Online PT services are at an all-time high. More and more fitness professionals are finding new clients online and earning more a lot more money!
But what is actually needed for your company to have an impact online and for you to become a successful online fit pro?
In this article we will run down 10 simple lessons, which will help you take the online world by storm!
1. Clients before your idols
A mistake that damages many fit pro businesses is that they are too busy seeking approval from their fitness idols, thus forgetting about the client’s goals.
For instance, your client John Smith wants to lose fat, however, your blog posts are focused on becoming a powerhouse maximizing insulin secretion.
Simply put, John Smith doesn’t give a damn about insulin secretion. John just wants washboard abs.
Structuring a blog post solely to impress your idols of the fitness world isn’t truly helping anybody. Instead, the subject, format and tone of voice that you write in should be catered to the people you’re trying to attract.
2. Walk The Walk
You may have come across trainers who have really nailed this lesson of ‘walking the walk’.
In our industry you are judged on your body. That’s just how it is and always has been.
You can be an extremely qualified fit pro yet not quite look the part, just like you can also be a complete moron while being shredded like you’ve just stepped off the stage of Mr Olympia.
Simply put, if you don’t look the part, you will lose potential clients.
Your potential clients expect you to epitomize their target goal. This doesn’t mean that you need to be crazily ripped, but you do need to appear like you can help them reach their dream look.
3. Work like crazy
If you haven’t yet hit the online market, then this point is extremely important to you.
Creating blogs, shooting workout videos, and posting on social media requires time. When you’re trying to build an online presence while still maintaining a relatively full client load in the gym, you need to become a working machine. You need to be willing to drop everything you are today, to become the Fit Pro you want to be tomorrow.
Your heart needs to be in the right place and you need to work If your ridiculously hard in the beginning – then you will see success.
4. Play On Your Strengths
If you’re a great talker, then talk. Create weekly podcasts for YouTube or talk about your new fitness classes on Periscope.
If you feel more confident in writing, get a weekly newsletter put together that you can send to your list of subscribers, offering exclusive promotions etc.
When it comes to creating content, don’t ask which is best – do the method you excel at.
5. Find Unique Channels
Distributing content online is essential if you want to become a success. It’s mandatory. It’s by far the most significant pointer to build your online business and generate online clients.
However, you could create the best and most informative content in the world. It’s useless if nobody is viewing it. Getting your content in the hands of people is key.
We have covered the usual ways of getting it out there in many of our previous posts, however, there are still many more unique ways that others may not have used. A great way to find platforms for this is to test new apps.
We had a client who used Fitocracy, providing content and simply interacting in the community. This helped them massively with their online growth.
When you help people and expect nothing in return, good things happen.
6. Get Your Clients Amazing Results
This point is quite obvious.
You need to help your clients get closer to their goal. Whether it be to get leaner or stronger or to pack on the muscle – whatever is you’re hired to do, execute it.
Results are everything for your clients.
7. Offer Free Sessions
The majority of fit pros offer their family and friends free sessions but what about strangers?
If you’re new to the online industry then offering free taster sessions can be very beneficial for gathering new clients. Not only will this help you build up a larger portfolio, you will also learn how to deal with the online process; from turning warm leads into fully fledged clients etc.
Coaching for free will accelerate your development and allow your services to grow faster organically.
8. Dominate Your Craft
It seems that EVERYBODY on Instagram is an “Online Personal Trainer”.
This can annoy legit fit pros and make them feel quite cynical about the industry of online fitness. But you shouldn’t worry too much. As the saying goes the cream always rises to the top.
Ripped torsos and shapely glutes might earn those insta-pros (as we like to call them) a few clients. But its referrals and testimonials that are still number one when building long-term brand equity.
You get this from being awesome at what you do.
Study as much as you can, attend seminars, watch webinars and converse with others that know their stuff. If you’re constantly learning you’re constantly improving.
This will set you apart.
9. Always Be Honest
Promising your clients that you will provide them with full Skype support, but really just adding them to a Facebook group to have their questions answered by your admin assistant isn’t good business.
Not only does this make you look like a bit of a scam, it also damages your reputation and brand equity.
Anybody can just get money for a couple of years in the fitness industry with lies and aggressive sales pages, but if you want to make it in the long run, then honesty is key.
10. Take the plunge
Some fitness professionals will find it quite nerve-racking taking their business from just word of mouth to online, but it really isn’t too scary.
There are thousands of people, in your area, who are searching for fitness professionals, bootcamps and classes to help them achieve their goals. If your presence online isn’t a good one, they will simply go elsewhere.
Make the transition online and make more money.
Interested in getting more clients online?
Offering your fitness services online is a great way for a good trainer to make more in less time while helping more people.
