» Marketing
Success with self-promotion
In her almost three years of business, personal trainer Julie Raich has happily taken on the publicity aspect of her per- sonal training company. “I’ve never con- sidered hiring a PR person,” says Riach, owner of Thrive Fitness, a Calgary com- pany that focuses on moms as well as baby massage instruction. “I’m not your typical fitness professional, because I quite enjoy the publicity, accounting and budgeting aspects of the business.”
Raich’s PR experience and confidence come mostly from three years of work in the marketing department of an invest- ment company. She picked up more tips and skills from a communications and marketing course for fitness profession- als at Mount Royal College. “To get the press’s attention, you
need an interesting angle that’s topical,” she explains. “Editors look for stories that are ‘now and wow.’” Working with a niche population helps too, she adds,
Tools for Do-It-Yourself Promoters
Learn how to get your name in the public eye with these three excellent resources:
1. Press Release Maker (www.can-
adaone.com/promote/newsrelease4. html) Simply answer the questions it poses, then hit “create” for a press release with all the required news bits and perfect formatting.
2. The Ultimate Publicity Kit for
Fitness Professionals by fitness entre- preneur and publicity expert Jim Labadie (www.howtogetmorepublicity.com) teaches you how to score media hits in newspapers, magazines, radio and television.
3. Secrets to Scoring Publicity in Top Women’s Fitness Magazines
(www.activevoice.ca) is a teleseminar recording created by freelance writer and fitness pro Amanda Vogel and Jim Labadie. It reveals valuable insider tips for landing exposure in women’s health and fitness magazines.
noting that Calgary had gone through a mini baby-boom and, fortunately for her business, “everyone likes stories about babies.” Thrive Fitness has been covered by
Global national and local news, and in The Calgary Herald and a variety of oth- er media outlets. A short, punchy and to-the-point
press release is crucial to getting cover- age, says Raich. And don’t make the mis- take of trying to sell your classes, ser- vices or products. Editors are looking for new information that will be valuable to their readers, says Raich. She also recom- mends writing articles for local maga- zines that cater to your demographic. “Getting your name out there legitimiz- es your business, gives you validity and tells people that you know what you’re talking about.” FBC
Barb Gormley is the managing editor of Fitness Business Canada, a freelance fitness writer and a certified personal trainer. Contact her at www.barbgormley.com.
60 Fitness Business Canada January/February 2009
January/February 2009
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