Starting an after-school activity at high school is exciting! You get a chance to gather like-minded students into a single room. It can also be advantageous for both parents and students because it encourages students to try something that they would otherwise never do.
Although running an after-school activity is thrilling it comes with its own set of challenges, such as getting people to join you. This may especially be valid for budding after-school activities that are not connected to any entities, both at the regional and national levels.
Below, you will be shown some effective ways to advertise the after-school activities you’re so enthusiastic about and find fresh potential members!
How After-School Activities Can Gain New Members
An after-school activity is only as solid as its members, who eventually leave to graduate. This continuous churn is simply a part of doing this business. Given the many options available to students, an after-school activity needs to lay out ways to convince them to become a member.
1. Know the Locals
If you just began carrying out an after-school activity, becoming involved in the community around you is the best place to begin. Attend social gatherings and get to know the high school students around your location, as well as their parents, if possible.
If you can take advantage of those connections, the local community will not hesitate to help you with resources whenever you need them, such as financial assistance and material supplies. You will need them at some point to provide students with enhanced experiences.
Moreover, you can also get the services your after-school activity requires from the local community. Various groups and individuals have the knowledge and abilities to teach students in classes and help with activities aligned with the activities you organize.
Maintaining connections with these people will provide your students with interesting educational opportunities that can help not only academically but also socially. Likewise, you may arrange after-school excursions to provide learners with real-life lessons.
2. Make Poster and Flyers
Aside from engaging with the local community, you should also put your focus on how to grab students’ attention and let your after-school activity’s name be heard out there. Luckily, you can still go the traditional way by handing out after-school posters and flyers.
But, before you go to your local print shop and ask the guy there to help you print out those posters and flyers, you should first make a recognizable logo. Having a distinctive logo is an essential part of marketing. If you look at the many clubs out there, they all have one!
You can place the logo you have just made on all of the advertising materials you’re planning to make later. When a fellow student sees one of your promotional materials in the school area, they will know instantly who made and distributed them.
With your logo at hand, it’s time to come up with a poster for your cause. While creating it, keep in mind that it needs to be as eye-catching as possible. And, the better the aesthetic, the more hype and interest your after-school activity will receive.
If you’re not sure what your posters and flyers should contain, creating an attention-grabbing headline is a great place to start. After that, you can add details about your after-school activity below it. Also, try to include key information like how students can join.
3. Be Active On Social Media
Social media marketing may also help you take your after-school activity to the next level without spending too many resources. If anything, just making a Facebook or Instagram page will make it possible for interested students to get essential details quickly.
You can ask your existing members to share user-generated content on their personal profiles. For example, you may encourage them to post pictures of themselves and other members getting involved with an activity in your group.
Another great technique you should try is creating a hashtag designed specifically with your after-school activity in mind. By doing this, you are allowing everyone, whether they are a member or not, to post content related to your after-school activity with ease.
Ultimately, you should not overlook the useful features social media platforms have, such as the Live function. Going live on one of these platforms is a great way to give your audience what it is like to be in the group and how exciting it can be.
The Takeaway
After-school programs offer your students additional skills development and academic assistance. It additionally provides a safe and enjoyable learning environment following standard school hours. Running one, however, like any other organization, requires initial costs and thorough preparation.
If you’ve always been enthusiastic about education as well as interacting with children, launching an after-school activity can be an enriching business for you. And, along the way, you can use the practices outlined above to reinforce member recruitment efforts and maintain a vibrant organization.