Fitness marketing companies fulfill a vital role in our industry. One would think that our higher education institutions and national certification training programs would give graduates all they need to be successful. Sure, you will be educated on human anatomy and physiology. You will learn all about effective weight loss methods, such as resistance and interval training. You’ll learn First Aid and be taught how to help people suffering with different health issues. When it comes to nutrition, you’ll become a guru of sorts. You’ll leave your education program with all the tools you need… to make $30,000 a year or less.

Unfortunately, personal trainer schools and training programs prepare you to be a great trainer. Yet, they do not account for the inevitability that you will want to branch off on your own to become a fitness business owner — as we all do after working 60 hours a week, busting our tails for another person’s gain. Our industry is especially well suited to entrepreneurship, since the barrier to entry is relatively low. There are many franchising opportunities for fledgling business owners. Also, one can open a boot camp with little to no overhead costs. But to be truly successful at your fitness endeavor, you will need a guiding light to show you how to first master business and marketing skills. B2B companies fill this void and provide the necessary insights to put you on the path of prosperity.

You’ll find there are several different types of fitness marketing companies to choose from. Some companies are considered full-service. This means that a busy entrepreneur will outsource sizable chunks of his or her marketing needs to the company. For instance, we offer full-service plans for content creation that includes all blogs, articles, press releases, email newsletters, social media posts and website copy. We can also help you automate your PPC advertising, design your website, sort through analytical data, or run your referral program. A full-service fitness marketing company is a good idea if your business is thriving enough to give you a decent budget to work with, but you desire more free time to pursue endeavors you truly enjoy (rather than totally mundane marketing tasks!)

Other types of companies provide extensive career development services to you. Investing in yourself is one of the best ideas if you plan to launch your own fitness studio. You’ll be introduced to general concepts, ideas and the mentality of winners. You’ll receive a detailed list of the industry’s best practices, as well as instructions on how to implement these lucrative marketing practices. Your education may require some travel to retreats and conferences, as well as web seminars, emails and business coaching calls. You will probably download e-books so you have a written business plan to help you achieve different goals and milestones.

You’ll want to limit your search to people who have worked as personal trainers and entrepreneurs for more than a decade. You will find generalized marketing gurus who claim they can help people in the fitness industry, but you want to steer clear of these people. More often than not, they are just out to make a quick buck off naïve fledgling business owners. There are many subtle nuances in the fitness industry that marketing wonks just don’t get. For instance, a street promo giving away tons of free merchandise might be a great way to promote a new shampoo or an upcoming film, but it’s not going to bring you the targeted leads your fitness club needs. A better method might be forming alliances and partnerships with local businesses – which is too complex a strategy for other industries, but works best for ours.

The best companies offering fitness marketing advice and services involve people who are CURRENTLY working in the industry. Some personal trainers who hit it big start mentoring with the best intentions, but lose their way. In other words, they “turn to The Darkside.” They get a taste of the big money in consulting and abandon their personal training altogether to focus solely on a career of telling others what to do. The problem with this approach is that marketing practices, tactics and strategies are always evolving. Sure, there are tested, tried and true methods (like having a good referral program in place), but there are dozens of other marketing ideas you’ll only be aware of by getting out there and testing the waters. These full-time consultants develop massive egos and are totally sold on their own B.S. Yet, in reality, they have lost touch with reality. They propose outdated methods (like lead boxes) that will only waste your time. They’ll forget to tell you about big lead-generating money-makers (like Groupon and Living Social) that other fitness business entrepreneurs are capitalizing off. Soon, you will be left in the dust – and thousands of dollars poorer to boot!

Indeed, sorting through mentors and industry gurus to find the best is an important task for you. Working with the bad apples can sometimes leave a bad taste in a trainer’s mouth and discourage a person from pursuing other educational opportunities. As you can imagine, that is a very, very bad thing! I’ve made countless investments since I came over to America from Persia, but investing in myself was the smartest of them all. Over the years, I’ve worked with many people who were just about ready to throw in the towel and call it quits. Some got involved with unscrupulous franchisors that took their money and left them hanging with unprofitable business models. Others were putting in so many hours and running in so many different directions that they were burned-out. I’ve talked with trainers who felt utterly duped, manipulated, belittled and downright robbed by these so-called fitness “gurus.”

No one deserves to be made to feel lousy by fitness marketing companies. These industry collectives need to operate responsibly and ethically. For instance, I run my business with the industry’s best guarantees. I never let a person walk away feeling sore. I ask that people working with me give their best shot at putting my suggestions into practice. I’ve designed a business model that anyone can replicate. Yet, that doesn’t mean I dump my arsenal of knowledge on people and walk away. I am always following up with my protégés to make sure they understand every step they are taking and implement my cost and time-saving measures to the best of their ability. Whether it’s a full refund I’m offering, more of my time, or actually paying YOU what you originally paid me to prove my commitment to you, I am very serious about ensuring your satisfaction and success.