Debate Night at my Toastmasters Club

March 31, 2012 Leave a comment

My club has a long history of having a debate night as a challenge with another local club.  I have never participated in a debate and the closest to watching a debate is at times of political elections.  Our debates are interesting.  They have specific rules of conduct and structure.  What I was not prepared for and heckling.  In our rules, we allow team members as well as the audience to heckle the debaters.  It was truly an odd experience. Read more of this post

Filed under Comfort Zone, Debates, Skills, Toastmasters

Importance of Social Media for Your Club

March 4, 2012 Leave a comment

As Toastmasters, we like to talk. Initially when we are first starting out, we are nervous and quiet. It is not long that we talk every moment we get. Social Media at the club level is another important way of communicating and promoting your club.

There are a few things that you should be communicating on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

1. Events
Social media is a great way to advertise your club, area or district events.  It is free, very little work is required and you can focus on a large network of people.  Social media is a perfect compliment to your regular marketing activities.

2. Learning Experiences
Not everyone learns the same way.  If you can share learning experiences, it helps those who are afraid of their own abilities.  Everyone has a learning experience that could be shared in a positive manner.

3. Recognition of Excellence
Recognition of excellence is very important, as it is a source of success stories.  People who are joining clubs, like Toastmasters like to hear about the successes of its members.

4. Another Point of Contact for the Younger Generation
Younger generations are the future of your club.  You need a good mix of old and young to form a good future for your club.  The younger generation is using Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and other media outlets on the internet as their source of information.  Be relevant to them.

Twitter may be a difficult form of social media for a Toastmaster. You are only allowed to type 140 characters per message. To use Twitter most effectively you should focus on one point, use hashtags (#toastmasters)to categorize your message. Link to relevant external sites like your Facebook page, your club’s site, sites with tips and tricks for public speaking.  Keep your message short and simple.

Facebook is a great way to create a community representing your club. It’s easy to post events, pictures, news, tips and tricks. Since there is already millions of people on it and you can easily add your friends, you will find it is the perfect forum. Facebook communities used to be called a page, but they had recently renamed to simply group. Create a Facebook Group that represents your club. When using branding, ensure you follow Toastmasters International guidelines.  To create a Group, you should see a Group section on the left hand side of the page with a “Create a Group” link.  Follow the steps and you should not go wrong.

LinkedIn in Toastmasters works well. Since LinedIn is a social media site for professionals you can establish a professional group that targets a different audience. It is important to have a good balance of membership from all walks of life. On LinkedIn you can put a career-boosting element into your group. You can tell people of the benefits of Toastmasters on your career and on your professional life.

Some tools you may want to use:

Filed under Club Success, Social Media, Toastmasters