Social Media IS

                                                            Social Media IS

A social media information system supports the sharing of content among network of users. The social media providers that L.A fitness uses are Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The business process we will be focusing on is marketing and sales. It is a dynamic process because La Fitness does not believe in using a standardized sales method. The value chain activity we are analyzing is our inbound logistics system, otherwise known to LA Fitness as the FDMT system. Our company uses social media for support by uploading motivational work out videos and advice to all its social media accounts to help its members achieve their fitness goals. This also incorporates peer-to-peer support by allowing LA Fitness members to interact with each other on our social media accounts. 

Social capital is the investment in social relations with the assumption of returns in the marketplace. Social capital adds value in four different ways: information, influence, social credentials, and personal reinforcement. LA Fitness adds value by providing information about fitness goals, tips, and advice on living an overall healthy lifestyle through social media. LA Fitness also adds value through personal reinforcement through their personal trainers, and a motivational voice through their SMIS. Although our relationship strength is low (2.5/5stars on yelp.com), LA Fitness maintains a significant number of relationships on our SMIS with over 359,000 followers on Facebook, and 72.2k on Twitter. That being said, we can analyze that there is improvement to be made in the quality of customer service. 

LA Fitness uses the figure 8-7 to create an effective SMIS. We achieve the goal of brand awareness through our twitter account by using success metrics such as brand mentions in social media and having an exponential amount of followers. The target audience are gym members or potential new members looking too join a gym either to stay in shape or get in shape. The value LA Fitness provides their audience is a quality gym experience and this is expressed through social media platforms. LA Fitness does not utilize either Google Analytics or Facebook page insights because they do not heavily rely on their SMIS for business. In fact, LA Fitness’s marketing strategy is significantly outdated. For instance, they use word of mouth and paper flyers rather than the new age of advertising.

SMIS security concerns are handled by executives of the company. L.A fitness does not have a social media policy for its employees. The way the company manages inappropriate reviews is by using the feedback as constructive criticism and responding to the once unfavorable critic by using the customer’s opinion to incorporate new ways to improve the facility or its workers.