Winning over clients as a personal trainer typically requires some marketing. But just which marketing methods will help you get clients? Word of mouth is still likely to be the most powerful marketing tool you have as a personal trainer. However, there are other ways in which you can get noticed too. Below are just some of the top marketing methods to consider as a personal trainer.
SEO-focused web design
Some clients will look for a personal trainer using Google or Bing. SEO (search engine optimization) will ensure that your website ranks highly, so that those searching for a personal trainer in your area are more likely to click on your website.
If you haven’t got a website, it could be worth hiring a developer to build one for you – or you can build one yourself. Think about your niche when creating copy for your website and make sure to use keywords related to your niche. Factors like page loading speed, use of hyperlinks and site security can also affect your site’s rankings.
Niche blog/vlog content
Educational blog/vlog content can be a great way to attract clients, allowing you to focus on niche keywords. It’s also a chance to show off your expertise and demonstrate that you know what you’re talking about.
Blog posts can be published on your website and then shared on social media. Vlog posts can be published on YouTube and similarly shared on social media or embedded into blog posts. Focus on niche topics related to your specialism (for example, if marathon training is your specialism, consider blog/vlog ideas like ‘the ultimate marathon training diet’, ‘what to wear during a marathon’ or ‘what are the best running shoes for long distance running?’).
Glowing testimonials/reviews
Many potential clients who stumble upon you online may decide to check out your reviews and testimonials. If these are all positive, you are more likely to win over their trust.
Consider asking any current happy clients whether they would be willing to leave a review – either as a testimonial on your site or as a review on Google. This will help you to build up a few positive reviews.
Inspiring social media posts
The best way to win over personal training clients on social media is to inspire them. But just how do you create inspiring content?
On top of showing off your own fitness abilities, take time to share advice – either through text posts or videos. Consider useful hacks you’ve learnt over the years that you found to be inspiring. You can also share success stories, motivational quotes and inside jokes that are likely to appeal to your target audience (just make sure they’re genuinely funny).
Click-worthy cold emails
It’s possible to reach out to new potential clients via email. On sites like LinkedIn, you may find many professionals sharing their emails – and some of these people could be great personal training candidates.
Promotional cold emails need to be attention-grabbing without being too pushy or spammy. Focus on subject lines that will grab your target client. Email writing AI can be useful to experiment with for better written emails.
On top of writing cold emails, consider building a mailing list for existing clients and sending out emails to them to keep them engaged. Maintaining old clients is just as important as attracting new ones.
Public training demos
You can win over many customers simply by training clients in a public place. Onlookers may get curious if they see you teaching clients unique exercises. The best public setting is of course the gym – but you can also attract attention by training with clients at a local park or sports hall.
Public exercise classes are some of the best ways to grab attention of potential clients. This could be anything from a spin class to a circuit class. You’ll get people joining your class, and from here you may be able to convert a few private clients.
Free trials and initial discounts
Many people hold back from investing in personal training because of the cost. Free trials and initial discounts are a great way to hook these types of people in. Some clients will try out your services and decide that your sessions are worth spending money on. You just need to be sure that you are putting everything into these sessions so that clients want to sign up and don’t just take advantage of free sessions.
You can advertise free trials/discounts on your website, on social media and via flyers.
