Promoting Your

Youth Program

Trays of specimens ready for a Rock Show Children's Activity, Image Credit: Joan Stoker 

(See about this image below)

Reaching Families & Kids

Are you looking to spread the word about programs your club offers for kids?

Do you need help getting your club enthused about starting a Juniors Program?

Are you wanting to attract more families to your annual gem and mineral show?

Do you want to recruit families to join your club? 

This page explores ways to reach families and kids and let them know about your youth programs including Future Rockhounds of America (FRA).  Click on each header for details and examples. Links to downloads, printable samples, and additional resources can be found at the bottom of the page.

Spotlight Kids at Your Annual Show

If your club hosts a show, shine a spotlight on your youth program. Here’s how!

Engage Kids Through Educational Outreach

To let kids, their parents and teachers know about your program, go to where the kids are! One prime place? School! Whether public, private, or home-schooled, it’s where most kids spend a good chunk of each weekday.

Partner With Other Community Youth Programs

Parents who enroll kids in one youth program often enroll them in other programs offering enrichment opportunities.  To raise your visibility and to open the door to your club, provide services to other youth programs in your community.  Be sure any presentations or activities you provide are relevant and benefit their goals, for instance, helping a Scouting leader complete requirements for a geology merit badge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To find out more about these organizations, contact your local branch or office. Most are list in the phone and have a website or Facebook page.

Capitalize on Local Media & Events

The media environment in every community is different. If you have club members who have long handled publicity for your club show, work with them to learn what venues seem best from the following examples.

LOCAL MEDIA

LOCAL EVENTS & VENUES


Develop a Social Media Strategy

Social media is a vital part of any marketing mix. To gain maximum value from it, first ask who in your club is most savvy with social media.  Enlist them to develop a holistic strategy that would tie together your traditional website, Facebook page, etc.  Approach this strategically so that all messaging is aligned, and all has a consistent look-and-feel.

 

Facebook and its affiliated Instagram seem to be the most popular social media options within the rock club community.  Open networks are a popular way to craft an easy-to-use social network to connect folks with like-minded interests.  Twitter was especially popular but since becoming X, it’s become increasing problematic, so some are turning to alternatives.  One quickly gaining popularity is Bluesky, which bill itself as “social media as it should be.”

 

Social media requires presenting your content a bit differently.  Rather than dense text-heavy content:

 

Have a significant spot on your club website highlighting your youth program with lots of photos showing kids having fun.  (Before posting photos, secure parental permission.  Most clubs also omit names of kids or use only first names.)  Tag your social media to this site.

 

Because social media involves actively sharing and commenting on information as opposed to a static one-time posting in a newspaper or on a website, it’s much more time consuming, involving an on-going conversation and process that needs daily monitoring.  Thus, you need someone experienced and dedicated who will always be on-call to respond quickly.  Some clubs enlist 2 or even 3 “moderators” to keep tabs on activity occurring on the Facebook account so one person need not feel overwhelmed, particularly during times of high activity like a club show.

Materials You Can Download and Print

About the image on this page

Sometimes the best PROMOTION to new families is your annual Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show.  These trays of inviting specimens are part of an "Eggbox Collection" activity for kids at one club's annual show. For $1.00 the kids get to choose a dozen specimens, complete with a little education as they move down the tables full of fascinating rocks and minerals. 

Image credit: Joan Stoker