Fitness pros have so many great options for personal training promotion ideas, and we’re going to get into some of them here.
But before we do, it’s important to think about a broader context. You might not need a full-blown marketing strategy, but you should be self-aware enough to evaluate personal training promotion ideas as they come along.
What do we man by that? Well, you should have a clear sense of:
· What kind of trainer you want to be, and what kind of clients you want to help
· How big you want your business to grow
· How ambitious you want to be with promoting yourself
There’s no right or wrong answer, and you can change your mind later. The point is to have a spectrum about yourself so you can make effective decisions about promotional plans.
A Few Basics
You might know an established trainer who brags that he doesn’t do any promotion at all. He says he’s been training forever and never has an opening on his calendar because he’s just so good that people are always coming to him.
Those unicorns might exist. But you probably can’t afford to be so laid back that you do nothing to promote yourself.
You know, “Field of Dreams” is a great movie, but don’t believe its most famous line applies to your training business: “If you build it, they will come.”
That movie was about ghosts, remember.
Here among the living, you should probably put into play at least a handful of basic personal training promotion ideas, like these:
A Website: You don’t need something elaborate with tons of bells and whistles. But a well-designed, simple website can be a useful cornerstone of promotion. It should be clear about who you’re trying to help. It should have all the basics (hours, location, etc.), images of people who look like your ideal client, and a clear call to action, etc.
The call to action could be as simple as registering for a free consultation or downloading a helpful piece of content in exchange for the person’s email address.
It’s also good to have client testimonials from people you have helped, and a brief bio that lets people get to know you a little. That means a nice head shot (no abs or backward baseball caps) and a few sentences about your basic qualifications.
Use a “low entry” promotional offer like a free group session or 30-day challenge to stir that initial interest. That’s one of the best personal training promotion ideas out there, used by countless successful trainers and gyms. (Free one-on-ones can quickly consumer your calendar, so be careful of them.)
Social Media: Some trainers get overwhelmed at the thought of being on every social media platform. But don’t worry. You really just need to be on one, and it’s up to you to decide. Just make sure you pick the platform where your ideal clients already area; don’t expect them to follow you.
For example, if your ideal client is young and loves online videos and interaction, and if they’re already on TikTok, then you should be there. But an older audience is probably more suited on Facebook, so share your personal training promotion ideas there.
It’s not about your personal preference. It doesn’t matter if you personally like or don’t like social media. It’s about effectively reaching the people you want to reach.
Finally, engage on social media as part of your personal training promotion ideas. Say congratulations to people in your community. Offer a comment on their discussions. Hit the “like” button. Do this without asking for anything in return or promoting your business. Just be social.
Emails: Having and using an email list of prospects and clients is probably more important than any social media channel for most personal trainers and small businesses. Why? Because you don’t own your followers on Facebook or any platform, but you do own your email list.
Social media channels can come and go, be bought and sold by different people or companies, engage in controversies that don’t concern you, and alienate people you’re trying to reach.
Your email list is yours and yours alone, a hugely valuable business asset that no one else controls.
Now, sometimes we talk to trainers or gym owners who are reluctant to send emails because they don’t want to be seen as overly aggressive spammers.
But people join your email list because they want to hear from you; if they change their mind, they can click the “unsubscribe” button. (And don’t worry when someone does – it just means they weren’t for you anyway.)
Most importantly, if you don’t want to be seen as a spammer, then don’t send spam. It’s as simple as that. Send good content they’ll be glad to receive. That’s a modern cornerstone of personal training promotion ideas.
Content: Even a simple promotional outline will involve some amount of content. Most will need an ongoing supply of fresh material, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. You decide how often and how much to post.
If you don’t like creating content or don’t have time, assign it to a team member who does, or find a cost-appropriate content provider. (You probably don’t need to spend a lot of money here, so be careful of vendors promoting miracles for a big monthly fee.)
Content isn’t advertising, and it’s not about how many bodybuilding competitions you’ve wone. Rather, it’s free information to the consumer that is highly cost-effective for you. It lets them get to know, like, and trust you – to see what kind of business you run and what kind of training you offer.
It’s OK if they decide you’re not for them. Remember: You’re not for everyone, and that’s OK.
Among personal training promotion ideas, content should be useful, engaging, informative or even just entertaining.
Keep it professional and classy. And avoid politics or any controversy. Save your views for friends and family.
No one is going to hire you because they agree with your position on some irrelevant issue; but they will stay away because of it.
Referrals: There’s probably no more rewarding way to gain a client than through a referral from a happy customer. What could make you feel better than that vote of confidence?
So, encourage your clients to refer friends and family, but don’t be too pushy about it. Maybe offer them a standing reward (like half-off a month’s fees) if someone they refer signs up with you.
Read “6 easy ways to get rave reviews and hot referrals”
And have two or three key messages to share if they ask you about what they should say to be most effective.
Ultimately, be the kind of trainer who earns referrals without asking for them. Be professional. Show up prepared and on time, every time. Stay within the boundaries of the trainer-client relationship. Hold them accountable. Deliver results.
Beyond the Basics
Once you have a handle on those basic personal training promotion ideas, you can look into trying new things that seem like a good fit for your business.
First, a word of caution: Abandon FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out, every time a new social media channel comes along, or you see another trainer seemingly succeed with a specific tactic.
Yes, pay attention and consider what personal training promotion ideas you see around you. But don’t be a pinball bouncing around from one outside idea to the next. Always refer back to what your business is all about and how you can most effectively reach your ideal customers.
OK, here are some other personal training promotion ideas that will not be for everyone but will get your juices flowing.
Local media. Morning TV shows might be looking for a fitness segment. Newspapers or magazines might be open to a new column idea. At the very least, you should make sure that people in local media know who you are and that you’re available as a source when they need one. It’s all about building relationships, not asking for out-of-the-blue favors.
Gym marketing. If you work at a specific gym, talk to the owner. What kind of marketing does he or she do? How can you be included in that?
Your own app: This is a great way to build community and maintain contact with your clients between visits – or those who live in other locations. Provide videos, workouts, nutrition tips, and other ways to make your app useful to them so they stay on track and meet their goals.
Promotional networking: Make a short list of other local businesses that your ideal clients support. Go to those businesses with cross-promotional ideas – say, you’ll write about them in your newsletter if they do the same for you in theirs. This could be an athletic apparel store, a golf course, hair salon, and more – even physical therapists, chiropractors and the like.
Read “How to MASTER your local business networking group”
Participate: Every community has fun runs, fairs, festivals and fitness expos. Get involved in them – along with chambers of commerce and other civic organizations. Like with media, the goal is to help others and connect, not just to seek favors.
In conclusion, there is no shortage of personal training promotion ideas. You won’t have any trouble coming up with them; instead, the challenge might be making the right choices.
And to do that, you need to be clear on your ambitions, your intentions, and your audience.
If you want to learn more expert advice on growing your fitness business, then download our free guide, “51 Ways to Acquire Clients Without Facebook Ads.”