On August 1, 2003, Myspace was launched. By 2006, it was the most visited website on the planet, and it forever changed the way people interacted on the internet.
Since then, many social media platforms have emerged — Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, etc. — and become a staple in our culture and business practices. While we know where social media has been, the latest Thought Leaders panel sat down to discuss where social media is headed.
For panelist Diva Richards, the CEO of Hardwork No Excuses, one thing is clear: there’s no future without social media.
“Social media is here to stay,” said Richards. “You don’t need to be on everything, but you need to get on something. Just start. Stop waiting for the perfect moment to launch. Get it done. If you don’t know how or if budget is an issue, get a 16-year-old in your gym because they’re really good at doing it and they get the angles. If it’s in your budget, get a team.”
While social media is here to stay, it’s important to know it’s ever-changing.
Paula Fraisse, the social media manager for Gainesville Health & Fitness, said on the panel that social media is headed toward a very big change. “I think we’re going to have to think outside the box even more than we are used to because so many people are on social media, posting ads, etc.,” she said. “We’re really going to have to look at it in a more unique way.”
One way to do this is to learn from emerging trends like BeReal.
BeReal is an app that gives users two minutes to post unfiltered photos of themselves and what they’re doing once a day. It’s intended for people to be more authentic, taking away filters and asking them to present themselves as they are in that moment. “I don’t think BeReal is going to be a successful as a lot of people think, but I do think it’s going to shift how we’re posting and how we’re talking to our people digitally,” said Fraisse.
In fact, the shift is already happening.
Bre Brimhall, the senior creative project manager at VASA Fitness, said authenticity is the key to their successful social media marketing. They strive to create a space that is consistent with the experience members are getting inside the clubs. They’ve had success with creating relatable TikTok videos like saying, “you too” after the front desk staff tells you to “have a great workout.”
Gainesville also has had success with TikTok. They had a video about their women’s-only location go viral. But it is important to keep in mind what works for one facility might not work for you.
Overall, all the panelists agreed in order to be successful at social media for your business, you have to be on the platforms yourself.
“I look at social media like you are a chef and you own a restaurant,” said Mario Purnell, a creative consultant at QNTM Fit Life. “You don’t know what recipe is going to work the best. You have no idea. The only way is to go and taste it yourself. You have to use it. Make sure you’re testing these things out and when it fails, great, that didn’t work. Go try something else. The recipe isn’t going to be perfect the first time. Don’t be afraid to test. Keep going until you figure out the perfect formula, the perfect recipe that works for your business.”
Learn more by watching the full roundtable below.
