Does your club have a Twitter account? Does someone at your club manage the account?
Club Solutions (@clubsolutionsma) has a Twitter account, which I personally manage. Therefore, I’m inclined to notice when a club has a Twitter account, as well as followers, but does nothing with it.
There are a lot of you out there, and it needs to change. The ongoing conversation concerning #fitness on Twitter could be beneficial to your brand and your members.
On Twitter the conversation never stops. Some social media experts may suggest you use a program like HootSuite to convey messages at certain times to your members — uploading inspirational memes to Facebook and Fitspirational memes to Twitter simultaneously throughout the day, without lifting a finger. However, I don’t believe Twitter functions in the same way that Facebook does.
In my mind, Facebook is a feed that people will sit and stare aimlessly at for hours. They will move their mouse from post to post and Like certain photos or comments. Sometimes, if your posts and engagements are strong enough, you’ll get comments.
Twitter doesn’t seem to have that type of interaction. Instead, Twitter is a lot more social, with an ongoing conversation that ebbs and flows with what is occurring in real time. Sometimes real time is an event like the Super Bowl, but other times it might be an independent real time — one that an individual is experiencing at your club (I know, really deep today)
These events showcase the lives of individuals as they happen. People that engage on Twitter are advocates. The amount of followers they possess and the people and things that they follow are important to them. You want to be followed by your membership, but how do you do that?
You have to get into the game. You can’t simply have a Twitter account and not engage members, or when you attempt to engage they will ignore you. When someone Tweets at you, you must engage them and keep the conversation going.
By being involved in Twitter you’ll become more in-tuned to your members. You’ll see their weaknesses and strengths. When one of your members Tweets that they are having a hard time with motivation, Tweet back to them that if they come into the club they can get a full week with a trainer for free. Not only does that show your member and their followers that you care, but it could also bring in a new training client.
It’s time to stop ignoring the Twitter-verse. Find someone on your staff that is excited about social media and Twitter. Arm them with your Twitter account and get them in the conversation. #success
Tyler Montgomery is the editor of Club Solutions Magazine. Contact him at tyler@clubsolutionsmagazine.com.
