So here’s the deal my fair readers- I was just about to sign myself up for a blog critique from the lovely Chris G, when he posted a contest to win the aforementioned critique, and a bunch of other fabulousness connected with the Social Media Success Summit. So this entry is to let you and Chris Garrett know why I want to nab the prize and bring back all the juicy info to you.

*Side note: It’s an amazing teacher line up and the delightful part is that you don’t have to travel- yahoo! Go forth and check it out- it’s a great opportunity to learn a boatload about social media. Without further ado- here’s my why me:

Before I found Rolfing, I was a sunk ship; A total wreck. Some of you know the whole story already, and for the sake of keeping the recap short, I can say simply that pre-Rolfing I was dealing with 22 years of chronic pain (I’d had a birth injury, not so fun), a jaw that was locked shut, doctors telling me I’d have to accept that I would be eating soft food for the rest of my life, and just general 92-year-old in a 22-year-old’s body unpleasantness.

Then I had the great good fortune to have my conventional medical doctor tell me that I had to get into meditation classes and someone’s bodywork office stat.

What!?! I’d had no idea that there were these other options. Because my wonky-ness had started with a birth injury, I’d had a lifetime of doctors generally scratching their heads at my chronic pain and other symptoms. But now there was this whole world of other options for getting well. Needless to say, after one session of Rolfing I knew my life had dramatically changed. I’ve been (mostly- I’m still human) pain-free and happily eating solid food for 12 years now.

But the thing that’s stuck with me most from my experience is this: why oh why didn’t I f@#*ing know that there was this whole world of other options sooner. Since my Rolfing hallelujah experience, I’ve been equally delighted with the discovery of many other genius modalities- homeopathy, Shiatsu, acupuncture, yoga, Gyrotonic- I could go on since I’m a wellness junkie… But each time I go back to that same initial reaction: more people need to know this exists.

The trouble is, there’s an art to letting the world know that something exists, and we wellness providers are trained only to be technicians. Then we’re pushed out into the world where we’re asked to be small business owners and tribe leaders. And yet, our schools give us little to no (or worse, incorrect) information on how to spread the word and sustain ourselves. 50% of acupuncturists are no longer in practice at the 5 year mark. The average career span of a massage therapist is 18 months. Are we flakes? Dim bulbs? No. We’re missing the foundational element that allows us to share our skills.

These days, I find myself in the incredibly happy position to be acting as a translator between the marketing world and the wellness world. I’ve fallen deeply in love with both for the same reason: you can change people’s lives.

While the word marketing often gives people an icky vibe in the wellness world (we need a new word!)- when its powers are used for good and not evil you can spread the ideas that matter; The ones that can change the world. We’re at an incredibly exciting time in history where suddenly it’s no longer the mega-corporations who have the only access to marketing platforms. It’s not a ‘who has the most dollars wins’ game anymore. Technology is rapidly evolving and gives every individual equal opportunity to create their own platform and spread their own ideas. The Social Media Success Summit is exactly the place where we can all learn how to use the tools that are at our fingertips, just waiting to be put to use for the higher good. I get goose bumps every time I think of what this means for the world- we’re on the cusp of some serious big-ness here.

This blog is my way to do my part to make sure that more people know these options in healing exist. For people to hear about them- wellness providers need to have thriving practices. Winning the grand prize for the Social Media Success Summit would fuel my passion and expand my toolkit so that I can help more of my wellness peeps get out there and connect to the people who need them. And for all of you blog readers out there who are working to grow your practice- get thee to the Summit- and enter this same contest to win for yourself!

By Jenn Givler of Create a Thriving Business

Brooke here: I thought this would be a great follow up to my last post for those of you getting started with social networking. Enjoy!

Last week, we were talking about Twitter, and specifically about follows. In that post, I mentioned that social media was about building relationships - it’s SOCIAL.But, what if you’re shy? Or, what if you’re just not sure how to go about starting a conversation with someone, or even beginning a relationship with someone?

Here’s the trick - it’s easy - just do it.

Ok, for some of us, it’s not THAT easy.

I’ll bet you would never guess that I’m shy. Seriously. No, really, I’m not kidding! My true nature is introversion. In fact, about 10 years ago, my shyness was so debilitating, it cost me friends, and opportunities. UGH. To think of the things I missed out on because of my shyness.

So how did I get over that? Believe it or not, I got into computer training. Nothing will kill shyness quicker than standing in front of a group teaching technical skills!

But - I digress. This is about social media and reaching out…

I stand by the fact that it is very easy to start and build relationships with people online. And particularly through social media, it’s even easier.

Here are three easy steps to help you start building relationships in social media:

1. Participate in their conversations. If they ask a question, give an ansewer. If they say something you really like, tell them in a genuine, authentic way.

2. Forward their information. If you find something of particular value and you know that your business nation would benefit from it, forward it on. In places like Twitter, people will be able to see that you’re passing their information on and sometimes that sparks a conversation.

3. Treat them as if you already know them. Talk to them, start conversations with them, ask them questions just like you would your friends. Of course, some common-sense business etiquette is appreciated, but so is speaking to people as an equal.

Remember, the folks hanging out in social media (for the most part - there are some exceptions) are there to be social. They WANT to build relationships - they want to get to know you. Just reach out, and let the rest, be history (as they say…).

Jenn Givler is the founder of Create a Thriving Business. She teachers holistic and creative business owners how to build an online presence. She’s also a Reiki practitioner!

I often have practitioners ask me why they would use social networking sites (like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc) to grow their practices. After all, when was the last time you hopped on to Facebook and typed ‘massage therapist’ into the search so that you could find someone to schedule an appointment with? People (almost) never find practitioners this way, so why bother, right?

The trick is to differentiate between direct and indirect practice building. Most of us only think of the direct strategies: posting a flyer in the hopes that someone will schedule, buying an ad in the hopes that someone will schedule, building a referral relationship in the hopes that someone will refer- these are all direct. The distance between the activity (posting a flyer) and the desired outcome (get a call from a new client) is very short. A to B, we’ll call it. The thing is, almost everyone in today’s digital age expects a step between A and B . This is the essential ‘getting to know you’ step. We work in fields that require a lot of trust and intimacy- and so potential clients want to have the opportunity to get to know you before they even make that first phone call. In today’s day and age, there are a multitude of ways that people can track your digital footprint and get a feel for who you are and whether they’d want to work with you. Therefore the ‘getting to know you’ step is a foregone conclusion. If they can’t find you in cyberspace, you don’t exist.

Social media is the most transparent and intimate way that someone can get a sense of if you’d be a good fit as their practitioner. I was recently talking with Carla (aka One Healthy Girl) who is a massage therapist in South Carolina and she mentioned that her use of Facebook wound up being a happy practice-building accident. She’d set up her profile to stay in touch with friends. However, to new clients who can read her updates and see her profile, Carla feels instantly human and approachable. Now she has clients coming in to her office wishing her daughter well when she’s posted that her daughter is under the weather, and telling her that a recipe she posted through her Facebook blog feed was delicious. With no extra effort from Carla, they’ve deepened their relationship with her.

A profile on a social network (or several) that is warm, honest, and transparent will draw new clients to you and make it easier for current clients to refer to you. Potential clients are out there looking for your digital footprint. Where will they find it, and when they do, what will they see?

If you’re brand spanking new to social networking, check out Common Craft’s short and sweet (and fun) video.