If you want to attract a specific type of client, charge a certain amount of money consistently and create something that’s recognised and respected by your community, having strong branding for your personal training business is going to make a big difference.
Many fitness businesses and personal trainers make some mistakes when it comes to branding that are incredibly easy to address providing you know how to identify them.
In this article, we are going to share some branding mistakes that are made by some fitness businesses, and then offer some ways on how you can go about fixing them.
1. Inconsistency on Different Platforms
Your brand is like the personality of your business. A key rule in branding, is that a consistent image should be portrayed to your clients. Being consistent means your clients will start to see that you are trustworthy, reliable and recognisable. On the other hand, being inconsistent will make you appear disorganised, unprofessional and even untrustworthy.
Check out our post on How to Create a Brand Guide to help you create your framework.
Check out our post on How to Create a Brand Guide to help you create your framework.
Being consistent also means using the same colours, the same logo/s, the same images and the same tone of voice in your communications. It can be very difficult to manage all of this, so what we recommend is you create a Brand Guide for your personal training business. This is a document that you use that includes every design element you should use in any branding and marketing material and campaign you publish.
2. Relying Too Heavily on Digital Trends
Whilst you may get some inspiration from looking at what other people are doing in their brand design, for example on Instagram and YouTube, it’s important not to get lost in the trenches.
Try not to lose your core message and identity through focusing solely on the latest digital trends. For example, if you've adopted a drop shadow for all of your free resources, use that drop shadow throughout.
Try not to lose your core message and identity through focusing solely on the latest digital trends. For example, if you've adopted a drop shadow for all of your free resources, use that drop shadow throughout.
Many personal trainers that work in gyms and serve local clients often attempt to copy viral social media marketing posts, simply because all the fitness influencers they follow do it. The two strategies of marketing are different and each serve a different purpose.
Rather than following every available digital trend, local personal trainers may wish to make content and branding messages more relevant to their potential clients in the local area, rather than trying to go viral and serve the masses.
3. Attaching Your Brand to the Wrong Things
Some personal trainers and fitness business owners get some success with their business, and other companies may start to reach out to them for sponsorships or promotions.
It's easy to get excited about the free supplements, free t-shirts or financial rewards and immediately jump on those opportunities without considering the impact it could have on their branding.
When you associate your fitness business with another entity, you are also reflecting that brand’s values, ethics and voice. There are some companies out there that aren’t necessarily about helping people get fit and healthy, but they are more about encouraging them to spend unnecessary amounts of money on supplements.
Although it may sound attractive in the short term financially, it is a good idea to consider the long term implications these partnerships may have on your reputation in the fitness industry. Also, the question to ask yourself before agreeing to sell certain products: "Would this affect how much people will trust my professional opinion and advice?" You can lose your integrity by promoting products you don't believe work, they don't deliver on the promise on the tin or you would do it purely for the money.
It's easy to get excited about the free supplements, free t-shirts or financial rewards and immediately jump on those opportunities without considering the impact it could have on their branding.
When you associate your fitness business with another entity, you are also reflecting that brand’s values, ethics and voice. There are some companies out there that aren’t necessarily about helping people get fit and healthy, but they are more about encouraging them to spend unnecessary amounts of money on supplements.
Although it may sound attractive in the short term financially, it is a good idea to consider the long term implications these partnerships may have on your reputation in the fitness industry. Also, the question to ask yourself before agreeing to sell certain products: "Would this affect how much people will trust my professional opinion and advice?" You can lose your integrity by promoting products you don't believe work, they don't deliver on the promise on the tin or you would do it purely for the money.
4. Failing to Focus Branding on the Core Service
If your core service is one-to-one personal training, but all your branding messages are about your online coaching, that shows some inconsistency - especially when your one-to-one clients are seeing it. This may cause some confusion with your current clients, and potential clients probably won’t even consider hiring you as their personal trainer.
For example, this business logo and theme looks very much about 1:1 personal training, but on further inspection it seems all the training programs are online:
For example, this business logo and theme looks very much about 1:1 personal training, but on further inspection it seems all the training programs are online:
The best fitness businesses brand their business around their core service. If a potential client goes on their website, sees a leaflet or goes on their social media, it is clear to the client what that fitness business does. The images, the testimonials and the copy all help the business to communicate their core service to their potential clients.
5. Using Copy that Doesn’t Accurately Describe Your Brand
Copy is important - especially on your website. It should be consistent and it should be written in a way that speaks to your ideal client about the services you offer. Let’s say your potential client is a male dad looking to get rid of his "dad bod". Imagine one of your potential clients lands on your website and it’s a generic website about fitness. The copy is vague and just uses a bunch of buzz-words. It probably won’t entice the potential client to do anything.
Now, on the other hand, imagine him landing on a web page that is specifically designed and written with men in mind that want to get rid of their Dad bods. The language on the website will be talking about their pain points, and how they can get rid of them through investing in personal training. It will directly speak to your client.
Here's some copy we created for CounterStrike, a business that focuses on injury prevention for MMA fighters.
Now, on the other hand, imagine him landing on a web page that is specifically designed and written with men in mind that want to get rid of their Dad bods. The language on the website will be talking about their pain points, and how they can get rid of them through investing in personal training. It will directly speak to your client.
Here's some copy we created for CounterStrike, a business that focuses on injury prevention for MMA fighters.
Before we design any website for our clients with My Personal Trainer Website, we have an extensive questionnaire where we gather data and information before writing any copy to be published on the website. That way, we are able to communicate to their ideal client and that ends up in more enquiries for our clients. Win-win.
