Think about the last time someone gave you a “word-of-mouth referral” that influenced your decision in doing something.

Maybe a friend shared their love of a new restaurant over Facebook, or your neighbour recommended their plumber of choice. 

Or maybe it was as simple as a friendly suggestion to come along to a Rotary club meeting all that time ago. Regardless, you probably acted on the referral, in part, because it came from someone you trust!
So, with that in mind, are you interested in helping showcase Rotary and your club, but you don’t know how?

Well, if you are passionate about Rotary like I am, I encourage you to become an ambassador for your own club and, more importantly, for Rotary.

Here are a few things you can do.

1. Be active online and offline. Being active online means posting, commenting and sharing positive Rotary stories via social media. Being active offline means you’ll need to be able to have meaningful conversations about Rotary to anyone and everyone.

2. Wear the Rotary brand. Wear the Rotary logo on your hat, or your club shirt out in public. You never know the conversations that may be sparked.

3. Post, Share & Tweet. Share information about your club’s upcoming events; retweet or share content from Rotary International and tweet about your own personal involvement with Rotary.

4. Invite a friend. Next time you volunteer at one of your club service projects or attend your club meeting, invite a friend along and/or invite them to like your club Facebook page.

5. Share on Facebook. Go beyond just liking your club’s Facebook page and share posts, enabling your friends to learn about Rotary.

6. Tell people. Tell your family, your work colleagues, your Facebook friends, or anyone you meet, about your involvement with Rotary.

7. Have a focused Rotary account on social media. Recently I set up a Facebook page for my incoming District Governor as a well for him to share his Rotary journey and thoughts in a strategic way. This page is publicly focused and has all the elements on how we as Rotarians can tell our authentic Rotary stories to the general public. Think about doing something similar if you're moving more into a leadership role in Rotary.

Your support as an ambassador helps not only your club, but Rotary itself to maximise the reach and increase awareness of all the good we are doing in the world!

FOOT NOTE: Evan is a speaker at the LAST EVER District Conference in District 9570.