Social Media for Fitness Industry Growth - What is Your Personal Trainer Story

Marketing can be challenging. There are countless tactics to pick from, and finding the effective ones can be incredibly challenging.  But one tactic has stood the test of time:  The power of a good story.  Everyone loves stories because this is how we make sense of the world and relate to different things. The question is, what is your personal trainer story?

 

The Importance of Having a Compelling Story

You probably know why you got into fitness and the business of helping others. Maybe you were once sedentary and overweight, and vividly remember how poorly you felt. If this is the case - fantastic. Besides being relatable to your audience and potential clients, you also understand how your prospects feel, their frustrations, and what they want to achieve.

 

Your story might be different. You might have always been skinny before starting with fitness and gaining a lot of muscle mass. Regardless of what your specific story is, revise it and make it relatable.  People who read it will be able to connect with you. More importantly, stories put a face to brands and make you look trustworthy and approachable. Instead of dealing with a faceless Giga corporation, the person knows that they have another person on the other side of the screen.

 

Develop Communication Channels To Your Audience

Let me be blunt:  You might be a world-class expert and fantastic personal trainer, but if you can't communicate your value effectively, you won't succeed. People have thousands of options to choose from, and it's your job to convince them that you're the person they need.

 

The good news is, you don't need to leverage TV networks, newspapers, or other media to gain exposure and develop an audience. These days, we can pick from numerous channels to present ourselves and tell our story to a broader audience to get new clients.

 

Here are some basic ideas:
•Facebook:  regular posts, Facebook lives, and collaborations with other professionals
•LinkedIn:  similar to Facebook, but more geared toward professionals looking to find clients or hire
•Twitter:  a fantastic place to display expertise in bite-sized content, gain an audience, and make new opportunities for yourself
•Youtube:  a great platform for content creators, where you can share value, tell your story, produce Youtube lives, and more
•Instagram:  a place where you can share photos, tell your story, and provide value for your ever-growing following base

 

Each provides the opportunity to share your story, bring value to people's lives, connect with individuals, and develop a relationship with them.  And do you know what's best about marketing today? It doesn't have to cost you a single dime.

 

Never Stop Improving Yourself

Bringing value to others is about having it in the first place. An often overlooked aspect of becoming a successful professional is self-improvement. You need to commit yourself to get better over time and never see yourself as an expert. The moment you conclude you're an expert, your growth ceases to exist, and you stagnate.

 

For instance, learn how to use nutrition coaching software, teach yourself how to put together healthy weekly meal plans with grocery lists, and listen to your existing clients' or readers' feedback.

 

The Bottom Line

You shouldn't expect perfection at the start of establishing your presence. Still, you need to do this because your best competitors are doing it.  Channels like the ones we discussed above allow you to reach thousands of people across all sorts of devices, including phones and computers - anytime, anywhere.  Things are in a constant state of change, and it's your job to adapt your story, messages, and marketing strategies.

 

Oh, and one more thing:  Social media can be a huge time sink, so it's crucial to stay on point and avoid using it for anything other than growing your brand. Wasting hours each day isn't cool, and you also don't want to harass prospects with a never-ending barrage of sales messages.

 

The goals are simple:
1. Provide value.
2. Tell a true story that resonates with people.
3. Always improve yourself and seek new ways to increase the value you provide to prospects and clients.