Marketing: You Need To Do It

While college students are smart, sometimes they need a little help. When I was in college, I got so preoccupied with classes, schoolwork and having a social life that I did not take full advantage of everything the university had to offer, and this included recreational programming.

I frequented the recreation center, almost daily, yet I still did not take the time to investigate everything that had to offer. I knew there was an intramural basketball team, but that was for guys. I heard murmurs of outdoor adventure trips, but never took the time to find out more about them.

Now, looking back I would have loved to go camping or hiking, maybe even participate in an intramural sport. So to learn from my experience: Sometimes you need to be obvious with your marketing, make is simple for students, but most importantly, grab their attention.

Here are a few tips to consider for your next marketing campaign.

Think about SEO — When you post something on your website, make sure to consider Search Engine Optimization. When your posts have a good SEO score, they will appear at the top of a Google search, making it easier to find. In order to get better SEO, pick a keyword that you use in the headline as well as in the first paragraph of the story. Add links in the first paragraph of the story. Add a photos or other multimedia. For more tips, check out this beginners guide to SEO. https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo

Take Advantage of Social Media — It is no secret that the millennial generation engages with social media on a daily, if not hourly, basis. The first step is to make a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram page for your recreation center, but it does not stop there. Strive to make every post engaging and eye catching. You can do so by using funny memes or videos. You should also interact with users. If someone posts a comment and question, respond within a timely manner.

Try Something New — When it comes to marketing it is easy to stick with what you know and what works, but every once in a while it doesn’t hurt to try something new. Experimenting with new platforms is a great place to start: think Snapchat or Pintrest. The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts developed a unique marketing campaign, Pin.Pack.Go, using Pintrest. Before embarking on a trip, users created a Pin.Pack.Go board on Pintrest, tagging the hotel they plan to visit. Once the hotel follows them back, they provide insight into the local area, places to visit and must eat cuisine. The ultimate goal of the campaign was to connect local Four Season Experts with visitors. Check out the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Pintrest page here: https://www.pinterest.com/fourseasons/

If you have any unique marketing campaigns that have been successful within your recreation center, please share them by emailing me at emily@peakemedia.com.