“Who Are You Even Talking To?” Finding (and Reaching) Your Ideal Audience as a Race Organizer
When I sit down with race organizers to talk about social media, one of the first questions I ask is, “Who’s your audience?”
That’s usually when the eyes go up and to the left. You know the look, somewhere between trying to remember a password and wondering if they left the stove on. And I get it.
When you’re planning a race, managing volunteers, answering emails, and fighting off last-minute chaos, “audience strategy” feels like a luxury. But the truth is, your success on social media and ultimately the success of your event hinges on how clearly you can answer that one question.
Why Your Race Isn’t Growing: It Might Be Your Social Media
I follow enough race organizers and events to know that social media often ends up last on the to-do list. And I get it. Permits, insurance, aid stations, course scouting … it’s a full-time job just to pull off race day. But if you’re pouring all your energy into the logistics and barely showing up online, you’re missing the easiest (and most cost-effective) way to grow.
Let me say it clearly: a good race is not enough anymore.
When the Metrics Start to Blur the Mission: Rediscovering Purpose in Brand Building
Over the past few months, I’ve been reflecting a lot, not just on Trail Builder Magazine, but on the broader journey of building brands, launching projects, and trying to create something meaningful.
When I first set out, everything was personal. Each post, each article, and each project felt like an extension of my own story. Whether it was telling the gritty, inspiring stories of trail builders or working with small towns to spotlight their hidden adventures through rural tourism, it was all rooted in real people, real places, and a deep sense of purpose.
But here’s the challenge that I struggle with: the bigger things get, the easier it is to lose that connection.
Building a Social Media Content Strategy for Rural Communities
A compelling social media presence can take a rural community from total obscurity to “I’ve got to go there.” For small towns and up-and-coming adventure-rich destinations, it’s about building a strategy rooted in purpose.
In my experience, the most effective content plans rest on three pillars: storytelling, engagement, and conversion. Let’s explore more ...
Is Your Brand Falling Behind? The Case for a Solid Social Media Strategy
Interestingly, most business owners and non-profit leaders I talk with don’t like social media. While they know it is essential for their brand to grow its awareness and generate sales, interest, signups, etc., there’s a growing allergy to social media. As a result, most will post randomly without any plan or strategy.
However, they’re missing out on the best of what it means to be on social media. Here’s why a strategy is essential …
Social Media Growth is About Engagement
Social media growth is the magical elixir that all brands are focused on … or at least should be. However, looking at the analytics of several brands I know or follow, especially those that grew rapidly in the early days of Instagram, it seems they’ve contented themselves with either flatlining or declining slowly. When pressed, many will simply shrug and then mention something about algorithms.
How Brands Can Thrive on Social Media
Social media is constantly changing. That is nothing new, and it has been that way from the beginning. Throughout the year, there are constant tweaks to the algorithm. For example, Instagram may emphasize Reels and push that content, only to later pivot toward carousels. We're left guessing and scrambling to keep up. Oh, and then there's AI.
As we forge ahead year after year, with everything happening and changes on the horizon, what does it take to stand out on social media today?
How about authenticity ...
The Not-So-Secret Sauce of Social Media
One of the common themes about social media that I hear constantly is that to “crack the code,” you need super-secret “insider-only” info that only a select few marketing gurus know. I regularly see videos about the SECRET TO SOCIAL MEDIA.
Is it really that secretive?
