Recruiting new members can sometimes be a challenge, and with the new school year coming up, it’s probably crossed your minds. Do not fret! These are some basic and simple ideas that can be adapted to work with any Chapter.
Visiting a class is a great recruitment tactic. It’s important to not just visit public relations or journalism classes. A lot of universities offer introductory communications classes that count for general requirements. Those classes are filled with freshmen who are undecided on a major. Give them something to think about. Also think about students in non-communications majors, such as graphic design or business majors.
Academic advisers (as well as your PRSSA Faculty Adviser) inform students on classes, possible majors and things to get involved with on campus. Working with advisers can really help get the word out to a lot of students, including the ones who haven’t quite started on their major yet.
PRSSA is a pre-professional organization, NOT a club, but many schools categorize it as club. Still, why not take advantage of the perks that clubs on campus get? Most schools provide their organizations with an opportunity to let the campus know about them at student organization fairs. Don’t miss these opportunities to talk to potential members.
Public relations is all about networking and building relationships. Use those skills to your advantage. Partner with your school’s student government, professional Greek organizations, service clubs and other on-campus organizations to plan events or sevice projects. This kind of collaboration will expand your reach on campus.
Visit high school classes and teach them about public relations and PRSSA. Teachers love guest speakers, and if you get students when they’re young, they can grow to do amazing things. Plus, high school outreach can count for your national initiative requirement for the Star Chapter Award.
Did you know community college students without a Chapter can still join PRSSA? Their membership is known as an affiliate membership. Connect with community colleges in your area and invite them to your meetings.
Remember to use other Chapters as a resource. Find out what they’re doing on campus and make it work for you. Share your successes! What recruitment practices are successful with your Chapter? How do you reach out to potential members?
This is a guest post by the Vice President of Member Services, Vanessa Perkins.
These are great ideas I can’t wait to share with our director of marketing!