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Social Media, Health, Fitness & a Foodie

June 24, 2010 By Sarah Kay Hoffman 1 Comment

Not only have I found a way to merge my social media, health, fitness and foodie passions, but I have also come to the conclusion that Social Media is “like” health, fitness and this foodie side of me.

Here’s How:

1. My Best Recommendations.
I will only recommend the best people, tools, articles, websites and platforms in my social space. And “best” is subjective, but they are the best to me. For example, when I do a Follow Friday post, you can be sure I truly recommend that person (company).

The same holds true for my health, fitness and foodie recommendations. You can always be 100% sure that I’m recommending it because I believe in it. My “health” life experiences have led me to the place I am in today. I won’t use or promote products that go beyond my beliefs.

With everything that is said in your various social media networks, the most important words are those that we trust. Without this, wouldn’t we all just be phony-bolognese?

2. Consistency.
How many times have you heard it now? With Social Media you must be consistent. If you aren’t willing to devote the time to consistency, then don’t “sign up.”

I hold this same truth with health, fitness and food. Being consistent doesn’t mean we must be “obsessive” over “overindulgent.” You want to take a day off from the gym? Or eat an extra dessert? Then do it! But stay consistent the rest of the time. If you want results, real results, consistency is key.

It takes 21 days to create a habit. Try taking the next 21 days to becoming more consistent. Maybe that means creating a Blog Post Calendar or a Workout Schedule? Your Social Media, health, fitness and “bad-foodie” self will thank you!

3. One Size Does Not Fit All.
Yes, I have done a post on this. In Social Media one “way” does not and is not right for everyone. You must know yourself and/or your company to determine where your intended audience is at. Your presence is ineffective if you don’t know that information.

We must accept this same concept with health, fitness and food. There has to be a reason why you do these things. And the reason must be all your own, not someone else’s or you will most likely fail with it. If running and biking works for some, yoga and swimming will work for others. And while most people can eat wheat and gluten, many others cannot.

Listening – to your audience and to your body – is a key component to understanding that one size does not fit all.

4. Balance.
I find myself in the social space more and more. But I’m not promoting that. What makes “social” truly effective is what happens when we shut our lovely MacBooks off and disconnect so we are able to actually/physically connect (perhaps via Tweetup!). After all, if I don’t disconnect from their delicious tweets, how will I ever find the time to:

    A. Physically go out and buy my Laughing Cow Cheese and
    B. Concoct a new recipe for their Blog via my own Q&A?

With health, fitness and food, we all need to find this balance as well. Extreme diets don’t work. Working out 5 hours a day isn’t necessary and/or sustainable. And going “all-or-nothing” is simply no fun! Figure out the balance. Make it work for you!

5. Blood, Sweat & Tears
Just kidding – not really, but since we were talking about work, effort & dedication, I figured it meshed well with the theme!

Bottom Line: Social Media is “like” health, fitness and this foodie side of me. I will never give it a:

It’s always a “double-like” in my digital (and non-digital) world:

And I really “like” that! :wink:

Filed Under: Health/Fitness/Food, Social Media Tagged With: , , , ,

Do You Rapportive?

June 22, 2010 By Sarah Kay Hoffman 3 Comments

Mr. Robert Stanke Rapportive

Question of the Day: Do you Rapportive yet? I’m guessing many of you do. For those of you who don’t, I’m giving you my Top 4 Reasons Why You Should.

First off, what is Rapportive? According to Rapportive, they are “making email a better place.” But how are they making email better? Rapportive is a CRM tool that is built right into your Gmail account. When someone sends you an email, if you have Rapportive, you will see their information and social information on the right-hand side of your screen. It’s a (free) Social Widget with “useful context in real time.”

So, here are my Top 4 Reasons Why You Should Have Rapportive:
(Side Note: I will use my good friend, Robert Stanke’s, profile that you see on the left as an example.)

    • 1. Just One Click Away. Having Rapportive has saved me a lot of time, while adding to my various networks. With Rapportive you are literally one click away from adding someone to any network they have an “icon” for. Because I have a vested interest in my LinkedIn Network, I chose to add Robert there immediately. And it was as easy as seeing the LinkedIn icon and clicking it because once you do so, it brings you right to the persons LinkedIn Profile. (But remember, especially for LinkedIn, make sure you actually know the person before adding them – at least to some degree!)

    • 2. Preparation. Are you in the Job Market? Have you been corresponding with someone regarding a possible employment opportunity, but now they would like to meet face-to-face with you for an interview? The more you know, the more prepared you can be. If you have Rapportive, chances are that person’s profile information will come up. This will allow you to see what networks they are involved in and what position(s) they have or have held in the past. You might also be able to see what schools they have attended. This could be a great conversation starter, “I noticed you went to college at The University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire? My brother went there as well.” It shows that you have taken an interest in the people and company.

    • 3. Pictures are Worth a Thousand Words. It’s true. Each time I am connecting with someone new and their picture/profile show up in my Gmail, I instantly feel more connected. It takes away the curiosity of “who” is behind that personality. I don’t depend on this picture, but it’s always nice to have a face with a name.

    • 4. Convenience. I really appreciate the convenience of Rapportive as a whole. It is not only an interesting tool, but also a purely convenient one. With our lives becoming busier and busier, this is just one way to facilitate more convenience. And yes, I can be like most people – lazy and looking for convenience!

So, if you have Firefox and Gmail you are all set! Click HERE for the Installation Steps.

(One final note: Just because someone sends you an email, doesn’t mean all their information is going to come up. Some things may be left off and some might not appear at all. Overall, though, you’ll find you get a good percentage of information.)

Filed Under: Tools Tagged With: , , ,
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