Are you looking to delve into the world of online training? The industry is experiencing a huge period of growth at the moment. In 2019, the global online fitness market was worth $6.04 billion. This figure increased by 77.33 percent since then, with the value currently $10.71 billion, and a projected value of $59 billion expected by 2027.
We have a change in user habits to mainly thank for this shift toward online coaching. But for personal trainers venturing into this area for the first time, it can be quite overwhelming. There is no need to panic, though, as we are going to take you through the five important steps to follow to get your first online training client in 2022.
Step 1. Become the Go-To Trainer Online
It is vital to build an audience online by publishing value-packed content tailored to your ideal clients. Content serves a number of purposes.
Firstly, it helps you to climb up the search engine result pages so you can gain more exposure and relevant traffic. Aside from this, it helps to establish you as an authority in your industry. People will start to view you as the go-to trainer online!
According to HubSpot's Blog's Marketing Trend Report of 2022, the top content format marketers leverage in 2022 is video and then Blogs, Images, Infographics and Case Studies come right after.
Firstly, it helps you to climb up the search engine result pages so you can gain more exposure and relevant traffic. Aside from this, it helps to establish you as an authority in your industry. People will start to view you as the go-to trainer online!
According to HubSpot's Blog's Marketing Trend Report of 2022, the top content format marketers leverage in 2022 is video and then Blogs, Images, Infographics and Case Studies come right after.
There are a number of significant stats that personal trainers should take note of when devising a content strategy:
- Consider using infographics to support blog posts and share across socials - 56 percent of content markets who use infographics say that it is their most effective type of content marketing.
- Podcasting is a great way to reach new audiences - In 2021, consumers in the United States listened to 15 billion hours of podcasts. If you have the time spare, you may want to consider doing a weekly fitness podcast.
- Optimizing your content is a must - The use of strategic keywords in content is the main focus for 83 percent of marketing professionals. Make sure you concentrate on optimizing your online personal training business for mobile users especially.
Step 2. Start with Your Circle
Get in touch with friends and family members to ask them whether they would be your first online client. Offer them help in exchange for testimonials, reviews, and the ability to showcase their progress as part of your online marketing material.
It is also easier to refine your efforts when your loved ones are your first clients. They will be able to tell you what you are doing right but also things they think you could improve on.
You can also reach out through your social media channels to see if there is anybody in your circles or your friends' circles who's looking for a service like yours. Word of mouth is still the most powerful way to get new clients and they will more likely to stay with you longer as well.
It is also easier to refine your efforts when your loved ones are your first clients. They will be able to tell you what you are doing right but also things they think you could improve on.
You can also reach out through your social media channels to see if there is anybody in your circles or your friends' circles who's looking for a service like yours. Word of mouth is still the most powerful way to get new clients and they will more likely to stay with you longer as well.
Step 3. Make the Most of Industry Collabs for Exposure
Link up with other trainers and coaches, as well as related professionals, such as physiotherapists or fitness and wellness experts.
You will be able to help one another and lift each other up by coming up with creative ways to reach a wider audience.
Mutual partnerships like this mean you will both be able to tap into each other’s existing audience base. At the same time, you are going to be offering more value to your current crop of follows.
Many personal trainers avoid doing this because they fear that they will end up promoting the competition. However, there are lots of great people in the industry that you will not be in direct competition with.
You will be able to help one another and lift each other up by coming up with creative ways to reach a wider audience.
Mutual partnerships like this mean you will both be able to tap into each other’s existing audience base. At the same time, you are going to be offering more value to your current crop of follows.
Many personal trainers avoid doing this because they fear that they will end up promoting the competition. However, there are lots of great people in the industry that you will not be in direct competition with.
For example, if you offer personal training for pregnant clients, you may want to consider teaming up with a mental health professional who can provide content on this side of pregnancy, promoting the benefits exercise can offer for pregnant women while offering other insights.
When it comes to your content marketing, you might want to consider inviting guest bloggers to your website while you write for theirs too. There are many ways to build meaningful connections within the industry, don't forget to capitalize on that.
Step 4. Offer an Online Option for Current and Ex-Clients
As a personal trainer, it is natural for clients to come and go. Some people lose motivation and stop attending sessions. Others move out of the area and so your service is no longer convenient.
These are the types of people you can reach out to see if they would be interested in your online training service. You can offer some extra by calling them founding members that comes with perks.
These are the types of people you can reach out to see if they would be interested in your online training service. You can offer some extra by calling them founding members that comes with perks.
It is also a good idea to touch base with clients who travel often and regularly miss sessions, as they may find that online coaching or some form of hybrid coaching is better for them in terms of achieving their goals.
You may be surprised by how many people in your current contact list would be interested in your services now that you are moving online. People are very time-poor nowadays, and so this is more suitable for their lifestyles.
Step 5. Get on Social
Even if you're not big on posting privately on social media, you'll need to bite the bullet, at least initially. After all, there are 5.85 billion social media users around the world, so this is not something you are going to want to miss out on.
However, it is not feasible to build an effective online presence across every social media site. You need to figure out which platform your ideal clients use the most, and then target that. You can also check back on that HubSpot report as they have asked marketers about which platform provided the highest ROI (Return on Investment) last year and start with that one.
Facebook is an excellent all-rounder while Instagram tends to be one of the top picks for personal trainers because they can share videos and photos of workouts with ease.
When you are posting on social media, it is important to make sure that you do so on a consistent basis. Also, make sure that your content appears authentic and that you are not purely posting a string of promotional messages. Social media is all about engaging and building loyal and genuine connections with clients.
When you are posting on social media, it is important to make sure that you do so on a consistent basis. Also, make sure that your content appears authentic and that you are not purely posting a string of promotional messages. Social media is all about engaging and building loyal and genuine connections with clients.
Get Started With Online Training Today
We hope the steps provided above have given you a blueprint so that you can get started with your online personal training efforts. Patience and consistency are key here. Especially if you need to build your presence organically, which does not happen overnight.
At the same time, evaluate your program so you can understand what you’re doing well and where you’re going wrong, meaning you can make necessary changes when needed. You can even consider outsourcing the digital marketing tasks if you have the budget so you can focus more time on delivery and service development.
At the same time, evaluate your program so you can understand what you’re doing well and where you’re going wrong, meaning you can make necessary changes when needed. You can even consider outsourcing the digital marketing tasks if you have the budget so you can focus more time on delivery and service development.
