Answers (11)
2
Personally, I don't see anything wrong with promoting oneself on this portal. That is the entire premise of the portal. IDEA Fitness Connect as mentioned on the homepage of this portal assists us in connecting with 16 million consumers of fitness and wellness services.
If there is anyone place for one to market him/herself it is here. Now, we might find one's marketing strategy a bit questionable but that has nothing to do with the premise of this website. Is it inappropriate? In my opinion I emphatically say that it is not.
The creators of IDEA Fitness Connect have made it possible for us to publicize our events and more importantly demonstrate that we are bona fide fitness professionals. Sounds like self promotion to me.
For those who have gyms or studios, one can even create a profile page for their establishment. IDEA even sets the pace by promoting itself by advertising their CEC courses, directing us to continuing education courses we can purchase and take and demonstrate to the public that we genuinely invest in our education and careers again self promotion.
My motivation for joining IDEA Fitness Connect when it first launched was all about self promotion and I would be amiss if I said anything other. At the present, my motivation is the same. However, I am determined to do my part to respond to questions and answers that demonstrate that I am a true professional. In this way not only to I edify the industry but I market myself.
Danielle, thank you for your question and I look forward to our continued intellectual interchange.
If there is anyone place for one to market him/herself it is here. Now, we might find one's marketing strategy a bit questionable but that has nothing to do with the premise of this website. Is it inappropriate? In my opinion I emphatically say that it is not.
The creators of IDEA Fitness Connect have made it possible for us to publicize our events and more importantly demonstrate that we are bona fide fitness professionals. Sounds like self promotion to me.
For those who have gyms or studios, one can even create a profile page for their establishment. IDEA even sets the pace by promoting itself by advertising their CEC courses, directing us to continuing education courses we can purchase and take and demonstrate to the public that we genuinely invest in our education and careers again self promotion.
My motivation for joining IDEA Fitness Connect when it first launched was all about self promotion and I would be amiss if I said anything other. At the present, my motivation is the same. However, I am determined to do my part to respond to questions and answers that demonstrate that I am a true professional. In this way not only to I edify the industry but I market myself.
Danielle, thank you for your question and I look forward to our continued intellectual interchange.
1
Hi Danielle,
another question that made me pause and wonder.
I am fully aware that, by posting answers on this forum, I am exposing myself to that part of the outside world that cares to read them. Considering that I have never yet gotten any e-mail or comment from clients or prospective clients about those answers, I assume that they are not read by anybody but those who posted the questions or be other professionals who wanted to read somebody else point of view as I do myself. From that prespective, the promotion is more within the industry itself which - maybe - is a feather in my cap. Or it may be just the opposite; after all, writing things and having them posted on the internet exposes both the good and bad.
What intrigued me to participate in the forum was the fact that by thinking through questions and committing them to "paper" I am getting a better grasp of the concepts themselves. Joanne put it very well in one of her answers here 'you cannot give away what you do not own'.
Thanks for your great question, Danielle. Now, please tell me: how did you make that 'peace' sign in your response to Marlan?
another question that made me pause and wonder.
I am fully aware that, by posting answers on this forum, I am exposing myself to that part of the outside world that cares to read them. Considering that I have never yet gotten any e-mail or comment from clients or prospective clients about those answers, I assume that they are not read by anybody but those who posted the questions or be other professionals who wanted to read somebody else point of view as I do myself. From that prespective, the promotion is more within the industry itself which - maybe - is a feather in my cap. Or it may be just the opposite; after all, writing things and having them posted on the internet exposes both the good and bad.
What intrigued me to participate in the forum was the fact that by thinking through questions and committing them to "paper" I am getting a better grasp of the concepts themselves. Joanne put it very well in one of her answers here 'you cannot give away what you do not own'.
Thanks for your great question, Danielle. Now, please tell me: how did you make that 'peace' sign in your response to Marlan?
1
Hi Danielle,
I like Debbie Russell's answer. I think self promotion is a good thing and helps us grow our business. "IDEA Answers" gives us this platform to do just that. The Answers Leaders Board should be reset every month, this would reduce the number of "one or two sentence" answers given. In turn, it would benefit all users with meaningful responses and not answers to keep one's status on the Answers Leaders Board.
New IDEA Fitness Connect members join daily without a chance to ever be ranked on the leader board without giving those "one or two sentence" answers to hopefully achieve a high ranking.
I like Debbie Russell's answer. I think self promotion is a good thing and helps us grow our business. "IDEA Answers" gives us this platform to do just that. The Answers Leaders Board should be reset every month, this would reduce the number of "one or two sentence" answers given. In turn, it would benefit all users with meaningful responses and not answers to keep one's status on the Answers Leaders Board.
New IDEA Fitness Connect members join daily without a chance to ever be ranked on the leader board without giving those "one or two sentence" answers to hopefully achieve a high ranking.
0
Bravo to you Joanne. Thank you for clarifying your intentionality for all to peruse and ponder.
Stay well
Danielle
Stay well
Danielle
0
I'm so glad that someone else with the same general viewpoint answered this question. As a relatively "green" trainer, I definitely am not blind to the fact that I've taken full advantage of the IDEA Answers platform, and I am aware that the number of questions answered has an impact on my rating for IDEA Fitness Connect.
However, at this point, I view the marketing and self-promotion aspects of this website as incidental and not a primary reason for my being active here. I do think that my answers have been thoughtful, and I have made a concerted effort to back my answers up with anecdotal evidence, scientific facts, and reputable sources when necessary. I think that's a fair assessment.
My main motivation for being active on IDEA Answers revolves around the fact that this is a place where reputable and successful fitness professionals share their collective knowledge with others. I have learned a lot, and I am better for having interacted with the professionals here. I feel completely comfortable when I'm on IDEA Answers because I know that my thoughts, along with everyone else's, are always taken into consideration and policed when necessary. I think everyone involved here, including the staff at IDEA have taken the Answers platform very seriously and have taken tremendous steps to ensure that quality information is being disseminated. Everyone here has also worked very hard to create a supportive and nurturing environment where all questions are welcome and most every opinion is valued. I'm looking forward to learning more here, and I hope to improve the quality of my future answers as I gain more knowledge and experience in the industry.
As far as self-promotion goes, Yes, I would have to say that IDEA Answers is turning into a great place to promote oneself, professionally. In my opinion, the most important "self-promotions" that a fitness professional can gain from this platform are in the form of education and credibility within the industry.
Your question is a legitimate question, and I wonder sometimes if I were a person who did not know very much about fitness or nutrition or the like, would I feel comfortable asking a question here considering some of the questions that have been answered in the past? In other words, I can see how the IDEA Answers platform might be turning into a "boys' club" in an ideological sense (not gender-wise). I don't know if this was the intention in the first place--to be a place solely for fitness professionals to talk about, I guess what you could call "higher fitness" topics. I think Answers would be much more effective if more questions were asked by fitness enthusiasts and those who are not "professionals" in the traditional sense. The answers still need to come from professionals, but I do wonder whether or not the layperson might be intimidated by some of the things we discuss on this platform. Overall, however, I think this platform has served its purpose, and I see no reason that it can't continue to do so.
However, at this point, I view the marketing and self-promotion aspects of this website as incidental and not a primary reason for my being active here. I do think that my answers have been thoughtful, and I have made a concerted effort to back my answers up with anecdotal evidence, scientific facts, and reputable sources when necessary. I think that's a fair assessment.
My main motivation for being active on IDEA Answers revolves around the fact that this is a place where reputable and successful fitness professionals share their collective knowledge with others. I have learned a lot, and I am better for having interacted with the professionals here. I feel completely comfortable when I'm on IDEA Answers because I know that my thoughts, along with everyone else's, are always taken into consideration and policed when necessary. I think everyone involved here, including the staff at IDEA have taken the Answers platform very seriously and have taken tremendous steps to ensure that quality information is being disseminated. Everyone here has also worked very hard to create a supportive and nurturing environment where all questions are welcome and most every opinion is valued. I'm looking forward to learning more here, and I hope to improve the quality of my future answers as I gain more knowledge and experience in the industry.
As far as self-promotion goes, Yes, I would have to say that IDEA Answers is turning into a great place to promote oneself, professionally. In my opinion, the most important "self-promotions" that a fitness professional can gain from this platform are in the form of education and credibility within the industry.
Your question is a legitimate question, and I wonder sometimes if I were a person who did not know very much about fitness or nutrition or the like, would I feel comfortable asking a question here considering some of the questions that have been answered in the past? In other words, I can see how the IDEA Answers platform might be turning into a "boys' club" in an ideological sense (not gender-wise). I don't know if this was the intention in the first place--to be a place solely for fitness professionals to talk about, I guess what you could call "higher fitness" topics. I think Answers would be much more effective if more questions were asked by fitness enthusiasts and those who are not "professionals" in the traditional sense. The answers still need to come from professionals, but I do wonder whether or not the layperson might be intimidated by some of the things we discuss on this platform. Overall, however, I think this platform has served its purpose, and I see no reason that it can't continue to do so.
0
Hi Marian
As you suggest, the focus on collective knowledge is strong on IDEA Answers. As we are all learning, every part of the whole is a necessary contribution. I am wondering, how is giving, for the sake of inspiring greater learning, or say, a personal intrinsic reward, different from contributing or giving with an extrinic reward, a rating or marketing advantage?
☮
Danielle
As you suggest, the focus on collective knowledge is strong on IDEA Answers. As we are all learning, every part of the whole is a necessary contribution. I am wondering, how is giving, for the sake of inspiring greater learning, or say, a personal intrinsic reward, different from contributing or giving with an extrinic reward, a rating or marketing advantage?
☮
Danielle
0
This platform is self promotion. Was it intended to be anything else? We as trainers can help people and show what we know as well as link the questions we answer to clients in newsletters or client shares.
0
We are all showing to some degreee just how knowledgeable we all are as fitness professionals by answering questions that are posted.
What I don't want to see is someone posting a question and then answering with the intent to blatantly self promote themselves .... wouldn't that be considered spamming to a certain degree?
What I don't want to see is someone posting a question and then answering with the intent to blatantly self promote themselves .... wouldn't that be considered spamming to a certain degree?
0
I agree with Karin about getting a better grasp of the concepts. IDEA recently asked me about my experiences with Answers and Connect and even though I haven't gotten a client directly from the site, being able to connect with you all and talk about issues has been the most beneficial for me. It has allowed me to be a better and more knowledgeable trainer and instructor. Also, when I find a thread that might be helpful to others I use the buttons on the side to do client share, twitter, and/or facebook.
0
Is self-promotion a bad thing? We do it all the time in the way we conduct ourselves, market our business, treat people, etc...This IDEA platform, by its nature, will highlight certain people for how they've communicated their ideas in print (the volume, content, and tone of input). To me, the only thing wrong with self-promotion is when the self you're promoting is not honest, ethical, professional, kind, or in general a good and decent human being.
