Running Events - Facebook Group or Facebook Fan Page? How bout' Twitter?

There was a time when Facebook seemed like more of a social forum for the younger generation, but the day has progressed to Facebook being a necessary tool for businesses, and most definitely the running race community.  If you are managing a race, and you don't have a Facebook "Page", you are missing out on race entries without a doubt.

For race organizers new to Facebook, it may be overwhelming at first, and you'll likely try to determine if you should create calendar event on Facebook, a group on Facebook, or a Fan Page.  While a Facebook Calendar event is a nice "extra"to have, it should not be your only or primary presence on Facebook.  Additionally, a group is also a nice "extra" to have, maybe used for specific year events, but not as an alternative to the Facebook Fan Page.  Every half marathon, or any other distance running event, should absolutely have a Facebook Fan Page.  The fans will grow as years go forward, and race organizers will build a camaraderie and online relationship with their runners, and the page will never change.  Runners can always know to come back to the same page, and will see your announcements and shout outs in their feeds.  It's a great place to post scenic pictures of your events, fun fan pictures, pictures of your swag, and your annual bling coming out for your next race.

Additionally, building relationships with national running clubs and local running clubs is important, to be able to monetize on the cross-marketing relationships, which usually can be a great cross promotional marketing tool on Facebook, if you "give" as much as you "take".  Those that expect a shout out from a club, should do the same on their page, as a cross promotional trade and help give visibility to the clubs that are putting the effort in to help share and promote your event.  They shouldn't have to ask, this should be offered.  You will build stronger race community partnerships and relationships that way.

Twitter is also another nice means of growing an online relationship with your runners and draw in more participants.  If you're not a big Twitter user, you can automate all your facebook posts to automatically post to your twitter, by logging into twitter (in a different tab in the same browser), and then go back on Facebook tab and click https://www.facebook.com/twitter/ which will allow you to connect your facebook page to post everything you post on your facebook wall, to your twitter.  Walla!  If you have achieved having a Facebook Fan Page and a, now, more active Twitter page, you are now on your way to creating a great social media presence!

Is Facebook or Acitve Acceptable for a Race to Use as it's Primary Site?

Well the answer really is, .... no.

I represent and manage one of the most up to date half marathon calendar resources on the web, and the half marathon event community continues to grow at a rapid pace.  The number of half marathons growing across the nation has been unbelievable, and keeping dates and links to these events up to date is definitely a lot of work.  The most difficult task is dealing with events that change their links every year, or use tools such as active for their registration but have no real website for runners to go to other than Active or Facebook or Runsignup.  Even worse, Runsignup won't even put a link back to your race site, even if you have one I recently noticed.  While Active and Facebook, or Runsignup, can be used as TOOLS for registration, they really shouldn't be used as a central landing source to provide information about an event.  There are so many free resources out there to create a website page where you can add a link to your facebook page and a link to your registration.  Not only is this easier for runners to find the events year after year, it also will help drive registration by displaying photos and fun info about the event, and also make it much easier for online half marathon schedule websites to maintain the event details year after year.

Some easy to use sites for non-technical - non-web savvy race directors could be:

Blogger (which is what you are reading right now - super easy to set up a page and free)

Wix (very inexpensive and super easy to use templates, very user friendly, and will look professionally done)

Yahoo websites (very inexpensive)

Weebly (pretty sure this is still free)

If you are looking for free, I'd go with Blogger, .... and Wix actually might have a free version, but not positive.  Wix is awesome and I'd recommend it over all that I mentioned.  I've used it for another business of mine, and a local triathlon club I developed a site for.

Anyway, just some food for thought for those changing their link every year, or for those events that use facebook or active only. Also those who do not keep the event details up all year for runners to find, like YMCA / YWCA's .... we've had a lot of issues with keeping up to date and finding the event info and event link, or organizations who don't create an actual page for their event and only list it as an upcoming event part of the year.  These have been our worst culprits to try to maintain year after year, and is frustrating for runners as well.

In conclusion, events that have no actual website year after year, for one, could be gaining a LOT more runners to their events if they had a website up (and all year).  Second, events would make it so much easier for both runners attending their events, and half marathon clubs and directories if they were to keep ONE link up all year round for their event, and not ever change the link.

Happy Running!

Here is another article on improving event sites, on the Runner's Perspective - Improving Event Sites Blog .... http://runnersperspective.blogspot.com