05 Sep How to Market Yourself as a Brand New Personal Trainer
If you are a personal trainer, you probably know that this industry is booming. According to recent market research data, this industry sector is worth more than £625 million and is expected to grow by 3.4 per cent between 2017 and 2022. However, and precisely due to its rapid growth, the personal training industry is also highly competitive, so new trainers may feel a bit overwhelmed by the sheer amount of competition around them. If this is your case and you want to maximise your chances of standing out from the rest, read on to find out some tips on how to effectively market yourself as a brand new personal trainer.
Expand your professional network
Effective networking is one of the keys to success in the business world, and this also applies to the personal training industry. Don’t rule out any networking opportunities: joining your local chamber of commerce and attending their meetings, visiting gym or fitness centre opening events in your local area, and attending relevant trade shows are all options worth exploring and could return excellent results in the medium term.
State your qualifications
Although it is not mandatory to take a course in order to become a personal trainer, having specialised qualifications can help you stay ahead of the game. Always state your qualifications, whether you have a FIE Personal Trainer diploma, a Focus certificate, or qualified with the European Institute of Fitness. As a personal trainer, you should also consider taking a basic first aid course. If you have already done so, make sure to mention it in your website or CV. And if you are qualified as a personal trainer, you can apply to become a member of the UK’s National Register of Personal Trainers, whose membership can also increase your chances of attracting new clients.
Open a YouTube channel
Having a solid presence on the world wide web can help you build your personal brand and reach a large audience. To demonstrate what you can do for your clients, you could open a YouTube channel and create several video series targeting different client types or “population groups”, as they are called by professional trainers. These could include post-natal fitness sessions, videos aimed at people over 55 years old, office workers, body builders, those preparing for their first fitness competition, etc. Of course you will need to market your channel too using a Facebook page, a Twitter profile, or by participating in fitness forums. It goes without saying that you should also invest in a professional website and keep a blog with entries that are relevant to your ideal client base.
Offer corporate services
Another way of making yourself known in the local community is to visit a few businesses and offer your services to their employees. For example, you could sell “healthy living programmes”, informative sessions on healthy eating, taster sessions, etc. A 2015 survey revealed that 34 per cent of the business owners interviewed said they offered work-life balance programmes as part of their employee benefits package, so as a qualified personal trainer, you could definitely use this to your advantage.