Facebook Recruiting

by Matt Mattson

While delivering training this weekend, I heard two real-life examples from undergraduates about how they've used Facebook to aid in their fraternity recruitment efforts.

Example 1: Relationship Maintenance
The Grand Valley State University Alpha Sigma Phi chapter (yes, my alma mater) is using Facebook to maintain relationships with about 13 or so freshman prospects that they met during the fall (because campus policy prohibits first semester freshmen from joining). The chapter started a Facebook group called "Alpha Sig Winter Recruitment 2007," and they've done some pretty smart things there. On the discussion board they've been brave enough to post their chapter's goals for the year in an effort to not only show what they've done in the past, but what they're looking for help with. That was smart! This group of Alpha Sigs also invited not only potential new members to join their Facebook group, but sorority women as well in the hopes that these ladies would bring the men of character that they know along with them. Great job to this chapter -- they've found one way to hold onto relationships despite a deferred recruitment policy on their campus.

Example 2: Growing the Names List
While serving as a facilitator at the Phi Kappa Theta President's Academy in Bloomington, Illinois this weekend I heard a great story from a guy named Brock, the President of PKT's San Diego State chapter. Brock explained to me that before last fall his chapter was 28 guys and in need of more members. Brock spent most of the summer hunting down men on Facebook who were incoming freshmen at SDSU. One way or another he found about 150 of them and befriended them. By starting with a large pool that included the whole freshman class, and focusing on just MEETING these guys, Brock initiated relationships with larger group of men than the chapter has probably ever had show up to a rush event. Largely from Brocks efforts of GROWING HIS NAMES LIST, that Phi Kappa Theta chapter of 28 men recruited 30 new members for the fall semester -- more than doubling the size of the chapter.

Brock added, "The funny thing is that half the guys we ended up with weren't even the guys I was talking to on Facebook -- they were friends of those Facebook contacts."

I think there are a few big lessons that can be pulled from these two stories.

1. Because, "You can't recruit who you don't know," Brock focused on just getting to know as many people as possible. Because he worked on gathering names first, he had more potential for success.

2. The Grand Valley guys used NORMAL means of communication to maintain relationships with their hottest prospects -- they didn't keep these guys around by throwing the biggest or coolest events, they just communicated with them in ways that the prospects were used to communicating.

3. Brock's last statement illustrates that your prospective members can be even better recruiters than your initiated ones if you ask them to be. Encourage your prospects to bring a friend or 10 to your events or activities...

Thanks to the GVSU Alpha Sigs and the SDSU Phi Kaps for these stories.