Do you want to drive more clients towards your services but are unsure how you can market them with little to no funds? Worry no more. Here are the top free fitness marketing tasks you can include in your schedule to get more clients.
Tip 1. Write for Industry Blogs
If you want to see great results in a very short space of time, one great strategy would be for you to try and write guest articles for an industry blog. Doing so gives you the chance to show your expertise, and you can also get connected with reputable media outlets. Make a list of all the magazines and websites in your industry and identify the ones you believe your potential clients consume.
You can then pitch your idea for an article. If you get it posted, you will immediately be seen as an authority in the industry, which will resonate with someone looking to be a paying client. Of course, writing an article will take you time to research the topic and put your valuable advice together, but when you are low on funds and have spare time, it's a great strategy to put your name out there. If needed, ask for a family member or a friend who is excellent with words to help you out.
You can then pitch your idea for an article. If you get it posted, you will immediately be seen as an authority in the industry, which will resonate with someone looking to be a paying client. Of course, writing an article will take you time to research the topic and put your valuable advice together, but when you are low on funds and have spare time, it's a great strategy to put your name out there. If needed, ask for a family member or a friend who is excellent with words to help you out.
Tip 2. Build an Email List
If you are a personal trainer, you may find that building your email list is one of the best ways to acquire new clients. If you want to start building your email list, then offer a freebie in exchange for the email address of your potential client, also called a lead magnet. You can do this through a squeeze page, where people opt-in to get a free product.
The key here is to find a specific problem your ideal clients want to solve and provide practical advice on getting started. As your email list grows, it will work in the background, generating leads that you can use to your advantage. Of course, it will require you to stay consistent with sending value-packed emails to your subscribers to keep them engaged.
Tip 3. Go to Meetups
Social media is on the rise, so it is essential that you don't forget about social connections. There is no better way to build your local reputation than to meet with locals face-to-face. You can search for any potential meetups in your area and look out for any events in the health and fitness space. You might also want to try and make it a regular habit to attend local events to build relationships with potential new clients.
For example, head to your local park run and meet people there. While you're not necessarily trying to make a sale at these events, talking to as many people as possible and getting on to the topic of what you do for a living, maybe even offering some free advice, will expand your network.
For example, head to your local park run and meet people there. While you're not necessarily trying to make a sale at these events, talking to as many people as possible and getting on to the topic of what you do for a living, maybe even offering some free advice, will expand your network.
You can also be proactive, figure out what your people find helpful, and organize such events yourself. Whether it's a workshop or seminar on a specific topic or a fair bringing together a range of professionals to provide a day of wellness where people can have a fitness assessment, try a massage, or have chats with physiotherapists while eating healthy meals made by local chefs. Keep an open mind, think outside of the box and attract your ideal clients so they can witness the fantastic service they would get when working with you.
Tip 4. Hang Out Where Your Prospects Hang Out
What works offline when meeting with people also does when trying to find clients online. Figure out which platforms they use most and make sure you create a presence there. Whether you have clients on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, or even Facebook, you have to make sure that you are connecting with them.
You can chat with people in Facebook groups, forums, and Twitter feeds and answer questions, whether that's about fitness or not. If they like the conversation, they will likely check your profile and understand who you are and what you do. While you might not get instant new clients, you will surely build your presence in your niche. Sometimes, the small things lead to the best and longest-lasting relationships.
You can chat with people in Facebook groups, forums, and Twitter feeds and answer questions, whether that's about fitness or not. If they like the conversation, they will likely check your profile and understand who you are and what you do. While you might not get instant new clients, you will surely build your presence in your niche. Sometimes, the small things lead to the best and longest-lasting relationships.
Tip 5. Ask for Referrals
If you have clients right now, then there's a high chance they are busy people and may forget to recommend you to their friends and family. This is especially the case if there is no incentive. Instead of asking your clients to refer you, you need to think about making referrals beneficial to everyone.
You can offer your clients many things as an incentive, like a discounted package next time they buy, a goodie bag, or a cashback they can spend on anything they like. The limit is your creativity. This way, your clients will be excited to tell their friends and family about you when asked and might even go out of their way to praise your work.
You can offer your clients many things as an incentive, like a discounted package next time they buy, a goodie bag, or a cashback they can spend on anything they like. The limit is your creativity. This way, your clients will be excited to tell their friends and family about you when asked and might even go out of their way to praise your work.
Bonus Tip: Be Consistent
This point is not about a specific task but your attitude towards marketing. Writing and publishing content on your social media page, blog, or even personal trainer profile is one of the best ways for you to bring in new clients. Just make sure that whatever you do, you are consistent.
Find a frequency that you will be able to maintain, whether it's your newsletters, blogs, or social media posts. One benefit is that your audience will know when to expect comms from you but also that over time you'll build up a great pool of content that you can put on autopilot eventually. Blogs may need more time commitment. You can publish them less frequently, like weekly, every other week, or even once a month. Initially, you might want to make an effort to do at least 2 articles per month.
Emails don't need as long to produce, and maintaining a consistent schedule will help engagement. Social media is where you want to be more frequent to please the algorithm. You want to post multiple times a day. It doesn't take long to craft a quick status update, but make sure that your voice and message are consistent.
Find a frequency that you will be able to maintain, whether it's your newsletters, blogs, or social media posts. One benefit is that your audience will know when to expect comms from you but also that over time you'll build up a great pool of content that you can put on autopilot eventually. Blogs may need more time commitment. You can publish them less frequently, like weekly, every other week, or even once a month. Initially, you might want to make an effort to do at least 2 articles per month.
Emails don't need as long to produce, and maintaining a consistent schedule will help engagement. Social media is where you want to be more frequent to please the algorithm. You want to post multiple times a day. It doesn't take long to craft a quick status update, but make sure that your voice and message are consistent.
Wrapping Up
So ideally, you'll use the above tips and invest time and effort into making a positive change to your personal training business. You can consider outsourcing your marketing tasks when you get to a point where you can relax a little because you start generating a profit.
You don't have to, of course, but most trainers could find specific tasks that they don't enjoy or find challenging, so once you can afford it, why not find an expert to do it for you. You will have more time for your clients, other tasks you love, and your family and friends.
It also means that you can leave your marketing in the hands of the pros, who will use their expert knowledge and experience to make sure that you are expanding your reach more than ever before. Marketing is an investment, especially early on, but eventually, the results do pay off, and it is the secret to long-term growth and success.
You don't have to, of course, but most trainers could find specific tasks that they don't enjoy or find challenging, so once you can afford it, why not find an expert to do it for you. You will have more time for your clients, other tasks you love, and your family and friends.
It also means that you can leave your marketing in the hands of the pros, who will use their expert knowledge and experience to make sure that you are expanding your reach more than ever before. Marketing is an investment, especially early on, but eventually, the results do pay off, and it is the secret to long-term growth and success.
