The SOCIAL MEDIA WORKOUT PLAN

Seeing changes in the gym doesn't happen over night. And the gym is only half the battle. A balanced diet, efficient recovery time, even the equipment and methods of your workout dictate your results. An effective combination of all these things may still not guarantee the results you are hoping for. Any of this ring a bell?

Now, let's talk about your Social Media Workout Plan. What's that... You don't have one? How do you expect to grow, expand your knowledge, or allow your Social Media to live a potentially longer life in general? 

As I mentioned above, results take time. You won't see results in a week, probably not even two weeks. We all have our own battles in Social Media, just as we do at our local gym. Some swear they can't put on weight or muscle for the life of them. Others feel they can't lose weight no matter what workout or diet they try. The point is, each of us have certain priorities or wants from our workouts, just as we do our Social Media efforts. If you have a plan, the effort, and the attitude, you will see results...I guarantee it.

THE WARM-UP

If you're like me, you might like to stretch some before hitting the weights or cardio machines. Before you walk in the "Social Media Gym," you may want to do some warming up as well. Here's what I'm talking about - 

-WHAT'S TRENDING-

Before I open my big mouth each day, I like to see what's going on in the world first. I suggest you do the same. Nothing worse than having that first post of the day be one you can't get back. Yikes. 

1.) Check out Twitter's MOMENTS

2.) What's TRENDING on Facebook?

3.) What are the MOST POPULAR images on Instagram?

4.) POPULAR videos on YouTube

5.) What's HOT and RISING on Reddit?

*No matter the Social Media platform, take some time to walk a few laps before you max-out. Trust me.

-ANY UPDATES OR CHANGES-

About once a week (if not more) at least one of our Social Media platforms has a significant update or change made to a certain feature whether we like it or not. These changes or updates may help you or potentially hurt you, who knows. The point of the matter is you must adapt, learn, and adjust accordingly. First thing of a morning, make sure no relevant changes have been made to Facebook, Twitter, etc. that affect your Social Media efforts. 

  

-CHECK YOUR VITALS-

Similar to keeping an eye on your heart rate or the number of calories burned, you need to start each morning by locating the most important numbers/stats regarding your Social Media accounts. I've always said what you look like in the mirror is far more important than the number on the scale. The number of followers you have doesn't assure you a successful Twitter account, but it is nice to track your growth. The quality of your posts and Social Media accounts will show for themselves, let the mirror do the talking.

WORKOUT ROUTINE

• HIT THE HASHTAG - Who would have thought that the little number sign (#) would be such a game changer. Any day of the week you will find a certain hashtag that is sweeping across not the country, the world. Utilize this gift from the Social Media Gods and get in the discussion. Everyday. 
• SHOW LOVE TO YOUR AUDIENCE - A nice friendly "Thank You" never hurt anybody. Simply acknowledging your audience is a great habit to get into. Listening to comments and interacting with your audience shows not only do you care, you're willing to listen. If someone Likes your page, group, or even a Tweet, tell them you appreciate that.
• HEAD UP, EYES OPEN - No one said you can't pick up on certain workouts and routines of others at the gym. The same applies to Social Media. What are the "cool kids" up to? What's working really well for others right now? Be an absolute sponge in the Social Media scene. Pick up on tips, tricks, short-cuts, even things to stay away from and avoid. You will never know if you can't see.

• DAILY LUNGES - Let's be honest...no one really likes leg day, but you must incorporate them into your workout. There are certain aspects of Social Media we shy away from, but we must break that bad habit. Participating in certain forums or discussions, taking on a new Social Media platform for the first time, whatever the case may be, normally the things we shy away from the most are the same things we need the most.
• DON'T BE "THAT GUY" - There is always that one guy or girl at the gym who apparently didn't get the memo on gym etiquette. Unnecessary yelling, dressed like they're going to the club, or even worse, dancing and singing like they're already at the club. It's quite entertaining. But seriously, don't draw bad attention to yourself via Social Media. I'm not saying don't voice your opinion. By all means, being yourself and saying what you want to say is why Social Media thrives daily. Just be respectful at all times. It's not just a few people at the gym watching, it's the entire world. 
• GOOD FORM - A key ingredient to any workout is having good form. Seeing someone practically throwing his/her back out doing bicep curls should speak for itself. He/she is doing more harm than good. In terms of Social Media, the correct form can have several meanings. Proper grammar, common courtesy to your followers and audience, even knowing when or when not to DM someone. There is a right and wrong way to do pretty much anything. If you notice some of your posts or content getting sloppy or not as high of quality, cut back. Quality over quantity any day of the week.
• HEALTHY DIET - It's no secret that your diet is half the battle when it comes to any workout plan. It is an absolute must to indulge yourself with a healthy amount of knowledge daily. Similar to a wide variety diet, proportion yourself with information from various sources - blogs or articles, podcasts, YouTube Channels, books, tutorials, even just a quick round of the morning or evening news. Stay informed. We each control what is put in front of our faces 99% of the time, why not make it the most healthy, beneficial information.               

POST-WORKOUT

Your body needs time to recover. How you take care of your body in between workouts is just as key as the workout itself. Knowing when to take a break from Social Media is something I think is very important. I realize some professionals that handle Social Media can't just fall off the map for a month, but a steady balance of Social Media and Pre-Social Media behavior is key. 

In short, learn when to put your dumb phone down and get off Facebook for two seconds. Our mind, just like our muscles, needs time to unwind and recover. You know that feeling where you are just mentally drained more than anything? That can happen very easily in Social Media, constantly screening through text and images as quickly as we can. You can get burned out if you're not careful. 

In conclusion, a disciplined workout combined with a nutritious diet and an appropriate recovery schedule is key to a healthy lifestyle. Do you want a healthy and successful Social Media campaign that is continuously growing? Then you must stay in shape. It takes discipline, hard work, patience, but even more, it takes a plan. If you stick to a daily WARM-UP, WORKOUT ROUTINE, and allow RECOVERY TIME, the results will come!  

   

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER - @JtownW / @M1Data