How Zumba Instructors Can Get the Most Out of Their Facebook Pages

Many Zumba instructors are using Facebook to connect with the class students. It's a great way to send reminders, schedule new classes and encourage a sense of community. But Facebook Fan Pages are also a great way to attract new students. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your Facebook Fan Page, and hopefully generate some new Zumba students.

Starting Out

To start off, make sure you choose an official business page (local business) and not a community page when you are forming your Fan Page. Facebook can actually take over a community page if it gets too large. Choose a name for your page carefully because once you set it it can't be changed if you have fans. Think of a name in terms of keywords. You'll want to include "Zumba" of course, but you may also want to include your geographic location or your personal name. Your name shows up whenever someone shares content that you post, such as a video, so it's a great way to get your name showing up in those newsfeeds.

Your Landing Page

You can choose to have your landing page, the page a new visitor sees, be your wall or another tab such as Info, Photos, Events or Discussions. If you have the ability to do Facebook Markup Language, FBML, or hire someone to do it for you, you can custom create a tab that displays a page you design. This page could include a coupon, a form to sign-up to your newsletter, a class schedule, etc. If you custom design a page you should include the benefits of a visitor becoming a fan. To set your landing page you simply click on "settings" on your wall and then you'll see a drop-down list for "default landing tab."

Fill it Out

Once you make an official Fan Page spend some time filling out the details such as when your company was founded, company overview, your website, etc. Upload some photos that relate to your business. Write something in the box on the left-hand side (a free class offer or the url of your website is a good start).

Photos

Ask your class if they wouldn't mind being in some photos to be posted online. This could be as simple as taking a smiling group photo or even taking candid photos throughout the class. Can you include your business name and/or url in the photo? If not, make sure to include your infomration in the description of the photo and the title. Upload the photos to your Fan Page and then tag your students. Once they are tagged the photos will be shared with their friends, getting your name out to even more people!

Encourage positive comments on the photos and try to reply to anyone that comments, showing that your Facebook Fan Page is current and active, and that you're just a friendly person in general.

Put a "Like Box" on your Website or Blog

Get Facebook Fans without folks having to find you on Facebook. If you've got a great website you can install a "Like Box" and visitors to your site can "like" your business and become a fan with one click. The application also allows you to show recent posts and how many other fans you have.

Fan Recruitment

Ask your current fans to recruit more new fans for you. You could even offer a contest for the person that recruits the most. When someone is recruited all they have to do is post a comment on your page saying who referred them! At the end of the contest tally up and give away a prize. The prize could be a discount on your Zumba classes, some Zumba wear or even something like the winner gets to choose a song that you will choreograph to.

Coupons

Offer a coupon to your Fans and anyone that visits your Facebook page. This can be a simple image of a coupon that they can print out or even a code that they can bring to you at class for their discount. You can offer the coupon in a post, in a note, as a photo or as an event. If you have the ability to do FBML, or hire someone that does, you can put your coupon as a special tab, even as the landing page of your Business Page. Using FBML you can make it so the coupon is only available to your fans, making it so that anyone interested in the coupon will "Like" you first.

Testimonials

Ask your fans to answer a simple question by posting on your wall. Good questions include, "What do you love about Zumba?" "Which routine do you love the most and why?" "Why did you join Zumba classes? Before you know it your Fan Page will be full of positive testimonials about your classes!

Polls

Similar to testimonials, this strategy has you asking your Fans a simple question with a few answers to choose from. This strategy will make your Fan Page more active and have you engaging with your students. Plus, sometimes it's nice to see what they are interested in or thinking about. Some polls could be about favorite music, favorite routines, class times, other exercise, etc. Polls could be done as a simple status update or if you up to it, install a Facebook App. To find a poll application, over on the left-hand side of any Facebook page you'll see the list that inlcudes "people, places, groups, applications..." Just click on "applications" and search for "poll." Then follow the instructions to create a poll and install.

Profile Pictures

Hold a contest and see how many people will change their profile picture to your business logo for one day. You can create an "event" and describe the rules and the prize. They reply to the event if they posted your logo as their profile. Then you randomly choose a winner! Prizes could be similar to the ones given away during the Fan Recruitment Promotion.

Videos

Put videos on your Facebook page. You can do this either by uploading directly to Facebook, linking to a YouTube or other video, or installing a YouTube app on your Facebook page. Videos are a great way to promote your classes as folks will be able to see exactly what you offer. Consider uploading a promotional video about your classes, or even the standard Zumba Promo from the Zumba website. You could also upload videos of you talking about your classes, interviewing students, talking about upcoming events, demonstrating basic steps, breaking down complicated choreography or talking about how you got started as an instructor.

Engage with Your Fans

Read their posts, reply to their comments, tag them, ask them questions, become Facebook friends. Make it personal and give them a great feeling about your business. You may want to create a separate Facebook identity for your teaching business, to keep your own personal business private. This will all depend upon the type of teacher you are and how close you are to your students.

Advertise Your Page on Facebook

Facebook ads is a great tool as it allows you to target folks by age, location and interests. You can start off with a small budget and increase it when you're ready. Have a great photo that represents your Zumba classes and a catchy headline for the ad ready! The ad will bring anyone that clicks on it to your official Fan Page, so make sure your Fan Page is ready and has your contact info standing out.

Fan Pages are a great way to stay connected to your students, and because Facebook is a social outlet, it can potentially be a great way to recruit new students. Good luck!