The personal training sector was hard hit by the pandemic. PTs offer personalized one-on-one sessions with a trainer to individuals or groups. And when lock-downs happened, those in the industry had to think creatively about how to keep their businesses afloat.
The business can be just one expert trainer working with clients, or a group of trainers each with their own clients. They can work from a facility, studio space within a gym, through mobile workouts, or by going to their client’s location. Covid accelerated creative ways to deliver and promote PT businesses. If you are moving into the industry or looking to scale up your approach, here are some creative ways that can help you improve your personal training business.
1. Online Video
In today’s day and age, one of the easiest ways to find ideas is to simply look online. There are loads of videos on different platforms like YouTube, that focus on personal training and fitness, where you can get creative inspiration for your PT Business and make it more relevant to different clients’ needs. Plenty of women fitness gurus have a huge following on their social media platforms and they offer various workout tips for different shapes and sizes. Since exercise has traditionally been seen as a man’s activity, it’s important to diversify your clientele and offer fitness education to everyone. Using these videos to learn how to incorporate different workouts from dancing to boxing to yoga into your personal training sessions, can help attract a wider range of clients.
And of course, you can put together your own fitness videos to complement, or even replace, your in-person business. During Covid one of the biggest growth areas in the fitness industry was live streaming of fitness sessions. Lots of people found it worked just as well for them and want to carry on doing their fitness sessions in the comfort of their own home.
2. Social Media Marketing
Social media platforms have the potential to attract a big audience, so it is often used as a marketing tool by trainers. Social media can be an effective way to gain new clients if your personal trainer business has well-crafted profiles on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. To improve your social media presence, you can offer post-workout tips and share existing client testimonials with your followers. Since social media is primarily what you make of it, it’s important to be clear about your brand and also engage with those who mention your personal trainer business on their profiles. It’s also a good idea to offer more than just training tips and tricks. Having a broader message and promoting certain values can help people relate to your business more. It’s in the name – personal training – so make it personal. Whether you want to promote body positivity, women’s empowerment, or even set an example of how to make it in a male-dominated industry, personal trainers can use social media in their favour to both spread the word and improve their business.
3. Nutrition Coaching
While many personal trainers offer only fitness training, including nutritional coaching as a part of your service can help you attract new clients. When people feel stagnant or want to take their workout routine to the next level, they often seek guidance from a nutritionist as well as a trainer. More than that, fitness is not just about body shape or weight, but also about feeling good both physically and mentally. Fitting healthy meals into one’s lifestyle can be challenging for many people, so offering them advice on dietary habits is a great way to help your clients become healthier and happier. There are some traditional foods, like the full English breakfast, that taste great but aren’t very calorie-friendly. Knowing how to incorporate traditional elements into a diet plan that is focused on achieving a healthier lifestyle can be helpful to your clients, and can help create sustainable eating habits for them.
4. Collaborations And Partnerships
Partnerships and collaborations can be a great way of helping you take your personal training business to the next level. You could set up a partnership with other small businesses or gyms in your area so that their clientele has access to quality fitness advice. It could be anything from a partnership with a yoga studio, where you teach certain elements of your training to their customers, to promoting each other’s platforms on social media. For example, if you have an upcoming event or are running an online campaign that can help spread awareness about women’s strength in sports or fitness then it might be good for both of your businesses to get involved. When it comes to promotions, feel free to think creatively and do what works best for you. You can even help promote those that aren’t on the same level as you yet but share the same values and mission. When clients see this sort of camaraderie and support within the industry, it can create a sense of team spirit and loyalty to your training business. as well.
Whether you are a personal trainer or own your own fitness business, it’s important to always challenge yourself and think of new ways how you can help improve our industry. Sometimes all this takes is thinking outside the box and trying out something fresh to rejuvenate things for you. Simply introducing new elements like nutrition coaching can take your training business to the next level. Be creative and don’t be afraid of trying new things, you might just find that it’s exactly what your business needs to excel.