Want to know how to make money as a personal trainer? Then this fitness monetization blog is made for you! Whether you're a new or seasoned personal trainer, you're probably aware of the challenges of the job. You may not have a steady flow of clients and the hours aren't always consistent. This makes the annual income you get from your personal training business unstable.
So, it's always a good idea to have other online avenues for extra income.
The good news is that there are many ways to do this. The virtual fitness industry is a booming space and there are many ways to diversify your streams of income. Below, we've listed 12 of the best ways to make money online.
You can shift fully to online training or use these as supplements to your in-person sessions. Whatever you choose, there's a money-making path for you!
The Importance of Multiple Streams of Income for Personal Trainers
There are various advantages to expanding your business and diversifying your income streams.
Gain Accessible Cash Flow
The most obvious benefit of having multiple streams of revenue is that you get additional income you can use for various needs instantly. You can have active and passive income sources that pay out at different points, and sometimes the transaction is even immediate. This means you can establish a more consistent flow of money into your business, allowing you to address financial issues faster.
With money on hand, you can pay off debts, buy more equipment, maintain your fitness space, and more. This is like the equivalent of petty cash for stores. You ensure that you always have accessible funds for the day-to-day running of your business.
With money on hand, you can pay off debts, buy more equipment, maintain your fitness space, and more. This is like the equivalent of petty cash for stores. You ensure that you always have accessible funds for the day-to-day running of your business.
Get Career Choice Flexibility
Additional income streams don't just offer financial stability, they also open up your career flexibility. If you learn more and introduce new offerings and services, you grow your knowledge and experience, enhancing your resume. With a longer list of things you can do, there's greater potential for you to grow your business, reach a wider audience, and pursue parallel career paths.
In addition to offering personal training services, you could go into nutrition coaching, content creation, sports-specific training, and more. Having diverse specialized services expands your potential beyond a personal training career.
In addition to offering personal training services, you could go into nutrition coaching, content creation, sports-specific training, and more. Having diverse specialized services expands your potential beyond a personal training career.
Establish Yourself as a Multi-Faceted Personal Training Industry Expert
By creating valuable content, sharing your passion for fitness, getting additional certifications, and gaining specialized program experience, you can evolve into an industry expert. Increasing your visibility online can help you stand out in a competitive market.
Use this to increase your fitness clients and connect better with current clients. The digital space also offers a fantastic opportunity to build a reputation and brand image. Becoming a known and respected personal training industry figure can draw fitness clients to you and open up further opportunities to increase your revenue.
Use this to increase your fitness clients and connect better with current clients. The digital space also offers a fantastic opportunity to build a reputation and brand image. Becoming a known and respected personal training industry figure can draw fitness clients to you and open up further opportunities to increase your revenue.
How to Make Money as a Personal Trainer Online
Here are twelve options you can attempt when trying to increase your revenue streams. Not only can you use these techniques to grow your sources of income, but you can also reach your target audience and potential clients. Adding more online platforms to your fitness business opens you up to a wider audience.
You can increase brand awareness, improve your business model, and much more.
You can increase brand awareness, improve your business model, and much more.
1. Use Fitness Apps
Fitness apps are cementing themselves as a key part of the personal training industry. "The Fitness Apps market worldwide is poised to achieve a revenue of US$6.86 billion by 2024." (Statista)
Industry trends show more and more fitness trainers turning to online coaching and digital products and services.
Industry trends show more and more fitness trainers turning to online coaching and digital products and services.
Personal training software can help you manage your business and offer online workout programs.
Features like workout building, exercise libraries, fitness assessments, goal tracking, and more allow you to manage clients completely online. Essentially, you can establish an online fitness studio and host training sessions digitally.
This opens your personal training services to a broader audience across the world. You can help clients along their fitness journey no matter their fitness levels from anywhere on the globe.
2. Sell Workout Plans
If you don't yet feel ready to fully operate your fitness training online, you can choose to offer just one aspect of your expertise. Create and sell pre-built exercise programs and earn a passive income. With pre-made programs, clients get a structured plan that can guide them as they exercise alone at home.
You can pre-make different programs for different fitness goals. In addition to goals, design your plans according to the client's fitness level and the length of commitment required. An example of a plan you could offer is a 12-week beginner weight loss program.
Once you upload them online and customers purchase them, they can download them and implement them independently. This is a fantastic opportunity to establish a low-input passive income stream.
It could also help you generate high-quality leads if people decide they want to go beyond the plan to personal training sessions.
3. Consult & Network With Other Fitness Professionals
If you are an expert in a specific field in the fitness industry, you can find clients online that are willing to pay for advice on how to reach their goals. But those clients aren't who you might expect. They're fitness professionals!
You'd be surprised at the number of fellow fitness professionals who could benefit from your insight and industry experience. Some of them would also be willing to pay for it.
Expand your personal training services to include and target people who work in fitness. You can also try tapping into the network of professionals you know, extending your services to them.
You'd be surprised at the number of fellow fitness professionals who could benefit from your insight and industry experience. Some of them would also be willing to pay for it.
Expand your personal training services to include and target people who work in fitness. You can also try tapping into the network of professionals you know, extending your services to them.
4. Freelance Work
If you don't have a “particular set of skills” but still want a fast way to make money, you can look for freelance work. Sites like Fiverr and Upwork cater to various skills such as program design, nutrition advice, and even program critique. They connect you directly to potential clients looking for expert fitness advice.
It's also important to note, the quality of services provided there can be super low. So, if you jump in with a kick-ass service, you could quite easily dominate this space.
It's also important to note, the quality of services provided there can be super low. So, if you jump in with a kick-ass service, you could quite easily dominate this space.
One common freelance job you can try is fitness blog writing. Since today's business landscape is greatly driven by technology, more fitness companies are looking for people to write their blog content. You just need to present a sample blog along with your bid.
For a single blog, you can earn as much as $80. You can also consult freelance, make workout videos and content for clients on the sites, and more.
5. Become a Fitness Content Creator
Content is today's digital currency. The quality of content you can create, where you share it, and how it differs from your competitors all impact its worth. If you want to make money online, you have to look into content creation.
The first level of content creation you can consider is written content. Develop your website blog and write guest blogs for other fitness spaces. If you're already doing this, consider charging for blog ad space or having premium content that requires a subscription. There are also various sites like Medium or Substack that support blog monetization.
The first level of content creation you can consider is written content. Develop your website blog and write guest blogs for other fitness spaces. If you're already doing this, consider charging for blog ad space or having premium content that requires a subscription. There are also various sites like Medium or Substack that support blog monetization.
Visuals, including images and video content, are the second way you can become a fitness content creator. And there are many platforms and ways you could get started doing this. YouTube, for example, has extensive monetization opportunities for creators. Social media marketing on platforms like TikTok and Twitter enables creators to earn money from content engagement.
Consider starting social media pages where you share fitness content from workouts to meal planning, equipment reviews, and more.
6. Sell Ad Space
Advertising revenue is a key part of using your content platforms as income streams. If you have thousands of followers on Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram, use it to your advantage. Share sponsored ads and posts, sell advertising space, and more.
You can also consider advertising as a fitness influencer. Most companies are willing to pay fitness instructors with a large audience to promote their services or products to their followers. You can rake in as much as $10,000 in sponsored posts alone.
If you love researching, trying, and testing new gadgets and products, consider creating product reviews of popular fitness products. You can either ask the company you're reviewing to pay you which is ideal if you have a large audience.
YouTube also has advertising structures that can be a viable way to make money. Companies can pay to advertise before, during, and after your video content.
Just make sure to comply with Google's and other platforms' terms and conditions and let your followers know that your post is an ad. Many platforms have strict conditions for content that include ads so you'll have to make sure you comply or they may take your content down.
You can also consider advertising as a fitness influencer. Most companies are willing to pay fitness instructors with a large audience to promote their services or products to their followers. You can rake in as much as $10,000 in sponsored posts alone.
If you love researching, trying, and testing new gadgets and products, consider creating product reviews of popular fitness products. You can either ask the company you're reviewing to pay you which is ideal if you have a large audience.
YouTube also has advertising structures that can be a viable way to make money. Companies can pay to advertise before, during, and after your video content.
Just make sure to comply with Google's and other platforms' terms and conditions and let your followers know that your post is an ad. Many platforms have strict conditions for content that include ads so you'll have to make sure you comply or they may take your content down.
7. Join an Affiliate Marketing Program
Affiliate marketing programs are another great way to make money from your content-sharing. Working as a promoter allows you to earn commissions through online sales by spotlighting another company's products and services online. This company is called the affiliate and, in your case, could be a business that operates in the fitness industry.
To start, you'll need to find a brand that you want to affiliate with a product or service you'd like to sell. This could be anything from fitness software to health products. Choose a partner whose products and services your audience could enjoy.
Often, then, the affiliate program will allocate you an affiliate tracking link or code. You share this link or code to your website, social media channels, blog, email newsletter, etc. Every time somebody makes a purchase using your code or link, you will earn a commission fee.
This is a great option for personal trainers to build their audience. The company benefits and so do you as collaborations show that you're a trusted member of the fitness community.
For instance, our Institute of Personal Trainers all-in-one fitness marketing platform we use to design websites for our clients also has an affiliate program for personal trainers who want to design their website themselves and access a host of tools, like email marketing, funnels, membership and client management and more.
8. Consider Branded E-Commerce
You don't just have to sell other fitness brand products. You can also consider starting your own online fitness store selling branded merchandise.
Adding an online store to your services is easiest when you already have a personal trainer website with e-commerce features. You can still get into it without a website if you choose platforms that can do all the heavy lifting for you. For example, many people run Instagram stores, selling directly from the social media platform.
If you're interested in e-commerce as an income source, there are many things you can brand and sell including:
Adding an online store to your services is easiest when you already have a personal trainer website with e-commerce features. You can still get into it without a website if you choose platforms that can do all the heavy lifting for you. For example, many people run Instagram stores, selling directly from the social media platform.
If you're interested in e-commerce as an income source, there are many things you can brand and sell including:
- Exercise equipment: foam rollers, dumbbells, etc
- Workout accessories: water bottles, towels, bands, etc
- Fitness gadgets: trackers, outdoor lights, etc
- Active wear: tights, sports bras, etc
Even if you do not have your own products, you can try drop shipping. This is simpler since you only need to take orders and enlist the help of a third-party source to ship products to customers. You can also try selling items on Amazon, eBay, and Etsy.
9. Offer Digital Fitness Education
There are many ways to use your personal training certification and fitness expertise to offer value online. For example, you could create downloadable workout plans, or make a consistent income by offering online fitness courses.
Many people want to learn more about how to live healthily, reach their fitness goals, and have a holistic wellness-oriented lifestyle. You can create a digital space with digital products and resources that aid them in doing that.
Many people want to learn more about how to live healthily, reach their fitness goals, and have a holistic wellness-oriented lifestyle. You can create a digital space with digital products and resources that aid them in doing that.
Find a suitable online course platform and you can design courses on various topics. Some popular fitness course subjects you can consider include:
- Nutrition and meal planning
- Wellness courses
- Meditation courses
- How to use fitness equipment
- Building a home gym
- Anatomy education
- Strength training tips
These and other topics can enhance people's fitness experiences. Having digital courses is also a fantastic way to share your knowledge and establish yourself as an expert in the field. You build trust and legitimacy in your business.
10. Write Your Own E-Books
Another way to monetize the valuable knowledge you have about the fitness industry is by creating resources you can share at a cost. More and more people are opting for digital books and written resources over traditional paperback options. Use your knowledge in exercise and training, nutrition, wellness, equipment, and more to put together an e-book.
To increase sales of this resource, share snippets of it on your social media pages and other digital platforms. Have an excerpted copy on your website. Offer it as a supplement to your existing personal training clients. Basically, promote it widely and it can become a viable way to make money and cement your expertise online.
11. Host Online Fitness Events
Digital events have grown in their popularity since the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people, including those in the fitness industry, use the online space to host events, gather, form communities, and share information. Consider hosting (and participating in) online events like webinars, talks, and panels. These develop your reputation as a fitness industry leader with lots of knowledge to contribute.
In addition to "knowledge-driven" events, you can also create more 'practical' events where the audience are active participants. These include online workshops, group fitness classes, live training sessions, fitness challenges like digital walkathons, and more.
Through online event hosting, you can grow your community and potential client base. Use these events to generate leads and encourage people to use your personal training services and fitness programs. You can also make an additional income from ticket sales for attendance.
Also, consider speaking at online events for other fitness professionals and businesses at a cost.
In addition to "knowledge-driven" events, you can also create more 'practical' events where the audience are active participants. These include online workshops, group fitness classes, live training sessions, fitness challenges like digital walkathons, and more.
Through online event hosting, you can grow your community and potential client base. Use these events to generate leads and encourage people to use your personal training services and fitness programs. You can also make an additional income from ticket sales for attendance.
Also, consider speaking at online events for other fitness professionals and businesses at a cost.
12. Start a Podcast
If speaking is a strong skill of yours and chatting at events sounds exciting, consider starting a fitness podcast. There are many lucrative careers in media and content creation that you can consider as a fitness enthusiast. A podcast can help you reach your target market and get your brand recognized by a wide audience.
However, it takes a while for it to start generating income.
However, it takes a while for it to start generating income.
The condition with podcasts is that you need a large audience to make money. In the beginning, as you grow the platform, it will not add to your revenue. Only later can you start charging a fee for access, offer advertising on your podcast at a cost, and more.
Manage Your Money With Online Personal Training Software
Operating online comes with its own operational demands for your business. You need to be able to manage your clients, communicate, track relationships, and control payment processes. Using online personal training software can support your digital monetization efforts.
A good solution will enable some of the techniques above like workout plan building and sharing. You can also use payment features that training software solutions offer to manage transactions with clients.
A good solution will enable some of the techniques above like workout plan building and sharing. You can also use payment features that training software solutions offer to manage transactions with clients.
Summing Up
The opportunities listed above are just some of the ways to make money online. 'Some' is the keyword here. Many fitness trainers use these techniques to incorporate additional income streams into your business plan. However, you're not limited here.
Get creative and use your available resources and you could monetize almost anything online. Many people are looking for your specialized services. All you have to do is find exciting ways to get your valuable content to them... At a fee, of course!
If you're at a loss for how to start an effective marketing strategy, then look no further than My Personal Trainer Website. We'll design a beautiful website and maintain it for you, and make sure you produce high-quality content by optimizing it for SEO. We'll also give you the tool to start implementing effective strategies for marketing, and so much more!
Contact us today!
Get creative and use your available resources and you could monetize almost anything online. Many people are looking for your specialized services. All you have to do is find exciting ways to get your valuable content to them... At a fee, of course!
If you're at a loss for how to start an effective marketing strategy, then look no further than My Personal Trainer Website. We'll design a beautiful website and maintain it for you, and make sure you produce high-quality content by optimizing it for SEO. We'll also give you the tool to start implementing effective strategies for marketing, and so much more!
Contact us today!
