Networking Your Way to More Personal Trainer Clients

As a personal trainer, expanding your client base is crucial for the growth of your business.

One of the most effective ways to do this is through networking.

This blog post will show you how to leverage social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook to connect with potential clients and promote your personal training business.

From following industry influencers, joining relevant groups, sharing valuable content, and even networking face-to-face, you'll learn the best strategies to expand your reach and attract new clients for your personal trainer business.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a powerful tool for networking and building professional relationships, and it's beneficial for personal trainers looking to expand their client base.

By creating a strong LinkedIn business profile and actively engaging with other professionals in the fitness industry, you can increase your visibility and connect with potential clients.

One of the best ways to use LinkedIn is to connect with other personal trainers and fitness professionals in your area.

Building a network of like-minded individuals allows you to share ideas and resources, stay up-to-date on industry trends, and even collaborate on projects.

You can also use LinkedIn to connect with potential clients by joining groups related to your niche, such as "personal training," "fitness," or "health and wellness."

Once you've connected with other personal trainers, engaging with them by commenting on their posts and sharing relevant content is essential.

This can help to build relationships and establish yourself as someone who is legit and worth following.

Additionally, you can participate in discussions within these groups, which can help to establish you as a personal trainer who understands the many areas of the health and fitness sector and utilize networking to attract new clients.

Another great feature of LinkedIn is that you can share your own content and showcase your expertise.

You can demonstrate your knowledge and attract potential personal training clients by publishing articles, blog posts, or videos on LinkedIn.

You can also use the platform to post updates about your fitness business, such as new fitness plans or promotions, which can help to keep your network informed about what you're doing and attract new clients.

Follow industry leaders and influencers

Following industry leaders and influencers on social media is a great way to stay current on the latest trends and best practices in the personal training industry.

Not only will you be able to learn from the top experts in the field, but you can also connect with them and build relationships.

Take a look at the top influencers on TikTok, and YouTube

When following industry leaders and influencers, be sure to engage with their content.

Leave thoughtful comments, like and share their posts, and reach out to them directly.

Show that you are genuinely interested in what they have to say and that you value their insights.

This will help establish a connection and increase the likelihood of them noticing you and your brand.

Another way to engage with industry leaders and influencers is by tagging them in relevant posts or direct messaging them.

It's also a good idea to share their content on your own social media channels and give them a shout-out for their work.

This will not only help you to build a connection but also help to increase your visibility and credibility as a personal trainer.

To find industry leaders and influencers, you can search for personal trainers on the leading social channels.

You can also check out industry blogs such as Shape.com or Men's Health.

Participate in online groups and communities

Participating in social media groups and communities can effectively connect with other personal trainers and fitness professionals, share ideas and resources, and grow your client base.

Platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn have a variety of groups dedicated to the personal training industry, which can provide an opportunity to network with potential clients and generate leads.

By following our guide on growing a fitness community in your Facebook group, you can increase your reach and attract new clients to your personal training business.

Some strategies to consider when building a community include welcoming new members, organizing themed days, hosting monthly challenges, sharing video content, and tagging members in your posts.

Share valuable content

Sharing valuable content on social media is a great way to establish yourself as an expert in your field and attract new connections.

For example, as a personal trainer, consider sharing articles, blog posts, or other resources relevant to the fitness industry, such as the latest research on exercise and nutrition or tips for achieving specific fitness goals.

You can also share your content, such as workout videos or client testimonials, to showcase your expertise and build trust with potential clients.

Face-to-Face Networking

When you meet someone in person at an event or conference, you must take advantage of the opportunity to build a relationship with them.

One way to do this is by connecting with them on social media, exchanging business cards and following each other on LinkedIn.

Once connected, you can engage with their content and build a relationship with them.

Another way to connect with people you meet is by sending a personalized message or email. Instead of just sending a generic connection request, take the time to write a personalized message that highlights something you discussed or a connection you made at the event.

This will make the relationship feel more meaningful and increase their chances of accepting your request.

By connecting with people you meet in person, you're building a relationship and expanding your network.

Your new connections may also be able to introduce you to other people in your industry, which can help you get more clients as a personal trainer.

Furthermore, keeping in touch with people you meet in person through social media is a great way to stay top of mind and increase the chances of them referring you to potential clients.

Community Building

Online communities are spaces where groups of people who share a common interest or goal can connect with each other, share ideas and stories, and discuss the things that matter to them.

Although some larger businesses host their own online communities, for smaller businesses it’s much more common to use existing platforms, namely social media.

Your choice of platform will depend on several factors including their different features and where your target audience is most active.

The aim is to build an active community within your existing – and new - social media followers, nurturing multidirectional connections (among the members and between them and you).

Personal training businesses lend themselves particularly well to community building for the following reasons:

• Fitness training can be a fairly solitary pursuit, and many participants will want to seek out others online for camaraderie and encouragement
• People who are into fitness are often very passionate about their interest, and keen to share tips, successes and challenges
• It helps you build relationships with your clients (current and potential), strengthening your brand and fostering loyalty
• It enables you to generate new ideas and gather honest feedback
• It makes clients feel welcomed, valued and heard

Bonus: Four tips for successful community building

1. Be positive, friendly and encouraging: When building a community, it’s important to set the right tone from the beginning.
   Always be welcoming and friendly so that people feel encouraged and confident to join in.
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   Try to be as authentic and honest as possible in your interactions, although take care not to be too judgemental or opinionated, or get drawn into controversial subjects.
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   Share your own positive stories, celebrate your clients’ achievements, and seek out and share other content that inspires you (remembering to acknowledge your sources).
2. Be responsive: The aim here is to show how much you value this community.
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   Engage with and share (with permission) other people’s content, and thank them when they share yours. Keep a close eye on comments and queries, responding to them wherever appropriate and as quickly as possible.
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   Look for opportunities to ask your community for feedback and suggestions, thank them for their input, and demonstrate how you have taken it on board wherever you can.
3. Be creative and engaging: In order to keep your community stimulated and active, you’ll need to come up with interesting and fun ways to prompt and engage members.
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   Make a running list of ideas to use, as well as keeping an eye out for topical stories and trends that could be tapped into.
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   Read our Introduction to polls, quizzes and competitions for personal trainers for some inspiration.
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   Find creative ways of encouraging community members to join in discussions, contribute ideas and share their UGC.
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4. Keep building your following: As your social media following increases, so does the potential for growing the community that you are nurturing within it.
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   One way to widen your reach is by offering an incentive to followers to share your content; another is by using hashtags (see eclincher’s Using a hashtag strategy to increase reach and engagement).

Start Building Your Community

Networking is a powerful tool for personal trainers looking to expand their client base.

You can connect with potential clients and promote your personal training business by leveraging social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

You can expand your reach and attract new clients by following industry influencers, joining relevant groups, sharing valuable content, and even networking face-to-face.

Following these strategies can increase your visibility and establish yourself as a reputable and knowledgeable professional trainer.

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This post was originally published in January 2023 and has been updated to give you up-to-date information.