With the current economic situation, many gyms have seen in the social networks a simple route and affordable for advertise their sports center, and have launched themselves into the world of Web 2.0 in their free time, from the nearest computer and without a clear path .
Many managers are unsure of their results but think, "since it doesn't cost anything, why not do it?"
From our point of view, the above isn't the best way to introduce our gym to social media. Web 2.0 opens up a world of communication possibilities, but its operation... It's not the same than that of traditional advertising.
To understand it, we must understand how it works and Have a strategy . You have to understand that social media is not an end in itself but a channel to communicate the concept and values for which we want our gym to be known.
And it's important to remember that this is a two-way channel that allows information to be sent and received. Hence its power and also its management challenges.
So, the question would be, How can I develop a 2.0 strategy that will help improve my business?
First, it must be a comprehensive strategy that starts with marketing and communication. This way, we won't merely be participating in "Social Networks" (SN) but rather doing "Social Media Marketing" ( SMM ).
We must not forget to define some goals from our SMM: to raise brand awareness , increase notoriety , improve reputation corporate, to build loyalty , or directly attract partners…
We must structure our communication based on our gym concept and its values, emphasizing our philosophy and our Differentiating elements , which can be reflected in our latest trend activities, our specific equipment, our specialized staff, etc.
If we want to get people talking about us on social media, we can't just go to another gym.
Another important issue is what technological infrastructure we need. We must define the networks we will be on, taking into account their size and user profile.
Although it is true that this issue is constantly evolving. Tuenti It is popular among young people while LinkedIn This is the case among professionals and managers, having largely displaced others such as Xing.
In my opinion, the breadth of Facebook makes it very interesting for gyms, but you have to keep an eye on it. Google+ , which integrates with a lot of functionality into the search engine.
In some cases, vertical or sports-specific networks can also be considered. Twitter, in my opinion, belongs to a different category, as it is not strictly a social network but a powerful communication tool based on microblogging.
But going back to the basics of our strategy, if we think globally we shouldn't limit ourselves to social media but rather integrate our work with other elements for improve the results commercial, such as corporate website , the database and the management software .
The web Corporate social responsibility is essential. blog-type , that allows easy content creation and that invite participation ; and, of course, allow share the content on the main networks. search engines like Google award this practice improving he positioning SEO or free positioning, which increases visits to our portal.
But once we've improved our website's ranking and traffic, why stop there? With the right technology, we can convert those visits into leads, even partners, by offering promotions and connecting the web with the database of our management software .
In this way, we will achieve a complete customer relationship system. We can even go further by offering services such as Registrations or reservations through the website .
This would thus be a point of connection with a community of people interested in sports and a gateway to the club.
To achieve this multiplier effect, content is key, and simply advertising isn't enough. Practices like posting a promotional image and tagging countless people don't exploit the true potential of social media and can even be annoying and counterproductive.
We need to be creative and generous, build relationships, and spark conversation. We can include nutrition tips, complementary exercises, beauty tricks, and even run contests and promotions. But above all, we must be open to all kinds of opinions and comments.
SOURCE: Enrique de Hoyos. Graduate in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences.
Master of Business Administration.
Master's Degree in Commercial Management and Marketing.
CEO TD SYSTEMS
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