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leisure opportunities Experts outline top social media tips


Leisure industry marketing experts believe that despite the increasingly fragmented nature of social media, online networking mainstays like Facebook and Twitter will remain the key marketing battlegrounds for businesses in the foreseeable future. Although impressed by


exciting new platforms such as Vine and Snapchat, pan- ellists at the UK’s first ever Leisure Tech Expo in London said the sheer scale and level of resources enjoyed by the social media giants meant they would remain integral for lei- sure marketing campaigns. However, the way people use these sites is


changing, and Agility Marketing MD Anita Waddell said businesses should be thinking of the mobile platform whenever they post an update. Up to 83 per cent of a business’s Facebook audience will be viewing posts on a smartphone, according to Waddell, so updates should be kept short and sweet, with the opti- mum length of a post being just 102 characters. “It’s vital to consider when you post market-


ing updates as well,” she added. “A far greater proportion of your target audience will be


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Te first ever Leisure Tech Expo took place at London’s Te O2


online aſter 5:30PM, so it’s best to make sure posts are appear outside of office hours. Meanwhile, Graham Ruddick, CEO of mar-


keting consultancy Digital Doughnut, said he felt the key to understanding online habits lies in studying human social behavioural patterns, which date right back to tribal societies. “As social creatures, we crave conversation


and engagement,” he said. “So the key to gain- ing ROI on social media is to prioritise personal human to human interactions to build brand rewards.” Details: http://lei.sr?a=E6e9f


Mammoth Aqua Sana spa unveiled


Continued from front cover After many planning application stops and starts, the financial crisis meant construction for Center Parcs Woburn Forest was put on hold. “During this period of time I was able to


do far more research, for example I had time to source and sample ceramics from Spain,” Camilleri told Leisure Opportunities. In 2011, the design was finally ready and


developers broke ground in May 2012. While Camilleri hinted at the possibility of


a future Center Parcs project in Ireland, the villages’ group spa manager, Kerry Fenton- Kent, discussed the unlikelihood of any future Center Parcs developments in the UK. “We need to watch, wait and listen to feed-


back from our guests for proof of concept at this Aqua Sana – to see if we should adopt this new approach in our existing spas at Sherwood


24 One steamroom features Himalayan pink salt


Forest, Whinfell, Elveden and Longleat,” Fenton-Kent said. “Tis is a social spa, rather than a holistic results-driven facility. We want people to come and enjoy group experiences here, for example during celebrations. This Aqua Sana spa is dissimilar to any of our others.” Details: http://lei.sr?a=j3u6C


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital


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Twitter: @leisureopps © CYBERTREK 2014


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