Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Fitness Blogger Boot Camp


Between baking sugar cookies for my kid's kindergarten class, slapping together tonight's dinner (tuna sandwiches) and finishing off a client's bio, I blog. 

Honestly, right now I'd rather be flaked out on the couch like that guy in the photo above. 

But I'm blogging because I said I would. 

It was one of the last things I talked about in my session on fitness blogging at the Can-Fit-Pro conference in Vancouver. 

I said something like, hey, let's all sign up for a blog or post to our existing ones THIS WEEK! It'll help set the stage for a lifetime of happy, healthy fitness blogging.

So here I am. And, yes, this post does have a point. 

My "let's all blog!" declaration reminded me how much it helps productivity to have someone relying on you for something specific. That's how I get my fitness articles written - I've got editors expecting them from me by a certain date. 

If you're really stuck at the point of perpetually intending to blog without ever doing it, try this: Tell your most valued fitness clients that you're about to blog on X topic and you'd love their opinions on whatever you write about. 

There. Now you have a reason to blog. 

A deadline. 

And a pre-established audience. 

That should whip you into blogging shape.   

Point made. Can I go lie around now? 

P.S. Kudos to Mia Sutherland and Josh Neumann (both in my Can-Fit-Pro fitness blogging session) for following through so fast on that "blog this week" pact. Inspiring! If you blogged in the past week, let me know with a comment here and I'll comment back on your blog.

9 comments:

Josh Neumann said...

Love the idea of telling your clients to expect a new blog post in the coming days as a way to impose a deadline on yourself! Great tip thanks Amanda!

Siva Parvati said...

Really liked your presentation at CanFit Vancouver. Kept moving and had a lot or original information about blogging. Now if I could only get mine set up and sounds as snappy as you :-)

Sara Lewis said...

Well, I wasn't at Can-Fit Pro, but I did blog this week! I blogged about carbs which was fitting for Thanksgiving week here in the U.S.

Unknown said...

Amanda,
Thanks for inspiration to post. Nice to know I am doing some things right in this industry. You gave me some ideas about photos - free photo of the week (gives inspiration too). I actually wrote a post on Monday and a second one today. With about two more to follow this weekend.

Josh - I referred a client to a previous post on trigger points when she was asking some great questions. Now I can follow up during our next session.
Breaking Through Plateaus
5 Stress Busters

Kudos to those who took action the next day after Can-Fit Pro.

Amanda Vogel said...

Hey thanks for commenting on my blog! Knowing people are actually out there and aware when I add a new post really does create an incentive to blog more. Hopefully you feel the same about your blogs. It helps to have that network of fitness blogger supporters.

miaknows.com said...

Coming from a blogging-neophyte, electronically-challenged, ball of annoying energy such as myself - if I can sit down long enough to figure out how to blog and then to blog (such a strange word) the only one who has an excuse not to is one without a computer!

Lisa Workman said...

Hi Amanda, I've got your blog on an RSS feed and look forward to your posts! I likely signed up after seeing you at a conference in Alberta. I try to blog about all things indoor cycling about 2x/month, which I just did last night. It's work but so well worth it to 'pay it forward' to the newbie spin instructors I train through AFLCA. My philosophy is why not share what has worked in my weekly classes over the past 8+ years!

Stacy Chappel said...

Any thoughts on effectively blogging as a team? less pressure to constantly update, more time to put together something special ... or loss of a coherent voice?

Amanda Vogel said...

Stacy,

Thanks for reading my blog!
I think blogging as a team can work very well as long as everyone is on board with the theme, scope and intended audience of the blog. Copyblogger does a form of team blogging quite well.