changemaker. 

I hope you will join me on the journey and become a Changemaker too. 

“If no one tries to change things, things simply are never going to change.”

Article by Evan Burrell