I Had Been Sold The Dream That A Website Would Do The Marketing For Me
… that throwing up a website would mean I could just sit back and watch the clients roll in. You would not believe how crushed I was when I found out this was just a ‘Hollow Dream’.
Most Web design services are capitalizing in the current market by supporting this ‘Hollow Dream’
Web designers are good at just that; designing a website. They are not skilled at getting more clients for your business or converting the people who visit your website into customers. Im not saying they are bad people, I’m just saying we have false hopes that their services will be the end of all our marketing worries.
Don’t believe me? Take a look at the 3 facts your webdesign guy will never tell you.
I typically come across lots of websites (that personal trainer’s pay good money for) that all seem to have a few things in common.
They have;
- A home page introducing either themselves or their services (rather than relating to the visitor straight away and forming a bond)
- Some information on why hiring a personal trainer is a good idea and they typically ‘pimp’ THEIR services (they talk themselves up rather than identify the specific benedits to the visitor)
- In order to get further information they have an e-mail address or a mobile number (this leaves the visitor to decide, on the spot, to either pick up the phone and call or press the little x at the top of the website and leave forever)
- I also see a lot of PT’s try to appeal to everyone, they say “Hey! We cater to everyone, if you just want to get fit or if you are an athlete, we’re better than everyone else. We specialize in women’s fitness and competitive hockey players too!” (If you absolutely had to lose weight for your wedding in 12 weeks would you go see a jack-of-all-trades of a personal trainer who specializes in getting people into shape for their wedding?) Just the same as if you wanted to learn the waltz for your wedding you wouldn’t sign up for 12 weeks of rumba, cha-cha, quickstep and jive, you’d get private lessons on the waltz.
Everyone is doing the same thing. The result is everyone has this really generic, watered-down marketing message.
It’s so competitive out there and as more fitness professionals are graduating and coming into the business, you have to separate yourself from the competition. You have to be unique, you have to have something that separates you. This is called your Unique Selling Position or USP.
If a new up and comer has a strong USP and you don’t, I don’t care how long you’ve been in the business, they’re going to eat your lunch.
You need to identify your unique selling position. Your USP can be focused on your service, your results or your niche. Then mention your USP in all your marketing messages and all your advertising and promotional messages.
Big Tip #1
Identify your USP. It is what makes you DIFFERENT and what makes you BETTER
This new era of social media marketing is making an impact on how business is done. People no longer just listen to what YOU have to say about your business, (like the web-design guys would have you believe) people are now asking what OTHERS have to say about you BEFORE they decide whether to believe you or not.
Customers interact, talk back and forth with one another and share stories before spending any money with you. This is social interaction… You need to mold your business around social interaction and take advantage of social media marketing.
If this is getting a little overbearing here’s the definition of social media:
Social media are primarily Internet-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings. The term most often refers to activities that integrate technology, social interaction and the construction of words, pictures, video and audio. This interaction and the manner in which information is presented, depends on the varied perspectives and ‘building’ of shared meaning among communities, as people share their stories and experiences.
Social media can take many different forms and you have probably used most. Some include; Internet forums, blogs, podcasts, pictures and video email and instant messaging VOIP and applications like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Google Groups and Wikipedia.
This type of media marketing helps people share stories and experiences of YOUR services with other people and helps them develop a strong loyalty to your business. If you build your brand and use YOUR story you will build a loyal fan base.
And one of the greatest aspects of social media is that people will be out there promoting you and your services – just spreading the word – Thats real word of mouth marketing.
Oh… Another Big Tip! Be YOU and tell personal stories about you and your clients and success stories...
Tell personal stories about you and your clients and success stories in your e-mails, newsletters and on your website. These days every company is trying to sound the same, its so sterile. People want to know there is a face behind your business.
So where does this lead us?
Do Not fall for the ‘Hollow Dream’. A website will not magically start bringing you customers just because you build one, you must leverage the social aspect of your business. Personal training by its very nature is a social interaction in itself, it lends itself to this sort of marketing, not the old school ‘pushy’ marketing like handing out flyer’s and creating advertising selling the latest weight loss miracle. We are moving towards a ‘pull’ society where others can get un-biased information from other people before they decide to buy your services. Just make sure when they do decide to buy, that you are the name in the front of their minds… I show you how in the video below…
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Tags: marketing for personal trainer, personal trainer marketing, Personal Trainer website, personal training website
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