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The personal training industry is competitive and dynamic – and it’s growing year on year. A recent fitness boom is great news for those wanting to participate in this ever-developing sector, but it also poses a challenge for personal trainers just starting out who need to get noticed and develop a substantial client base. The only way to do this is through effective personal trainer marketing – and at Awesome Creative personal training is a sector we specialise in. Below we share our elementary advice for personal trainers wanting to grow their business and increase revenue through better branding and marketing.

1. Put yourself out there

The mistake many business owners make (in all industries) is assuming that once they’re set up, clients will come to them. Surely owning a company and posting a launch on Facebook is enough? Not when you work in a competitive industry – you need to be proactive, promote your brand, introduce yourself and build a network of people who recognise you and respect you. Attend networking meetings, partner with healthy food outlets and fitness shops locally, participate in social media forums, offer free advice in the gym. They say word of mouth is the best form of advertising – and it’s undoubtedly true – but word of mouth referrals are earned with time and effort.

2. Brand yourself professionally

Branding is everything. So what does you current brand say about you? Slick, professional? Expensive? Results-driven? Friendly? Make sure your logo, business card, flyers and social media artwork work cohesively to project the correct impression of you and your brand. You’ll need to consider your target market – women, men, body builders and dieters all have differing ideas of what to expect from a personal trainer. Working with branding experts who understand how personal trainers need to come across and who can flexibly reach your ideal customers is a must, as without effective branding you’re unlikely to see the amount of bookings you need.

3. Stay flexible

The very nature of your business is one-to-one, so you’ll need to work around clients. Your clients are likely to have differing goals – by nature. Because everybody is different your marketing needs to reflect your versatility and speak to everyone in your target market. Promote services based on their benefits, explain key products you offer (and why) and tap into the insecurities and issues clients have – why are they hiring you in the first place? Whilst it’s good to be niche it’s also important to be flexible and not pigeon hole your brand and the services you provide if you want to build a successful career as a personal trainer.

4. Log client results for others to see

It’s important to keep prospective clients updated via your website or social media channels. Naturally consumers make buying decisions based on testimonials – or proof of your ability of efficacy, whether you’re a hairdresser or a gardener. As a personal trainer results are particularly important – they’re the motivation behind customers parting with their hard-earned cash. With this in mind you’ll need to demonstrate that you can walk the walk as well as talk the talk – and a blog or ‘case studies’ page documenting the experiences and transformations of previous clients is the perfect way to do this

5. Find a niche

The issue lots of personal trainers find with their business strategy is that they fade into a backdrop of other similar looking individuals with similar looking offerings. Of course you don’t feel you are the same as your competitors – so ask yourself – what sets you apart from the rest? And how can you communicate these unique values with prospective clients? Be known for something – tap into consumer curiosity and a desire for something that breaks the mould. Do you focus on a certain area others don’t (nutrition? fat loss? hormones, weight-lifting, post pregnancy, the psychology of training)? Is your approach unique, shocking, newly emerging? Are you the only individual in your area to employ your techniques and disciplines?

6. Invest in education

The best in the world (whether they be an athlete or a physicist) admit that they are always learning. Professional development is key – and it’s also a good idea to prove this by showing certification, talking about what you’re qualifying in next. This also allows you to diversify your business and move into different sectors and markets. As customers progress their goals change – and after seeing results with you for a previous goal they’re much more likely to come back to you with their fresh target rather than taking a risk with someone new.

7. Give your business the edge with technology

Can you integrate your workouts with innovative new technologies like Fitbit or iFit and other developments available to compliment your workouts and make you more memorable? If you don’t feel there is currently a technology out there you want to work with, then why not create it yourself? You could build an app just for your clients or a website with an exclusive client login area so that you can monitor progress and share updates directly with them.

8. Above all – put your clients health and wellbeing as a priority

You’ll not only retain a client base, but you’ll gain new clients off the back of it.
 At Awesome Creative we specialise in enabling personal trainers to make an impact on their market and grow their business. For more design and branding tips for your business drop us a line or take a look at our work for Coach Rimmer