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Tired of the constant “economic downturn” chatter? The smartest fi tness pros aren’t dwelling on the gloomy news. They’re too busy brainstorming with colleagues and adding new online profi t centres. Here are four beat-the- recession internet strategies you can start implementing today.
1. Embrace Social Media
These days, it seems likes everyone is on Facebook, Twitter or blogging. Craig Ballantyne, owner of Toronto’s CB Athletic Consulting, has been blog- ging since 2006 and on Twitter since 2008. He fi nds them so valuable to his business that he dedicates three hours a week to each of them.
“My blog (www.turbulencetrain-
ing.blogspot.com) drives a lot of traffi c to my website, and it pre-sells readers on my e-book,” he says, referring to Turbulence Training, which will soon be translated into German, Spanish and Russian. “It creates $50 to $100 per day in sales.” He uses Twitter (a free micro-blogging service) as a peer networking tool, but he fi nds that lots of clients follow him there too. “It’s a great way to build connections, rela- tionships and my brand.” Ballantyne conducts 90 percent of
his fi tness business online – he sells two books, has a membership website, is working on a franchising project and has a business that teaches trainers how to make money online. He counts on his blog posts to generate buzz and sales. He attracts an impressive num- ber of followers by writing his posts with these tips in mind: to help your blog post be found by search engines. “If your target market is interested in los- ing cellulite and thigh fat, be sure the words ‘cellulite’ and ‘thigh fat’ are in your copy.” in your writing style. “No one cares about type 2 muscle fi bres,” says Ballantyne, who writes frequently for Men’s Health. “They want stories to entertain them and maybe educate them. They want to connect with the author and get in- sider info. Stories rule.”
“Get them to download a free report, go to anoth- er article, watch a video or click to buy. Don’t be shy. Tell them exactly what to do.” Even if you don’t have a product to push still consider blogging, says Drew Harvey, director of Healthy Weights, in Waterloo, Ont. His blog, www.diettired. com, focuses on issues of importance to women struggling with weight issues. “These people aren’t confi dent exercisers or confi dent about their eat- ing habits,” says Harvey. “A blog lets you show you know your stuff and cre- ates credibility. And if you write in a trustworthy and empathetic manner you develop a following and potential- ly gain some clients.”
Harvey fi nds that his regular post-
ings also quickly move him up the search engine rankings making it easier for people to fi nd him. “A static website is like having a fi tness club at the back of an industrial park – no one knows you’re there,” he says. “With a blog, people can make com- ments, relationships develop and it automatically creates a community.”
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“A static website is like having a fi tness club at the back of an industrial park – no one knows you’re there.” — Drew Harvey
2. Offer online learning
Nancy Sawler, owner of Toronto’s
WaterWays Fitness, is into online educa- tion in a big way. She currently offers 19 online courses plus has nine more and a series of video-classes launching in the spring. The 12-year-old company, spe- cializing in aquafi tness classes and aqua personal training for the condo market, also sells short educational tele-classes (that reinforce important exercise con- cepts) to its personal training clients. “There’s a big demand for online
education from fi tness pros who don’t live in big cities where lots of courses are available and also from people who suddenly realize they need continuing education credits,” says Sawler. Tele-classes are live, interactive
sessions conducted over the tele- phone like a conference call. Sawler’s courses are 60 to 90 minutes long and include titles such as “Building a Successful Aquafi tness Business,” “Water Running” and “Aquafi tness for Older Adults.” Participants call in at a specifi ed time and pay $24.95 plus long distance charges. Each course includes handouts and a download of the course. After the course runs live the fi rst
time, Sawler posts a downloadable version on her website that people
March/April Fitness Business Canada 43
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