December 6, 2021
So you want to start an online fitness coaching business. You want to make a living doing what you love: helping people get in shape. And you’ve always dreamed of running a successful coaching business from the comfort of your home.
Well, it’s time to take the leap. Whether you’re doing it full-time or just for extra income, building your own fitness coaching business isn’t as difficult as you might imagine.
In this article, we’ll walk you through every step of the process, from deciding on a niche to building a website and marketing your services.
Let’s get started.
Running an online fitness business offers several perks, which include:
When you run an online fitness coaching business, you get to break away from the traditional 9 – 5 routine that’s all too common these days.
You can set up sessions during the evenings and on weekends and take time out whenever you like, making it much easier to juggle family life and your career.
One of the main reasons to start an online fitness coaching business is because it allows you to work from anywhere in the world. You can travel as much as you like or live out your dream lifestyle without giving up the career you love.
All of this is possible if you set your coaching business up online, meaning there are no limitations on where you live or the training locations that you can use. It’s all about flexibility.
With an online presence, you can work with people from all over the world, which greatly expands your potential client base. Not to mention, many people these days are looking for online-only coaching options as it is more convenient and fits into their busy lives.
Because you won’t have a typical brick-and-mortar store, your overhead costs will be a lot lower. You also won’t need a team of employees to help you handle clients.
This gives you a big advantage when it comes to starting your business and keeps your expenses low.
If you’re looking to get started quickly and with less risk, working with an established brand can be a great option. Partnering with an already successful fitness organization can help you reach more people and give you the credibility you need to succeed.
Now that you know some of the benefits of starting an online fitness coaching business, let’s walk through the 8 steps you need to take to make it a reality.
The last thing you’d want when you’re starting out is coming across as a nonprofessional to potential clients. You need to stand out from the sea of personal trainers on the internet. And one way of setting yourself apart from the competition is by targeting a specific niche.
Picking the right niche is important because it will help you attract the right type of clients, which in turn will make your job easier.
It’s also crucial that you love what you teach – this will come across in your content and make you more credible in the eyes of your followers.
When picking your specialization, think about what type of people you would enjoy working with most:
These are all important questions to ask yourself before getting started. Once you’ve decided on a niche, use Google Trends to determine how popular that topic or niche is over time. This will give you an idea of how viable it is to pursue.
Some good niches to consider are:
– Strength training
– Endurance training
– Sport-specific coaching (e.g., marathon running, triathlon training)
– Weight loss
– Muscle gain
You can also target people with specific health concerns or problems, such as those looking for pre and post-natal workouts or injury rehabilitation programs.
You can even specialize in specific goal areas, like golf fitness or triathlon training if your passion lies in one of these individual sports.
Of course, depending on your personality type and expertise level, you might end up building a business that serves multiple niches at once.
That said, just because you’ve chosen a niche, doesn’t mean it won’t be competitive. In fact, the fitness industry is one of the most competitive out there.
That’s why it’s important to also do your research and learn as much as you can about your competition:
One great way to get started is by reading fitness blogs and articles, as well as checking out social media profiles for other online fitness coaches. This will give you a good idea of the type of content that works best (and what doesn’t). You should also familiarize yourself with the latest trends in the industry so you can stay ahead of the curve.
Once you have this information, you can create a unique selling proposition (USP) that will help you stand out from the rest. Don’t be afraid to borrow ideas from your competitors – just make sure to put a unique spin on them.
Now that you’ve chosen your niche, think about the type of people who could benefit most from your services. These are the ideal clients for your business.
Writing down a detailed description of your ideal client will help you clarify what to offer in terms of services and how much to charge. Keep in mind that it’s important not to be too general in your description – you want to target a specific group of people.
Some questions you can ask yourself include:
Once you’ve written down an extensive description of your ideal client, it’s time to put together a plan for reaching them. For example:
The more you know about your ideal client, the easier it will be to speak their language and attract them to your services.
Certification is crucial if you want to build a successful business. It shows that you have the necessary skills to help people improve their health and fitness level, which in turn makes them more likely to become your clients.
Don’t know where to start? No worries! There are plenty of credible organizations out there offering all sorts of courses, workshops, and certificates for personal trainers. Some examples include:
ACE offers personal trainer and group exercise instructor courses as well as specializations in cardio kickboxing and sports nutrition, among others. There’s also an option to specialize in youth training if that’s what you’re into.
The National Academy of Sports Medicine is one of the most popular fitness certification organizations in the world. They offer a variety of courses, including personal training, corrective exercise, and sport-specific training.
The International Sports Sciences Association offers a variety of personal trainer certifications, including weight loss and sport-specific training
The American Fitness Academy is a nationally recognized organization that provides affordable and convenient online training courses for fitness professionals and enthusiasts alike.
Being certified in your niche demonstrates to potential clients that you know your onions, which gives them the confidence to invest in your services.
Now that you’re certified (or well on your way to becoming certified), it’s time to build a website.
Your website is the face of your personal training business. Consider it your company’s online home; it allows you to share information about yourself, your services, and how potential clients can work with you. So it’s important to make sure it looks professional and represents you and your coaching services in the best possible light.
Unfortunately, online personal trainers still rely on their Facebook page to serve as their “virtual gym.” While this could work in some cases, it does have its limitations.
For instance, if the trainer’s Facebook page happens to go on a viral streak, he or she might see an influx of potential clients coming in. But then what?
The reality is that most personal trainers are not equipped to handle all of those additional memberships and sessions at once. So what often ends up happening is they end up turning away many prospective customers, which could have easily been prevented with a proper website where new visitors can schedule consultations directly.
That said, here’s how you can create a unique fitness website:
A domain name is the name of your website, such as fitnesscoachpro.com. It should be short and easy to remember, and it should include words that are relevant to your niche.
For instance, if you’re a weight loss coach, you might want to use a domain name like loseweightoday.com.
You’ll need a place to host your site so people can easily access it from their computers or mobile devices. Your web hosting service will be able to give you detailed instructions on how to get started once you’ve picked out a domain name for your website.
Logos are very important because they help people instantly recognize your business. They should be simple and easy to remember, and they should reflect the type of services you offer.
You can create a logo yourself using a free online tool or hire a professional designer to do it for you. In addition, you’ll want to create other branding materials such as business cards, social media profiles, and an email signature.
A CMS, or content management system, is a platform that allows you to create and manage the content on your website. There are several free and paid CMSs available, so you’ll need to choose one that is best suited for your needs. Generally, though, the most popular CMSs include:
If you’re not familiar with web design or coding, then you’ll want to choose a CMS that is easy to use and doesn’t require any coding skills. WordPress is a great option for this, as it is one of the most user-friendly CMSs available.
Your website should be simple, easy to navigate, and welcoming. It should look good on all devices (desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones) and should include images that communicate the benefits of your services clearly.
It’s also important to make sure it includes an about page (where potential clients can learn more about you), contact details for prospective clients to get in touch with you directly, testimonials from previous customers, and clear calls to action (such as sign up forms).
Remember that potential clients will not only be looking at your website, but they will also want to know what you look like. Many customers tend to trust personal trainers and coaches with whom they can easily relate to.
For people to take you seriously, you’ll need to display high-quality images on your website that show exactly who you are and what you do.
The next step is to set up social media profiles for your business. This is a great way to connect with potential clients, and it also allows you to share your content with a wider audience.
When setting up your social media profiles, be sure to include:
Each social media channel has its own unique set of requirements. Posts that go viral on LinkedIn, for instance, may gain minimal traction on Twitter.
Here are a few tips that can help you win on social media as a fitness coach:
Make use of Twitter’s 280 character limit by sharing short and punchy posts that highlight the benefits of your services. Use hashtags to attract relevant audiences, and be sure to retweet content from other fitness professionals that you admire.
Share photos and videos of your workouts, post articles and infographics about fitness and nutrition and run Facebook Live sessions to connect with your audience in real-time.
Share articles and infographics about fitness and nutrition, post interviews with other fitness professionals, and run LinkedIn Live sessions to connect with your audience in real-time.
Share photos and videos of your workouts, post articles and infographics about fitness and nutrition, and use Instagram hashtags to attract relevant audiences.
Share photos of healthy meals, post articles and infographics about fitness and nutrition and create boards that highlight the benefits of your services.
If you have a large social media following, then a fitness influencer agency or System2 can help you.
One of the most important decisions you’ll have to make when starting a fitness coaching business is how much to charge for your services. Of course, charging too little could result in lower profits while charging too much could lead to fewer clients.
The best way to find a price point that’s right for you is to do some research on what other coaches are charging. You can also get feedback from previous customers or ask them what they’re willing to pay for your services.
Once you’ve settled on a price, be sure to:
Charging for your services can be a daunting task, but it’s important to remember that you’re providing a valuable service and you should be compensated accordingly.
Online training courses are a great way to attract new clients and boost your profits, especially if you want to run the business part-time or as a side gig. You can even create complementary products that help you generate extra revenue without having to spend too much time on marketing.
And if you’re looking for additional ways to monetize your coaching business online, there’s no shortage of online course ideas:
If creating an entire online course sounds like too much work at this point, it might be helpful to write an e-book instead. E-books are easy and quick to produce and they can benefit your client base in many different ways:
Videos are a great way to share your knowledge with the world, and they have the added benefit of being easy to consume. If you’re not comfortable appearing on camera for person-person training, you can always record screencasts instead.
Be sure to include plenty of valuable content in each video, and organize them into modules that make it easy for your students to follow along. You can also create quizzes and assignments to help them track their progress as they complete their training sessions.
One of the best ways to connect with your audience is to offer live coaching sessions. This gives them a chance to ask you questions and get feedback on their progress when you sell a virtual fitness program. You can use tools like Skype, Zoom, or Google Hangouts to conduct these sessions.
No matter how good your services are, they won’t do you any good if no one knows about them. That’s why it’s important to invest time and effort into marketing your fitness coaching business. Here are some ideas for getting started:
One of the best ways to generate more leads and attract new customers is to build a steady stream of organic traffic. You can do this by creating pages optimized for specific keywords and keyphrases, so search engines can easily find them.
Email marketing is one of the most effective digital marketing strategies there is, especially if you target existing clients who have shown interest in your services. Plus, once they’re on your list, you can continue to market to them with new offers and discounts.
Networking with other professionals in your field can be a great way to get leads and find new clients as an online fitness coach. Attend industry events or join relevant online communities.
The more consistent your posts are, the better chance you’ll have of increasing traffic to your website and engaging with potential clients.
To come up with a content schedule that works, be sure to:
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to marketing your fitness coaching business, so experiment until you find strategies that work best for you. Just be sure to track your results so you can see what’s working and what isn’t.
As you’ve probably realized by now, building an online fitness business from scratch can eat up a huge chunk of your time and resources. It takes a lot of effort to grow from a relatively unknown online personal trainer to a successful one.
But there’s a better way to grow your business.
System 2 handles all the tedious work involved when you run your business — from creating websites to streamlining payment management processes — so you don’t have to. With our help you’ll get:
And the best part? We don’t require any upfront investment from you. Sign up today.
