The new year’s rush is coming and if you and your marketing plan are not prepared to make the most of this crucial time of year, the ‘resolution rush’ and the possible uptick of clients for your personal training practice or fitness studio is going to pass you by. Below, I have gathered the top five suggestions I have for boosting your fitness business marketing presence, immediately connecting with new clients and increasing your new client acquisition in the new year. Go get ‘em!
THE CHECKLIST
1. PACK YOUR SOCIAL PROOF WITH NEW REVIEWS + CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
2. CREATE THE ULTIMATE NEW CLIENT HUB ON YOUR WEBSITE
3. FAST-TRACK NEW CLIENT TRUST WITH A WEBSITE OPT-IN
4. MAKE THESE CHANGES TO YOUR TRAINER BIOS
5. PLAN IT! BUILD YOUR 2025 BUSINESS VISION PLAN
1. Share NEW Client Results Stories and Reviews EVERYWHERE
January is coming and that means that a LOT of new client’s eyes are going to be looking for reviews and testimonials about your products and services in order to find their ideal next gym or trainer. If they find your Yelp or Google Business page and the latest review is from 2021, that won’t look so good. So reach out personally to all of your longtime clients, BIG success stories and number one fans to ask for their help in writing a review for you on every social proof website that your clients would use to shop for your services (i.e. Yelp, Google, NextDoor, etc). Get these up by year end if possible.
Check out THIS BLOG for more details on making the most of your brand’s social proof and client experiences.
2. Upgrade Your Website into the Ultimate Client Hub: The Go-To Source for All Needs
Every single visit to your website, as well as every single additional page that you add to your site, is a boost for your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) rank and eventually to your FREE listing in the search engine results for your leading search terms. So make sure that EVERY client form, waiver, scheduler and even your newsletters are all a well designed and indexed page on your website.
If you are having trouble convincing potential clients to give your services a try, you may need to present a more impressive first impression in your new client forms, email templates, fitness program trackers, or pricing graphics. Grab our New Client Tool Kit in order to raise your bar and boost your new client acquisition.
For more advice on SEO and how to make sure that your website shows up as the leading search engine result for your ideal keywords, I highly recommend grabbing a copy of our ‘Invigorate Your Website’ online coursework.
3. Fast-track New Client Trust with a Website Opt-in
A quick marketing quiz for you… Consider your current business website. When potential customers land on your website for the first time, is their ONLY option to either (a) take the big step into buying something from you now or (b) come back to you when they are ready to buy? How about the folks that simply want to subscribe to the experience of discovering more details about you, learning your personality and ‘taste testing’ your products and services?
An opt in to a newsletter is the #1 way for you to introduce your brand to new clients, gain their trust and also build a powerful mailing list for remarketing to them in the future. Do not feel shy to offer potential customers a free glimpse at some of your most powerful knowledge (I.e. An instructional video of you giving them three tips on how to live a healthier lifestyle or a downloadable PDF booklet on three nutritional tips to lose weight).
Check out these blog links for more information on how to build your opt in and upgrade your monthly newsletter. I also recommend taking a look at this opt-in for The Business Movement and the promotional pop-up on our DIAKADI Fitness homepage.
4. UPGRADE Your Trainer Bio pages to Better Connect with Potential Clients
If you are expecting clients to pay top dollar for your personal training services, a single headshot with a three sentence bio on your website is not going to cut it! A compelling personal trainer bio page is essential for grabbing the attention of online visitors and motivating them to take the next step and reach out to learn more about your services. An exceptional bio page design needs to include:
SPECIALTIES: A clear list of specialties, where clients can find their goals listed as your specialty, while also learning HOW you specialize in each area in a unique and well differentiated way. For example, if you specialize in body fat reduction, make sure your specialties list includes ‘Body Fat Reduction’ while also explaining how you uniquely assist clients with losing body fat (ie. ‘Daily food tracking using Cronometer and text check-ins’). Check out this excellent EXAMPLE.
BIO: A connected, personal bio tells your story while explaining to clients HOW your experience and education will help them in achieving their unique goals and improving their lives. Check out this BLOG for more details and tips on writing the ultimate personal trainer bio.
DIFFERENTIATORS: Your bio must also be very specific in expressing your differentiators as a trainer. What are the qualities of your brand and practice that make you:
Unique from all other options in your market
The standout, best option in your market
The best products and services for your specific niche client’s needs
We recommend bolding the most important sections of your bio that express your unique differentiators and truly define your brand.
PHOTOS + VIDEOS: A convincing bio MUST include a SERIES of client-trainer photos and/or videos that show trainers working with your typical niche clients, so potential customers can visualize exactly what it will be like as a day in the life of being your client.
EDUCATION: Clients don’t know all of our fitness industry acronyms (ie. NASM), so spell out the names of your certifying bodies (ie. National Academy of Sports Medicine). Adding your education logos like THIS is also an impressive upgrade for potential customers.
SOCIAL PROOF: Very rarely do you see individual trainer bios that include trainer specific testimonials and reviews, but when 97% of consumers are reading online reviews when they are shopping, it is mandatory that you take full advantage of displaying your social proof. Consider formatting and personalizing your reviews like THESE on your trainer’s pages.
Looking for more examples and inspiration for your bio pages, take a look through our wide range of personal trainer bios in THIS GALLERY.
5. Chart a Plan for your 2025 Business Vision
‘If you aim at nothing, you hit nothing.’
If you don’t imagine it, how can you possibly build and achieve it? As a fitness business owner, you must set aside the time to imagine the BIG POSSIBILITIES for your brand in the year ahead. In dreaming up your vision, be sure and consider the following areas:
Educational upgrades to better meet your client’s needs
Additional revenue streams for you to develop
More powerful ways of giving back and becoming a more heart-led leader
New technology and systems to introduce into your practice
New ways of boosting your already incredible customer experience
The link below contains the PERFECT TOOLKIT for building you 12 month business vision - It is our TBM Vision Planning Guide and Do Work[book]. The course will also assist you with assessing what is going well in your business and what areas need attention, as well as determining the potential roadblocks that you may need to clear in order to achieve your ideal vision.
I hope that you dream up some unexpectedly amazing business visions for the year ahead.
WRAP UP AND NEXT STEPS
These five specific steps will not only guarantee your readiness for the New Year’s Resolution Rush, but the SEO boosts and mailing list development will continue to bring you great returns in the years ahead.
If I can ever assist in any way with reviewing your marketing strategy or upgrading your new client systems, do not hesitate to reach out to me directly at any time.
You got this!
Billy
billy@thebusinessmovement.com
