Building an Online Storefront for Your Fitness Business: A Guide for Personal Trainers and Gym Owners
In the competitive world of fitness, an important factor that differentiates successful fitness marketing agencies from others is their ability to build an effective online presence. This presence, akin to an "online storefront," is what many personal trainers and gym owners often overlook. The lack of understanding about the online platform might be due to their detachment from the influencer realm.
Many fitness professionals need to comprehend that individuals online only know what you choose to display about yourself and your business. If you don't strategically create your social profiles or website to reflect who you are, the services you offer, and the clients you intend to serve, attracting the right customers can become challenging.
Consider this piece of advice one of my coaches once gave me: Stop thinking about your online platform as social media; instead, consider it as 'business media.' The aim here isn't to hang out with friends or share casual images. It's about creating content that helps build your business. The approach should revolve around fitness business marketing.
Building Your Online Storefront: The Grunt Test
When building your online storefront, you must pass the 'grunt test'. An idea proposed by Donald Miller in his influential book 'Building a StoryBrand', the grunt test helps you clarify your message. This is crucial because if you attempt to communicate with everyone, you will end up attracting no one.
So, what exactly is the grunt test? Imagine a caveman looking at your website or social profiles for the first time. Within five seconds, he should be able to answer these three questions:
What problems do you solve?
How will it make my life better?
What do I need to do to get started or buy now?
If your online storefront can quickly and clearly answer these questions for your audience, you've passed the grunt test. Any fitness marketing company worth its salt would advise you to remember that people are looking for solutions to their problems, not your workout or nutrition programs per se.
For instance, if your clients could achieve their desired fitness outcomes without exercising or maintaining a diet, they would probably choose that route. They want to 'look better naked,' 'have more longevity,' 'have improved health markers.' These are the problems your fitness marketing services need to solve, and your online storefront should make this clear.
Getting Your Message Across Effectively
Unfortunately, many fitness professionals make the mistake of listing all their certifications in their social media bios. While these certifications are essential and show your commitment to continual learning, they aren't particularly attractive to the average customer.
Why? For one, most people won't know what those certifications mean. And second, you would need a significant amount of education-based marketing to explain why those certifications are important.
Instead of flaunting your qualifications, your fitness marketing strategies should focus on conveying how you can solve your customers' problems and add value to their lives. This approach is more likely to resonate with your customers and attract them to your services.
At Sean Garner Consulting, a leading health and fitness marketing agency, we help personal trainers and gym owners develop effective online storefronts that pass the grunt test and convey their value proposition in a clear, attractive manner.
In conclusion, to stand out in the competitive fitness market, your online storefront needs to communicate your value proposition effectively. It should quickly and clearly answer the three questions of the grunt test and focus more on the solutions you provide rather than the qualifications you hold. And remember, this isn't just social media – it's business media.
Building an effective online presence may not be an easy task, but it's undoubtedly achievable with the right strategies and guidance. So don't wait – get started on building your online storefront today.
