Six Marketing Ideas For Personal Trainers to Get More Clients

What are the most successful personal trainers doing to make their personal business grow? Here are six personal training marketing ideas that you can use to improve your business today.

1. Offer your customers a “bring a friend to a session” promotion

This is a great way to gain new customers. People often enjoy working out together. If you offer this session with a free plus one, the client will most likely take up your offer, giving you a chance to gain a new customer. Use this opportunity to really connect to both the guest and your customer, get to know them, and offer the guest a follow-up promotion to retain their business. 

Further reading: Enhancing relationships in personal training.  

2. Give your clients homework

Your clients want to get the most out of their time that they pay for. Homework can help them gain value from their session by giving them the tools to bring home. It builds your trainer-client connection, adds value to your services, and increases your credibility.

Prescribe an exercise they can do at home in between sessions, give them nutritional homework that sends them on a fun trip to the grocery store or gives them a goal setting homework. This encourages questions, it fosters a relationship with your client and creates trust.

3. Get Creative: Coin names for your personal training techniques

Create a brand around you! Give names to your original fitness strategies and techniques. Instead of telling a client that you will be giving them a program that will strengthen their legs and butt for the week, why not tell offer your exclusive program called “The Victoria Secret Angels Leg Workout”? Appeal to their desires, interests, and goals.

Use these titles to create promotions around these programs – people will want to come on board because it is UNIQUE & EXCLUSIVELY YOURS.

You can even create fun graphics to go with your campaign. Boost your social media presence with paid ads or boosted posts so people can see them as they scroll through their phones! Canva is a great resource where you can make easy, free graphics for your social media.

Create videos to promote these programs. Hire a videographer to create content for your Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube accounts. It is a great investment to add credibility to your brand and help you stand out. Offer advice, learning resources, and a compelling visual to help prospective and current clients keep you top of mind.

Pro Tip: It is worth investing in legally copyrighting your phrases to make sure no one else has used it and to prevent others from using it as well. You will then be able to use these titles to support your marketing materials on your website and social media channels.

4. Partner With Other Health Businesses and Put Your Marketing Ideas To Use

Spend time researching businesses to partner with. Don’t be afraid to reach out to them, most companies are looking for brand ambassadors and business opportunities. Tell them why you are worth partnering with: with your social media reach, client retention, testimonials (can be posted on your website), and offer them what you will do in return for their support.

These business partnerships give you more exposure and help you gain clients. 

5. Go Social: Write for Blogs & Share, Share, Share!

Write for other companies and magazines, and be a guest blogger on another site. It’s a great way to gain visibility and clients. Guest blog on a reputable website or fitness magazine. Don’t wait for them to come to you. You can approach them! The worst they can say is no.

Pitch an idea, and be prepared show what you know. Keep a list on your phone with marketing ideas and blog topics as they pop into your mind and when you have time, create blog entries and pitches. What if you aren’t a strong writer? That’s okay! Most blogs have editors that can help you with that – just focus on the content. (Pro Tip: Editing websites such as Pro Writing Aid are a huge help).

You do have a website, right? If you don’t, make that a priority to create. This should include a blog where you share your knowledge. Don’t forget to direct people there with your social media channels. These marketing ideas are most effective when people can find your site so DRIVE people there. 

6. Create Email Lists: Stay in Contact with Your Clients

Keep your past, present, and future clients close! Mailing lists are a great way to share exercise tips, offers, promotions, coupons, nutrition tips, and your creative content to engage with your community. This is how you can stay in touch and keep your presence top of mind with potential/current clients. Consider using an email marketing app such as MailChimp, which is user-friendly, and even gives you analytics to know if your marketing is effective!

Get the most out of your knowledge and career by putting these marketing ideas to use. Get noticed, be known, and make your potential and current clients remember you!