Summer is (finally) upon us! The sun is shining, vacations have been booked, and swimsuits have been purchased.
And so, many of us are also thinking about how to get back to in shape after the long, cold winter so we can look good in those brand new swimsuits!
Recently, a friend of mine introduced me to the website, FromCouchto5K.com, which is devoted to giving new runners more information about the sport. It’s an excellent resource for getting back in shape after a long workout hiatus. It’s filled with running tips, advice, links, and even a comprehensive, detailed, step-by-step, “Couch to 5K Training Plan.”
As a regular visitor of “From Couch to 5K,” it clicked with me that this site’s advice for getting back in shape (and staying that way), parallels what we advise clients who are just getting started in social media (and want to succeed in the long run).
1. “Beginning to run for a beginner can be extremely tough, especially without a plan.” – This is also true for businesses looking to join the social media conversation with no concrete plan for maintaining their social networking sites. You can’t grow your social network without maintaining a regular balance of updates, and it is easier to do that if there is a plan in place. An annual social media calendar that outlines initiatives and promotions to focus on each month has worked wonders for our clients.
2. “In the beginning, you will be doing lots of walking… Around week 9, you’ll be done with walking altogether.” – Many businesses tend to do what the inexperienced runner does; go out and run 3 miles straight at a veteran’s pace, and then end up so sore they never want to put on a pair of sneakers again. We’ve seen time and again that companies run out and create identities on Facebook, Twitter, FlickR, Foursquare, YouTube, etc. all in one fell swoop, and wind up so overwhelmed they give up on posting and engaging on their social networks. For this reason, we advise our clients to begin with ONE social network first, and build from there. First focus your energy on the social network that is most beneficial to your business, and then branch out to new social networks once you’ve built up your stamina.
3. “This is only a rough outline of the perfect plan for you. You can change it as you need to.” – Simply stated, set your own benchmarks. After you get started with social media, find out what is and isn’t working for your organization. It isn’t important whether you have 5,000 Facebook fans or 500 Facebook fans. What matters is that they are engaged fans — the ones who are ultimately going to drive sales to your business. You don’t have to be a New York City marathon runner when your goal was to do a 5K in your hometown; focus on what works for your unique business.
This summer, consider these tips part of a “summer workout plan” to help you and your business become the most socially savvy – “you” yet!
Interested in more specifics? We’ve made some of the social media planning tools mentioned above available to get you and your company started here.
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Samantha Wannemacher is an account executive for WordWrite Communications. You can find her on Twitter @shw72388.
