Since 1992, Healthways’ SilverSneakers Fitness Program has been one of the nation’s premier exercise programs designed exclusively for Medicare members, offering an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programming. While a hugely popular program, using strategic social marketing in recent months has provided SilverSneakers with new and effective ways to connect with potential members and, perhaps more importantly, to encourage loyalty to the program, ongoing member participation and involvement.
SilverSneakers first began experimenting with Facebook – the most popular social media platform for people age 63 to 75 – in October 2009. But Healthways discovered that it needed a systematic approach, guidance and support to create stronger interest and active participation. In January 2010, the program partnered with Media Logic, a social marketing firm, to help the organization ramp up their social media marketing efforts, make them more effective and easier to implement and sustain.
By utilizing Media Logic’s breakthrough Zeitgeist & Coffee social marketing program – a unique dashboard and way of working that facilitates collaboration, strategic thinking and content development – SilverSneakers has been able to grow its Facebook page from fewer than 500 fans in December 2009 to more than 12,500 fans just six months later.
Not only has SilverSneakers seen a significant spike in Facebook fans since using Zeitgeist & Coffee, but the fans’ level of engagement has also increased dramatically.
“We are seeing a growing number of participants’ friends and family members join the Facebook page,” says Ronald Ladouceur, Media Logic’s executive vice president. “Some of these new fans are potential SilverSneakers members who are turning to Facebook to learn more about the program. But others are younger people, as well as family caregivers, who are important influencers and supporters of SilverSneakers participants.”
Zeitgeist & Coffee promotes discussion and generates ideas for social media content from key contributors across the SilverSneakers organization – not just from the marketing department. A Media Logic “Conversation Manager” moderates and encourages the discussion and help makes sure that any postings are strategic and brand-appropriate. According to Ladouceur, the result is a steady stream of content that is fresh, relevant and engaging.
“Too many times, organizations use social media platforms as a news feed. That just doesn’t build engagement and active followers,” says Ladouceur.
Social media marketing is a natural fit for a membership-based organization like SilverSneakers because the program is “an inherently social experience,” explains Michele Eckert, Healthways’ senior manager of Member Engagement Marketing.
“Introducing social media has allowed our participants to further enhance their social connections by sharing stories, photos, tips and notes of encouragement to others. Our experience supports the research that shows older adults citizens will adopt social media and participate, provided they see content and groups dedicated to their needs and interests.”
Click here to learn more about Media Logic and the Zeitgeist & Coffee social management program.
Key metrics
In the last reporting period (Feb. 25 – April 23, 2010), Media Logic tracked the following engagement metrics:
- 5,093 new fans (+ 46%)
- 26 interactions per post (+ 73%) – an indicator of the level of engagement with this effort
- 75,616 page views (+ 126%)
- Average of 17 “likes” per day
Key findings
Four key lessons that will determine whether your organization simply has a Fan page – or is able to access an active community:
- Promotions work. Even the best and most engaging efforts tend to “run out of steam” over time. Promotions – even simple ones such as asking members to post photos – re-energize the effort, re-engage fans and encourage fan-to-fan activities.
- Encourage fans to engage by posting questions. Social marketing is about conversations. Anything we can do to encourage feedback and dialogue helps build the relationship with fans. Every time we ask members a question on the SilversSneakers page, activity increases exponentially.
- Avoid being self-promotional. People do not participate in social media to have advertising messages fed to them. Any time we speak “promotionally” about SilverSneakers, we see a drop in engagement levels.
- Multi-media content is a definite engagement-builder. The engagement of SilverSneakers members increases dramatically when we post videos, for example.
