Social Media Education for the One Trillion Dollar Spender
Social Media Policy (1)
1. Social Media Policy & Strategies
Submitted to
The Training Edge
By:
Nick Maxwell
Control Perserverance Integrity
2. 2REN AGENCY
Table of contents
Meet the agency………………………………………………................Page 4
Situation…………………………………………………………................Page 5
Background of research……………………………………….Page 6
Demographics of key publics…………………………………Page 7
Social media…………………………………………………......................Page 10
Constraints & Methodology…………………………...................Page 13
Member results………………………………………………..................page 14
Open ended results………………………………………………..page 32
Crisis plan………………………………………………………...............page 35
Recommendations………………………………………………... page 38
Implementations…………………………………………….....................page 41
3. 3REN AGENCY
Dear the training edge,
Thank you for taking the time to review the Ren agency’s
social media plan for the training edge.
Our agency has assembled strategies to assist with your
brand based on your company’s goals and values. Our
approach is based on the training edge’s aspiration to
increase a wider audience through social media.
Please review our materials enclosed and feel free to
contact our agency through Jack Karlis’s personal contact
information if you have further questions.
Sincerely, Nick Maxwell
4. 4REN AGENCY
I. Situation:
The Training Edge, in an effort to communicate with its potential customers and current
publics, needs to utilize social media to improve its outreach.
History and Background of Client:
Since 1996, The Training Edge have prided itself in the belief that its services are
enhancing lives through the positive benefits of martial arts. Offering Krav Maga, Muay
Thai Kickboxing, Fitness Kickboxing, & kids karate, The Training Edge has been
bettering the world for over 20 years. The Training Edge of Buffalo, NY is a total
program of family fun, fitness and self-defense classes. For centuries, millions of people
have benefited from the teaching of martial arts, a system of self-defense that does not
advocate the use of weapons, but instead, uses a philosophy that strengthens the mind
and body through self-discipline, fitness and awareness. At The Training Edge, they
combine the philosophy of martial arts with the modern approach of Western teaching
strategies. The Training Edge offers a well-balanced program for adults and children
that emphasizes positive mental attitude, self-esteem, fitness and integrity.
Key Publics:
Members of the Training Edge and potential (NON) members that utilize social media
platforms.
Benefit Statement:
The Training Edge can engage its potential customers’ preferences and media habits
through social media.
Intended Outcomes:
1. To provide beneficial two-way communication between the Training Edge and its
current and potential members.
2. To improve the accessibility of the Training Edge through social media.
3. To improve the profile of the Training Edge (virtually) on social media.
5. 5REN AGENCY
II. Background of Research:
Quantitative Research was done by our agency in the form of a survey. In survey
research, the researcher selects a sample of respondents from a population and
administers a standardized questionnaire to them. Instead of using a physical paper
survey, we used an online survey. Each agency member distributed the link to the online
survey via social media. Quantitative Research uses measurable data to formulate facts
and uncover patterns in research. After collecting the data, we came together and
created an overview of the social media accounts that The Training Edge is currently
using, constraints, methodology, the member results, the public respondents results,
open ended results, a crisis plan, and recommendations and implementations. We will
be providing the research data in the form of pie charts and then give you the facts and
recommendations based off of the pie charts.
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Demographics of Key Publics:
Gender n= 1,023
As shown above, 66% of the participants were female. This left 33% of participants to be
male as well as 1% registering as “other.” This was a very “women heavy” survey, which
is an important piece of information to keep in mind as you market to your public in the
future.
Race n= 1,023
The predominant race represented within the results of the survey was white. This
translates well to the market that the Training Edge currently has (Williamsville) and
the market that they are trying to reach (Southtowns).
7. 7REN AGENCY
Member/ Non- Member? N = 1,023
97% of the people who have taken this survey have never have been a part of the
Training Edge. The facility can use this information to cater to market to its new
audience. Not a lot is known about your facility, or Krav Maga in general so this is an
opportunity for you to figure out what your target market wants to see.
Income Level n = 1,023
The demographic of the income level leans toward the low levels of income with the
average falling between the $10,000-19,000 demographic . Obviously people who make
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this much money would probably not be able to afford a membership at the Training
Edge, so this is something important to keep in mind in the future. We understand that
residents in Williamsville have a much higher level of income, however it would benefit
the Training Edge, to curve their rates towards their market’s needs.
Geographic origin n= 1,023
Ignoring the fact that 23.1% of the participants came from outside of the region, the City
of Buffalo can be a main focus point of the new target market. We understand that
Master Spoth spoke of his desire to open a facility in the Southtowns, but this survey will
help you better understand how to perfectly position yourself to cater to the City of
Buffalo which is a huge target market.
Respondents mean age – 27.59
• Predominately women who answered the survey
9. 9REN AGENCY
Social Media Currently in Use:
Instagram Followers 231 Following 78
Twitter Followers 59 Following 2
FACEBOOK Likes 1,358 People that have been
1,355
YOUTUBE Subscribers 13 Most recently
viewed :
7 months ago 306
Views (Krav Maga)
GOOGLE+ Followers 2
115,030 views
10 Reviews:
Avg Review 4.7 out of
5
Instagram:
The Training Edge has been consistent in using Instagram,
currently having 231 followers and following 79 others. The
Training Edge has achieved a large number of followers through
their numerous pictures of classes and events that have gone on
at the location. The updates and postings should be improved
on slightly. The latest posting was made December 7th, before
that the latest posting was over 2 weeks ago. Consistently posting on Instagram will
reach those who are on the fence of joining by showing that they’re heavily involved in
every program they offer. Videos that are posted are impressive, more videos used the
better to show what The Training Edge is all about. The videos show the nature and
environment of how services are conducted at the location.
Twitter:
Currently follows two people on Twitter and has 60
followers. Uses for Twitter have been for support and
encouragement (for students before their belt exam).
Twitter Is kept up to date with the most recent being Sunday,
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December 6th. Tweeted out about their women’s self defense class, however there is no
consistent of trying to get the word out on the event. One tweet/ message is about what
everything on the account seems to get. Tweeting more could increase the chances of
someone retweeting getting news about The Training Edge to the public. They don’t use
any hashtags that could branch out of the local area and get their brand out to more
than the local public. Trying to associate to events or people who deal with what The
Training Edge deals with could generate more followers. By showing people who are
into the activity that there is a place where they could learn the sport such as The
Training Edge more public awareness and profit could be made.
Facebook
By far, the Training Edge’s best social media outlet that they
use, with over 1,300 likes. Facebook being used more among
people that could afford the services provided by The Training
Edge more emphasis than what has already been place will
reach more people than their other outlets. Daily postings or special events (such as
their women’s self defense class) Facebook would be the ideal place for The Training
Edge to post this information. The Training Edge has gotten better with their postings,
their most recent posting was that of Monday, December 8th. with an impressive 4.9 out
of 5 rating The Training Edge compared to their other social media platforms has done
wonders through the usage of Facebook.
YouTube:
Training Edge only has 13 subscribers and 306 views
the latest coming over 6 months ago. Their second
weakest social media platform, with hundreds of
millions of visitors to YouTube filming practices and
what the Training Edge is all about. Having their videos shared on YouTube could
generate more interest locally. Having videos showing how sessions are held, not too
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aggressive and their safety precautions could do wonders for what most people consider
to be too violent such as Krav Maga. Daily updates of what’s going on at the Training
Edge on YouTube. For such as large monthly budget a few simple tactics such as posting
snippets of a session could increase traffic to The Training Edge’s YouTube.
Google+:
Currently only has two followers, with 115,030 views. Has an
impressive 4.7 out of 5 Rating. Not very much attention paid here,
isn’t being used effectively to reach target demographic. Being
more engaged through Google+ could generation many more
followers, daily updating or postings throughout the day could have huge impacts.
Weakest area of their social media outlets, would recommend to end their Google + and
focus on their stronger social media areas .
Recommended social media for the Training
Edge to utilize:
Snapchat: see recommendations
12. 12REN AGENCY
Constraints:
The Training Edge wants to attract a younger demographic (young children, ages 7-12).
Through social media the goal is to increase a wider audience of awareness that will
attract the younger demographic that The Training Edge is trying to enroll within their
facility.
III. Methodology:
A total of N=1,023 respondents were collected through an electronic survey through
social media channels. Individual and Training Edge social media accounts were used to
diffuse the survey. The sampling rate was 89%. The data was collected from Nov. 15,
2015 through Dec. 1, 2015. Participation was voluntary and responses were confidential
and anonymous.
13. 13REN AGENCY
IV. Training Edge Member Results for
Current Members:
Out of the 1,023 valid responses, 34 respondents identified themselves as members. The
following results are for that group only:
A: Have you ever studied martial arts?
16. 16REN AGENCY
Conclusions:Even for experienced members at the Training Edge, the,
Training Edge has a lot of uninformed potential clients. A major reason for this is people
have misconceptions about what they’re going to experience when they walk into a
facility like Master Spoth's. This is not a bad thing for the Training Edge, it just means
that they need to have an ability to educate their audience, to convince people why Krav
Maga is something worth getting involved in. This is where social media can be an
unbelievable asset to their business. Social media can allow instructors and members to
become more engaged with the open public and show them all the things your target
market needs to know in order to join the Training Edge. Using a lot of videos and
pictures, Master Spoth and the Training Edge can receive a major boost in their
membership numbers.
B: On a scale from 1-5, how important are the following items when choosing a fitness
center for martial arts:
1. Cleanliness
2.Location
3. Range of Programs
4. Cost
5. Range of Equipment
6. Knowledge
7. Children Friendly
8. Recommendation of Others
We listed the elements of the facility from most important to least important. Clearly the
most important element the facility can provide is a knowledgeable staff. The Training
Edge can take advantage of this by providing a knowledgeable staff. By doing this, the
Training Edge will attract the types of clients that will likely become lifetime members.
By having a top notch staff, the Training Edge will be able to beat out competition from
other forms of martial arts. It’s also important to note that cost was also a high priority
Facility Elements
Level of
importa
nce
Knowledge of Staff 4.91
Cleanliness 4.47
Cost 4.06
Location 3.91
Recommendation of Others 3.85
Range of Equipment 3.38
Range of Program 3.32
Children Friendly 2.76
17. 17REN AGENCY
among participants, something that the Training Edge should keep in mind in the
future, especially if they hope to open a second location.
C. How much would be the most you would be willing to pay for an individual martial
arts lesson?
The majority of people who took our survey said they would pay 10-20 dollars for an
individual lesson. We understand that the Training Edge rates are probably higher than
this which is fine depending on your location and the income level of those around you.
For example, the Training Edge is located in Williamsville, which is perfect because
that’s a locale of high income in the Buffalo region. However if Master Spoth wants to
open additional locations, he needs to make sure he takes this information and uses it
when making his rates.
D. On a five-point scale, with 1 meaning “Not at all” and 5 meaning “Vital”, how
important is the following input when choosing a Martial Arts Center:
1. People’s positive comments on social media
2. Negative comments on social media
3. There is a Livingsocial or Groupon for the fitness center
4. Word of mouth from family or friends
18. 18REN AGENCY
5. Television Advertisements
6. Print Advertisements
7. Radio Advertisements
8. Internet Advertisements
This is crucial for the Training Edge. People do read the comments about a service on
social media. Understand that if you get people to say good things about you, then you
have effectively marketed yourselves and have a strong possibility of gaining new
clientele. Also important to pay attention to is that people don’t care if you have any type
of radio, print, or TV advertisements. This shows how powerful social media is
becoming, and shows how necessary it is for the Training Edge to get aggressive in social
media marketing.
E. What types of information would you like to see on social media from the Training
Edge?
What matter's to members most Score
People's positive comments on social
media 3.88
Word of mouth from family and friends 3.76
People's negative comments on social media 3.41
Internet Advertisements 2.76
Television Advertisements 2.53
Groupon or Livingsocial 2.38
Print Advertisements 2.38
Radio Advertisements 2.38
23. 23REN AGENCY
Conclusions:People today have a need to see pictures and videos, to keep
their attention and to give them a better understanding of what they they’re getting
involved in. This is where social media can help you tremendously. Use social media. In
particular use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. It makes it so much easier to
show people what actually goes on in the Training Edge. Master Spoth and the rest of
his staff can use videos and pictures as recruiting tools to get new clients. I think the
reason that video tutorials are low is because the members are already doing the
exercises so it would defeat the purpose. We also don’t think that would be smart
because it could leave you liable if somebody gets hurt trying to do the exercises.
F. What types of social media do you use?
26. 26REN AGENCY
Conclusions: Clearly Facebook is the most effective social media when
trying to reach out to your established members. Keep in mind that trends show
Facebook is something that older generations are doing instead of younger. What this
means is that if you’re trying to recruit the younger generation of people, the best way to
do it may be through other social media accounts. The data showcases that a number of
people are using YouTube, which would be a great way to use promotional videos. All
these other accounts show small amounts of interest, however it is worth noting that
social media trends change all the time so do not become deadest on these numbers.
G. What times do you normally check your social media accounts?
1.Facebook
2.Twitter
3. Instagram
4. YouTube
5. Snapchat
6. Pinterest
7. Tumblr
8. Other
27. 27REN AGENCY
N = 117
This graph shows that the most people are on social media early in the morning and late
at night. Even if the Training Edge isn’t open, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be active on
social media. Facebook is the one social media app that seems to have a steady flow of
traffic throughout the day for your members. Remember you have the ability to post just
about everything on Facebook; making this a great tool for engaging with members and
nonmembers.
N = 34
Twitter may be the most crucial application for the future of the Training Edge. Even
though the majority of nonmembers don’t use Twitter, it doesn’t mean that the app isn’t
useful. As you can see this app is more popular among than others, meaning its growing
in popularity with the older generation. Twitter is crucial because it’s the best way to
engage the younger generation which was an initial goal of Master Spoth. Twitter
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essentially works the same way as Facebook, with the exception that messages can only
be 140 characters long. However tweeting at someone, or showing short clips of training
sessions is crucial to engaging potential clients. This social media outlet is similar to
Facebook in that the majority of traffic happens early in the morning and late at night.
N = 63
Being a female heavy survey, we expected Instagram to score high numbers. This is a
great app because it allows you to show pictures of training sessions. Like the other
apps, Instagram has a lot of traffic late at night. However if you notice the trend starts at
3:00 p.m. The number of users checking their Instagram accounts goes up every hour.
N = 57
Like all other apps, YouTube shows a good amount of traffic early in the morning and
usually goes down throughout the day. YouTube becomes very busy late at night
especially around 9:00 p.m. One important thing to remember with YouTube is that
29. 29REN AGENCY
once you’re video is up it stays there. However, one thing that should be emphasized is
that you can use other applications like Twitter or Facebook to provide a link to your
YouTube videos.
N= 59
Snapchat shows the most consistent amount of traffic throughout the day. Snapchat
videos are easy to post while members are training, which is supported by this chart
because from 3:00 p.m. onwards people are active on their accounts. You can engage
with current members by snapping photos and videos of training sessions involving
them.
N = 29
Pinterest is an app that positions itself more for women rather than men. The Training
Edge is not an organization that really requires a Pinterest account.
30. 30REN AGENCY
N = 19
Tumblr is essentially a blog that people can use to share thoughts, ideas, opinions etc.
We don’t really see the need for the Training Edge to have a Tumblr account as long as
the rest of the accounts are used properly and effectively.
N = 10
As previously stated, social media and social media trends are constantly changing. You
can use this chart for further reference if there ever comes an app that would be
beneficial to the Training Edge.
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H. How likely, on a scale from 1 to 5, much would you be interested in enrolling your
child, if you have one or more, in a program at the Training Edge?
2.21
I. How likely, on a scale from 1 to 5, would you be interested in enrolling at a
Southtowns location of the Training Edge if it opened? (Think about this)
1.92
Conclusions: Obviously these are not encouraging figures when looking at
a new target market for the Training Edge. However we fully support Master Spoth
expanding his research into possibly opening a location in the Southtowns. However as
we stated earlier, we feel Master Spoth should consider looking into opening a location
somewhere in the City of Buffalo, ideally the Elmwood Village or a downtown location.
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VI. Open-Ended Results
At the end of the survey we allowed respondents if there was anything they would like to
add, here are a few direct quotes.
“Maybe when my son is a bit older I would be more interested in looking into those
programs”
“My kids are only 3 and 5”
“Childcare is key for adults”
“Northtown location would be good. More history with Jewish background”
“Will you come north? I’d be interested”
“I would be interested if the location was opened in the Northtowns”
“If you opened a Northtowns location I would be more interested.”
“Travel is difficult enough to the Southtowns, something in downtown Buffalo would
be better. A modified program for disabled persons would be a
deciding factor in my choice, as well as the accessible location and facilities.”
“That video on the website doesn’t display or instill a lot of confidence. Best to
rewrite the copy, work on the delivery and redo. If a newly focused social media
program is going to bring visitors to the site, the first things they see need to be as
polished as you can make them. Good luck!”
“I do not know who runs the Training Edge’s Facebook page, but more thought should
go into it. I recall one time when they posted how lucky we were to be taught by
Master Spoth and how he was world renowned. The post stated that all
week we would be hearing about Master Spoth’s accolades. Underneath was an article
about Darren Levine, which did not even mention Master Spoth, so I was unclear what
it had to do with Master Spoth - he trained with Darren Levine, so what? The rest of
the week nothing else followed, nothing about Master Spoth. My take away was that
33. 33REN AGENCY
there is truly nothing special about Master Spoth and simply looking(?) him to
someone who is known does not make him world renowned.”
“When creating a social media platform for a gym area it is great to do ‘Social
Saturdays’ or ‘Talk about it Tuesdays’ where the post each week would be the same on
each day regarding that. Gyms that post over 3 photos a week I sometimes unfollow
because I’m interested in their marketing practices, but not interested in
being there daily. Which may be how users view it as well. Good luck!”
34. 34REN AGENCY
VII. Crisis Plan
Crisis situations aren’t something everyone is comfortable talking about.
However there may come a time when your facility may be faced with something that
could bring harm to your image that you have fought so hard to build up. Even though
crisis situations may require drastic action, don’t underestimate the role of social media
when communicating with your audience.
Outlined below are some possible crisis situations that could face the Training
Edge.
1. Injury to a member
2. Member using martial arts in an inappropriate way
3. Training Edge member/instructor caught doing something illegal/inappropriate
4. A person who is caught committing a crime wearing or using Training Edge
merchandise
1. Injury to a member
Our suggestion is to have each member and potential member sign a contract (if you
don’t already). Make sure each person knows what they’re getting involved in: the risks,
what to expect, or any other information that’s important to know. Having a contract is
crucial, not only can you protect yourself from being liable, but you want members to
understand that there are expectations that they are required to hold in order to get your
service. People need to understand what you’re teaching them is for health reasons and
safety purposes, not an instrument to hurt somebody else. Install a discipline plan for
that contract, if a member does something inappropriate, there needs to be
consequences, and never be afraid to terminate somebody’s membership if they are
caught doing something dangerous or foolish. Remember not only is the Training Edge’s
image on the line, but so is the safety of everyone that enters the building.
35. 35REN AGENCY
2. Member uses a tactic in an inappropriate way
I know most facilities that teach mixed martial arts preach to their students the
disciplines of using what they learned. Unfortunately people, and especially children are
unpredictable. What they may see as showing off to their friends, and proving how
tough they are, can put the Training Edge into a bad situation. When we met, you told us
that one of your key points was to teach people how to defend themselves. That’s great,
but you need to make sure that the point is constantly hammered home to members
especially the younger people. You should add a specific clause to the contract making
the person understand they are to only use the things they are taught at the facility in a
defensive manner, this way people can’t play dumb about not knowing the rules. Also I
would promote something like “The 10 biggest rules of Krav Maga” and make the first
rule is the students have a responsibility to use the teachings correctly and to not inflict
pain on anyone.
3. Training Edge instructor/member gets caught doing something illegal
and inappropriate
This covers a wide range of possible situations, but this plan may be your most
important. If something does happen you may need to fire that person, or ban them
from the facility. This is a crucial point to use social media. If you want to reach
somebody quickly, without trying to send an e-mail, or call everyone directly, Facebook
is your best option. I say this because Facebook is trending toward the older population,
and as the data shows, a lot of your members and potential clients use Facebook. Also
social media is a great tool to use for your instructors in order to become more engaged
with your clients. However using Twitter and Facebook, can be dangerous if a person
doesn’t understand that they’re representing their brand every time they hit “send.”
Make sure each of your instructors know that it’s not necessarily what they’re tweeting,
but it’s how people perceive it. We strongly encourage all of your instructors to create
their own professional social media accounts, but make sure they know the risks as well.
Remember in any crisis situation it will go a long way for people to hear the crisis
36. 36REN AGENCY
situation coming from you, instead of hearing it as the top story on local news. When
engaging with your audience there’s three keys to a successful crisis plan:
• Be first –Don’t wait around trying to figure out what you are/are not going to
tell the public. The first 24 hours can make or break the situation depending on the
offense. The 24 hour news cycle can either be your best friend or your worst enemy in
these situations.
• Be right –Talk about what you do know and not about what you don’t. Don’t
speculate and don’t make assumptions and also never use definitive language (always or
never) because you may hold yourself to too high of standards in the future. Never, ever
lie. You will get caught and it will only make your image worse and it will destroy any of
your credibility going into the future.
• Be credible –If/when a statement is coming from the Training Edge it should
almost always come from Master Spoth. You are the face of the facility, it’s your
character and reputation that are put on the line in any sort of crisis situation. Most
importantly be proactive with the situation, tell your audience how you’re going to fix it
in the future.
4. A person who is caught committing a crime wearing or using Training
Edge merchandise
We think it’s a great idea that you sell merchandise because it’s a great way to promote
your own brand. With that being said, there also comes a risk with putting your name
out there. Whether you know it or not if a person is seen promoting your brand while
caught in a bad situation there is a strong possibility of consequences coming at you. If
this does happen the Training Edge needs to separate themselves with the
person/situation. You want to give a statement saying the Training Edge does not
condone that person’s actions. Again social media is an excellent way to personally
engage with the members of your facility. It’s fast, cost-effective, and you can reach a
mass audience all in the span of a few seconds.
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Key points about social media use:
1. It’s not what you type, it’s how others perceive it.
One of a few drawbacks about social media is it doesn’t allow for face-to-face
conversation. Because of this, people may not understand when you’re making a joke, or
say something that accidentally offends somebody else. You want to make sure before
you hit send that read over the message multiple times, so it won’t come back to hurt
you in the long run.
2. Do not delete a tweet, status, or message
Just because you hit delete doesn’t mean that message is gone forever. If even one
person sees it, your credibility is gone. It also makes your facility look like they’re trying
to hide something which is the last thing you want. Acknowledge what you did wrong, be
proactive and tell everyone how you’re going to fix it.
3. Know how to handle negative comments on social media
Negative comments on social media, along with sites on Yelp can ruin potential
clients from joining the Training Edge. If this happens it needs to be handled quickly
and professionally. My suggestion is to track down the source of the comment either
online or by going to their profile. Tell the person that you are thankful for their input,
as this will make them feel that they matter to you and are more likely to keep their
membership. Handle the situation publicly, let them know that you are aware of the
problem and the steps you are taking to fix it.
38. 38REN AGENCY
V. Recommendations:
1. It took some time to find your mission statement on the website, it’s in small
letters on the bottom of the page. I would strongly consider making this one of the first
things people notice on your page. From the outset people will understand who you are
and what you’re about. If your target market is 5-12 year old's, then consider saying
something that would attract parents into letting their kids join your program.
2. I would go heavier with videos and pictures on the website and social media. Krav
Maga is something that’s not well known to the general public, as shown by survey
people have no idea what it is. People will want to see firsthand about the things that go
on in your facility. Having people watch videos, and connecting with you on social media
will help them get to know the people who will be training them which is crucial because
according to our survey, people ranked instructor knowledge as vital.
3. The course curriculum is something that needs to go on the front page. This is a
great tool that can help convince people who don’t know anything about Krav Maga, or
are on the fence of joining, sign up. People need to know what your service is going to
offer them, otherwise they will be less likely to join. You don’t want to have people
search for reasons like this, because chances are they won’t put in the effort to look
which costs you potential clients.
4. There needs to be a number of changes done to your schedule. The earliest class
starts at 4:15 p.m. If you added some morning classes, it would push a number of
potential clients to the Training Edge. If you look at every other major fitness center,
they open as early as 4:00 a.m. You need to give people more of an opportunity to get to
your facility, or it’s going to cost you memberships. We think the programs Master
Spoth offer provide an incredible opportunity for women and men to not lean to defend
themselves, but also become more physically fit. There’s a lot of people that are probably
looking for high intensity programs that attend other facilities, but they don’t
understand why it would be more beneficial for them to attend your dojo.
39. 39REN AGENCY
5. Something that you should consider is constantly updating on your social media
pages. An overwhelming amount of people (78% of nonmembers, and 94% of members)
care about having that schedule showcased on social media, I understand you offer a
number of different classes and that causes the schedule to change. However something
that’s in that high of demand will make people check out your pages and build a
customer relationship.
6. The Training Edge should create an after school “active daycare.” At our initial
meeting Master Spoth explained to us that he wants to attract more clients in the 5-12
year old range. This is a great way to accomplish that goal because of children getting
out of school, it would be an easy way to get kids in the door, while their parents are at
work. This would help break the mysteriousness that is Krav Maga because once you
have children in the facility you can show them what the Training Edge is about. Also if
they enjoy themselves enough, they will beg their parents to sign them up for a
membership.
7. We did not have a great sample size from the Southtowns region. However if
Master Spoth does want to continue to push towards that region we do support it.
However we want to offer an alternative. We believe that Master Spoth should come
after the City of Buffalo, in particular Buffalo State College, and Canisius College. The
fact is, our campus has had a major problem with students becoming robbed and
assaulted. If Master Spoth would focus his efforts on our campus he would immediately
have almost 11,000 potential clients, most of which are female from Buffalo State alone.
Master Spoth can tie himself to being a possible solution to the crime problem in our
region, using social media to engage with students, offers yourself as way to build
relationships with the community.
8. We think that it would be a great idea for you to sell merchandise. It’s something
not overly complicated that can help you grow your brand outside of Williamsville.
9. Do more activities with people who have disabilities. Just because people aren’t
physically able to keep up with others, doesn’t mean they don’t have the desire to better
themselves. This would create a lot of great PR for the Training Edge. The classes don’t
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have to be hectic, long, or often, but would still bring in revenue and popularity to your
facility.
Social Media
Just because people use social media as a marketing tactic doesn’t mean it’s being used
effectively. You need to understand each social media app, its purpose and how it can be
used most effectively to reach out to your target audience.
Facebook is still the most popular app among members and nonmembers. Keep in mind
that there are statistics that show this app is going to plateau and die off in the coming
years, but as for right now keep this as your number one priority. Our data shows that
people are on Facebook more often later in the day starting around 3 p.m. That’s great
for you because we noticed that most of your classes don’t start until 4:00 p.m. meaning
that you have the ability to show new potential clients things they need to see on
Facebook.
Every single one of your instructors should create their own professional accounts.
Social media is a great way for your instructors to gain a more personal relationship
with clients. If they are able to build that relationship it will probably create a longer
lasting relationship. Make sure your instructors keep in mind that they are representing
the Training Edge at all times. This could be a problem in the future.
Introducing Snapchat:
Snapchat is now the third most popular social network among millennials. Snapchat is a
great way to show snippets of programs going on at The Training Edge daily.
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V. Implementations:
The social media accounts should continue to be handled by the same couple of
people (input names), but the way in which the accounts are handled should be
revamped. The name of each social media account should be reflective of the business;
in this case keep it simple. The worst thing than a mediocre social media account is not
being able to locate the account. In this sense, the people handling the accounts have
been successful, such as with the Instagram account and the Facebook account. If you
type in, “The Training Edge” you immediately are able to locate the account (assuming
my Western New York location also aided in this effort). What should also be added to
each social media account is links to the other social media accounts that The Training
Edge uses. This information ought to be displayed on the main screen (the front page) of
each account. Examine it in this perspective, 90% of our public survey respondents use
Facebook and it is easy to locate your Facebook account, 54.3% of the public
respondents use Twitter, but it is not as easy to locate your Twitter account as it is to
find your Facebook account. If you had the link to that account on your Facebook
account it would not only make it easier to locate other social media accounts, but it also
provides awareness about the other accounts you utilize helping build your following on
other social media accounts. It was also found that 65.3% of our public respondents use
Instagram, yet the people who may follow your Facebook account (using this account as
an example because it has your largest following) may be oblivious to the existence of
your Instagram account. This is why that soft marketing technique of linking your
accounts together (it’s the same concept when you share your YouTube videos on your
Facebook accounts) is so effective. A lot of social media consumers are a part of multiple
social medias, and if they enjoy what you display on one account they are often willing to
add you on their other accounts. In order to maximize this strategy, you must be able to
identify and maximize the strengths of the different social medias available at your
disposal. Play at each social media’s strengths through both the content posted and
understanding what content to avoid posting. First you have to be able to make the
skeleton (including the social media necessities such as: profile pics, background pics,
etc.) as clean and presentable as possible before even worrying about the meat
(content). The profile picture can either be the company’s logo, or you can periodically
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alter the picture. As long as the profile picture is clear and representative of the
company, it should be fine. You can toggle between a group photo of the staff, some of
the members in action...literally anything as long as it represents The Training Edge.
The current profile picture of the Facebook account is a great example of an acceptable
profile picture (it even includes contact information). The background picture should be
something that compliments the profile picture for the account. The theme, or color
layout of your social media accounts can even be synonymous with the company’s
colors: red, grey and black.
Now when it comes to the actual content of each social media site what should
first be understood is the amount you post. Most successful social media accounts post
on a daily basis. It seems that if a social media account isn’t updated regularly people
tend to eventually stop tuning in, or might begin to unfollow assuming that you
abandoned that account. When it comes into the discussion of what type of content to
post, nonmembers of The Training Edge (public respondents) would prefer to see:
pictures of members in action (59.2%), videos of members in action (54.4%), class
schedules (78.2%), instructor profiles/bios (57.6%) and pictures of The Training Edge’s
faculty (56.8%). This data depicts the potential of The Training Edge’s Instagram
account, which is dangerously undermined (Instagram being the second highest social
media account used by the public respondents at 65.3%). And this just stems from the
lack of content updates. If your content is posted sporadically your followers have no
idea when to check your account and you won’t show up in their news feed. Also
potential followers usually check your content before they decide whether to follow you
or not. This means that if they see that you only post on your account only once or twice
a week they may decide not to follow your account at all. Constant posting helps you to
not only have a higher retention rate for you followings, but The Training Edge will also
acquire new followers and more feedback as time progresses.
Focus needs only to be held on the quality of the posts, with such posts in a
consistent fashion. This is essential in building a following that will share your social
media accounts with others, and they will be more inclined to interact with the material
that is posted.
