Engaging With Your Customers During Lockdown
Has lockdown forced you to close your centre? Although it may seem strange, now is not the time to go silent! Customers will be looking to your social media channels for information, so make sure you provide them with that along with some added extras to demonstrate your value.
To help you out, we’ve put together a series of tips and ideas to keep your membership engaged with you while physical sites are closed.
- Polls are really important – the more questions you can ask to keep people engaged the better. Make the most of built-in functions on some social media channels such as Instagram Stories.
- This lockdown is very different to the last one. With kids still at school and some activities still open it’s definitely not as restrictive as the previous one. People won’t have as much time on their hands as previously. Therefore keep engagement light, maybe even just branded morning motivational messages.
- Links to online classes are super important – the more you can offer the better, and remember to offer early morning and evening for those that are still working. Are you offering a special lunchtime workout for those looking for a break from the homeworking routine?
- If offering online classes both virtual and on demand, be aware of what licenses you may need
- Daily challenges are great – they should include challenges that also promote mental health as well as physical challenges – call a friend you haven’t seen this year, have a bath, light some candles, etc.
- Link to other sites/blog posts that offer things you don’t. Ideas include tips for keeping off the pandemic pounds, why it’s important to drink water, local outdoor areas for a wintery walk, 5 exercises you can do in your pyjamas, and more.
- It’s a nice touch to support small local businesses that will be struggling. Daily small business shout outs would be great – places you can buy your Christmas treats etc. If you’re not able to support individual shops then get behind campaigns to support the local area/high street.
- Non-fitness related content is a light-hearted way to get people engaged. Who’s put up their Christmas tree early? (there seems to be a lot of this going on!) – share your pictures. Are you planning on decorating the centres ready for re-opening? Maybe a virtual live Christmas lights switch on? Ask if you should go coloured or white bulbs? Fairy or star on the tree?
- Fun posts are essential this time around. You could try releasing Christmas-themed workouts (it’s only November but we need to take all the joy we can get!).
- Community Challenge – Can you run a mile in a month? Share customers progress on-line. Ask them to share pictures and video.
- Weekly focus – focus on a move each day, build that into a workout on the Friday.
- Create your own USP weeks depending on what you offer. Week 1 – Swimming takeover, tips on swimming, how to stay flexible, how to recreate at home. Week 2 – gym take over. How to train at home (all staff from this area involved) Week 3 – class take over
- Facebook take over – Week 1 talk to the manager, Week 2 chat with an instructor, Week 3, meet our reception team
- If instructors are leading live classes, get them to go online a few hours before to remind people you will be there. Promoting the classes is as important as delivering them as no instructor wants an empty class.
- Create a Spotify playlist for workouts, or moments of reflection away from the kids
- Food recipes to warm the soul, like this one.
- You can use Bitly to reduce the size of links within your social communications.
- National Days in November you could base content around include:
- 8/11 National Cappuccino Day
- 10/11 National Vanilla Cupcake Day
- 11/11 Remembrance Day
- 13/11 National Kindness Day
- 14/11 National Family PJ Day
- 15/11 National Clean Out Your Fridge Day
- 17/11 National Take A Hike Day
- 27/11 National Day of Listening
- 29/11 Electronic Greetings Day
Check out our monthly Social Media Guides for more detailed tips and tricks, as well as more awareness days and social media platform updates.
At TA6, we are completely dedicated to supporting the leisure industry throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. We have therefore created a free resource library for all operators to use, containing plans, templates, social media assets, and more, to help you through this challenging time.
You can browse our other Covid-19 resources, support tools, and services here.
Finally, if you would like to speak to us in order to discuss lockdown strategy, a comeback campaign, or any other kind of marketing or training assistance, you can contact us here.