It probably
comes as no surprise to hear that social media is the most accessible form of
information sharing on the planet. Internet communities such as Facebook and
Twitter have the entire globe connected to one another. In our current day-to-day
life, we see companies and interest groups using these media outlets as sources
for advertising as well as a means to observe market trends. Administrators of Campus
Recreation centers around the country are embracing the power of social media in
an effort to effectively market programs to a tech savvy student population. If you want to build a strong program, check
out my Top 3 list.
1. Participation. Campus Recreation
centers are using social media to encourage participation in programs and
increase daily attendance. Daily tweets
and Facebook posts allow students to know what’s happening at the Rec. For
instance, here at Tarleton State University, every program or upcoming
intramural season is posted on our Facebook page, posted on our twitter, and
photos of daily activities throughout the rec are posted on our Instagram. It’s
imperative to get the word out to the students if you want your programs to
grow and be successful.
2. Trends. The easiest and most common way to stay
current is to monitor what’s going on in the industry – follow the trends. By implementing the current trends at your
own facility the students will be more likely to get involved. At Tarleton Rec
Sports, we keep an active log of all rec programs in our general area (both
collegiate and non-collegiate), monitor attendance/success of those programs,
and implement our own programs styled after many that we see people using
outside of our facility. The world of recreation
is constantly changing and evolving – so
should your rec center. Keep an active and
open line of communication with the National Intramural-Recreational Sports
Association (NIRSA) through Facebook, Twitter, list serves, and other means, to
insure that your customers are engaged in the latest fitness and recreation
trends.
3.
Communication.
Basically, overall global success of Campus
Recreation centers requires constant communication and the sharing information.
Develop a base of contacts in the field, keep an open line of communication,
and constantly discuss happenings in the rec sports world. Implement the
positive aspects of what you discuss with your colleagues and adapt them to fit
your facility and student community. For
example - Personal Trainers can use social media to communicate with other professionals
within the field to learn about new techniques that can help them do their jobs
more effectively.
By embracing
the power of social media, it will give your Campus Recreation center a better
opportunity to serve the diverse needs of your students and will also help your center stay current in the
recreation world.
Check out
the Tarleton State University social media outlets:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TarletonRec
Twitter - https://twitter.com/TarletonRec
These are very helpful tips. Social media is honestly the best way to get in contact with people on this campus. Posting stuff on Twitter or Facebook is a great way to keep students updated here at Tarleton. Also it can help with many other things such as personal trainers like it said in the article. Social media is a great tool if you use it correctly.
ReplyDeleteWithout a doubt, you hit it on the tee. Social media plays a vital role in creating higher attendance in the rec facilities. Simple tweets, reminders and photos posted, can easily open a students interest in participating in activities at those facilities.
ReplyDeleteSocial media can either be a bad thing or it can be a really good thing. I think on campus it is a really good thing. It gets everybody's attention. I think here on campus if people didn't use social media everybody would be lost. Really good article.
ReplyDeleteSocial Media is by no doubt the best way to communicate an event at any college. I feel that the strongest of the three on the list is trends. Having a watchful eye on the trends will help in setting up the best plan.
ReplyDeleteThis way of social media is great for colleges and jobs in my opinion because of how rapid digital technology is actually growing in our pockets and house holds.
ReplyDeleteSocial media is still growing and will continue to grow with more and more people joining social media. It is great for colleges to use social media to let students know what is going on in the school and trying to get them involved. Using more than one social media is a great idea also. It allows to let more people know that don't have more then one social media.
ReplyDeleteWe all know social media is growing, but yet you can use it to help with exercise programs and nutrition help
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