How do you utilize social media to market/network your business?

Stay on News Feed. Anytime I do anything fun, I tag the studio. This keeps the studio on News Feed, and reminds clients and friends to come. This is also a great way to expose Friends of Friends. Last week we did a Yoga Flash Mob. FUN! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_nYeaijWhA

I'm struggling with the same problems here in Portugal and we have a small market. I've participating in TV shows, writing for some magazines and even a book. Most of my media work as been for free, and i had a couple of payed jobs. Main idea is to offer your services, tell everyone you're a Personal Trainer while you are at it and take advantage of the connections you establish. Try writing in a blog (up2u2011.blogspot.com, i know it's in portuguese) to practice and then send some of your text to local, regional and then national media. Everything you write, publish or broadcast put in on facebook, twiter...
Have FUN!!

People are driven and motivated through education, knowledge and results. So feed them what they want and you shall fuel your business. Get consent from clients/patients to post results (pictures) and feedback from them will only help illustrate a nice path for you to obtain new clients!

Fuel the Movement,
JM

I use a combination of Facebook, Twitter, my personal blog and Linkedin. By using these social media outlets, I stay in the public view and allow for the fact that not everyone who uses one or more of these outlets use some of the others.

LaRue, MHA, JD, CSCS
www.lecfitness.com
lecfitness@yahoo.com

Debi, you have a lot of great answers posted here already. Here are my two cents:

1. Pick the tool based on what you want to achieve.
If you want to expand your professional network, perhaps Twitter or LinkedIn might be a good starting point. If you want to educate and inform clients/perspective clients, you might gain more traction with a blog.

2. Decide how much time you want to spend.
Successful social media strategies may come from the combination of the tools. Can you gain new clients from Facebook - eh, maybe. But you may have to craft your messages in a way that targets your audience effectively.

3. Do something different with your social media.
Everyone is on Twitter/Facebook, etc. these days. If you want people to 'get to know your brand' these are all great places to be present. But if you want people to come through your doors... well, you might consider spending your ad dollars more effectively.

Check out this article: http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/the-group-advantage

Good luck!
Biray

I guess, I am somewhat behind the times when it comes to social media. I have a facebook page but never look at it. If I were not getting e-mails about it into my inbox, I probably would never even go there. To be honest I only created the page because it was the thing to do.

That certainly answers the question of whether I use it to market my business: I don't.

However, I recently made the discovery how to posts events, and it is my plan to put classes and courses up there and just see what happens. And some friends have been on me for being more active in that field.

In the meantime, I rely on different modes of communication.

I've been getting into blogs lately. Platforms like IDEA Fitness Connect have been helpful. I am part of another platform called Sharecare.

I believe whatever platform one decides to utilize, it is wise to never forget that you what you write and send out in cyberspace is there forever. Hence, it is always a good idea to put your best foot forward.

Treat it like a fitness goal. Set your smart goals. Decide what you want your end result to be first. More business? Longer relationships with the clients you already have now? You established as the go-to for fitness info in your area?

Then set aside a realistic time a day or a week. And stick to it. With social media often the key is regular and consistent presence. You can't hit and miss and expect to get any results. (does that sound familiar?)

Pick one "next thing" you want to do. If you aren't using facebook regularly, start. Grow your friends. Read the papers and when a newsy fitness item is worthwhile, tie it to what's going on in your facility or business.
Rotate the kind of items you include. Articles just FYI. An offer: respond with the contents of your breakfast - the first 10 to respond will be eligible to win a complimentary personal training session. (from which you will upsell them!) and then rank the best to worst breakfasts and tell them why....or how to improve...and use statistics and expert comments- that alone will give you content for a long while!

Start using video. Upload it to your facebook and twitter posts. use it in your blog. Tell them "how" to do something to benefit more.

Last- but most important...find a way to evaluate whether the time, energy, and money (are you paying someone else or is your time worth anything) is worth it.

I use facebook but I'm not getting a lot of traffic in spite of the quantity of friends I have. However, I have received some business, especially when I offer specials! I find my website is the first thing people ask for.

A previous answer I agree with is to be on the social networking cite A LOT! That way your friends will come to depend on your accessibility.

Good luck! Please post if you find something awesome that we don't know about!

Ideafit has been a fantastic resource for me! And I share any new blogs/events/info from my ideafit site onto my facebook page. Facebook is a great resource. Linkedin is good too for your personal network, but not as much for building clientele. Could be a great way to get referrals from people you know.

There's a schedule of goals I try to follow with my social media efforts. I aim to blog at least once or twice a week and update my Facebook page once a day during the workweek. I have my Twitter account connected to Facebook so every update becomes a Tweet.