5 Ways Pole Dancing is Like Social Media

A few weeks ago, I attended one of the most amazing classes ever — Pole Dancing 101 at Vixen Fitness in Orlando.

Oh, don’t act surprised — y’all know how I love to get my Sexy On and shake what my mama gave me.

(In fact, as you read this, I’m hanging out with some super sassy ladies at the national Dance Trance instructor training weekend — three hours of dancing, plus parties and craziness? Ouch. I fear for my muscles come Monday morning.)

I had an amazing time, feeling sexy, owning my body and my strength and getting a pretty wicked workout in.

And in the days that followed, I found myself waxing pretty philosophical as I thought about how Pole Dancing and Social Media share some basic tenets.

5 Ways Pole Dancing is Like Social Media

• 1. It’s all about the spin

I know, it seems too cliche to be true — but it is!

Pole Dancing: You have to get a good solid start and keep a strong grip, because you’re supporting yourself on muscles and willpower. The more you let go and follow your instincts, the better you’ll look. And you look even better when you add a few special surprises moves in, like wrapping your legs to the side, twisting your feet or sliding down the pole. The more you control the spin, the better you’ll be, and the longer you’ll be able to dance without having to take a break.

Social Media: You need to be ready to handle any situation head on, and while spin is an icky word, you do need to do whatever it takes to turn the tide in your favor. In customer service, that means responding to complaints on Facebook and Twitter. In retail, that means handling coupon disputes or answering questions about shipping policies. In blogging, perhaps that means taking a discussion that’s happening off your website, and using it to write a killer post and continue the topic.

• 2. The higher you jump, the more power you’ll have

Pole Dancing: When you start your routine, you need to take a deep breath and pull yourself up nice and high on the pole. If you don’t reach and make the effort, you won’t have much room to play, and that will make for a poor routine. The jump has to be smooth, because just going up won’t do you much good. You need to jump, spin and smile, all at the same time.

Social Media: You know it’s true. If you just grab at the low-hanging fruit, you’ll get some pretty bitter results. But if you take a chance — perhaps, start a Twitter chat, or post some funny bloopers on Facebook, you’ll be leaping toward some high-risk, high-reward goals. If you miss? Then you laugh, you share the journey with your friends and fans, and you move on — learning from the experience. Can you be successful in social media without taking a chance? I doubt it.

• 3. Presentation is everything

Pole Dancing: Do you see what I’m wearing for class?

The shortest shorts I own (and I hiked them up even higher for class) plus stiletto heels. Oh, and some liquid chalk. And a big smile.

I am working on building body confidence, but even if I looked like Gisele, I wouldn’t often wear something this, well…small.

But for class, it not only helped me get into character, it actually helped me grip the pole and become a better dancer.

Social Media: Clean, crisp and easy to understand…that’s the mark of a successful social media campaign. Is it recognizable? Do I know what it is when I see it? Do I know how to share it? Does it do what I expect it to do? Is it fun? These are just some of the questions to ask yourself, whether it’s about social media bookmarks, a full social media campaign or basic Web design.

• 4. Hold on, because it is a wild ride

Pole Dancing: I got so dizzy after just a few turns on the pole! And despite my best efforts, I couldn’t slow myself down enough to really have control over the moves. I found myself holding on, just hoping that when I put my foot down I wouldn’t go flying across the room. And while each turn on the pole was different, they all left me with those exciting butterflies in my stomach — even after class ended, I felt invigorated and powerful.

Social Media: You’ll mess up. (I have.) You’ll make mistakes. You’ll take on tasks you didn’t expect. You’ll have huge success when you don’t expect it, and you’ll have to scramble. You’ll have huge failures when you don’t expect them, and scramble even more. If you are doing what you love, and you’re in the right place at the right time, you will take off — and those same butterflies will be yours.

• 5. Unique is beautiful

Pole Dancing: I met some amazing, gorgeous women in class — women of all sizes, colors, dance skills and styles. At one point in class, we did a fun exercise where we all got fake money to go around and tuck in the best dancers shorts and shirts, strip club-style. The women that got the most money earned it by letting go and moving to the music. They brought their own passion to the class and it paid off. I promise you, nobody was looking for cellulite or skin rolls during class…we were watching the hair spin around as we tipped heads back, and the stillettos flash in the disco lights.

Social Media: How do you stand out? You stand OUT. Not with others. Not next to others. Not behind others. On your own. That means taking chances (see #1, 2, 3 and 4) and it means becoming a brand. What can you offer your clients/customers/readers that other blogs and organizations can’t? What is your story and how has it affected your journey — can you use that to advise others? Do you have something in your history that makes you an expert or a mentor?

Listen, I know that this seems like a stretch, but if I can convince you to take a chance — in fitness OR social media — my job is done. They’re certainly my personal passions, and I learn from each of them.

Have you ever tried a class like pole dancing? What did you think?

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