Walking through the registration line at Ambassadors Soccer Camps last summer, I overheard a parent telling their child, "Mabuting maka-dalawa"—a Filipino phrase meaning "It's good to have two." At first, I thought they were talking about having two pairs of socks or maybe two water bottles. But as I've spent years managing social media for youth sports organizations, I've come to realize this wisdom applies perfectly to running successful social media campaigns across both Instagram and Facebook for soccer camps.
Let me be honest—when I first started in this field about eight years ago, I made the classic mistake of treating Instagram and Facebook as identical platforms. I'd cross-post the same content simultaneously to both channels and wonder why engagement rates remained stubbornly low. Through trial and plenty of errors, I've learned that these platforms serve different purposes and attract different audiences, yet they complement each other beautifully when used strategically. Instagram captures the visual excitement and energy of soccer camps through dynamic visuals, while Facebook serves as the information hub where parents make final decisions about enrollment.
On Instagram, we've found that video content performs 47% better than static images, particularly short-form videos showing skill demonstrations or quick drills. The platform's younger demographic—approximately 62% of users are between 18-34—responds well to behind-the-scenes content that feels authentic and unpolished. I personally favor posting Instagram Stories throughout camp days, showing everything from morning warm-ups to the final scrimmages. These real-time glimpses create FOMO (fear of missing out) that drives early registration for future sessions. What works particularly well are player spotlights—15-second clips featuring campers demonstrating new skills they've learned. The comments and shares on these posts typically increase our reach by about 30% compared to standard promotional content.
Meanwhile, Facebook serves as our trust-building platform where we establish credibility with parents who are ultimately making the financial decisions. While Instagram gets the excitement brewing, Facebook closes the deal. Here, longer-form content performs exceptionally well—testimonial videos from parents (ideally 90-120 seconds), detailed explanations of our coaching methodology, and photo albums showcasing facilities and safety measures. I've noticed that posts highlighting our staff qualifications and safety protocols receive 2.3 times more engagement than other content types on Facebook. The platform's group feature has been invaluable too—we create private groups for each camp session where parents can receive updates, share photos, and connect with other families. This community aspect has proven crucial, with surveys showing that 78% of parents feel more comfortable enrolling their children after joining these groups.
The magic really happens when these platforms work together strategically. We might tease a coach interview on Instagram with a 30-second preview, then direct followers to Facebook for the full 8-minute conversation. Or we'll share action shots on Instagram during camp days while using Facebook to post detailed recaps each evening. This cross-platform approach has increased our camp registration rates by approximately 34% over the past two years. The data doesn't lie—families who engage with our content on both platforms are 67% more likely to complete registration compared to those who only follow us on one platform.
Timing matters tremendously in social media management for seasonal businesses like soccer camps. During off-season months, we maintain presence with nostalgic content from previous camps and countdown posts to registration openings. As camp approaches, we shift to practical content—what to pack, daily schedules, meet-the-coach features. During camp weeks, we're posting multiple times daily across both platforms, capturing the authentic moments that parents love seeing. I've found that 7:30 AM posts on Instagram catch parents during their morning scroll, while Facebook posts around 8:00 PM perform better when families are relaxing after dinner.
Having managed social media for three different soccer organizations, I've developed some strong opinions about what works. I'm particularly passionate about avoiding the overly polished, corporate-style content that many sports organizations default to. Parents respond to genuine moments—the mud-stained uniforms after a rainy practice, the triumphant high-fives after scoring, even the occasional frustrated tears when a drill proves challenging. This authenticity builds trust far more effectively than professionally produced highlight reels. I also firmly believe in responding to every single comment and message personally, which has helped us maintain an average response time of 28 minutes—significantly faster than the industry average of 4 hours.
Looking ahead, I'm excited about the potential of user-generated content campaigns where campers and parents can contribute their own photos and videos using specific hashtags. We tested this briefly last season and saw a 42% increase in organic reach. The "mabuting maka-dalawa" philosophy—the goodness of having two—truly encapsulates why maintaining active presences on both Instagram and Facebook delivers results that neither platform could achieve alone. They're not redundant; they're complementary, each serving distinct purposes in the customer journey from initial awareness to final registration and beyond into alumni engagement. After all, in soccer as in social media, having multiple strategic options beats relying on a single approach every time.