Building & Leveraging Online Communities: A Case Study

Building, Sustaining & Leveraging Online Communities #SMIATL Heather Whaling • @prTini [email_address] prTini.com facebook.com/GebenCommunication

Columbus Marathon: a social media case study

Priorities
Communicate with marathoners/supporters when & where they want
Foster engagement with & between marathoners
Take the “scare” factor out of marathoning
Sustain Columbus Marathon community year round
Improve customer service

Nail the Basics nail the basics

facebook.com/columbusmarathon
Off season: Update 4-5 times per week
Training season: Update twice daily
Emphasis on facilitating conversation among marathoners

@cbusmarathon
Limit: 3-4 scheduled tweets per day
Focus on being conversational, providing moral support
Heavy use of lists & local search

www.columbusmarathon.com/blog
“ Maintenance mode” during off season
Blogging team provides real-life perspective.
Bloggers include:
Board member/sponsor
Local media personality
Mom walking to lose pregnancy weight
First-timer
2-3 posts per week
30 Tips, 30 Days ( see here )

after you nail the basics, add some sizzle

RunFest
Kick-off training season with family-friendly, outdoor event
Entertainment, food, training clinics
Added social in 2010
Facebook event
Facebook ads
Blogger outreach

Virtual Scavenger Hunt
Drive traffic to the new website
Establish new connections with potential marathon runners/walkers
Offer positive reinforcement for participants, in the midst of grueling training
http://bit. ly/CbusMarathonHunt

Ask the Race Director
Live broadcast on Ustream
Solicited questions on Facebook,Twitter, blog & enewsletter
45 minutes, over lunch hour

day-of interactions

Results
2010 race sold out faster than ever
2011 registration pacing ahead of 2010
37% of columbusmarathon.com traffic in 2010 was referred by social media
Facebook referrals increased 95% from 2009 to 2010
Improved customer service by responding to 25+ Facebook questions the week of the marathon

Heather Whaling • @prTini
www.GebenCommunication.com
[email_address]
@CbusMarathon
facebook.com/ColumbusMarathon
www.columbusmarathon.com
subscribe to my blog:
bit.ly/prTini
Collaboration. Integration. Social Good.

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Building & Leveraging Online Communities: A Case Study

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