Articles Tagged with: leisure industry

Dealing with Frozen Members

Before the coronavirus pandemic, frozen members were estimated to make up less than 1% of a centre’s membership base, and many operators didn’t even provide the facility to freeze a membership, opting instead to allow people to cancel. This strategy varied from operator to operator depending on their membership model and culture towards enforcing membership contracts.

With the UK now entering another phase of lockdown many operators are once again allowing customers to freeze their membership whilst leisure facilities close their doors. In this short article we’ll give these operators a few tips on how to ensure these frozen customers, once again, become your regular customers in the future.

It is worth noting that the strategy to freeze members automatically during lockdown has not been adopted by all leisure centre, gyms and clubs across the country. Some have asked customers to continue to make payments, if they can financially afford to do so, in return for keeping the business afloat and receiving an online service (streaming classes, fitness challenges, virtual PT). Such businesses have seen as high as 80% of their membership base continue to support them with regular monthly fees.

So what can you do with frozen members?

Regular contact

It may seem obvious but the most important thing you can do is not ignore this group of customers. Ensure that any correspondence that’s going out to ‘live’ members is also being seen by your frozen customers.

“We want you back”

It’s a nice to thing to say to customers but if it becomes too repetitive its just a cold statement without any substance. Why do you want them back? To help them achieve their goals, to help them make new friends again, to see them smiling and enjoying your facilities, because you genuinely miss them? Tell them that!

The Big Unfreeze

At some point you have to draw a line in the sand and unfreeze your customers to see where you stand. Still provide the option for customers who do not feel ready to return to make contact and discuss their circumstances. Be sensitive to people’s situation and any messages that are circulating in the media.

Content

Vary your message and the content that you’re sending these customers. Why have they not returned yet? Scared – here’s some information on how we’re keeping our members safe. Happy working out at home – send some home workout tips and videos. Motivation – here’s a free guest pass to bring a friend back with you.

Channels

We’ve seen most operators rely solely on email to communicate with their frozen members. With open-rates dropping to less than 20% for a lot of operators that means you’re NOT reaching 8 out of 10 customers with your messages. Have you tried an SMS – guaranteed delivery rates and must better engagement? Are you sharing your regular bulletins and newsletters on social media? Are you encouraging members to share updates with embedded forwarding links in the emails.

Why have they stayed away?

There’s lot of reasons why frozen members are not ready to return (risk adverse, safety measures aren’t enough, not happy with layout, money concerns, job uncertainty, shielding or isolating). But why guess when you could ask them? Setup a short customer survey and ask for their feedback, possibly with a prize draw incentive for completing the questionnaire. Or invest some time in calling your customers and see how they’re feeling. And if that feels a little bit overwhelming for the volume of frozen members you currently have, then analyse which members were regulars before lockdown and focus on this smaller group of customers.

Final thought

Remember, cancellations typically come from your frozen members. So the fewer frozen members, the fewer cancellations. Don’t leave it too late to do the big unfreeze, and if in doubt give us a call and we’ll happily chat through our experiences and provide some advice.

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Re-opening Checklist for Operators

As lockdowns and restrictions come to an end amid the Covid-19 pandemic, it is absolutely crucial that leisure operators take the opportunity to offer a well-organised, clearly communicated, and welcoming re-opening experience for their customers in order to encourage them to return to your centre.

We’ve put together a comprehensive checklist to use when planning and implementing your re-opening strategy, covering the most important elements of any marketing and communications plan, including:

Staffing
Planning
Communication
Outreach
In-Reach
Online
Social Media
Special Activities

download the checklist

When is a Marketing Agency Not a Marketing Agency?

At TA6 we often find it difficult to explain what we do. Not because we don’t know, but because we have such a range of services it is difficult to define us as one type of business. We find it easy to use the terms ‘Marketing Agency’ and ‘Training Provider’ but it always feels like we’re undervaluing the extent of our support.

TA6 was created 3 years ago and had previously been operating since 1999 as the support division of Alliance Leisure.

It is still very much a key part of Alliance Leisure and the name itself is born from the post code of our head office. But back in 2017 we felt it was right to define the support team with their own brand and identity. No longer would clients assume that Alliance did marketing ‘on the side’ or that training wasn’t a core part of our business.

Since 2017 the team has grown, our client list has grown and our reputation has exceeded our expectations, proving it was the right move at the right time. But we still face the question of what does TA6 do? And its simple really, we do 3 things:

⚡ Drive income and make leisure sustainable

⚡ Empower and develop the leisure sector workforce

⚡ Improve the health and wellbeing of the nation

Therefore to label ourselves as just a marketing agency or just a training provider serves to undervalue the impact we make with our clients.

You can download our marketing brochure here and take a look at the range of marketing services we provide, but what this won’t explain is the support we provide on reviewing pricing policies, analysing the culture of an organisation and supporting the senior management team to make a positive difference, being a critical friend who can challenge ways of working that may need a review, or mentoring a duty manager team to take commercial ownership of the business and drive income and success.

A marketing agency will often charge a retainer or offer a fixed service agreement for a set amount of services. TA6 does this, but we also feel we go beyond a simple contractual arrangement. If you talk to our clients you’ll hear how we become an integral part of their staff and management team – a true partner to the organisation and not simply a supplier.

⚡ Power Pack ⚡

Alongside the more traditional payment options our Power Pack solution provides a comprehensive package of support ranging from brand development, impact sales support, staff training, marketing campaigns, mystery shoppers, account management, customer surveys and more!

Each Power Pack is tailored to the needs of a client as some operators may have in-house provision of specific services covered. Payment to TA6 is only made when pre-agreed income targets have been surpassed, thus removing any upfront costs to an operator. The principle of a Power Pack is that TA6 will help grow income beyond current levels and therefore any payment to TA6 is from revenue that wouldn’t otherwise be there.

And finally, if an operator does want to work with us in a marketing agency capacity then they are working with a team of leisure managers, personal trainers, sports coaches, leisure consultants and group fitness instructors who specialise in an industry they all hold a passion for.

So when is a marketing agency not a marketing agency?

When it's TA6.

A highly skilled team of leisure experts dedicated to ensuring our clients and their businesses thrive.

If you’d like to explore opportunities to work with us complete your details below and one of the team will be in touch.

Livestream Legends Course NOW AVAILABLE

Become a Livestream Legend!

We’ve launched our Livestream Legends training workshop to help create the most amazing online workouts. These webinars cover everything you need from setup and technology, through to presenting and promotion. find out more on the link below…

Livestream Legends Info

Covid-19 Resources for Leisure Operators

Looking for our Covid-19 resources?

Whether it’s social media content, staff training, videography services, or campaign ideas, you can find our entire collection of useful information and resources by clicking below.

covid-19 resources and support

2021: Social Media Trends and the Leisure Industry

A very happy new year to all our clients and readers! To kick-start January for you, we’re sharing some of our opinions and insights into upcoming social media trends in 2021 and what these might mean for us in the leisure industry. Which platforms will people be using, what content do they want, and how can we best use social media to reach our customers?

THE TIKTOK QUESTION

Will leisure operators start using TikTok?

With a growth rate from five hundred million to one billion users in the last twelve months, TikTok looks like an opportunity not to be missed. It has topped the app download charts several times in the past two years and enjoys the highest engagement rate per post across all social media channels. Its reach is highest amongst 18-24 year old females, so the platform looks ideal for engaging with generations Z, C, and Alpha.

‘Tiktok’ by Solen Feyissa. CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

TikTok is not without competition, though. Instagram have launched their Reels product, a very similar copycat product on its well-established platform. With TikTok banned in some countries, like India, Reels will almost certainly see a huge uptake in certain regions.

Businesses are beginning to harness the power of TikTok, and the platform has responded by creating a business arm, much like Facebook’s, which enables brands to create and run advertising campaigns featuring their own TikTok videos.

Of brands using TikTok, PPC Specialist Ashleigh Brown says: ‘success on TikTok comes from product placement, branding, viral content, influencers and soft-selling techniques. Paid advertising is a new thing on the network and brands are still finding out what they can achieve with the products TikTok provides’ (The Drum). With Costs per Click averaging around £7.50, it’s an expensive place to experiment.

There hasn’t been a big uptake in TikTok by leisure operators yet, but they’ve also had other priorities to distract them in the past nine months. A potential barrier to TikTok is that its effective use requires those familiar with the channel itself – those who use it on a day-to-day basis to either browse and/or post. Younger members of a leisure team are more likely to understand the platform and have the best ideas for content, so look to engage with these staff for their input and get on a new channel that will talk to an audience you might be struggling to reach.

FACEBOOK UNITED

Another social media trends we’re going to be hearing more about is Facebook’s plans to integrate its three messaging platforms, Facebook Messenger, Instagram and eventually WhatsApp. This last step will see them secure end-to-end encryption on all their messaging platforms.

Uniting the platforms is taking place to enable a simpler customer journey when it comes to messaging, requiring the use of only one app instead of having to choose between three. As well as simplifying the messaging process between friends and family members, this merger will also make it easier for consumers to contact brands and businesses.

Leisure operators need to prepare themselves for an increase in enquiries on these channels and to ‘meet people where they are’. Facebook’s gold standard for response times is within 15 minutes, but operators should be aiming to get back to customers within an hour. Operating procedures may need looking at to ensure this level of responsiveness, alongside some additional staff training.

THE RISE OF ECOMMERCE

The final social media trend for 2021 that we’ll be looking at is the growth of eCommerce on social channels.

Facebook is currently rolling out its Shops feature, which makes it easier for brands to operate an eCommerce site within the Facebook and Instagram platforms. Businesses can create a ‘shop’ for free, which can then be hosted on Facebook and/or Instagram for users to purchase from. It’s an entirely separate entity from the business’s website.

Facebook

Further, Instagram has recently introduced its Product Tagging feature, which allows business to tag a product featured in their Instagram content (be that a grid post, story, or Reel), so long as it’s able to be directly purchased through the company’s Instagram Shop or website.

With 55% of online shoppers making a purchase through a social channel in the last 12 months, it is certainly worth exploring how your online processes could be improved. Is there an opportunity to vend short term impulsive membership options alongside your regular online joining options, for example? When was the last time your reviewed your online sign-up process?

Need help harnessing these trends?

Get In Touch

Masterclass Series: Complete!

From the 8th-11th December, TA6 ran a Masterclass series designed to prepare those working in the leisure sector for 2021. The series featured an expert list of presenters discussing the following subjects:

Sales
Customer Service
Communication
Marketing

We are delighted to reveal that the Masterclass was an unbridled success and resulted in some outstanding figures and feedback, which we’d love to share with you.

Webinars

Organisations Attended

Individuals Attended

Overall Viewers

Minutes of Content

The content was great and really thought-provoking. I have come away with a lot to think about
and a to-do list for the next 12 months.

% of attendees

would recommend future TA6 webinars to colleagues

All the sessions I attended were well organised with fabulous content and very thought-provoking. Great way to enter 2021.

Really appreciate the insights and look forward to working with the team as we go into 2021.

Want to find out more about the Masterclass series, future seminars, or how we can power up your facility?

Get in touch

TA6 Launch Masterclass Series

TA6 are pleased to announce our Masterclass Webinar series running online on Zoom from the 8th to 11th December from 1.30-2.30pm.

Designed to prepare those working in the leisure sector for 2021, the series covers the following areas:

Sales
Customer Service
Communication
Marketing

Book your place on an invidual course for £25 per person per webinar, or purchase access to entire series for just £50 per person.

Learn More About the Series and Register Your Place

TA6 MASTERCLASS SERIES

TA6 Becomes a CIMSPA Training Provider Partner

TA6 are delighted to announce that we have been made a CIMSPA Training Provider Partner following a successful application process.

This renowned position signifies CIMSPA’s endorsement of the high-quality training delivered by TA6, and we will join over 500 other CIMSPA provider partners in Employment, Awarding Organisations, and Higher Education.

Our Head of Training, Marina Thomas, says:

We want to ensure that we deliver the highest quality training to our clients, and with a growing number of employers committing to only using CIMSPA recognised training this partnership ensures that our training meets all the criteria and professional standards in the sport, fitness, leisure, and physical activity sector.

Marina Thomas

Head of Training

Paul Woodford, Director of Marketing and Partnerships at TA6, added:

TA6 are passionate about delivering impactful and inspiring training for the leisure sector and to now be a CIMSPA training partner is a real buzz. Going through the accreditation process has forced us challenge the way we approach delivering development programmes, training courses and coaching, we feel our training offering is even stronger.
Developing the leisure workforce is one of our core purposes and look froward to developing a strong partnership with CIMPSA.

Paul Woodford

Director of Marketing and Partnerships

Could we offer training support to your staff?

Get In Touch

Social Media Do’s and Don’ts Guide

Social Media Do’s and Don’ts

Social media has a global penetration rate of 51% (71% in the UK), meaning over half of the world’s population uses it. With the right strategy and knowledge, it can be used to take your marketing to the next level. Take a look at our top do’s and don’ts for effective social media marketing.

Do’s

Have a strategy

Your social media strategy should act as an outline for how your company will use your platforms to achieve your communication goals and will ensure that your content is being kept relevant and to the point.

It should be used as the basis of all social media posts you make and should mean that the tone of posts is kept consistent regardless of who within the company makes them. Consider it to be a recipe book for your company’s posts.

Use a variety of images and videos, not just text

Adding media to your social media posts is essential in ensuring that they stand out from the crowd. With so many posts and so much high-quality content out there, simple text just doesn’t cut it any more.

There is a huge amount of evidence to prove the effectiveness of video in social media marketing, so try to include them wherever possible.

85% of consumers want brands to produce more videos this year

83% of consumers would consider sharing a brand video they enjoyed with their friends

Remember your Brand

Try and maintain your brand style and tone of voice in your social posts.

Remember you are trying to engage with your community and not just sell to them so maintain a good balance between local engagement and on-brand messaging.

Avoid overuse of Google images which can cheapen the look and feel of your feeds.

Encourage interaction from customers

Asking your audience questions is a great way to do this. The audience will appreciate the invitation to the conversation, and it makes them feel like your company cares about what they have to say.

Another way you could encourage interaction is by encouraging people to tag their friends – this brings the extra bonus of increasing the reach of your posts.

Almost 59% of consumers engage with brands on social media – sometimes up to three times a day.

singlegrain.com

Act professionally – be open, honest and respectful

Remember that the social media posts you publicise are giving an impression of your facility, so it’s very important to keep a professional tone with any and all interactions.

Use your common sense

It’s important to remain self-aware when using social media to promote your company. Consider what you are posting, tweeting, and direct messaging before you do it, not after.

Laughter is a universal language and one of our first communication methods

Angie Pascale

ClickZ

Use humour, but remain professional

Humour is a major pre-requisite when it comes to viral content; it prevents posts from feeling sterile and helps them to stand out. Combine this with the use of common sense and you’re onto a winner.

Use emojis and exclamation marks where appropriate

Using an emoji in a tweet has been found to increase engagement by up to 25% 😲. Use emojis that make sense in the context of your post, in the same way you would in a text message; keep it relevant and don’t go crazy! 👍

Proof-read your posts

A quick proof-read can save a lot of grief when it comes to social media marketing. Check for typos, homophones, and make sure hashtags are not being used out of context.

Ask users to share their positive experiences of your facilities

Social media is a gold mine for feedback, so why not utilise it?

Chances are the majority of your customers will be on social media, and this can be used to collect and re-share positive experiences, which in turn will promote a positive brand image. As mentioned in the section about encouraging interaction, your customers will enjoy feeling included in the conversation too.

42% of consumers expect a response on social media within 60 minutes.

The Social Habit

Be responsive

Don’t allow your customers to feel like they are being left in the dark. If it isn’t feasible to respond in a timely manner, putting in place an automated response is a good alternative, but should always be followed up.

Don’ts

Don’t just post centre updates

This can be useful on occasion, but it’s important to keep content fresh and relevant.

Instead of filling your platforms with centre updates, try sharing articles from external sites, such as Swim England or the NHS, sharing the benefits of a membership with your centre or of a particular exercise, or workout ideas.

Get even more ideas from our monthly Social Media Guides.

Don’t use too much of your own personality

It’s important to remember that you are representing your brand on company social media platforms, not yourself.

Try to be careful when it comes to discussing personal opinions on company social media pages, and remember to stick to the aforementioned marketing strategy.

Don’t use engagement-bait tactics

Seeing a barrage of spam when browsing social media is frustrating and boring, and should serve as a lesson not to use it, even if it does increase engagement metrics (e.g. likes, comments, shares).

Certain social media platforms (particularly Facebook) are cracking down on this type of post and are demoting and sometimes deleting them.

Don’t use too many platforms for the sake of it

By spreading across too many platforms, your content may become diluted and stale. As well as this, some platforms may not be appropriate and clash with your marketing strategy.

Focus on the social media platforms that work best for your content. For leisure facilities, the most effective platforms tend to be Facebook, Instagram, and then Twitter.

Don’t share sensitive information

According to SmarterMSP, up to 70% of people have shared sensitive business information.

It is essential that staff are clearly instructed on what sensitive information is, and the importance of not allowing any leaks.

Sensitive business information includes anything that poses a risk to the company in question if discovered by a competitor or the general public.

Tech Target

Does your team need some social media training?

Would you like a free social media audit?

To chat about our services and how we can help with your social media strategy, please enter your details below.

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