UPshow Announces Acquisition by EverPass Media and Strategic Spinoff of Employee Experience Platform — Click to Read More
This is a summary of an article originally published in Club Solutions Magazine
In the fitness industry, engaging and retaining members is paramount to running a successful business. When Snap Fitness decided to take their member engagement to the next level, they turned to UPshow for help.
Months later, Steele Sacks, the president and owner of Snap Fitness, has no regrets.
In addition to noticeable cost savings, Sacks has considers it to be hugely effective for rolling out effective marketing and promotion strategies with minimal effort.
Prior to UPshow, we were using all of our own videos for social media and marketing. It was taking an enormous amount of time to create this video content for seven clubs. [Now], we can get our messages out immediately, and we get to feature a lot of members.
The platform is not only engaging and celebrating members, but turning trainers and other staff into brand advocates who promote the brand to their followers on social media. This generates invaluable word-of-mouth for the business.
Trainers who want a little more exposure have really latched onto this. They’re posting pictures of themselves training, highlighting their fitness classes and boot camps, and highlighting their clients. That was kind of a hidden benefit.
And since UPshow can be managed on an enterprise level from the cloud, Sacks and his team have the ability to monitor and manage any screen, no matter where they may be. In the words of Sacks, “Now I’ve got something that, within the first month, we saw immediate payback.
For the second year running, UPshow has joined the ranks of the Entrepreneur 360 List of Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America.
The list identifies 360 small businesses that are mastering the art and science of growing a business. Businesses on the list are evaluated based on four key metrics: impact, innovation, growth, and leadership.
We at Team UPshow are thrilled to have our continued growth recognized, and look forward to another incredible year of innovating to deliver the absolute best possible product and experience in the customer engagement industry.
View the full Entrepreneur 360 list here.
The word of the day is 'care'. In this issue: nerd culture becomes pop culture, the generation you forgot about, and the reason you need to take another walk in your customer's shoes. TECH Have your burger and eat it virtually, too
Snapchat is back. At least, it is for burger joint Jack in the Box, who last month ran a campaign encouraging customers to invent their very own burger using a custom AR (augmented reality) filter in the app. The strategy included a contest with prizes varying from gift cards to seeing their pixelated patty become an actual part of the Jack in the Box menu. The goal? Engaging mobile diners while also driving them to promote the brand to their friends.
Byte-sized beef, anyone?. >>> Can't argue with results. EXPERIENCE
Why customers stop spending
As a manager, marketer, owner, or other significant player in a business, it can be easy to lose perspective when it comes to what customers want in their purchase journey. Peddling features and their value is a vital part of selling, but at the end of the day a customer doesn't care that they saved 10% as much as they care how you made them feel and whether or not you took their needs into account. Sarah Kathleen Peck elaborates on the importance of considering your customer's perspective with this engaging anecdote.
It's storytime. >>> Stop selling for a second, and listen.
Video games count as sports now
You heard me. Esports, or competitive video game playing, is rapidly becoming a popular source of entertainment (especially among Gen Z). So popular, in fact, that Mtn Dew and Doritos are collaborating to host a massive esports tournament next week. The event will be livestreamed on Twitch, Facebook, and Twitter. Why should you care? Strange as it may seem, watching professional gamers compete is now mainstream -- that is to say, part of popular culture -- as well as a social bonding activity for many in the community. If you haven't found a way to add it to your venue's entertainment repertoire yet, you should -- and fast.
Does this make Mario an athlete? >>> Better lay off the 'shrooms
Millennials still matter
While up-and-coming Gen Z is a crucial customer base to prepare for, millennials represent the majority of the workforce today. That means one thing: they're the ones with income burning a hole in their pocket. Despite the rumors that they regularly break the bank on coffee and Netflix, this notorious generation may also be willing to set some cash aside for your business -- if you play your cards right.
Here are 3 ways to keep millennials engaged. >>> None are about avocados.
A key tenant of UPshow’s values is “we win together, we lose together.” Our team, and the people who are a part of it, are the secret to our wild success over the past four years. Why? Because, regardless of job description, everyone at UPshow embraces the collaborative and inclusive culture that drives our innovation.
Built in Chicago sat down with some of our stellar team members to discuss their experiences and to get their insight on what exactly makes UPshow’s culture so special.
Click below to read the article:Read the feature
Tech in Motion has recognized UPshow as a finalist for 2019 Best Tech Startup as a part of the Annual Timmy Awards, which they host to celebrate the top workplaces for tech professionals.
The Timmys finalists in this category are chosen for their innovation, forward-thinking leadership and work environment. Two Best Tech Startup awards will be announced at a live ceremony this October, one for Judge’s Choice and one Community Favorite, chosen by public voting.
“We are excited to recognize the top local startups on the Timmy Awards finalist list this year. These companies are not only attractive to talented professionals nationwide, but ones that strive for everyday innovation,” says Mandy Walker, Director of Marketing at Tech in Motion. “Every year, the event series grows alongside the tech community. It reflects the increasing quality of startups here that we are able to offer two awards this year to keep up with the growth in the industry.”
The local community has a chance to get involved by voting online now through September 27th to determine which company will be crowned the best in tech as the Community Favorite, while the Judge’s Choice winners will be chosen by a panel of expert judges. The complete list of 2019 Timmy Awards finalists can be found here.
Over the course of that past few years, QSRs have found unprecedented success and popularity. Now, more than ever, is the time to get your restaurant a piece of the the action by cementing your reputation as a favorite franchise. Of course, this is easier said than done, as it requires creating meaningful and unique touch points with your guests.
UPshow is here to help. We've broken down the 5 QSR frequenters that can easily be engaged with more while visiting your restaurant.
Here’s the rundown:
If you want to kickstart your customer engagement strategy (and drive more results for your restaurant), try using UPshow, the custom consumer engagement platform built to drive revenue from your TV screens and become your #1 marketing asset.
When you think of the Internet today, how would you describe it? Loud, busy, and crowded may be words that come to mind. Orderly and focused? Certainly not.
Digital content and screens are everywhere these days, overstimulating the senses and testing everyone’s patience. Cutting through the digital noise can be challenging, especially when consumers have been trained to tune out marketing and ads. Even more so when it comes to influencer marketing: when everyone is a promoter, it can be nearly impossible to stand out.
Some advice? Louder is not always better. Going big, especially with a strategy like influencer marketing, can result in irritated audiences, overexposed endorsers, and bloated budgets.
Download our guide to learn the (counter-intuitive) key to successful digital promotion:
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30% of millennials use social media to decide where to eat. Of course, not all posts are the same. A post from a restaurant brand account may be seen as inauthentic or so sales-y, whereas the vast majority of consumers consider recommendations from friends and family to be the most trustworthy. This means getting your customers to post about your business matters.
We've broken down the 9 main types of social media users you can find at any corner joint, national chain, hole-in-the-wall or gourmet eatery.
Here’s the rundown on who they are and what gets them posting:
If you want to kickstart your social media strategy (and drive more results for your restaurant), try using UPshow, the custom consumer engagement platform built to drive revenue from your TV screens and become your #1 marketing asset.
We are thrilled to share that UPshow has been listed as the Top Ranked Digital Signage on Capterra.
The list ranking was determined by the relevance and quality of product reviews from real customers.
Our team is so honored that we are able to provide our customers with a product and an experience worthy of so many glowing five start reviews!
Check out the full list here.
We are thrilled to share that UPshow has been listed as #174 on this year’s Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies.
Joining many rapidly-growing brands in the upper echelon of the Inc. 5000 is an incredible honor - and, alongside recent awards and fundraising, a fantastic indicator of how far we’ve come as a company.
“We are honored,” says co-founder and CEO of UPshow, Adam Hirsen, “It has been an incredible experience to go from a startup to an industry pioneer in a few short years,”
Check out Inc.’s full list here.
Following tradition, we took a look at the total impact UPshow screens has had in the world of UGC and social media word-of-mouth.
We were thrilled to see that the numbers had increased exponentially since this time last year.
This is just one way in which we are continuing to grow and excel in the industry. We'd like to thank all of our partners and supporters for helping us reach this point, and will continue to work hard to make a difference. Here's to the next million and billion!
Social media is one of the most powerful marketing tools available to gym and fitness club owners today. It’s a highly effective way to attract new members and engage your existing customers, since 71% of consumers who have had a positive experience with a brand on social media are likely to recommend the company to friends and family.
But even for experts, social media is a challenging tactic to master. With so many messages being sent each day, how do you stand out against your competition?
Fortunately, there are some proven principles you can apply to see better results from your social efforts. Read on to check out our tips for using social media to elevate your gym marketing efforts and get your brand noticed.
When you think about getting your message out through social media, the first thought is often to get your posts in front of as many people as possible. However, this is actually not the best approach when it comes to fitness club marketing.
By trying to please everyone with your messaging, you often end up with a generic marketing campaign that doesn’t resonate with anyone. People who want to join a new gym are looking for specific, targeted messages that appeal to their needs. In other words, no one has ever joined a fitness club because of how generic it seemed.
To break this habit, decide what your niche is and what your brand personality looks like. Are you aiming to get the after-work crowd? Or are you looking for serious fitness enthusiasts? Start by focusing on prospects who are the absolute best fit for your gym and create content that matches their interests.
Not only does this help you successfully sign up more members, but it also prevents wasted marketing expense since you won’t be generating clicks from people who aren’t a good fit in the first place.
As with any other gym marketing materials you share, the most important rule is to be genuine. Customers are inundated with so much marketing these days that they’ve become incredibly savvy and can spot pandering from a mile away.
Don’t try to force an identity that you think people want; instead, play up your brand values and showcase how those run deep in your club. For example, trying to repurpose memes or other cultural trends can backfire unless you have a full understanding of their meaning and context -- and you know that your members would enjoy them.
Instead, emphasize and expand on traits that your audience has enjoyed. If your budget allows, use social media to generate engagement through giveaways or contests, or offer new joiner discounts.
Even though paid advertisements can work, the fact remains that they’re still ads. Consumers have learned to ignore them, so unless your marketing is spot on, it won’t be very effective.
On the other hand, some of the best marketing comes from word-of-mouth recommendations from friends, family, teammates, and other people with whom your prospects already have trusting relationships. In fact, 75% of people don’t believe ads, but 90% trust suggestions from family and friends.
Pump up your organic social media marketing by leveraging your members’ and employees’ personal accounts to transform them into your own army of brand advocates. After all, some of your members could be influencers with huge followings.
Encourage them to share information about your club by incentivizing or gamifying the process with contests or discounts for the top sharers. You can even use your gym TVs as community boards where members can post club-related photos and videos and get excited about seeing their selfies on screen.
