Today is pre-conference day at IDEA World Fitness Convention. That means the halls are still quiet and the registration booths are only two people deep. Despite what I refer to as “the calm before the storm,” there was still plenty of education to be enjoyed.
Of particular interest to me was Chalene Johnson’s all-day session on leveraging social media. “If you’re not using social media, you will not be successful,” she warned the surprisingly sparse crowd. “Social media is where it’s at.”
Chalene is probably best known for her fitness DVDs and programs like TurboFire, however she has become quite the queen of social media. She is building an empire by simply leveraging these tools to her benefit. She now offers courses on how to use Twitter, Facebook and YouTube for financial gains.
“We no longer have to go door-to-door to sell services or products,” she says. “The grapevine is pointless.” When executed properly, social media pursuits can put you in front of as many “eyeballs” as possible. Those eyeballs belong to individuals who may become clients or consumers once they trust you.
But you have to be careful about how you approach it, she adds. Simply asking for business is ineffective. You have to give tidbits of information first. Don’t tweet something like, “buy my organic cotton t-shirts.” Tweet about why organic cotton is earth friendly. Then tweet about how it feels better on the skin, and again on how it benefits farmers. Once you’ve gained trust, ask for the sale.
I can go on about the power of social media. If there’s one take home I can share it’s to not be afraid of it. As Chalene says, schedule half a day and play with it. Watch tutorials on YouTube. Like it or not, social media is the next wave of marketing. Catch it and thrive. Miss it and sink.
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