Smaller Groups-how can you make PNMs feel chosen?

[cluelessUGAmom]

It was a disappointment to see very "outdated" websites of some of the sororities while pnm's were researching before and during rush. (even After rush!)

There were comments I heard from D and some friends that said they really didn't get a "good feel" about so and so because their photo albums were empty or most of their members didn't bother to post their bios or list the campus activities and awards that their members had received or were involved with etc.

My suggestion would be to make sure the chapter's website is the BEST it can be as this is the first face PNM's get to see -- even before they hear tent talk and campus reputation! They also get to see if the current girl's "look" like them -- and this is not meant to be shallow as in only looking for beauty queen's -- some may NOT want to be there.

You can also tell the "got it together" chapters by how quickly they changed their website AFTER rush welcoming their new members - even if it was with one picture!

If you've put together a rush and bid day presentation that you are proud of then put it out there for the world to see! Show pictures it along with house tour photos - socials - fun times - formals - member awards etc. etc. Tout your average GPA if you are in the running for the top spots - or even how it has improved etc.

i would think this should be a first step in reflecting the image you want to project!

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by cluelessUGAmom

It was a disappointment to see very "outdated" websites of some of the sororities while pnm's were researching before and during rush. (even After rush!)

There were comments I heard from D and some friends that said they really didn't get a "good feel" about so and so because their photo albums were empty or most of their members didn't bother to post their bios or list the campus activities and awards that their members had received or were involved with etc.

My suggestion would be to make sure the chapter's website is the BEST it can be as this is the first face PNM's get to see -- even before they hear tent talk and campus reputation! They also get to see if the current girl's "look" like them -- and this is not meant to be shallow as in only looking for beauty queen's -- some may NOT want to be there.

You can also tell the "got it together" chapters by how quickly they changed their website AFTER rush welcoming their new members - even if it was with one picture!

If you've put together a rush and bid day presentation that you are proud of then put it out there for the world to see! Show pictures it along with house tour photos - socials - fun times - formals - member awards etc. etc. Tout your average GPA if you are in the running for the top spots - or even how it has improved etc.

i would think this should be a first step in reflecting the image you want to project!

I think this is a great suggestion. Maybe the chapter should elect an officer to keep the website current. In this technologically advanced age with all young women using the internet frequently, this is a great recruitment tool!

[cluelessUGAmom]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

I think this is a great suggestion. Maybe the chapter should elect an officer to keep the website current. In this technologically advanced age with all young women using the internet frequently, this is a great recruitment tool!

Thanks!
There seems to be a webpage officer at each sorority but apparently they are not making it a priority to keep the site updated and current...plus all the girls need to turn in pix so the webmaster can post them I would think - so it really shouldn't be left up to just one person but rather a focus that the sorority as a whole participates in with adding ideas and getting the gpa standings and philanthropy happenings etc.!

[UGAalum94]

I had a brief conversation with a member who had been one chapter's webpage person, and depending on whether the group is supposed to host the page from the university's website, it gets more complicated with passwords and access than it really ought to be (or at least that's what she told me.)

I think we also have to remember that if the chapter isn't using it internally, then it might be kind of a misplaced priority, despite how much I like well done ones, other than for recruitment PR.

When you look at the webpages for the chapters at UGA, most look like they only exist for the sake of recruitment. They seem to get updates very infrequently. Most of the bid day updates are from 2006.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by cluelessUGAmom

Thanks!
There seems to be a webpage officer at each sorority but apparently they are not making it a priority to keep the site updated and current...plus all the girls need to turn in pix so the webmaster can post them I would think - so it really shouldn't be left up to just one person but rather a focus that the sorority as a whole participates in with adding ideas and getting the gpa standings and philanthropy happenings etc.!

Believe me, being the webmaster is not all fun. Particularly since, as you said, you spend most of your time bugging other people for pictures. As a webmaster, I could put any information up that people wanted, but I'm not the PR chair, and it shouldn't be my job to collect the information from each member. Oh well.

Realistically, a chapter probably doesn't need an internal, password protected website. That's what email lists are for.

[Fleur de Lis]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

Believe me, being the webmaster is not all fun. Particularly since, as you said, you spend most of your time bugging other people for pictures. As a webmaster, I could put any information up that people wanted, but I'm not the PR chair, and it shouldn't be my job to collect the information from each member. Oh well.

That's why I think the PR chair should be in charge of the website. Unfortunately, in my experience the website is set up by a member's boyfriend and then they graduate and no one knows how to update it.

Realistically, a chapter probably doesn't need an internal, password protected website. That's what email lists are for.

Or facebook groups nowadays. That's where PNMs get their information from, too.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

Realistically, a chapter probably doesn't need an internal, password protected website. That's what email lists are for.

In the case I mention, the passwords were just for her to update and apparently it was too much from her perspective.

If it's only an external PR tool, then it doesn't have to get updated much but if the chapter tries to put a lot of information only of real interest to members, house menus, for example, which seem to be weirdly common, on it, then it's pretty obvious when they haven't been updated and it makes you wonder, hey, it they aren't really using this, why do they bother pretending?

[AOII Angel]

The chapters at UT-Knoxville have wonderful websites that wouldn't require frequent updates. Chapters could copy these for recruitment purposes and look really good!

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by Fleur de Lis

That's why I think the PR chair should be in charge of the website. Unfortunately, in my experience the website is set up by a member's boyfriend and then they graduate and no one knows how to update it.



Or facebook groups nowadays. That's where PNMs get their information from, too.

Unfortunately, the PR person rarely has the ability to update the website :-/

Originally Posted by AlphaGamUGAAlum

In the case I mention, the passwords were just for her to update and apparently it was too much from her perspective.

If it's only an external PR tool, then it doesn't have to get updated much but if the chapter tries to put a lot of information only of real interest to members, house menus, for example, which seem to be weirdly common, on it, then it's pretty obvious when they haven't been updated and it makes you wonder, hey, it they aren't really using this, why do they bother pretending?

That's odd, you definitely want a password to update the site. That's something you want controlled. And I'd suspect house members know the menu and it's just another recruitment enticement.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

Unfortunately, the PR person rarely has the ability to update the website :-/

That's odd, you definitely want a password to update the site. That's something you want controlled. And I'd suspect house members know the menu and it's just another recruitment enticement.

I think in this case, the person who had the responsibility just wasn't particularly skilled at the job. But she was honestly hampered by the complexity and frequency that password and login information was changed on the university site. They are much better off not being on the official university site, and that's something for chapters to consider. It also seems that some groups are linked into the national organization site and design in a way that could be limiting locally.

I agree that menu, etc, could be a recruitment tool, but when it's wildly out of date, it makes you wonder what was up with that?

I'd either set the site up to actually be used by members for timely information and actually keep it timely OR have the content basically be static with a cycle of annual replacement with this year's events: bid day, philanthropy, formal, social, sisterhood events, etc. It just looks bad when it's obvious that it's one thing trying to pretend to be the other.