Posts Tagged ‘Professional Association of Diving Instructors’

Wow what an amazing day at Alcala!!

Monday, November 23rd, 2015

Articel and Media supplied by Martin from 12Dive in Tenerife

IMG-20150904-WA0003Wow what an amazing day at Alcala!!

Perfect weather, clear, sunny and hot, just how we all like it here in Tenerife!!
The day started off as you would imagine when you’re organising a big event, trying to sort out where the gazebos were going, when the sound guy’s would arrive, arranging electricity, (the phrase running around like headless chickens come to mind!). Within one hour we had managed to transform Alcala jetty into an organised thing of beauty, music playing, BBQ fired up and everyone smiling, happy, ready and raring to get the clean up on the way and to get as much rubbish as humanly possible!

11169074_10153585370019417_2155641005228847472_oFirst though was the serious bit of paperwork and a full dive briefing conducted in two different languages, by our very own joint owner Alex. Once completed everyone was split into small sized groups and was advised which area they would be cleaning.

Geared up and ready to go diving all volunteers were given a pair of safety gloves and a mesh bag to collect the trash. Group by group at 10 minute intervals, giant strided into the water and descended into the bay, with land support ready to collect anything they found and place it in to the skip.

11998991_10153581682559417_2352410590523200441_nAbout 45 minutes after the first group went down the teams started came back with bag after bag of cans, glass and plastic bottles, rope even tractor tires, sun loungers and large metal frames (from what I don’t know), by the end of the day we ended up collecting approximately 75kg of rubbish.

11951468_10153585366904417_158263078759772866_oThe best part of the day (besides collecting all the rubbish of course) was that after you finished diving there was a great atmosphere and buzz around, people knowing they had done something really special to help the local environment and after all our hard work it was time to relax with a burger and beer or ice tea.

We at 12dive would like to say a massive thank you to everyone involved in this very successful beach and underwater clean up in Alcala!!

 

Special thanks to all our sponsors:

PADI and Project AWARE

Ayuntamieno En Guia de Isora.

Venture Restaurants.

Gourmetland.

Creventy andTenerife shows.

Palm Beach Surfing Experts.

Gomera Producciones.

La Huerta Design.

Oasis FM radio.

CW canaries weekly news paper.

Bubles filling station.

Akustito Cocktails.

Aqualung.

Espiritu de Buceo, with the firedepartment.

Transporte Sanitario for the Ambulance.

Firio Hielo.

Eco oceanos.

MAEL

NA Arte

Tied Tiempo radio

Radio los Gigantes Y Televisión los Gigantes.

Radio Sur.

This time around we are going to be cleaning La Caleta beach on Saturday 12th December from 9.30am. We would like to welcome everyone to come down and help out, divers and non-divers alike. We know this event is going to be bigger and we hope with your help we can make it even more successful than the last.

If you are a certified diver and want to help on the underwater clean up, please bring proof of your certification and insurance, if you don’t have insurance, don’t worry you can purchase a day’s insurance from us for only 6Euros.

Non divers will take part in the beach clean-up, and once we have all finished there will be a BBQ, Bar and Music on site. With an excellent response from people wanting to sponsor the event, check out our 12dive Facebook page for regular updates on what other exciting things will be happening on the day!!!

 

IMG-20150904-WA0003

 

 

 

The post Wow what an amazing day at Alcala!! appeared first on PADIProsEurope.

How social Medias can be used most effectively?

Monday, October 26th, 2015

Social MediaEveryone has them, everyone knows them – but does everyone knows how social Medias can be used most effectively?

I am now working as a PADI Regional Manager for several years and I saw many Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus – business pages of various diving schools. I also learned that today’s youth is represented on Instagram. So, if you only use Facebook – in the eyes of youth you are “Out”!

Oha, I thought … I’m already so old … But you have to be clearly aware that every target group uses different Medias – the diversity is the key to success

There are seven important points which need to be considered:

  • Existing social platforms
  • Which social Media do I use for my diving school
  • Target groups
  • How many times do I write a post
  • Who should write you posts
  • Insights
  • Blogging

Existing social Media platformssocial Media_2

The number of social media platforms is increasing, however, not every Platform is suitable for your business. Below you’ll find the most popular social media of our times.

– Facebook

– Twitter

– Google Plus

– YouTube Channel

– Instagram (only Mobile)

– TripAdvisor

– ScubaEarth

– Snapchat

Social Media_1Which social media do I use for my diving school?

From my experience I can say very clearly that a business without Facebook, Twitter, Youtube Channel and ScubaEarth – has clearly missed the today´s train. You have to be visible and find the customer where he is looking for you. This is called inbound marketing – means to target the potential customer, who is looking for you, will find you. That is why it is so important that your website is always up to date.It does not mean that each platform needs a separate entry. Various social media can be linked with each other. For example, Facebook can be linked to Twitter and vice versa. Then each entry on Facebook will be automatically published on Twitter. Then there is also Hootsuite. Hootsuite is a platform that manages all your social media. This means; you write an article only once and Hootsuite publishes all your messages on your registered social media. The only problem with this is that the contributions are not adapted to the uniqueness of the platform.Very important, especially for resort areas is TripAdvisor. Statistics show that diving schools, which have a TripAdvisor account and also several reviews, are much more frequently contacted by new customers.

Target groupsZielgruppe

Which target group I want to reach with my entries?

How effective are my messages?

Do I reach new customers with my photos?

These are all questions that you need to ask yourself, if you are planning a new post. A post should be interesting and exciting. The visitor of your page has to feel addressed. You want to get your existing customers to keep in touch with you and show what´s happening in your Dive Center after they gone home, because you want that these customers are coming back. You also want to acquire new customers through your platforms.Attract and motivate the user is the key, for example on Facebook. It’s not about how many “likes” you have, it’s about how many times you can get your fans to interact with you. The number of Likes, Comments and shares improves the chance that future posts appear in the News Feeds of your fans. If your posts do not interact with your fans, they never commented or liked your posts, then you risk that your content will disappear in the future from the News Feeds of your fans.

ZeitaufwandHow many times do I write a post?

I know that the time is a problem – especially during high season. However, you cannot avoid to actively and effectively use your social media during High season. This is the time where you have to promote your business.You have to publish a post, for example, on Instagram and Facebook at least once a day. A blog post would be very good once per week. But it is also ok to write a blog post every two weeks. What you want is consistency in your publications. Google, as well as your readers will immediately notice irregularities. The great thing about social media and blogging is, that you can schedule the publication and therefor write your posts ahead, when you have the time and schedule the publication – the rest is done by your platform.

Who should write your posts? 12188053_918898418191860_5675352402385959746_o

People are asking me frequently:  “Who should write the all these articles?” Determine someone in your staff who is responsible for social media and hand out to this person a camera and give him also your login information for your social media platforms.

Let your customers write the messages on your Wall. Animate the clientele to publish active as an advocate for your diving school. Organize a contest where by the most “liked” Article during the season will get a gift.

What is the first thing you do when a customer is walking in your diving school…? Right – you say “hello” and then…? … Then you give him a Tablet in his hand and let him to log on to his social media platform. They should like your Facebook business page immediately. It is also very important that you mention to them that they tag themselves in every picture where they appear.Before the customer is leaving your Dive School, hopefully satisfied, tell them that they need to write a review on Trip Advisor and on the Facebook Business page. It’s amazing how many new customers have been generated by the TripAdvisor and Facebook reviews. People read these reviews before they decide where to go!

InsightsInsights

Each platform has a statistic. Use this well! You can read when your “fans” or “followers” read your posts, when they are active on the Internet, where they come from, how many  of your visitors are men’s or women’s – and a lot more. All this you can find within the insights. Try to find out what your most successful posts are and according to that you will write your future posts – and measure the success again.

BloggingBlog

A diving school with no blog – is like a VW without a catalyst…! It is absolutely a must have! It does not mean that you need to write a novel, even a small article is ok. But it is important that you blog frequently.It is also important that your blog has social media sharing buttons. This ensures that your blog can be shared by the readers. It is also important that your readers can subscribe to your newsletter or blog. With this they will get an email as soon as you published a new blog. Animate your customers to share your new blog on their social media platforms.

What are the key points for a successful Blog?

– Update frequently so that the readers are coming back

– Link your Blog with Facebook / Twitter – for automatic feeds

– Use keywords to support you search engine optimization (SEO)

– Link your Blog with your website and vice versa

Your goal should be to inform your existing customers about what´s going on in your Diving School since they left – because you want them to come back – and by using the right keywords (SEO) to attract new customers. The chances are very high that your blog will be read and shared by unknowns the more interesting your articles are.

I hope that this article opened a little bit your eyes and that you understand the importance of how social Medias can be used most effectively.

If you would like to learn more about social media and Websites, it would make sense to apply for the PADI Business Academy, which is offered in different countries.

The post How social Medias can be used most effectively? appeared first on PADIProsEurope.

How social Medias can be used most effectively?

Monday, October 26th, 2015

Social MediaEveryone has them, everyone knows them – but does everyone knows how social Medias can be used most effectively?

I am now working as a PADI Regional Manager for several years and I saw many Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus – business pages of various diving schools. I also learned that today’s youth is represented on Instagram. So, if you only use Facebook – in the eyes of youth you are “Out”!

Oha, I thought … I’m already so old … But you have to be clearly aware that every target group uses different Medias – the diversity is the key to success

There are seven important points which need to be considered:

  • Existing social platforms
  • Which social Media do I use for my diving school
  • Target groups
  • How many times do I write a post
  • Who should write you posts
  • Insights
  • Blogging

Existing social Media platformssocial Media_2

The number of social media platforms is increasing, however, not every Platform is suitable for your business. Below you’ll find the most popular social media of our times.

– Facebook

– Twitter

– Google Plus

– YouTube Channel

– Instagram (only Mobile)

– TripAdvisor

– ScubaEarth

– Snapchat

Social Media_1Which social media do I use for my diving school?

From my experience I can say very clearly that a business without Facebook, Twitter, Youtube Channel and ScubaEarth – has clearly missed the today´s train. You have to be visible and find the customer where he is looking for you. This is called inbound marketing – means to target the potential customer, who is looking for you, will find you. That is why it is so important that your website is always up to date.It does not mean that each platform needs a separate entry. Various social media can be linked with each other. For example, Facebook can be linked to Twitter and vice versa. Then each entry on Facebook will be automatically published on Twitter. Then there is also Hootsuite. Hootsuite is a platform that manages all your social media. This means; you write an article only once and Hootsuite publishes all your messages on your registered social media. The only problem with this is that the contributions are not adapted to the uniqueness of the platform.Very important, especially for resort areas is TripAdvisor. Statistics show that diving schools, which have a TripAdvisor account and also several reviews, are much more frequently contacted by new customers.

Target groupsZielgruppe

Which target group I want to reach with my entries?

How effective are my messages?

Do I reach new customers with my photos?

These are all questions that you need to ask yourself, if you are planning a new post. A post should be interesting and exciting. The visitor of your page has to feel addressed. You want to get your existing customers to keep in touch with you and show what´s happening in your Dive Center after they gone home, because you want that these customers are coming back. You also want to acquire new customers through your platforms.Attract and motivate the user is the key, for example on Facebook. It’s not about how many “likes” you have, it’s about how many times you can get your fans to interact with you. The number of Likes, Comments and shares improves the chance that future posts appear in the News Feeds of your fans. If your posts do not interact with your fans, they never commented or liked your posts, then you risk that your content will disappear in the future from the News Feeds of your fans.

ZeitaufwandHow many times do I write a post?

I know that the time is a problem – especially during high season. However, you cannot avoid to actively and effectively use your social media during High season. This is the time where you have to promote your business.You have to publish a post, for example, on Instagram and Facebook at least once a day. A blog post would be very good once per week. But it is also ok to write a blog post every two weeks. What you want is consistency in your publications. Google, as well as your readers will immediately notice irregularities. The great thing about social media and blogging is, that you can schedule the publication and therefor write your posts ahead, when you have the time and schedule the publication – the rest is done by your platform.

Who should write your posts? 12188053_918898418191860_5675352402385959746_o

People are asking me frequently:  “Who should write the all these articles?” Determine someone in your staff who is responsible for social media and hand out to this person a camera and give him also your login information for your social media platforms.

Let your customers write the messages on your Wall. Animate the clientele to publish active as an advocate for your diving school. Organize a contest where by the most “liked” Article during the season will get a gift.

What is the first thing you do when a customer is walking in your diving school…? Right – you say “hello” and then…? … Then you give him a Tablet in his hand and let him to log on to his social media platform. They should like your Facebook business page immediately. It is also very important that you mention to them that they tag themselves in every picture where they appear.Before the customer is leaving your Dive School, hopefully satisfied, tell them that they need to write a review on Trip Advisor and on the Facebook Business page. It’s amazing how many new customers have been generated by the TripAdvisor and Facebook reviews. People read these reviews before they decide where to go!

InsightsInsights

Each platform has a statistic. Use this well! You can read when your “fans” or “followers” read your posts, when they are active on the Internet, where they come from, how many  of your visitors are men’s or women’s – and a lot more. All this you can find within the insights. Try to find out what your most successful posts are and according to that you will write your future posts – and measure the success again.

BloggingBlog

A diving school with no blog – is like a VW without a catalyst…! It is absolutely a must have! It does not mean that you need to write a novel, even a small article is ok. But it is important that you blog frequently.It is also important that your blog has social media sharing buttons. This ensures that your blog can be shared by the readers. It is also important that your readers can subscribe to your newsletter or blog. With this they will get an email as soon as you published a new blog. Animate your customers to share your new blog on their social media platforms.

What are the key points for a successful Blog?

– Update frequently so that the readers are coming back

– Link your Blog with Facebook / Twitter – for automatic feeds

– Use keywords to support you search engine optimization (SEO)

– Link your Blog with your website and vice versa

Your goal should be to inform your existing customers about what´s going on in your Diving School since they left – because you want them to come back – and by using the right keywords (SEO) to attract new customers. The chances are very high that your blog will be read and shared by unknowns the more interesting your articles are.

I hope that this article opened a little bit your eyes and that you understand the importance of how social Medias can be used most effectively.

If you would like to learn more about social media and Websites, it would make sense to apply for the PADI Business Academy, which is offered in different countries.

The post How social Medias can be used most effectively? appeared first on PADIProsEurope.

New and Upgraded PADI Businesses – September 2015

Friday, October 9th, 2015

New PADI Businesses

This August, PADI has welcomed 11 new centres as members of the PADI Retailer and Resort Associations, and processed 6 membership upgrades for businesses achieving new awards or committing 100% to PADI as Five Star or Instructor Development centres.

New PADI Businesses

  • Buceonaturas, S-25003, Spain
  • 4 Divers, S-25035, Netherlands
  • Piraeuscuba Diving, S-25028, Greece
  • Euro-Divers Utopia Beach, S-25041, Maldives
  • Shop4Divers, S-24994, Poland
  • S/Y Amazing Grace, S-25062, Seychelles
  • Diving Dragonera, S-25042, Spain
  • Dorset Diving Services, S-25061, England
  • Bateel Diver, S-25036, Saudi Arabia
  • Atmosphere Aqua Club Helengeli, S-25045, Maldives
  • Learn to Dive Today, S-25060, South Africa

Upgraded Businesses

  • Gran Canaria Divers, S-22677, Canary Islands
  • Diving Academy By Mandel Diving Center, S-23609, Italy
  • Adventure Diving Malta, S-24264, Malta
  • Dive&Drive, S-22134, Russia
  • Arab Diver, S-22719, Saudi Arabia

Awards Received

  • Island Divers, S-23318, Maldives – Green Star Award

Welcome and congratulations to all of the above PADI businesses! For the latest list of new and upgrading members click the ‘New PADI Retailer and Resort Members‘ link.

The post New and Upgraded PADI Businesses – September 2015 appeared first on PADIProsEurope.

New and Upgraded PADI Businesses – August 2015

Tuesday, September 1st, 2015

New PADI Businesses

This August, PADI has welcomed 11 new centres as members of the PADI Retailer and Resort Associations, and processed 3 membership upgrades for businesses achieving new awards or committing 100% to PADI as Five Star or Instructor Development centres.

New PADI Businesses

  • Scuba Place, s24992, England
  • Ras Musandam Diver, s24996, Oman
  • Cipreia LDA – Sesimbra, s24439, Portugal
  • Cipreia LDA – Lisboa Alfragide, s24438, Portugal
  • Cipreia LDA – Algarve Lagos, s24707, Portugal
  • Skegness Aquarium, s24997, England
  • DiscoveryDivers Veenendaal, s25005, Netherlands
  • Cool Divers, s25008, Egypt
  • AegeanSeals Diving Center, s25009, Greece
  • Alphonse Island Lodge Ltd, s25007, Seychelles
  • Gold Stars Diving Center, s24819, Egypt

Upgraded PADI Businesses

  • SeaOman Dive Academy Mussanah, s23348, Oman
  • Island Divers, s23318, Maldives

Awards Achieved

  • 4Sub, s23406, Italy (TecRec)

Welcome and congratulations to all new and upgraded PADI businesses! For the latest list of new and upgrading members click the ‘New PADI Retailer and Resort Members‘ link.

The post New and Upgraded PADI Businesses – August 2015 appeared first on PADIProsEurope.