Canton Commits to Community Wellness with ’100 Days to Health’ (GUEST POST)

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Henry O'Loughlin

This is a guest post from Jessica Levine, Marketing Coordinator at Canton Leisure Services in Canton, Michigan.
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The figures are staggering: More than one-third of American adults and children are obese, resulting in conditions like heart disease and diabetes. Canton Leisure Services (CLS), ACTIVE Network customer and winner of the National Recreation and Park Association Gold Medal Award, is helping to relieve this epidemic on a local level through its four-month ’100 Days to Health’ program.

Supported by a strong partnership with Southeast Michigan’s Oakwood Healthcare System, 100 Days annually begins in January and wraps up in late April at the popular Summit on the Park community center located in Canton, Michigan. Continue reading →

3 Negative Trends to Reverse in Your Community

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Henry O'Loughlin

In recent years, humans (and particularly kids) have become increasingly sedentary. This trend is affecting mental and physical health as well as healthcare costs. But a few weeks ago, ACTIVE customers from parks and rec agencies, collegiate rec departments, YMCAs and other community organizations are gathered at our user conference to discuss these issues. Continue reading →

24 Activities That Will Get Young Professionals Through Your Doors

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Henry O'Loughlin

Yuppies. Say what you want about them, but they have incomes and a general affinity for the hottest fitness trend, class, and activity. They also take to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram before, during and after participating in a cool activity. Doesn’t that sound like an ideal customer? Depending on the demographics of your community, you could tap into the young professional market with some new and trendy offerings.

To help you understand what young professionals are looking for, here is a list of activities that are currently trendy in the 20 – 30 year old range: Continue reading →

Why You Need Benefit-Based Marketing (Guest Post)

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Henry O'Loughlin

This is a guest post by Greg Bruggeman. He is a recreation professional and blogs at Professional Recreation. Check out his blog or follow him on Twitter.
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Have you ever had to buy an item foreign to you? Not something huge like a car or house but something inconsequential and of little cost, like a cleaning solution. As you sit in the aisle weighing the pros and cons of two similarly priced items, something catches your eye: Scrubbing Bubbles! You think to yourself “How could I have been so stupid! All these years, I’ve been doing the scrubbing when these bubbles can scrub for me!” I had to get this product! While I was walking out of the store with my Scrubbing Bubbles, I realized I had become the victim of great benefit-based marketing. Continue reading →

4 Ways To Engage Your YMCA Members (Outside Its 4 Walls)

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Henry O'Loughlin

If you’re reading this, you are probably involved with YMCAs in some capacity. And since you’re in the industry and we’re a software company, we won’t be talking about how you can better engage your members on a human level or in person. You’ve got that down.

But we do know technology, so this blog post will cover some ways you can interact with your members through newer media and tools. Here are 4 ways to improve member engagement when they aren’t at your facilities: Continue reading →

Facebook’s New Timeline Design for P&R Agencies (VIDEO)

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Henry O'Loughlin

Facebook is playing around with a significant Timeline redesign. The new format is being rolled out experimentally and could be live for all members soon. And to cover this change for the parks & recreation community, we turn to Josh Panzer. Josh is the founder of ParksandRecreationSocialMedia.com.

Check out his video guest blog post to learn how your agency should adjust to the pending Facebook change: Continue reading →

Why You Need The City of Calgary Recreation’s Thank You Page

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Henry O'Loughlin

When a customer registers for a program or books a facility online, what happens? Do you thank them? Do you recommend other similar programs or point them to your Facebook page? Don’t squander this opportunity to turn a new customer into a loyal one.

We covered this idea a few months ago in this article: 3 Critical Web Pages You Are Neglecting. One of the three we covered was the thank you page. To summarize, each web interaction with a customer is a great opportunity for your P&R agency to take the next step. On the thank you page, can you turn that customer into a Facebook fan? Can you point that customer to other similar programs (upsell)? Designing goal-oriented thank you pages should be a part of your marketing strategy. Continue reading →

5 Blogs for Parks & Recreation Professionals to Follow Today

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Henry O'Loughlin

blogs If you’re reading this article, you probably work in parks and/or recreation. Whether you’re a veteran Director, a brand-new Administrator or anywhere in between, you most likely share one common goal: to serve at your best. And one way to continually better yourself is to keep up with industry trends, tips, and resources by reading (or skimming if need be) relevant blogs.

Here are five blogs that can help you, the parks and recreation pro, stay on top of your craft: Continue reading →