Social media has gone beyond the level of craze. It isn't merely a phenomenon or star-burst. It is a fundamental change in communication patterns. And it puts you in charge. As media and marketers struggle to keep up, social media give you options that break the old rules about who controls the conversation.
I'm not talking about using Facebook to post pictures of your cat or Twitter to let your friends know what you had for lunch. I'm talking about a way for you to get and pass on information that gives you the power to make people listen to you. Marketers have reacted with everything from sheer terror ('ads don't work the way they used to, the world is ending,' to delight, 'so that's what my customers really think'). I tend to be more on the side of delight.
Over my years in retail sales and event management, I've found that talking directly to my customers gives me insights that I cannot gain any other way. Social media makes that communication easier than ever. Rather than being afraid of what you might say, I'd like to encourage you to use social media to communicate with friends and businesses in a way that helps keep things relevant.
One of the things about social media is that by its social nature, you tend to discover the tools by hearing about them from a friend. Someone said you had to be on Facebook to see what your other friends were up to. Someone else told you that Twitter would give you intriguing little slices of information that would become addicting. It's unlikely that anyone ever talked to you about the power you were wielding, or how to make best use of it. Until now. I've come up with a multi-part Runner's Guide to Social Media . Part 1 will lay out the basics: The Game, The Players and The Strategy. Part 2 will go into specific running related examples.
Runner's Guide to Social Media
Part 1
The Game
Social media is all about establishing connections. They're called 'friends' or 'fans' on Facebook, 'followers' on Twitter or simply 'connections' on LinkedIn, but the idea is the same. These are people with whom you share some common interest.
The Players
There are dozens of social media outlets, but the main resources for runners are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and a vast array of blogs.
Blogs (short for web logs) have been around the longest. They are outlets for people to post information and stories, and the best ones have some topical focus. If you search for 'running' on a blog site, you will find thousands of posts. Some common blogging tools include Blogger and Word Press.
Facebook allows you to create a personal page, connect with friends, form groups, and become fans of businesses or organizations that you like. It's easy to posts updates, photos and video.
Twitter is a type of micro-blog. You can post up to 140 characters at a time, so your updates are short and sweet. If you want to know what Lance Armstrong felt about his Tour de France ride today, follow him on Twitter.
LinkedIn is more professional in nature. It allows for a personal page where you can update your education and work histories as well as give and receive recommendations. It also has groups where you can network with people sharing special interests. There are many running-related LinkedIn groups.
The Strategy
As a runner, you can use social media to reach your goals:
- Need someone to run with? Put word out to your friends or join a group. Groups are a great way to keep everyone on the same page for workouts and social gatherings.
- Want to find an event? Search on your own (WARNING: Facebook has ultra-lame search abilities when it comes to events), check-out what events your friends are doing, or better yet, become a fan of organizations that put on events.
- Want to give feedback before or after an event? Post on the event page.
- Have a great photo of you finishing your first 5K? Post that on your personal page as well as the event page.
- Want to keep friends in the loop about your marathon? Tweet from your cell phone as you cross the finish line, or wait a couple minutes and post photos to your Facebook page.
- Have a great recipe you'd like to share with your running friends? Post it!
There are also special tools or applications that can help you along the way. On Facebook, there are apps for running logs, route mapping and more.
My next blog will include Part 2, where I will get into more details about specific pages and groups that runners might be interested in, as well as examples of how to use the strategies listed above.
In true social media form, I'd like to hear from you. We've started a discussion on our Facebook page about how runners use social media. Please join the discussion and make a post. I'm looking for your examples of successful social media approaches.
You can also check out The Sporting Life social media pages:
The Sporting Life on Facebook
TSLZebra on Twitter
Chris Fuller's profile on LinkedIn
FULL STORY blog on Blogger
Please stay connected. Remember: you're in charge!
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