Noise! Everywhere. i don't know about you but I can't log into Facebook, Twitter, read a magazine or turn on the TV without being bombarded by fitness nonsense.
In today's market everyone has a voice and is screaming to be heard. With online portals such as Facebook, twitter and free blogging sites trainers and health care professionals have been given a platform to scream louder than ever before. Whether you are a new gym owner or just a trainer it's almost impossible to get yourself heard and I feel bad for you. Here is what we did to cut through the noise and build a massive boot camp business this past summer.
Does it matter if your message is wrong or unsafe?
Not to some. In fact, some internet gurus will tell their followers not to focus on the message or the content, just scream and someone will hear, and many are following this advice. It sucks, but it's true.
I get asked almost daily how I cut through the noise to get heard.
As a trainer or new gym owner, you need to diversify your tunnels and provide a strong message without trying to yell and scream over everyone else, and separate your valuable message and product against all those other 'wrong' messages out there.
How your message can stand above the rest:
#1 Diversify your platform
Nowadays everybody is using Facebook and, while it's still a good way to connect with people, the feed is getting less and less attention. Twitter has become overwhelmed with 'noise' and isn't really worth your time anymore. The best marketers in the World discover the next trend. So how are you going to connect? We bought 10 buses (more on that later)
#2 Create Credibility In Your Community
Find a niche and harness it, be the best, and you will have the loudest voice. Most messages today are becoming skewed because they are generalized. Get away from just fitness, fat loss, injury rehabilitation, and health and sink your teeth into something that you are the best at. Look at the demographic you work with closely and the problems they're dealing with. Maybe they are desk dwellers so you can creatively advertise training for postural realignment?
#3 Make connections and have others talk about you online
Instead of always "tooting your own horn", have your clients be the voice that talks about you. This is more powerful than any blog, article, direct mail piece, or giveaway that you could ever do. Run check-in contests on Facebook, have your clients tweet about their great workout, or offer" bring a friend" workouts. Social proof is the most powerful weapon you have in your arsenal. Building your client army pays endless dividends.
Thinking Outside the Bus
Our facility Dynamic Training & Rehabilitation features a Bootcamp program called Fit-Escape. We have 20+ mainstream boot camps, and 40 Chiropractic offices in our small city alone. Competition is high, and everyone is screaming how their workout is the best fitness option. Sound familiar?
To the general public we looked like just another Bootcamp, but we knew we have created something different.
We pursued the common avenues such as developing Facebook pages, ads, blogs, and twittering to make our Bootcamp product known.
We followed the simple formula above, and created a few creative strategies to launch our program in the forefront of conversation in our community.
We diversified our platform , and niched it being the Burlington's Only Guaranteed Results Program
We don't just market that way, its our culture and we live it.
The second step was we created our own platform to get our message across. We bought 10 Buses and plastered our Results Guaranteed Program on the side. We also created a side promo where if you saw our bus, take a picture, upload it to a social platform that person would receive a free gift.
Instead of being in the crowd screaming at the same level to be heard, create your own platform. Be creative and find new ways to talk to your prospects to attract new clients that would want to train with you, or in your facility.
Want your message to be heard? Create your own platform, diversify your message, and get others talking about what you do. Think outside the bus and do something different. Pick up a copy of Seth Godin's Purple Cow
