CRM


Members could set up an automatic post that’s triggered whenever they check-in, alerting both club staff and friends


used for promotion and awareness, to promote better service by informing key staff when the member has arrived at the club, and to aid retention – friends and followers can post encouraging messages each time they check-in. “Don’t be afraid to experiment with what works for you,” adds Bremner.


“Use different promotions and try things out – it’s instant and, if it doesn’t work, you can change it. Social media will drive your business to the next level.” Currently, many health clubs would


appear to have unoffi cial Facebook pages, started by a keen member of staff without too much thought about how it fi ts into the club’s marketing strategy, and these clubs are missing a trick. While some web pages show signs of being an active online community, they are disconnected from other club communications. Others seem to be nothing more than extensions of existing traditional sales and marketing activities, with a few special offers or guest passes available. But social networking sites can be a


real boon. Small, independent fi tness operators and amateur sports clubs in particular are able to use Facebook to create a vibrant community online. Rushbrooke Tennis Club, for example, has regular updates on its activities, events and comments from a wide variety of users. Thanks to their relatively small membership bases, clubs


52


Don’t be afraid to experiment. It’s instant and, if it doesn’t work, you can change it


like this have an advantage – Facebook is a natural extension of a network of friends. The challenge for commercial operators is to try to replicate this among a less cohesive group of members.


building trust Neil Henshaw had two ailing clubs in


Lancashire. He turned them into low-cost gyms, called Helio Fitness, promoted them via social media and now the membership is growing rapidly. He plans to have five budget clubs operating by the end of the year. “As a low-cost operator, I thought


social media would be a great opportunity to get the message out without the need to spend too much time and money on marketing,” he says.


“I started off seeing it as a tool to help my sales activities, with offers and guest passes on our Facebook page. “However, one of the challenges I


faced was getting to grips with what social media is. I realised how much we could do with it, and that the benefi ts went way beyond sales and marketing.


Read Health Club Management online at healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital “The next stage is to integrate


our Facebook page with our club management system and website, and then start extending use of our social media into retention and safeguarding our reputation online


– in fact, we’re already seeing more and more people ‘liking’ our page.” But however large these communities


may be, clubs should bear in mind that success is dependent on the founding principles of social media: trust, sharing and reciprocity. Take a look at the Facebook pages for


football clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United. They are extremely detailed, very interactive and have close integration with their websites, ecommerce and sign-up.


getting started It’s best to tread carefully when starting


out with your social media presence. In the early days of social media, some companies tried to bombard communities with overly commercial posts and patently self-serving content.


february 2011 © cybertrek 2011


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