Summertime Strategies for Success

The allure of summer is within reach, but before you hit the pool, lay the groundwork for a successful summer of growth. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or brand new to the recruitment game, having a solid plan in place can make all the difference when fall rolls around. Let’s high dive into some strategies to ensure you make the most of summertime and emerge stronger than ever.

Prep Work

Reflection: What Works vs. What Doesn’t

Before setting up your strategies, it’s crucial to reflect on past experiences. Take a moment to evaluate what has worked well for you in the past and what hasn’t. Learning from previous successes and failures can provide valuable insights for moving forward.

If your campus is leveraging ChapterBuilder, harness the power of data by conducting a thorough review of your ChapterBuilder analytics. Identify trends, pinpoint areas for improvement, and leverage data-driven insights to refine your recruitment tactics.

If you’re preparing for primary recruitment, and leveraging CampusDirector, utilize the reports from each round to discover the withdrawn patterns. What can you do differently this year to increase retention round to round?

PHIRE TIP! Navigate to your “Analytics” tab in ChapterBuilder. Next, click on “Referral Source”. Based on the forms you created, which form types yielded the highest lead count? Was it your general social media interest form? Maybe it was an event-specific form. With this information, decide what forms to delete, and what forms to advertise more during the summer.

Goal Setting: Know What You’re Working Toward

Set clear and achievable goals for the summer months. Consider goals like building connections with 20 potential members, generating 50 new leads, or using 2 new communication tactics. Having defined objectives will keep you focused and motivated throughout the season.

Strategies for Success

Visibility

Ensure that potential new members can easily find and engage with your organization. Update websites, bios, and social media profiles to reflect current information and working links. Actively interact with other school and organization accounts to expand your reach.

Communication

Stay connected with current and prospective members through summer outreach initiatives. Schedule regular email sends and social media posts to keep your audience engaged and informed.

Tools like Hootsuite allow you to create content now to be posted later this summer automatically. This means you don’t have to worry about posting every week!

Set Up Pipelines

Effective pipelines can actively gather the contact information of prospective students for you. Spend your summer day soaking up the sun, and return to a sea of PNMs waiting to connect with you. Now you have a place to start, a task at hand, and people to interact with because you put in the work setting up those pipelines earlier.

Here are some of our favorite pipelines:

• Create and share ChapterBuilder forms

• Engage with your alumni network for referrals

• Connect with local high school juniors and seniors to plug fraternity and sorority early on

• Ask members to refer a classmate, cast member, sports teammate, or coworker

Interaction

Take advantage of new student events and communication channels to connect with incoming first years. Consider forming street teams or using hometown groups to interact with prospective members throughout the summer.

You can’t recruit who you don’t know. Interacting with PNMs now opens doors for continuing those connections when the school year begins.

Remember! Don’t limit yourself to interacting with first-year students. Transfer students, and upperclassmen on your campus are still looking for a place to call home.

Skills Development

Use the summer months to sharpen your skills and prepare for the recruitment season ahead. Equip your team with access to resources like Phired Up’s Partner Exclusive Library. Consider assigning training by asking members to review a specific recorded webinar or resource.

Don’t forget! If you are planning a training session when school starts, prep your content now to save yourself from last-minute chaos later.

Let’s do this!

Write out a detailed plan that outlines your strategies, goals, and timelines for the summer. Be sure to communicate this plan with your team and hold yourself accountable by scheduling regular check-ins to track progress.

While summer may seem like a time to relax, it’s also an opportune moment to strategize and lay the groundwork for future success. By implementing these strategies and staying focused on your goals, you’ll be able to make the most of the summertime and set yourself up for a successful recruitment season.

Have some peace of mind while you’re chillin’ poolside, knowing you made the most of your summer!

Written by Jen Akright & Zafyre Sexton, Customer Success Managers