Five Ways Social Media is Like Working Out
- 24 Comment
So recently I’ve been thinking about this issue and came to the conclusion that Social Media is a lot like working out. Now before you judge that comment look at my top 5 reasons why. I’m eager to hear your feedback 
1) When you do it consistently and over time it will yield great results. You don’t have to be in the gym all day to be effective. Doing 15 minutes of quality exercise is better than being at the gym for six hours messing around and not getting a lot accomplished. We all have busy lives, but if you are willing to invest time into social media & building your online presence it can lead to more clients, friends, or even job opportunities.
2) It’s always good to “spot or support” others. You’ll have better relationships with those in the gym and in the social media realm if you show your support. In the gym this could be spotting someone as he does a tough excersise…In the social media realm it can be as simple as commenting on someone’s blog, writing on someones wall, or replying to someone’s tweet. Anything that shows the person who initiated the conversation that you are listening and care about what they are saying.
3) Having a Membership isn’t enough. What you do at the gym is more important than the fact that you have a membership. The same is true with social media. You can be a member of every social networking site on earth, have a blog and twitter account but if you don’t actually use them there’s no point. Content is king and what you do at the gym and on social media sites is what really creates value.
4) Sometimes working out can make your sore. That friend who is spotting you on on the bench press can sometimes push you a bit too hard. Just like you may go out with a friend(s) drinking and they push you to have more shots or more drinks…then the next day you have a bunch of drunk tweets and photos all over facebook and flickr. Always know your limits and watch what you do, because your actions could easily be broadcasted to the world in today’s digital age. In addition to this there are always going to be people at the gym who don’t like you. They think your a show off, or just don’t like the way you handle yourself. They could talk bad about you to the cute girl at the gym, or post something bad about you on a blog. Take this for what it’s worth, address it openly if needed, but don’t let it distract you from your work out or business objectives.
5) Be Honest & Transparent About your Accomplishments/Endeavors. If you say your going to the gym everyday and look like you’ve been sitting on the couch drinking beer and eating twinkies its apparent. Likewise don’t take steroids and pretend like your doing everything by the books. This is the same with social media. Don’t lie about yourself, your company or your accomplishments. Eventually what’s done in the dark will come to light. If you don’t disclose yourself properly eventually someone else will or it will be blatantly apparent.
If you liked this post please share it by clicking the share this link below
24 Comments on this post
Trackbacks
-
Reem Abeidoh said:
Great post! How about….
6- Hire a Personal Trainer — The personal trainer serves as a mentor who will guide you through the process of building those online muscles. They can provide you with expert advice on how to shape up your profile, image, and brand.
October 8th, 2008 at 7:46 pm -
Ricardo Bueno said:
Everything that you said is just about “dead on!” You need to be consistent, work hard, and be true to yourself if you want to produce any type of positive result (both in the gym and with anything else you’re doing, in this case pushing your social media efforts to yield more results).
October 8th, 2008 at 7:54 pm -
JoeSales said:
Nice post David. Very well thought out! Where did you get the inspiration?
October 8th, 2008 at 8:46 pm -
David said:
Thanks for the comments everyone.
@Reem I def agree, especially if someone is “Out of Social Media Shape”, has lost their form or is new to the space, having a mentor/personal trainer is extremely helpful.
@Ricardo- I’m glad you see where I’m coming from. I def agree that these principles don’t just apply to the gym, but to anything really worth while in life.
@Joe- thanks. I don’t know where I got the inspiration for the post exactly, it just came to me. It’s probably from thinking that I should really do both more often than I do…lol Like I said we’re all busy, but I think doing working out is extremely important for everyone and being active in social media is essential especially in the industry we’re in.
October 8th, 2008 at 9:05 pm -
Ricardo Bueno said:
@Reem: dang, how did I miss that? Great point!
And you know, blogging (writing) can be difficult at first…the best think you can do to get better at it is “just do it.” Write, write and write. Join a social network where that sense of community is going to help you and inspire you to get better and develop yourself.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:13 pm -
David Meerman Scott said:
Great post. Very clever analogy. All social media newbies should read it. David Meerman Scott
October 9th, 2008 at 3:18 am -
MarketingTwins-Randy said:
Thanks to David Meerman Scott’s TWITTER post - I found this. Good analogy David B. I’m linking to it from my blog, too.
-RV
October 9th, 2008 at 4:48 am -
Susan Payton, The Marketing Eggspert said:
Great comparison! I’ve made it my routine to work on Facebook and Twitter (adding people, commmenting, responding) first thing every morning.
PS I live down the street from IZEA! I met Ted at BlogWorld (didn’t see you until I saw his pics)
October 9th, 2008 at 6:07 am -
David said:
I thought of another one to add to the list…
Proper Nutrition: The quality of content you consume as a blogger no matter the form can fuel or energize you and your blog. If you live in a box, and are not keeping up on trends/engaging in conversations etc it can cancel out your “Social Media Workout” because what you have to say may not be adding much “nutritional value” to conversations or the social media realm as a whole.
@David Meerman Scott I’m glad you liked my post. Your book The New Rules of Marketing & PR was the best I’ve read so far on Social Media & marketing in a digital world. I got a lot out of it!
@Randy…Thanks for stopping by and giving me some link love
@Susan I think that’s a great habit to get into. It’s cool you live near IZEA, we’re alot of fun. You should definitely come to Wall St. for our next event
October 9th, 2008 at 9:16 am -
Alan Edgett said:
Awesome. Except now I feel bad about breaking two habits, routinely!
ACEdge
October 9th, 2008 at 11:30 am -
Marla Tabaka said:
I think I see a book in the making - great insights and analogy here David! Thanks for sharing…
October 9th, 2008 at 2:01 pm -
David said:
@Alan I hear you…That’s part of what inspired this post. I was thinking that I’m busy, but really need to be more consistent in both social media & the gym.
@Marla…One never knows what the future holds…If I ever do you’ll be the first to know
Thanks for the great comments & feedback everyone!
October 10th, 2008 at 2:49 pm -
Sarah Brim said:
Way to go Dave. Love, Mom
November 20th, 2008 at 10:34 pm -
Onyeka victor said:
Thanks for yet another masterpiece. concise, precise and as well powerful. Gratias
December 31st, 2008 at 11:26 pm -
diabetes supply said:
I know Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are great ways to help promote my company, but I don’t have the time to learn them. How much would a marketing firm charge me to run my social media?
June 1st, 2009 at 2:57 pm -
diabetes supply said:
What are some ways to use Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites to spread the word about my business?
September 1st, 2009 at 3:06 pm -
Car hire said:
What are some ways to use Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites to spread the word about my business?
December 1st, 2009 at 9:26 am -
Rent Textbooks said:
This is exactly what is missing in most social media campains most people just want to take a pill and have mussles not actualy work out. and if they do, its fun for a couple of weeks then they loose intrest.
December 18th, 2009 at 4:27 pm -
Scrap Gold Price said:
I know Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are great ways to help promote my company.
January 22nd, 2010 at 9:52 pm -
car purchase said:
Share resources that your target audience would find of value. Think of your Facebook Fan Page like a forum.
January 29th, 2010 at 9:03 am -
car purchase said:
you should visit Microsoft’s Office Live Students Facebook page, a place where job seekers can gather tips and advice on everything related to job applications.
January 29th, 2010 at 9:04 am -
car purchase said:
I know Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are great ways to help promote my company, but I don’t have the time to learn them. How much would a marketing firm charge me to run my social media?
March 8th, 2010 at 5:29 am
[...] here to hear David’s 5 Ways that Social Media is Like Working Out - [...]
[...] here to hear David’s 5 Ways that Social Media is Like Working Out - [...]