5 Mistakes to Avoid When Marketing Your Fitness Services
Posted by Steve Hochman on Wed. Oct. 30th, 2013
You are NOT in the fitness business.
Whoa… what did I just say? You are not in the fitness business!? Probably the fact that you train clients day in and day out, helping them lose fat, build muscle, and basically change their lives makes you beg to differ. BUT, the fact is, even with all that considered, there is something that you have to be even better at and that is the REAL core of your business…and it is called fitness marketing.
I know, sales and marketing are probably the last thing you want to think about, BUT, if your marketing plan sucks and you can’t get people to check out your services, then it won’t matter how kick butt of a trainer you are, because you won’t have anyone to train! This is the area where many fitness business owners fail and oftentimes it is not because they are not doing enough, but because what they are doing is WRONG.
These marketing mistakes can be extremely costly overtime and have caused literally thousands of businesses just like yours to close their doors because of lack of interest and income. Well, I say SCREW THAT!
Tighten up your fitness marketing, do the right things, and get those bodies sweating! Here is a simple list of 5 mistakes that many fitness business owners make that you should avoid if you want a thriving fitness business filled with eager bodies ready to be changed!
- Not knowing who you are targeting - This one’s a biggie. You see, in a rush to want to change the world, too many fitness business owners believe that their product is for EVERYONE. Now, while it may be true that as a trainer, you really CAN help people from all walks of life, unless a person feels like you are speaking directly to THEM, they probably won’t even give you a second look. This means you need to be specific about what audience you are trying to reach. These could be stay at home moms, busy professionals, super fit WARRIORS, or people over the age of 65 who have never exercised a day in their life. Be specific, get the ear of your target audience, and they will respond!
- Not creating an email list - This one kills me. Fact is, email marketing for personal trainers works! If you personally collect someone’s email, tell them you will email them, and then actually DO email them, they will oftentimes be responsive. You need to grab the email of EVERYONE you come in contact with! All past clients, people you meet in public, people who phone you, AND those who opt in for your special offer on your website. (That is the subject of another lesson, but it is VITAL that you are doing this in your business!) Make CERTAIN you have their permission to email them and always include a way to OPT OUT of your emails so you can be in compliance with SPAM laws.
Not sending enough emails to your personal database - Once you havecollected their email, don’t just SIT ON IT, EMAIL THEM! I am not talking about sending email after email of BUY THIS, BUY THAT stuff, but deliver real content. Send healthy food options, links to articles about fitness or exercises they can do at home, send testimonials from past clients, AND of course, pepper in some offers to your services every once in a while. You can send multiple emails weekly if your content is spot on and timely, but otherwise, no less than 2 emails per month. Make your prospects remember you, be in front of them so that when they are ready to embark on their fitness mission, you are their GO TO trainer!
- Intimidating your potential clients - Ok, so you have huge GUNS and can lift cars and bend steel poles, so what? If you are trying to get clients by looking and acting like the scariest creature in a tank top, well, you might start looking for another line of work. The vast majority of people who are looking to get into a fitness program are freakin SCARED! One reason they don’t go to a gym is because of all the intimidating MUSCLE HEADS that are milling around and tossing huge amounts of weight and scoffing at the out of shape. (Or at least that’s what they see in their head). Put on a smile, offer a handshake, and use their first name while you look them in the eye. Be friendly…it works.
- Not creating the KILLER OFFER-Last but certainly not least in our list of fitness marketing mistakes is not creating the KILLER OFFER. If you are taking the time to put out marketing pieces (be they fliers, newspaper ads, Facebook ads, whatever) you have to include an offer to entice them to take action! Just listing what you do and including your phone number and website AIN’T ENOUGH! You have to make them an offer they can’t refuse. 1st WEEK FREE…MONEY BACK GUARANTEE…BRING A FRIEND FREE…these are just a few examples of offers that can convert LOOKERS into BUYERS. Make sure all your fitness marketing ideas is making a valuable offer and you will increase the amount of bodies that get in front of you big time!
So, there you have 5 fitness marketing mistakes you DON’T want to make. There are certainly a ton more, but just by keeping these 5 in mind and doing the opposite, you can be well on your way to increasing your sales and taking your fitness business to the next level… GOOD LUCK!
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