"It takes money to make money". It seems like plain common sense:
Newton's third law as applied to business. It's also utterly and
completely false...at least when it comes to fitness marketing.
personal trainer marketing
At this
very moment, thousands of personal trainers believe they need pricey
promotional tactics to stay competitive, and are quickly draining their
bank accounts as a result. The line of thinking is that plastering your
business across every available surface and second of airtime will
increase your visibility and thus your client base, but in the end, this
approach simply isn't effective enough to justify - or recoup - the
cost.
A smart personal trainer will take advantage of a variety
of low- to no-cost marketing strategies. Instead of pouring money into
marketing sinkholes, make use of these inexpensive methods to bring in
clients.
1. Create a blog.
You could always hire a
professional to build you a multimedia-heavy business website...for a
few thousand dollars. That said, if you're reading this article, that
probably means you can't afford that kind of expenditure.
Forget
the high-priced homepage. You don't need one. With a blog, though, you
can do everything you can with a fancier website - bring in new clients,
connect with the ones you have, spread awareness of your business and
more - and it's absolutely free to make one.
And the best part?
Making a successful blog takes only slightly more Internet savvy than
reading this article. As long as you post new content on a regular basis
- including health tips, fitness info, and a dash of shameless
self-promotion - you'll create a resource that's valuable to your
readers and makes money for your business.
2. Offer "bring a friend" training days.
Want
to give potential clients a free trial of your services without losing
time or money? Set up a monthly "bring a friend" session for your
clients - and tell them to invite a buddy who wants a killer workout for
free. Training two people simultaneously doesn't cut into your
schedule, and the odd pro bono session might be exactly what you need to
turn that friend into a client.
3. Set up a referral web with other health professionals.
Whatever
kind of fitness professional you may be, fitness isn't all your clients
need. You could try to broaden your focus beyond fitness, but you'd
only render yourself less effective as a fitness professional. What your
clients need is professionals in other fields - massage therapists,
chiropractors and so forth - and you can forge an alliance with them.
Instead
of trying to expand your services to encompass absolutely everything
your clients may need, you can construct a network of personal health
experts in a wide variety of fields. You scratch their back, and they'll
scratch yours: establish a system where you direct clients towards the
services they need - nutritionists, masseuses, physical therapists and
the like - and in turn, those services will refer their clients to you. A
cross-referral network is even betterthan advertising: it lets you
expand your client base through the success of other businesses.
4. Advertise on Craigslist.
Why run your ad in high-fee newspapers and magazines when you can advertise online for free?
Devote
some time to creating an enticing, benefits-filled ad for your
business, and showcase it on Craigslist for the world to see. You'll be
reaching hundreds - if not thousands - of Internet users, and you can
post your advertisement as often as you want without incurring any
costs. All you have to do is give some contact information - a phone
number, an email address, a link to your site, take your pick - and
you'll have free advertising guaranteed to bring potential clients to
you.
5. Dive into the sea of social networking.
-Facebook
-Twitter
-LinkedIn
If
you haven't already dived into the sea of social media, you're probably
losing business to the thousands of fitness trainers who have. You can
keep both clients and prospects aware of the latest news and promotions:
discounts, seminars and other assorted updates. Your clients will never
miss a special event, and potential customers will have yet another way
of finding your business.
Social utilities shouldn't be allowed
to consume your life or your business, but the more of them you utilize,
the more potential clients you can reach. Used wisely, these networking
tools can boost your business.
Fitness marketing