Look around you: everywhere you go, people are staring at their smartphones. Sometimes they’re checking email or sending a text message to a friend or family member, but quite frequently, they’re on social media.
Is your bingo hall on social media, as well? If not, you’re missing out on a captive audience of social media users — more than one billion on Facebook and over 300 million on Twitter alone. After searching for your website, social media is one of the first places where tech-savvy people will look for your bingo hall. If they don’t find you there, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to let people know about your organization and your events.
If you’re new to social media, you probably have questions. That’s ok; we’re here to answer them. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions and concerns regarding using social media to promote your bingo hall.
I Don’t Understand Social Media! How Do I Get Started?
Don’t worry, social media is easier than you think. But if you need help, check in with local high schools and community colleges to see if they have volunteer programs and students who are eager to log hours. You may be able to get a tech-savvy student to set up a social media presence and even manage it for you. Another idea? See if your local business college would be interested in making your social media presence their project du jour. Working to drive traffic to your website (and your venue) could be an exciting way for the students to learn and gain experience!
If neither of these options are available, you can always outsource your social media marketing to a firm that specializes in this field. Finally, you can always start small, take baby steps, and learn to do it yourself! No matter how you end up there, all that matters is that you’re using social media to promote your bingo hall.
What Sort of Information Should Our Facebook or Twitter Page Contain?
Keep in mind that some people will arrive at a social media page long before they’ll find your website, so make sure you clearly state the name of your bingo hall, where it’s located, your phone number, website, and your hours of operation. Use high-quality, professional-looking photos for your profile and cover images in order to create the best first impression of your venue. People will also like to know how much money you’ve raised and what you do with the funds that you raise.
Using Social Media to Promote Your Bingo Hall — Is it Set-It-and-Forget-It?
Unfortunately, no. Once you establish a social media presence, you’ll need someone to keep an eye on it, respond to posts and comments, and post new content every few days in order to keep followers interested. This is particularly true on a platform such as Twitter, as users frequently turn there to voice complaints when something displeases them. Having someone to monitor these accounts and respond quickly is part of providing excellent customer service and will reflect well on your organization.
What Sorts of Things Should I Post on Social Media?
Anything you think your customers would like to know! Advertise upcoming events (giving customers plenty of time to plan to attend) or post photos of your customers having fun or your staff enjoying working an exciting event. You can also share videos, cartoons, and bingo-related news and jokes that your customers will appreciate and enjoy. Update your accounts often and be sure to keep the tone friendly and professional. Most of all, have fun with it — after all, that’s what bingo is about!
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