Remind yourself that it's okay not to be perfect.
Authenticity "a particular way of dealing with the external world, being faithful to internal rather than external ideas".
The concept of Authenticity gets me really excited! thanks to the way our world has started to engage with one another, being authentic has taken on new meaning. On a personal level you can express yourself on multiple different platforms, at any point in the day and connect with other people. This whole way of being has bled into the business arena and as an owner or operator within the Fitness industry you have got to (if you haven't already) figure out how you plan on authentically engaging socially online.
Instead of this post being a lesson on how to set up social interaction online and which platforms to use, I want to chat today about the heart of the content you are posting and what it says about who you are.
3 things come to mind when I think about authenticity and how to engage yourself or business socially: Be Consistent, Be Transparent, Be Vulnerable.
Very scary and raw words, I know, but here's the deal; if you try to use your social media marketing as a way to reach people by what you ASPIRE to be instead of who you ACTUALLY are, you've missed it!
People shop you online, read reviews, check out your website and THEN walk in the door. If your social presence does not speak to who you are, what you are about and what to expect upon making a visit, more than likely you will miss the business to someone who is. Food for thought, take into consideration when reading my blog posts, my opinion falls into the category of that of a millennial. The way I conduct my life is very much so on the high end of participation in what my age group is known for, just a disclaimer. Read more about millennials here.
When Tweeting, Facebooking, Pinning, Intagramming, Be authentic! show the world what you are all about. Pictures of members having fun, your early morning crew enjoying their class, member of the month, class changes, etc. Just make sure it is content that is realistic to what you are all about and represents the DNA of your organization so there is no confusion about what you believe in.
My best advise: be yourself: your social online presence should be an arm of what happens in your facility each day. Use it as a tool to paint a clear picture of who you are, what you believe in and what someone should expect to see upon walking through your doors. Don't make things up, document and share what is actually happening. Facebook's timeline acts as a diary of your business's life, what a great way to look back and see archives of how you have grown over the years.
Let me know, Lindsey Rainwater- how are you being authentic in your world? online, in person, what does it look like for you to engage?
