#SocialMedia #Participation #Engagement #Sport #Recreation #Tourism
Its 2018 and social media continues to boom and change – embedding itself further into our lives and connecting us all like never before. These days is estimated that 15 million Australians are active Facebook users, with 12 million logging on daily. I am in my 20’s working as a Project Officer at Tredwell and naturally, being the ‘Millennial’ on the team, social media accounts are generally my domain. Since I started my role back in early 2016, we have continually adapted – we all currently have LinkedIn accounts and the business has a strong Instagram and Facebook presence. We don’t Tweet or use Snapchat yet… but who knows! Having active accounts and profiles is a great way to maintain connections, display the diversity of projects we work on and celebrate project outcomes.
Our team’s vision is CONNECTED. HAPPY. ACTIVE. PEOPLE – it goes without saying that social media is a tool which we can use to strive towards this. Connected to our clients, the industry and most importantly to the communities who ultimately benefit from our projects! Things change quickly these days and it is important that we are always on top of emerging trends and opportunities enabling us to bring world class expertise.
In the sport and recreation space, social media can sometimes get a bad rap. Yes, people are racking up far too much time on screens compared to sports field – but it’s not all bad. There is an incredible array of apps and platforms out there which motivate people to be physically active and provide effective ways of reaching out to communities.
Connecting for increased participation
For sport and recreation clubs and associations, having a strong social media presence is essential. Active Facebook and Instagram profiles help recruit new members, keep current members in the loop and of course to celebrate wins! Team apps and group chats also help foster the sporting culture and make communicating in groups so much easier. For organisations which could do with some help, Western Australia’s Department of Sport and Recreation hosts an excellent webpage providing tips for using social media as a tool. There is also an excellent range of resources and case studies about this topic available if you sign up for a free membership with the Australian Government’s Clearinghouse for Sport.
As somebody who likes to mix it up with my choice of activities, it is priceless to know that there are online platforms for people like me, such as Just Play or Facebook groups for ‘players seeking teams’ and ‘divers seeking buddies’. There are also programs for those keen to join free and local fitness groups like Heart Foundation Walking Groups or parkrun. Other social networks, such as Strava and MapMyFitness are great to track progress and add an element of competition to individual pursuits.
Connecting for tourism benefits
The power of social media in tourism cannot be underestimated. Many of the sport, recreation and open space projects we work on have direct and indirect impacts on visitor destinations and experiences. Particularly when planning for facilities with event capacity and the development of recreational trails. Mountain biking areas have boomed in recent years, and it is no surprise that these highly sophisticated trail users are great at sharing and marketing their experiences across their own networks and on platforms such as the go-to database Trailforks. It is becoming clear that the new generation of travellers are highly likely to find travel inspiration through places such as Instagram – adding destinations, events and experiences to their bucket list as they come through their feed. Engagement campaigns such as #TassieStyle attract visitors through peer-reviews of destinations and promotion of picturesque experiences. And let’s not forget about the huge impact of a destination being endorsed and promoted by someone famous in the world of social media. Just like Chinese superstar, actor and singer Huang Xiaoming who is South Australia’s latest Tourism Ambassador – promoting the state through posts and video content (such as this one) to his 53 million followers.
Connecting for meaningful community engagement
Despite the popularity of social media in everyday lives, using these platforms as a tool for community engagement in professional settings can still be received by clients with a degree of scepticism. While there are some scenarios requiring close management (e.g. dealing with ‘keyboard warriors’), the positive outcomes and rates of engagement can be incredible. To alleviate any apprehension, our project team works with our clients to develop a consultation plan that details the most suitable opportunities for the local context.
At Tredwell we have been known to get the attention of communities through mechanisms such as: Instagram posts; Facebook events; video content; community forums; interactive maps; distribution of online flyers; surveys and polls. The projects we work on are often located in very diverse settings – from highly populated big cities to remote outback areas which have some of the world’s lowest population densities. In all scenarios, using social media helps spread the word, allowing us to meaningfully connect with the communities we work with across Australia.
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