Social Media & Your Workout Routine ~via @jenhoverstad
I had an amazing workout this morning.
I went a little heavier on my farmer walks, easily brought my toes up to the bar for core work, had a cleaner hang clean, and even tackled a fourth super set I didn’t think I’d have the energy to complete.
I workout at least three times per week. That typically includes a couple of hot yoga classes and one or two trips to the gym, maybe a lap around the lake if it’s nice outside.
It’s a regular routine. I keep it up because it makes me feel good. I think more clearly and more creatively. It improves my health, and I don’t get winded playing with my daughter.
Many of you right now are saying “well…you’re working out regularly, of course you see results.”
And that’s exactly what I want to say to people when they ask why they aren’t seeing results with their personal or business social media accounts:
“Well…if you aren’t checking in regularly, engaging with people, and reflecting on your results, you probably aren’t going to notice a difference in your social accounts. In fact, you probably don’t mean much to your audience, because your actions say your audience doesn’t mean much to you.”
In short:
You aren’t showing up. Results can’t happen if you don’t put in the work.
If my goal for going to the gym was just to get out of the house occasionally and move for 30 minutes, I could do that easily. I could jump on a treadmill once a week or so and walk to the timer. I probably wouldn’t see many results, but it would certainly give my blood flow a little boost.
But, if my goal in going to the gym is to actually see results — to increase my strength, be able to increase my weight load with each exercise — then I have an outcome that I’m working toward.
If you’re trying to have a presence on social media, that’s easy — just create a user name, login in, and maybe post something when you feel like it. But, understand, that just because you have a presence doesn’t mean you’re channel is healthy.
Here are the four steps of my workout routine:
Strategy —I selected the gym for a reason. I know what it offers and how to use the equipment, or at least some of the equipment. I’ve identified my my short term and long term goals, and how I will work toward them in Step 3.
Show up — I wake up early and go. It’s not always convenient, but I consistently make time for it. This is a large part of the battle, but I won’t see results without showing up.
Do the work — I apply the details of the strategy — how many supersets, which exercises, number of reps, how many pounds, etc., and I make adjustments as I go along. There are by-products too, like meeting new friends or learning about a new exercise I could apply to my own routine.
Reflect on the results — How have I improved in the short term? Where am I on the road to my long term goal? Do I need to adjust my strategy? What successes and milestones can I celebrate?
Let’s apply it to your social channels:
Strategy — Where is your audience? Which platforms should you be on? (Tip: You don’t have to be on EVERY platform to achieve results!)What goals do you want to achieve this week? Next month? 6 months from now? 1 year from now?
Show up — Check in every day with your channels. There are some tools you can use to make this easier, but commit to checking in regularly.
Do the work — Write the content. Shoot the videos. Post when your audience will engage, not just when it’s convenient for you. RESPOND TO COMMENTS AND MESSAGES! Let people know it’s a human (who cares) behind your user name.
Reflect on the results — At least once per month (ideally, once per week) you should check in with how you’re progressing toward your goals. The sooner you can identify where/if you need to change the strategy, the less likely you’ll run into a situation where you feel like you’ve wasted time and money.
I can’t expect maximized results unless I plan to put in the time to achieve those results.
