When I help new online personal trainers, one of the most common questions I get asked is, “How do I find clients?”

If you’re used to a brick and mortar (in-person) approach, then it can be intimidating to start looking for clients online.

Even more scary is the idea of putting yourself out there hoping that new clients will be able to find you and seek your services.

I want to put those fears to rest while helping you learn how to get clients as an online personal trainer.

how to become an online personal trainer

How to Get Clients as an Online Personal Trainer

Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been training for a while, there are plenty of ways to increase the number of clients you have.

I want to focus on ways to get clients online because I find this to be the preferred method for online personal trainers.

If your business is online, doing in-person marketing might not be something you want to invest too much time in – if any time at all.

And depending on your lifestyle, online marketing might be your better bet for all your marketing efforts.

For example, when I was a traveling personal trainer, literally all of my marketing was done online. My schedule just didn’t allow for in-person marketing.

With that said, check out these tips for getting new personal training clients online.

 

Finding Personal Training Clients Online

Before I list all the ways to find personal training clients online, there’s one thing you need to do: create a website.

Do personal trainers need a website?

YES!

A website is how new prospects will learn more about your expertise, methodology, past client success, pricing, etc.

Once you have your website, you can use the following methods to find clients online.

 

1. Optimize Your Fitness Website for SEO

SEO, or search engine optimization, refers to how you research and include relevant keywords in your website copy.

Optimizing your fitness website is important because it will help you rank higher in search engines.

For example, if someone searches for “online personal trainer,” you want your website to come up as one of the top results.

If you’re not familiar with SEO, check out my article on personal trainer SEO.

Or, if you’re not interested in learning SEO or don’t have the time, you can hire a professional to help optimize your website.

Set up a free discovery call with me and let’s chat about your fitness website!

Regardless, optimizing your website for SEO should be one of your top priorities because it’s a free way to get your name in front of more prospects.

 

2. Create a Fitness Blog

Once your website is optimized for keywords, I’d recommend starting a fitness blog.

When you post regularly on a fitness blog, you are accomplishing a few things:

First, you are demonstrating your expertise to prospects.

Second, you are providing value, and this is essential for building a relationship with your prospects and new clients.

Third, you have content to promote on social media platform, which will also increase your online presence.

Finally, your optimized fitness blog posts will boost your website in search engines.

Theoretically, the higher you rank in search engines, the faster you’ll be found by new clients.

Be sure to post regularly on these platforms and offer helpful, relevant information.

 

3. Post on Social Media

Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are a great way to connect with potential clients.

Many people use social media to find health and fitness information, so this is where you’ll want to post updates about the content you’ve written for your fitness blog.

What’s more, you can also create value-driven images with helpful tips or record quick videos that cover important fitness questions related to your business.

For example, if there’s a question that many clients keep asking you (e.g., how do I build muscle and lose fat at the same time?) then you can offer an answer in a quick video or infographic.

Include a link to your website or the relevant blog post you wrote.

Make sure your social media profiles are professional and up-to-date. Don’t forget to post regular content.

4. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is another great platform for online personal trainers.

Not only can you post updates about the content you created but you can also connect with other professionals in the health and fitness industry.

Make sure your LinkedIn profile is complete and accurate. Also, a professional headshot goes a long way in establishing you as a serious business owner and trainer.

 

5. Offer a Lead Magnet

A lead magnet is a giveaway that you offer to prospects in exchange for their contact information.

For example, you could create an e-book or short online course on how to get fit for summer.

Once someone provides their contact information, you can follow-up with them via email and continue the conversation.

The idea is to provide value upfront, so your prospects see that you know what you’re talking about.

When they’re ready to take their fitness journey seriously, they’ll remember you and reach out.

 

6. Email Marketing

Once you have the contact information of your prospects, you can keep in touch and build relationships.

You don’t have to bombard prospects every day with an email, but you want to regularly send out value-packed information.

That could be a quick tip summed up in about 100 words, or it could be a preview and URL to your newest blog post.

 

7. Participate in Fitness Forums

Another great way to find potential clients is by participating in fitness forums.

Be sure to read the rules of the forum before posting and make sure that your posts are helpful, relevant, and professional.

When you provide value on a regular basis, people will start to see you as an expert in the field.

This can be a great way to connect with potential clients who are in the early stages of their fitness journey.

What’s more, you’ll be able to repurpose your blog content, using your posts as inspiration for posting on forums.

 

8. Answer Questions on Quora and HARO

Quora and HARO are great resources for online personal trainers.

On Quora, people ask questions about all sorts of topics related to fitness and health. You can answer these questions with a link back to your website or blog post.

Be sure to provide helpful, accurate information and be respectful of other users.

I’m a big fan of HARO for online fitness marketing.

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) is an awesome way to get your name out there and demonstrate your authority, especially if you’re just starting out in the fitness industry.

Reporters post questions regarding a fitness-related article they are writing. You can submit your answers and if they use your response, you’ll be directly quoted with a link back to your website.

This is one of the best ways to do link building, especially if the website of the reporter has a high domain authority such as the New York Times.

 

9. Word-of-Mouth and Referrals

One of the best ways to get new clients is through word-of-mouth and referrals from current clients and networking partners.

While this isn’t something you technically do online, it’s still an incredibly powerful way to boost your business.

Make sure you provide great service and value to your current clients, and they will be more likely to refer you to their friends and family.

But most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask your clients to refer people to you.

You can even offer a referral discount to clients.

 

Great Copywriting Can Help You Get Online Personal Training Clients

Did you notice the one thing that all of these tips had in common?

Your fitness website.

Whether it’s copywriting that has been optimized or value-driven blog posts, your website needs to be on point.

If you’re not interested in writing blog posts, creating an e-book lead magnet, or optimizing your landing page copy, I can help you.

Contact me! Let’s talk about your fitness business and how I can make sure your website copy is engaging and primed to convert the curious into customers.

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