The past two years have been pretty hard on the fitness industry and independent professionals who have been hoping to make a name for themselves in a competitive field. COVID has put a damper on hopes of fitness professionals to get their name out there and build businesses of their own. People have been too scared to go to the gym, and lockdowns have made what was once considered a very pedestrian activity quite rare. That being said, there have been opportunities cropping up in other areas that have allowed for tremendous growth for different professionals. Here are a few useful tips to help talented fitness professionals out of a rut, and help them grow their business, even in this age of omicron.
Connecting with Potential Customers
Connecting with your audience is extremely important. Even if you can’t exercise in a room collectively, you can still find smart ways of reaching out. One way of doing that is to offer monthly emails full of tips and tricks to people who have memberships at your gym, or who are your personal clients. Having a social media presence is, of course, incredibly helpful in all cases, since that can give you lots of fans on Instagram and Facebook, adding many potential clients through these connections. To those who sign up for your newsletter, be generous with your tips and motivational message to help others on their wellness journey. Asking clients to send them your email addresses in return for newsletters is a smart digital marketing strategy to which you can use to increase your brand awareness. These emails may seem like a small step, but they can have a huge impact in terms of your ability to stay relevant in people’s minds and allow you to easily promote any new fitness program or sale you have.
Move Online
Lots of fitness entrepreneurs have moved their businesses fully online in response to the pandemic. People need to find ways to stay healthy and fit from home, so there has been an opening in the market for fun and engaging workout videos. According to the guidelines provided at https://getsystem2.com/blog/how-to-start-an-online-personal-training-business/, there are certain factors that need to be kept in mind when setting up a successful online business, and this includes things such as the lighting, the space you use, and the equipment among many other things. However, there are a few rules of engagement for you to follow in order to keep your clients, well, engaged. Be sure to set up a few videos on a schedule, and offer free versions in conjunction with paid-for subscription-based videos to help grow your customer base.
Offer Discounts
Another smart technique to incorporate into your marketing efforts is to offer discounted or free smaller sessions – in person or via video if you prefer – to give potential clients an idea of your style and what you can offer them. If your sessions are well thought out and properly designed, then you will find yourself with a bunch of new clients clamoring for more, and who are willing to sign up for a subscription service. Of course, you shouldn’t give away a thorough, hour-long session right off the starting blocks, especially if they’re videos that are pretty impactful. However, offering shorter, free sessions that serve more like teasers, or a free trial period for a subscription can be a really smart tactic to roll out when needed.
Long-Running Programs
One tip that other fitness entrepreneurs swear by is the idea of offering longer packages to people and highlighting your specific niche. For example, a six-month program focused on adding lean muscle or getting rid of stubborn belly fat is bound to attract new clients. Even though the audience for this may seem fairly narrow, they are most likely the group that will find such a program useful and will be excited to sign up. For example, training programs for golfers, or putting together fitness lessons for kids that can take place over an eight-month-long period will have plenty of takers and won’t be a hard sell at all. In fact, the idea of offering a way to change your physique and improve your health in less than a year is enticing to many people and will be rewarding in and of itself for you to offer.
Making the leap from a personal trainer at a gym to someone with their own fitness empire is incredibly difficult. Especially in this day and age with a protracted health crisis. However, with enough focus and not being shy when it comes to using social media, you’ll be able to get your name out there soon enough and increase brand awareness.