Apparently this whole “social media” thing isn’t going away.
While it’s important to have a social media presence for your club, it’s even more important to understand the dos and don’ts of creating your online community through Facebook, Twitter and other channels. Before your next tweet, status update, pin or Instagram, check out the three biggest mistakes you want to avoid when it comes to club social media.
1) Quit the sales pitch — As small business owners, it’s in our DNA to constantly ask for the sale. While there are opportunities to upsell products and services through your Facebook page or Twitter account, the reality is that most people who choose to follow you are already members of your club. If you’re only posting new member offers like “Join for Free!” or “Ask About Our Holiday Specials!” you’re going to quickly lose your audience and cool off any potential interaction on your page. Instead, stick to things like fitness tips, recipes, success stories, club announcements and anything that both members and non-members may find valuable, and sprinkle in the occasional sales pitch.
2) Less text, more pictures — Did you know that visuals are processed 60,000 times faster in the brain than text? On top of that, Facebook posts that include an image typically generate 53 percent more “likes” and 104 more comments than other post types. If you’re writing a mini-novel on your Facebook wall, you’re wasting time and energy, and you aren’t going to get the same level of engagement as you would with a picture. Whether it’s a photo of a trainer, a featured member success story or just an inspirational quote, a picture is worth a thousand words (or 60,000).
3) Don’t delete posts — If someone posts a negative comment about your club, the knee-jerk reaction is to get rid of it. However, by doing so you might make the person even more upset for ignoring them, or sweeping a potential issue at your club under the proverbial rug. Instead, respond publicly to that person, and attempt to resolve their issue right there on your page. Not only will this show that you are responsive and offer excellent customer service, but their issue may be one that other members have experienced as well. Of course, there’s always the chance that someone just has an axe to grind, but in most cases a casual visitor to the page can tell the difference between an engaged member who has an issue, and some guy who just needs to complain.
Hopefully this gives you a heads-up on a few potential potholes to avoid on your road to social media success. Now go ahead and “like” this column, won’t you?
Patrick Strait is a communications manager for Snap Fitness.
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
