Last week Sara McCulley, Next Gen’s social media manager, did a great webinar on Facebook business manager and social media marketing. (If you missed it, click HERE for the replay!)

That got us thinking though…it might be helpful to talk for a second about what pictures you should be using on your Facebook ads for MAXIMUM effectiveness.

Whether you’re an all-star gym or you’ve got a strong rec program, the #1 thing you can do to have effective ads is make sure your imagery matches what most moms are looking for:

❌Avoid images with little kids in too much makeup or sports bras. While these girls are athletes, not all parents understand that part of cheerleading yet. We need to sell them on the product before they judge the image.
❌Avoid images with compromising positions. I’m proud of my point jumper too, but I’m unlikely to snap pictures of her hyperextended toe touch in her spanx and post them on the internet. Again – we can be proud of the skill and accomplishments, but it’s super tough to sell parents on the sport until they understand it better. Also, you never know who is viewing your images, so it’s one small way to keep the child predators off your pages.
❌ Avoid the “fierce” face. While it may add to dramatic effect in a routine, sometimes it doesn’t look all that friendly.

Instead…

✅Be intentional about taking pictures of happy, smiling kids in your gym.
✅Focus on fun and friendship. If parents don’t believe their child will have fun and make friends, they’re unlikely to try your gym.
✅Think like a dad from the south! I always cater to my conservative audience first. No one will ever get mad that a child has on too many clothes or looks too young.
✅Make sure you show diversity! It’s important to show all races, genders and ethnicities represented in your gym.