When writing an article, promoting an event, or posting a social media post, the first question which should be asked is: “Who is your target audience?”

Article by PDG Shia Smart, Assistant Rotary Coordinator

When writing an article, promoting an event, or posting a social media post, the first question which should be asked is: “Who is your target audience?”

This is a crucial question as it dictates how the article is written, what is posted and where, as each audience needs to be catered for in a different way. The way products are sold to young adults, is vastly different to the way they are sold to older adults.

The same goes for Rotary. We need to know who our target audience is to ensure that the message we are wanting to get across, gets there, is understood by, and ideally appeals to the receiver.

When looking to determine how younger people can be encouraged to join Rotary, District 9810 recognised that if we want to attract younger people (ie under 40’s in this case) into Rotary, then we need to be able to communicate to them in a way they will understand. What better way to do that than have Rotarians under 40 years providing the communiques. To do this D9810 created the Younger Membership Taskforce, a group of six Rotarians aged under 40, four are under 30 years of age, (yes, they do exist in our Rotary clubs you just have to look hard to find them).

The Taskforce was a group who had never met before but were willing to come together to address the question of how to recruit and retain younger members into Rotary. They discussed why young people do not join Rotary and then looked at why young Rotarians leave Rotary. Solution options which addressed either recruitment and/or retention were developed for District and/or Club consideration. A key theme was that it is important not just to get younger members into clubs, but to keep them once they’re there! The Taskforce produced a presentation and report which they are willing to present to clubs who are interested in recruiting and retaining younger Rotarians.

If you would like to hear further about what the Younger Membership Taskforce had to say or to ask them a question, they are willing and able to attend any club meeting via Zoom and present their findings to you. Just drop them a line via: YMTaskforce@9810rotary.org.au