building & leveraging online communities: a case study
DESCRIPTION
See how the Columbus Marathon has built, sustained and leveraged a vibrant, interactive online community. By providing a hub for marathon participants and supporters, the marathon has used social media to achieve the event's overall goals.TRANSCRIPT
Building, Sustaining & Leveraging Online Communities
#SMIATL
Heather Whaling • @[email protected]
prTini.comfacebook.com/GebenCommunication
Columbus Marathon: a social media case study
Priorities
• Communicate with marathoners/supporters when & where they want
• Foster engagement with & between marathoners
• Take the “scare” factor out of marathoning• Sustain Columbus Marathon community
year round• Improve customer service
Nail the Basics
nail the basics
• facebook.com/columbusmarathon• Off season: Update 4-5 times per week• Training season: Update twice daily• Emphasis on facilitating conversation among
marathoners
• @cbusmarathon• Limit: 3-4 scheduled tweets per day• Focus on being conversational, providing moral support• Heavy use of lists & local search
www.columbusmarathon.com/blog
• “Maintenance mode” during off season• Blogging team provides real-life
perspective. • Bloggers include:
– Board member/sponsor– Local media personality– Mom walking to lose pregnancy weight– First-timer
• 2-3 posts per week• 30 Tips, 30 Days (see here)
after you nail the basics, add some sizzle
RunFest
• Kick-off training season with family-friendly, outdoor event– Entertainment, food, training clinics
• Added social in 2010– Facebook event– Facebook ads– Blogger outreach
Virtual Scavenger Hunt
• Drive traffic to the new website• Establish new connections with
potential marathon runners/walkers• Offer positive reinforcement for
participants, in the midst of grueling training
• http://bit.ly/CbusMarathonHunt
Ask the Race Director
• Live broadcast on Ustream• Solicited questions on
Facebook,Twitter, blog & enewsletter
• 45 minutes, over lunch hour
day-of interactions
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Results
• 2010 race sold out faster than ever• 2011 registration pacing ahead of 2010• 37% of columbusmarathon.com traffic
in 2010 was referred by social media• Facebook referrals increased 95% from
2009 to 2010• Improved customer service by
responding to 25+ Facebook questions the week of the marathon
Heather Whaling • @[email protected]
@CbusMarathonfacebook.com/ColumbusMarathonwww.columbusmarathon.com
subscribe to my blog: bit.ly/prTini
Collaboration. Integration. Social Good.