Recently, I read a really awesome social marketing book called Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook* by Gary Vaynerchuck. He talks about the fact that on social media, you have to engage your brand’s fans with share-able, interesting content (jabs) before switching to the “sell” posts (right hooks). For example, a cat food company might share a vine of a cat saying “yas,” a funny cat meme, and an article about why cats are better than dogs throughout the week. Then, on Friday, they post an image of a cat enjoying their food, and write “15% off your first order online!” If the brand had just started with the right hook, why should anyone care and make a purchase? It’s only after these jabs that:
- More people are aware of the brand because of the fun or interesting content that got shared by fans
- The brand has a loyal following who appreciates the personality of the company, not just the product
- Fans feel they can trust the company to put out quality products because the brand “gets” their audience
This concept can very easily and effectively be applied to gaining and keeping members in your organization on a college campus. Think about it: does your first meeting of the year ask new members to commit to a lot of hard work and dedication on their part? OR do you first get to know the new members, do cool activities, and keep them coming back for the community aspect of your organization?
Hopefully, you do the latter.
Especially in September, before you can make the “sell” of having other students commit their time and hard work to helping the club succeed, you need to give them a reason to care about sacrificing their effort in the first place.
A good plan of jabs, or engaging activities, will have the same effect that Vaynerchuck hopes to see in potential customers:
- Members excited about the great meetings they are attending will bring their friends and share the experience of your organization.
- Members will become loyal and keep coming to meetings not just because they care about your organization’s mission, but also because they like the way it makes them feel.
- Members will be happy to give back and grow in the organization because their first experiences with the organization made them trust it as being “worth the time.”
How can you ensure that September and October are full of good jabs as a student leader?
1. Plan fun/engaging/interesting programs and activities: This is important, especially at the beginning, but also throughout the year, so that you can attract and retain members. Blender events and icebreakers are simple ways to do this, but also more organized activities are great.
2. Know the “voice” of your organization: Maybe your political organization wouldn’t benefit from “fun/lighthearted” activities like apple picking, but it would benefit from watching a riveting political speech together and discussing.
3. Pay attention to what works: If a program falls flat, talk with your team about why it failed, learn from it, and try something new. If an activity brings a lot of enthusiasm from the members, figure out why and try to repeat that in new ways.
4. Ask the members: You are there, after all, to provide a good experience while students are on campus and in your organization. Find out how best to serve them, how they feel about different activities, and what they would like to see in the future. This will build trust and make them feel welcomed, connected, and engaged.
Happy jabbing! Marketing is always a good place to look for increasing student engagement, as you are marketing the benefits of your organization!
