The Best Social Media To Use To Grow Your Membership Organisation For Free
Leveraging social media is a powerful and free way for clubs and associations to achieve membership growth and enhance communication. This guide explores the most effective platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube, for reaching new audiences and fostering member engagement. Learn essential social media strategy tips, such as maintaining consistent activity, using relevant hashtags, and engaging with other accounts, to maximise your organisation's digital marketing efforts.
Social media is full of ups and downs. On the one hand, it is a free and amazingly powerful tool to spread information and connect people. On the other hand, it serves as a breeding ground for misinformation and fosters political echo chambers. Like it or not, social media is here to stay, so the best thing we can do is work out how to make it work for us.
So, today, let’s review the best social media platforms for your organisation.
Growing your club or association to reach new audiences and expand your membership can be time-consuming and costly. Social media is a great and free way to reach new audiences and grow your membership. No social media platform is the wrong choice. However, some will be much better suited to your organisation than others. Let’s examine the top social media platforms to utilise for organic club membership growth.
In this article, we will discuss the following:
- Overall demographics of social media
- TikTok
- YouTube
- Tips and Tricks To Social Media Advertising
When To Use Social Media For Your Club
We have already established that social media can be an incredibly useful marketing tool; however, there are some things you need to bear in mind. Having a blank social page or one with incredibly old and out-of-date content is worse than not having one at all. It can make your organisation look inactive or poorly run. If you are going to use social media for your organisation, only do what you know you can maintain. It is better to have one well-run and constantly updated social media account than half a dozen empty and disused ones.
I’ll cover it in more detail below, but aiming for two to three social posts a week is a really good goal. That’s more than you think, so I'd recommend committing to one social media platform and only starting new ones if you can maintain them.
Social Media Demographics Overview
Before diving into social media demographics, let’s quickly define the age of different generations, as we are going to be talking about generation a lot today, and I think that there is a lot of misunderstanding about the age of generations.
The below graph shows each generation, what ages they are and what percentage of the population they make up as of 2025.
As you can see, when we are talking about Millennials (Gen Y), we aren’t talking about latte-sipping uni students, we’re talking about people in their 30s and 40s, with careers and kids, who are active parts of clubs and associations.
Having cleared that up, let’s have a look at the social platforms ranked by the number of monthly users.
As you can see, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn all have over 1 billion active users, meaning that there is a whole lot of potential audience out there on social media channels.
When it comes down to the demographics of users on each platform, the general rule is that the younger the generation, the higher the percentage of them on social media is, but there are a few exceptions to this rule. The table below shows the percentage of each generation that uses various social media platforms.
A few things to note here:
- YouTube has by far the highest percentage of each generation using it
- Facebook is the most popular platform for Baby Boomers
- LinkedIn and Twitter are the least popular among Gen Z
Knowing where your target audience is hanging out online is key to advertising to them successfully. If you are targeting Gen Z, then Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube will be a great strategy; however, if you want to reach the 45 to 60-year-old Gen X audience, then Facebook and YouTube are a better option.
One interesting note is that all social media platforms tend to have more active male users than female ones. While this is often only a slight disparity that shouldn't cause much concern, Twitter stands as a notable exception, with only 36% of its users being female.
For the average organisation, this likely won't be an issue. However, if your club or association is specifically targeting women as members, Twitter may not be the most effective platform for your outreach efforts. Most other social media platforms maintain a more even gender split, meaning you typically don't need to worry about this elsewhere.
Using Facebook To Promote Your Club Or Association
Facebook is arguably the most famous social media platform out there, and it is absolutely one your club should be on. Facebook’s significant advantage over other social media platforms is that it allows you to set up and run public and private groups. No matter what your club or association does, a Facebook page is a pretty good idea, even if it does little more than funnel people to your website.
A very high percentage of every generation is active on Facebook, with it being the most popular platform for both Gen X and Baby Boomers, so everyone between the ages of 45 and 79.
Just to ensure we are on the same page, the “Usage By Generations” is the percentage of each generation that uses a social media platform.
Here are a few things you should really consider doing to make your club’s Facebook page as effective as possible:
- Make a separate Facebook account for your organisation
- The profile picture should be your organisation’s logo
- Include details about your organisation in the About section
- Fill in the contact details section, including an address and the best contact method
A Facebook page for your organisation will effectively act as a second landing page for those interested in your club or association. It may be their first impression of your organisation, so make sure it looks professional and well laid out. This will help you make the best possible first impression.
Types Of Posts For Facebook
As of writing (mid-way through 2025), video is king on all platforms. So, posting videos to your Facebook is definitely a good idea. However, also consider posting about upcoming events, sharing videos and images from past events and generally shout out all the great stuff your organisation is up to. Show people a little tease of all the awesome stuff they are missing out on by not being members.
Using YouTube To Promote Your Organisation
YouTube is the platform with the highest percentage of each generation using it, the platform with the most daily usage time, and is only behind Facebook in terms of monthly users.
YouTube is for videos, long-form horizontal videos and short-form vertical videos. According to a recent survey, 51% of users prefer long-form horizontal videos to short vertical ones, which basically means that you should probably try a mix of both long and short videos.
As I said, YouTube has the highest percentage of each generation using it and the most daily use time. It doesn’t really matter what age range you’re targeting. YouTube should quite likely be a part of your social media strategy if you have suitable content to post there.
Types Of Posts For YouTube
Speaking of content for YouTube, I recommend using a mix of short, entertaining videos and longer, more educational ones. Start with short, funny, and engaging clips that capture attention and help build awareness of your brand, similar to the content you would post on Instagram and TikTok. Then, create longer, informative videos that delve into more complex topics or serve as how-to guides.
Using Instagram To Promote Your Club Or Association
Instagram specialises in the sharing of high-quality images and videos. No matter what your organisation does, you should consider taking some good photos and posting them on Instagram. If you use Instagram correctly, it can be a great way to promote your organisation.
Not every club has super photogenic or thrilling activities to share on social media. Take, for example, chess clubs. Personally, I’m not into chess at all and could not imagine a hobby I’d enjoy less. However, a quick Instagram search found the amazing Instagram of a chess club called Chess Most Tuesdays.
After five minutes on their Instagram, I genuinely want to join. I am not joking; their Instagram is so good it has me wishing I lived close enough to join. That’s kind of my point here. A well-run Instagram account with great photos and style can be an extremely effective and free marketing tool.
Instagram definitely has a younger market overall, with it being most popular with Gen Z, followed by Gen Y, though with roughly a third of Gen X and Baby Boomers on there, it probably isn’t the worst idea for targeting them too.
Types Of Posts For Instagram
Instagram is best for pictures and videos with limited text. Save your long, written posts for other platforms and just post short videos and attention-catching images.
Best Images Of Your Club For Instagram
For posting pictures on Instagram, aim for a resolution of 1080p, and aim for a 1:1 ratio, meaning a square image. For videos, aim for a ratio of 4:5, so slightly taller than it is wide.
Using Twitter For Your Organisation
Twitter is a fairly specialised platform designed for short passages of writing and reposting articles. It can also be used for images and videos, but this is not the best use of that platform for that. Twitter will work well if you have short written content you are trying to promote or are trying to keep in touch with a range of people in your industry. It’s probably a good fit for professional associations that want to keep members and those in their industry across what is happening in their organisation. Plus, it can work well as a way to educate those in your industry as well.
I will make a few notes here. Twitter has had a rocky few years, with a buyout, a lot of people leaving Twitter and several competitors like Bluesky and Threads entering the market. Since Twitter’s buyout in 2022, it is now a private company and no longer reports its monthly user numbers the way a publicly traded company would. The estimates of its active monthly users fluctuate by up to 200 million depending on the source.
This is not to scare you off using Twitter; it certainly has its uses and could work great for your association; it would just feel remiss of me not to mention that it’s not as stable as some of the other platforms we are talking about today.
All that being said, a third of Gen Z and Gen Y do still use Twitter, so if you’re after a younger audience, Twitter is absolutely worth a shot.
Types Of Posts For Twitter
A great use for Twitter is to use it as a notification board for what your organisation is up to. This may be how to join, what public events you’re hosting, any charity things you are doing or pretty much anything else you want the general public to know about you. You can also use Twitter to educate and raise awareness through short written posts.
If you decide to do this, make sure you encourage your members to follow the organisation’s Twitter and like and repost interesting tweets from you. This can have the dual effect of keeping members engaged and up to date with what you're doing, while also spreading the word about your organisation to potential members.
Using TikTok To Promote Your Club Or Association
TikTok may be the (relatively) new kid on the block, but it can be a useful platform for promoting your organisation.
TikTok does have a younger demographic, being much more popular with Gen Z and Gen Y, but if you’re trying to attract younger members, it may be a useful tool. That being said, a third of Gen X (45 - 60) do use TikTok so it might have more reach than you might think.
TikTok specialises in short videos with accompanying voice-over or music. TikTok allows videos of up to 30 minutes to be posted, but I recommend staying under a minute, as not many viewers will stay past that mark. Posting short videos of your club’s activities on TikTok with trending music and sounds attached, you might be able to reach a new, very large audience quickly.
As I said earlier, TikTok does have a younger demographic, but with two billion users and an average view time of 47 minutes a day, it is a good choice when targeting members 60 and under.
Using LinkedIn To Promote Your Organisation
LinkedIn has a more serious and professional tone by design; it is social media for professionals. Unlike other social media platforms, it is mostly used by businesses, clubs, associations and professionals.
LinkedIn can be a great place to network with businesses and associations, expand your contacts in the industry and find workshops and webinars. It is a great place to post articles you’ve written, promote upcoming events and seminars you are running/participating in, and recruit new members. Here is an example of a great post by the Australian Hand Therapy Association.
They are using LinkedIn to promote a course that they are running to garner interest from others in their field. By being on LinkedIn, engaging with other associations and businesses that work in your field, you can get your association in front of a lot of people in the right field to join.
Demographically, LinkedIn is more popular amongst working-age people, with its user numbers dropping off majorly under 18 and decreasing more gradually over 60 as people start to retire. For professional associations, particularly ones that may be looking to network and hire staff, LinkedIn is a strong choice.
Types of Posts For LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the best social media platform for posting full in-depth articles. Not only is it better set up for this compared to other platforms, but LinkedIn users are more likely to engage with longer and more serious content.
Unlike other social media platforms, being stylish and trendy isn’t very important here. The key to using LinkedIn to promote your association is making your LinkedIn page a source of knowledge. A place where professionals in your industry come when they are looking for information or how best to do something. Do this, and you will be really helping your association grow.
Tips and Tricks For Promoting Your Club Or Association On Social Media
We’ve covered the social media platforms. Now let’s talk about some things you can do for free to get the most out of your social media marketing.
Research
We have only covered the basics of social media demographics here. I would strongly recommend doing further research into what social media platforms are best for your organisation. Look at the age demographic of your organisation and then work out which social media platform has the largest audience in your key demographic.
Also, do not be turned off because the largest demographic on a particular platform isn’t the one you are after. For example, Facebook’s largest demographic is 25-34, but it is the most popular platform for Baby Boomers.
Be Genuine
Promoting your club or association on social media requires a clear understanding of your organisation’s style and voice. Some organisations might benefit from a funny and lighthearted tone, while others might require a more serious and factual approach. It’s essential to avoid being forced or out of place by staying true to your natural style. By doing so, your social media posts will be more effective and engaging.
Stay Consistent
To increase your organisation’s exposure on social media, it’s important to reach out to a wider audience beyond your existing followers. One way to achieve this is to post regularly and frequently. Over time, social media algorithms will start promoting your content to more people, leading to increased engagement with your posts. Remember that this process takes time, so be consistent and patient. Aim to post between two and three times per week. Do not start a social media account for your organisation if you don’t have the time to maintain it.
Pay Attention
Take note of how other organisations use social media, regardless of whether they are similar to your organisation. Set aside an afternoon to research successful organisations in various industries worldwide and examine how they’re using social media. Find clubs and associations with high engagement on their posts and observe their approach. What tone do they use? How frequently do they post? What hashtags do they use? Write down what they are doing and brainstorm ways to adapt them for your organisation.
Use #hashtags
Although they may seem cheesy, hashtags are crucial for a successful social media post. They act as labels, grouping together posts that use the same hashtags. For example, if you run a car club, include #carclubs in your post. The algorithm will recognise the type of content you’re sharing and display it to people with similar interests.
Engage With Others
A great way to grow your audience and connect with people who may be interested in your organisation is by engaging with others on social media. Find clubs, groups and individuals who post similar content to yours and follow them, like, comment on and share their posts. This will help get your club's name in front of people with similar interests. The more you do this, the more likely it is that you start building more of your own audience.
What Else Can You Do To Grow Your Organisation?
Those should be some good starting points for you to get out there and start promoting your club and growing your membership. Remember to be yourself and do your best to connect to others in your community.
For some info on how Member Jungle can help your organisation grow, check out How Much Your Club Can Grow With Member Jungle.
For some tips on branding your club or association effectively, read How To Properly Brand Your Club.