The Lions SMiLE community is made up of Lions and Leos from around the world who want to extend their club’s reach through social media. In the private SMiLE Facebook group, they share their social media challenges, success stories, ideas and tips. In our SMiLE Community Highlights, learn from Lions and Leos how they successfully use social media to make a bigger impact in their communities. Join the community!
Meet Lion Ian Stewart, the publicity director and social media manager for the Gisborne Wainui Lions Club in New Zealand.
What are the benefits of using social media for Lions?
Connection and engagement! Social media gives your club a profile in your community so that your club can interact with members, potential members, beneficiaries, partners and local organizations and businesses.
How has social media directly impacted your service?
We use Facebook to promote our service projects. Our Facebook page gives us visibility for what we do in the community, and allows us to directly communicate with those we serve. At our Lions Express Train event last week, a parent posted on our Facebook page: “Great fun for kids. Wainui Lions volunteers are very helpful and help make the whole experience fun.”
What social media tips would you like to share with Lions?
- Work with partners and influencers to cross-post your events on their pages. I set up a Facebook event for our recent Pirate Treasure Beach Dig, and added the event MC as a co-host. He worked for a local radio station and had 7,000 followers on his Facebook page. By posting about our event on his page, we were able to amplify our visibility and attendance.
- Use videos and slideshows in your posts to show your audience what you do and keep them engaged in your content.
Follow @gisbornewainuilions and @LionsExpressTrain on Facebook!
Jacquelyn MacKenzie is the social media and community manager for Lions Clubs International.
