Getting students to care about a club isn’t easy. Even if what you’re doing is exciting, important, or just plain fun, cutting through the noise of school life is a challenge. Everyone’s juggling classes, deadlines, and social stuff, and most won’t give a second glance to another flyer taped to the wall.
If you're trying to grow your club and keep people coming back, you need more than enthusiasm. You need a plan that reaches people.
This guide will help you figure out how to talk about your club in a way that grabs attention and keeps it. You’ll see how to use digital tools, printed materials, and school events without wasting time or money. You don’t need fancy designs or a marketing degree, just a better way of getting your message across.
Let’s start with the piece that matters most.
Know What You're Really Promoting
Before you even think about promotion, take a moment to step back and figure out what your club actually stands for. Not just what it does, but what kind of experience it offers. Is it focused on achievement, like competitions and awards? Is it more about building community and making friends? Or is it all about creativity, expression, or activism?
The clearer you are on this, the easier it becomes to talk about your club in a way that makes sense to other people. When you know who you are and who you're trying to reach, you don’t waste time chasing the wrong crowd. Instead, you can focus on finding people who will genuinely connect with what your club offers.
Use Social Media the Right Way
Chances are, your club already has an Instagram or TikTok account. That’s great, but just having an account isn’t enough. The goal isn’t just to post for the sake of it. It’s to build a presence that feels alive and worth following.
The most effective accounts feel human. They show what goes on behind the scenes. They celebrate members. They show real moments from meetings, events, or even just the fun stuff that happens when people get together. You don’t need to be flashy or overproduced. Just be consistent, thoughtful, and true to what your club is about.
And here’s why it matters: Instagram Reels average about 1.2% engagement, but on TikTok, especially for nonprofits or community-based groups, engagement can soar. Nonprofit TikTok accounts have reached up to 4.4%, some of the highest rates across any sector. That kind of attention comes from authenticity, not polish.
If you’re not sure what to post, try focusing on what you’d want to see if you were thinking about joining. Let your personality come through. And if possible, have someone in the group specifically manage your social media so it doesn’t fall through the cracks.
Don’t Overlook Print
It’s easy to think everything has to be online. And sure, social media is fast and free. But that doesn’t mean print is dead, far from it.
Brochures, flyers, and posters still have real value, especially in a school setting where people are constantly moving between buildings, dorms, and common spaces. Printing a sharp-looking brochure can do something a post can’t, it can give people a physical connection to your club that they can take with them, flip through later, or pass along to a friend.
A good brochure isn’t packed with dense text. It’s simple, clear, and visual. It should explain what your club does, when and where you meet, and how to get in touch or follow online. Add a few photos of your members in action to help bring it to life. You can hand out brochures at club fairs, events, or leave a small stack in the student center.
Flyers and posters also work best when they’re placed where people naturally pause, near elevators, in hallways outside classrooms, or next to the coffee shop line. Make sure the design is eye-catching but clean. You want it to stand out, not overwhelm.
Plan Events That Invite People In
Events are your chance to connect with people in real life, and sometimes that makes all the difference. You don’t have to plan something huge. What matters more is that the event feels welcoming and gives people a clear sense of what your club is like.
An open meeting, a simple workshop, or a small social event tied to your club’s focus can all work. It should feel relaxed and easy for new people to join without pressure. Offering food or a giveaway never hurts, but the most important thing is that it feels organized, intentional, and true to your club’s spirit.
Make sure you’re collecting names and contact info at the door. A QR code that links to a sign-up form is an easy way to do that, or you can go with a classic sign-in sheet if that’s more your style. Either way, don’t let interested people walk away without giving them a way to stay connected.
And yes, bring a few of those brochures along. They’re perfect to hand out at the end of an event when someone says, “That was fun — I might come back.”
Let Your Members Spread the Word
Sometimes the best promotion is the quiet kind, someone telling a friend, “You should come with me.” Don’t underestimate how powerful that can be. Recent data shows that 92% of people trust recommendations from friends or family, which is a level of credibility that no ad can match.
Encourage your current members to invite their friends or classmates. Make it part of your club culture to be welcoming and inclusive. If people feel like they belong, they’ll talk about it without being asked.
If you want to take it a step further, you can set up a simple referral challenge. Something like, “Bring a friend to our next meeting and get entered to win a small prize.” It doesn’t have to be fancy, even a snack basket or campus gift card can get people excited.
At the end of the day, most students join clubs not because of a flyer or an Instagram post, but because someone made them feel like they’d be welcome there.
Pull It All Together
Promotion isn’t about doing one big thing. It’s about doing a few small things well and making sure they all work together.
Your social media, your print materials, your events, they should all feel like part of the same story. The tone, the look, the message, it should all reflect the heart of your club. When it does, people start to notice. They remember you. And they’re far more likely to show up.
Getting people to join your club doesn’t have to feel like a chore. With the right mix of outreach, design, and human connection, it can be fun and effective.
So go ahead. Put your club out there. Make it easy to find, easy to understand, and easy to love. The rest will follow.
