If you’re anything like me, you love nothing more than getting your body moving and grooving. Whether it’s a walk, a run, a gym session, or whatever type of fitness takes your fancy, there’s some kind of movement out there for everyone.
I myself love all of the above. Particularly lifting heavy things and putting them down again. It makes bringing in all the grocery shopping in one go not only possible, but easy.
If you’re reading this, I can only assume that you’re a fellow fitness freak. And if you’re looking to put that passion into action to kickstart a business, look no further.
When it comes to winning the fitness business game, you need to be more than the strongest—you need solid marketing strategies to smash the competition. And trust me, there’s a lot of competition out there.
But don’t worry. I’ll explain what makes fitness marketing so important and give you some tips to help you develop a strong strategy to take your business to a whole new level.
The fitness marketing landscape is ultra-competitive
First things first, as you might already know, the fitness industry is pretty saturated.
There’s been a massive surge in fitness content over the last few years—which makes sense, considering that in the height of COVID-19, lots of people were desperately trying to stave off boredom while being stuck at home (myself included).
A study found that those who normally only exercised 1-2 times a week before COVID increased their exercise frequency by an average of 88% once the pandemic hit. That’s a lot of new people entering the fitness space, which is great news!
As a result of COVID-19, many gyms and personal trainers pivoted to online coaching and classes. Before the pandemic, 39% of trainers said they worked online. In August 2020, five months after the outbreak of COVID-19, that number had increased to 83%.
But, just because the market is competitive doesn’t mean you can’t find an audience for your fitness business and play ball with the best of them.
Below are some tips to help you grow your audience, flex those fitness marketing muscles, and give the competition a run for their money.
How to develop a strong brand for fitness marketing
There are many things to consider when creating or improving your fitness brand. One of the best places to start?
The thing that makes you stand out, of course!
Find your unique selling point
To set yourself and your fitness business apart from the competition, you have to figure out your USP—your unique selling proposition—what makes you you.
Is there a service that you offer that no one else in the industry does? Do you approach fitness in a unique way? Are you a maverick coming to shake up the fitness space?
Whatever it is, make sure it’s authentic and true to who you are. If you want your clients and customers to stick around for the long haul, don’t make promises you can’t keep!
Once you have your USP figured out, you can create a strong brand identity around it—and share it far and wide. Update your logo, your website, and your social media presence to amplify what sets you apart.
And with your fitness brand sorted, you’ll be ready to define your target audience.
Identify and understand your target audience
Before you can reach potential clients, you need to understand who they are.
While fitness is undoubtedly something that can appeal to everyone, it’s useful to know where your niche is. Then, develop buyer personas to help focus your fitness marketing efforts on the right people.
Do you only train women? Do you specialise in senior fitness or cater exclusively to high-end clientele? Are you focused on bodybuilding and training people for competitions? Do you run a yoga studio and want to help others find their zen?
Whoever you want to attract, the key is to craft your marketing strategies to speak directly to them.
Understanding who your audience is can guide your content ideas and help you develop highly targeted fitness marketing campaigns.
Identify your ideal customers’:
- Demographics
- Interests
- Needs
- Behaviours
Then, it’s content-making time.
How to create valuable content in fitness marketing
Generally speaking, people don’t like feeling duped or lied to, and this is no different in the fitness industry.
Don’t be one of those people who makes an Instagram post with something clickbaity and misleading in the caption, like “Get washboard abs in 7 days using this 1 weird trick”.
People will see right through it. Or, if they don’t, they’ll try out your ‘magic’ method only to discover that they did not, in fact, get abs you could grate cheese on in a week. Now they’re disappointed, angry, and never coming back to your business again. And what’s worse, they’ll tell all their friends to steer clear, too.
That’s not a great way to build lasting customer relationships, now is it?
Focus on creating content that will actually help your audience. You want to educate and provide value. This will, in turn, build trust among your customers.
For instance, if you’re a personal trainer, you might create Instagram reels or TikTok videos about proper form for different exercises. You could show people how to structure a basic weekly workout plan.
Not sure where to start? Here are a few ways to get inspired and get those fitness marketing ideas flowing:
- Scope out the competition: It can be helpful to check out what other fitness businesses are doing, but remember: it’s not about stealing ideas! It’s about seeing what works, what doesn’t, and what you might be able to do to differentiate your brand.
- Put yourself in your audience’s shoes: Think back to when you were a beginner at the start of your fitness journey. What do you know now that you wish you’d known then? What helped (or hindered) you as you worked towards your goals? Reflecting on your own experience can help you help others like you.
- Share your expertise: Creating content isn’t just about entertaining people on social media with Instagram reels and TikTok videos. Give people something they can actually use. Simple, shareable guides with workout tips or advice on healthy eating can prove a valuable resource for your customers—reinforcing your authority, strengthening their trust, and ultimately winning you more customers.
- Make compelling offers: People like to feel like they’re getting the best bang for their buck. Consider special promotions like discounted services or free one-on-one personal training sessions for new members. You could run limited-time fitness challenges or online events offering prizes or promotions for participation. This kind of engagement can create a real buzz around your fitness brand!
- Don’t make everything from scratch: Whether you have 3 clients or 300 at this point, chances are they have something to say about their experience working with you so far. User-generated content like positive reviews and testimonials can be a powerful part of your fitness marketing strategy. They can help you attract new clients, increase your online visibility, and effectively promote your fitness brand—and you don’t have to write them yourself!
Wait, user-generated-what-now? Let’s take a closer look at that last one to see how user-generated content can boost engagement and beef up your marketing strategy.
Share user-generated content
As mentioned above, encouraging your clients to share their thoughts and opinions on your products or services is a brilliant way to keep that content-making machine running smoothly.
Sharing your clients’ success stories in your fitness marketing activities is great in two ways: it lends credibility to your services and shows genuine care and appreciation for the people you work with.
It also requires little effort, so you can use these to keep your content schedule on track while you’re brainstorming your next batch of fitness marketing ideas!
Don’t have as many reviews as you’d like? Don’t be afraid to ask! You’d be surprised how happy your satisfied customers will be to leave a nice comment about your business. In the meantime, keep being great at what you do, and the positive feedback will come!
Great brands take time to build
When you’re starting on your fitness journey, it can take a while to see real results. The same is true for your fitness business marketing efforts.
Don’t try to take on too many things at once. When building or improving your fitness brand, focus on the basics before you implement a 50-step marketing plan.
Growth can take time, but be patient. If you prioritise creating relevant, engaging, and informative content for your audience, you’ll naturally attract like-minded people who appreciate your content and brand for what it is.
And, as you know, sometimes you need to call in a pro to help you get to where you want to be. Need a spotter to strengthen your fitness brand’s voice so you can focus on doing what you do best? Here at The Content Lab, we can help you take your business to the next level. Get in touch and let’s talk content!
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