The Fitness Blogging Fun Has Moved!

Thanks for stopping by my blog about fitness writing and marketing.

I've moved all the blogging action to two new locations: 

1) You can check out more about fitness writing, marketing and social media at www.ActiveVoice.ca/blog. 

2) And read my "test-drive" reviews of the latest health/fitness gadgets and gear at http://FitnessTestDrive.com. 

See you there!

- Amanda Vogel
www.ActiveVoice.ca

What Has Your Blog Done for You Lately?

When it comes to writing magazine articles, I'm pretty motivated to get the job done - there are deadlines, editors' expectations, readers' expectations and, yes, a paycheck waiting in the wings.

When it comes to blogging, however, motivation is sometimes harder to come by. There are no deadlines (unless self-imposed), no expectations from editors and no paycheck.

But there are expectations from readers, and that's a huge incentive. When you receive comments, Facebook likes and interaction on a post you've written, doesn't it spur you on to blog more? And when you pick up a client or career opp from your blog, it's a nice confirmation that, hey, this blogging thing might be working out.    

Trouble is, it takes time to get on a roll. I've been posting to FitnessWriter.blogspot.com for years, but I've also launched a newer blog called FitnessTestDrive.com, where I try out and blog about fitness equipment, gear, DVDs and apps.

Fitness Test Drive reminds me what it's like to be the new kid on the blogosphere block.

It's tough out there, folks - you've got to build up a readership, outright ask people to tweet your post and push for comments. I get why blogging newbies lose motivation quickly, and I won't deny that my interest has waned on occasion, too.

During one of those times, the strangest thing happened.

One day, I pondered about how to boost my blogging motivation. The next day, I got news that Fitness Test Drive was a finalist in the Best Health Magazine Blog Awards. (Want to vote? Fitness Test Drive is under the "Get Healthy" category.)

Bam! I was back in the game.

I realize that an award nomination is not the most typical way to muster motivation. But it does reinforce what I've always said about blogging: You've got to have a blog to benefit from it. And, most importantly, your readers will benefit from it.

Blogging does open the door to a myriad of opportunities and connections for you and your readers - do you agree? Has it happened to you?

In closing....I'm not going to beg or anything, but would you please, please, please vote in the Best Health Blog Awards (and preferably for my blog). You'll find my blog Fitness Test Drive in the "Get Healthy" category on the voting page.   

Have You Ever Hesitated to "Like" on Facebook?

I like that Facebook is all about "liking." 

And it's clearly on purpose that there's no "dislike" button, although sometimes I think a word other than "like" might be more appropriate. For example, someone posts bad news ("Wow, my fave trainer just got fired for indecent exposure"), and others respond with a "like" when what they really mean is, "Hey, man, I feel your pain." 

I like "liking" because it's a mini show of support or a virtual smile/laugh. It's Facebook's version of two thumbs up. 

But I always pause before tapping the "like" button - do you?

If you've ever Facebook-liked, you know that it means an inevitable onslaught of off-the-cuff comments and inside jokes from friends of friends about whatever you've liked. 

And I don't like it. I prefer to "like" and be done with it. 

Then again... 

I'll be the first to admit that I beam a little on the inside when I notice the "likes" and comments tallying up on a post I've dropped into Facebook. It's nice to be recognized, even if it's just a fleeting, virtual nod. 

And that's what Facebook is so good at: Shamelessly exposing that we all like to be liked. 

So when I'm at a party listening as non-Facebookers wave away the social network for being a waste of time, I nod with as much understanding as I can muster. You know what, it's not for everyone... 

But I log onto Facebook as part of my job. It gives me instant access to a network where I can cheer on a colleague or friend, encourage professional recognition and motivate fitness participants to exercise - all with that ubiquitous "like" link.

And if I can make someone feel appreciated with a little "like" here and there, my time has been well spent. (Even with the thread of Facebook messages that's sure to follow.)  

What's the motivating force behind why you "like" stuff on Facebook and around the web? Or do you dislike "liking"?

Fitness Blogger Boot Camp

Between baking sugar cookies for my kid's kindergarten class, slapping together tonight's dinner (tuna sandwiches) and finishing off a client's bio, I blog. 

Honestly, right now I'd rather be flaked out on the couch like that guy in the photo above. 

But I'm blogging because I said I would. 

It was one of the last things I talked about in my session on fitness blogging at the Can-Fit-Pro conference in Vancouver. 

I said something like, hey, let's all sign up for a blog or post to our existing ones THIS WEEK! It'll help set the stage for a lifetime of happy, healthy fitness blogging.

So here I am. And, yes, this post does have a point. 

My "let's all blog!" declaration reminded me how much it helps productivity to have someone relying on you for something specific. That's how I get my fitness articles written - I've got editors expecting them from me by a certain date. 

If you're really stuck at the point of perpetually intending to blog without ever doing it, try this: Tell your most valued fitness clients that you're about to blog on X topic and you'd love their opinions on whatever you write about. 

There. Now you have a reason to blog. 

A deadline. 

And a pre-established audience. 

That should whip you into blogging shape.   

Point made. Can I go lie around now? 

P.S. Kudos to Mia Sutherland and Josh Neumann (both in my Can-Fit-Pro fitness blogging session) for following through so fast on that "blog this week" pact. Inspiring! If you blogged in the past week, let me know with a comment here and I'll comment back on your blog.

That's Not a Blog Post!

The photo above cracks me up. I imagine a bunch of people without a lot of exercise experience saying, "Hey everyone, let's take some fun fitness-y shots now!" And what we get are silly pink mini-weights (the kind known to set me off on a rant), leg warmers (and are those wrist warmers?) and fake fitness poses that don't resemble actual exercises.  

But whatever. At least they make fitness look oh-so-carefree.

The "fake fitness" photo reminds me of how fitness pros might view blogging at the onset.

With the benefits and popularity of social media, a lot of marketing experts and fitness pros insist that you've got to have a blog. But that kind of advice tends to drive me crazy because the result is fitness pros--and, yes, major fitness companies--rattling around online with a blog that, frankly, doesn't feel or look very "blogg-y" at all. Its posts are as "fake" as the cheesy poses in that photo above.

Take the several fitness companies I can think of off the top of my head whose idea of a blog is to drop previously published articles into a post and call it blogging. ("Hey everyone, we've got a blog up and running! That wasn't so hard.")

Is it so wrong of them?

Maybe not. But when the article is written in boring academic language and appears as one 1,500-word block of text, then, yeah, it's veering away from the essence of blogging.

I can't authoritatively say all that a blog is, but I know what it probably shouldn't be: impersonal, dry, a copy/paste job from another publication, longer than my Master's thesis...

That's why when someone suggests that people who don't get around to blogging are just plain lazy (as did a commenter in my previous post), I get to thinking about blogging as an exercise in being thoughtful and informed, not just prolific. 

Without considering the craft involved, blogging becomes about as effective as flailing around a couple of one-pound hand-weights and calling it a workout.  

Don't you think?   

FOR MORE ON FITNESS BLOGGING AND HOW TO DO IT: Come to my session, Sunday, November 21, at canfitpro Vancouver, Session 3211 (10:30am-12:00pm), Blog Your Way to Fitness Business Success.

Fitness Blogging: Time Well Spent

Why You Do Have Time for a Fitness Blog

When it comes to fitness blogging, I hear a lot of excuses from fitness pros about why they don't do it.

The primary reason?

"I'm too busy. I don't have time to blog."

I heard it back in September at the BCFIT '10 conference in my session on fitness marketing with social media.

I'll probably hear it again in November, when I present on fitness blogging at canfitpro's Vancouver conference.

It's just an excuse, though, and here's how I know: I have the same problem. I don't blog every week (or even every month sometimes--oops).

And why not? Uh, I don't have time? 

Meaning: When I'm not on deadline with an article or writing/editing project, I manage to find other things to do instead.  

Like Facebooking. Or chatting with a colleague on the phone. Or catching a movie (last night it was Canada's own FUBAR II). 

Isn't it the same excuse people use for not exercising?

No time. Meaning: They don't feel like using the spare time they do have for working out.    

As for blogging, here's why it makes sense to at least set up a blog so it's there when you can get to it.

Blogging and other online pursuits (Facebook!) are part of the new way to market fitness. The old way is setting up a brochure-style website then ignoring your online presence.

If you're a fitness pro, what do you tell clients about how to carve out time for exercise? Could any or all of those strategies work for your own blogging pursuits? Whether you blog or not, share your tips and ideas here! 

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to get back to Facebook.

For more on jump-starting your fitness blog, come see me on Sunday, November 21, at canfitpro Vancouver, Session 3211 (10:30am-12:00pm), Blog Your Way to Fitness Business Success.

Fitness Marketing: A Lesson in Originality from the Vancouver Olympics...eh

With the 2010 Olympics in full swing, there's a party happening here in Vancouver. The downtown streets are packed, and it looks as if every second person is wearing one of those CANADA hoodies from The Bay. If not the hoodie, then the oh-so-cute maple-leaf mittens.

In addition to Olympics fashion, we Canadians celebrate every medal with extreme excitement and even surprise. That's because it's not a national given that we kick butt and dazzle the world like some other countries do (hi, America!).

That's What I'm Talkin' Aboot
It's interesting to see your country and city through the eyes of those who are watching the Olympics on TV from afar.

Amid the international party here, it's more ridiculous than ever when people drudge out the same old tired Canada jokes. It sounds funny when we say "about." (What aboot it?) Canadians are polite with good manners. (No shit.) We've got Canadian bacon. (Yawn. How is Canadian bacon different from regular bacon anyway?)

What does this post have to do with my blog's theme of fitness writing, marketing and publicity?

Well, I'd like to make one mild-mannered suggestion: Be careful not to fall back on lame cliches with your marketing and publicity endeavours.

Ensure that whatever idea or concept you're promoting to others--whether it's in a brochure or a publicity pitch--is as fresh for them as it is for you. Otherwise, your efforts come across as uninspired as a Canadian-bacon joke.

And if you really want to poke fun at Canadians, razz us about our national adoration for Tim Hortons coffee. Or how curling works.

Is Your Blog Really Promoting Your Fitness Business?

I just launched a new blog over at FitnessTestDrive.com (my first self-hosted Wordpress blog!), where I review assorted fitness products, such as books, DVDs, clothes, gadgets and gym equipment.

I thought I had my goals for setting up the blog all sorted out until I got an email that stopped me in my tracks.

Just after I'd written the About page for Fitness Test Drive, a blog post landed in my inbox from Copyblogger. It made me kick myself for overlooking such an important and obvious element on my blog.

I forgot that I had a business first and a blog second. Oh yeah ...

I'd been focusing pretty heavily on the blog's design (the green header looks good, eh?) and what kind of writing style to use. Along the way, though, I'd forgotten to reinforce what I wanted this blogging endeavor to ultimately accomplish.

Fitness Test Drive is meant to share vital information--in a lighthearted tone--about the scores of fitness products on the market. It's there to help fitness consumers and fitness pros cut through the hype and quickly size up what's new.

From a purely business perspective, however, one of the driving goals of Fitness Test Drive is to build on my platform as a fitness authority and writer. Why? To generate more interest in what I offer as part of my "real" job: magazine writing, book authoring, consulting, ghost writing/blogging, fitness presenting and instructing.

After reading the advice in "Could Your Blog Be Ruining Your Business?" by James Chartrand, I quickly logged back into Wordpress and sprinkled in a few "nudges" toward hiring me, as the author suggests.

What about your blog? Is it clear to readers what products and services you're in business to sell? What techniques do you use to communicate that information to readers?

If you're ready to get a blog online (or you have one but you're not sure how to make the most of it), send me an email. I offer consulting services for new fitness bloggers and ghost writing services for reluctant bloggers.

Fitness Photos, You Let Me Down (One Woman's Blog Rant)

I've been a fitness pro for 16 years, and I'm done with teaching just regular group exercise classes for just the regular group exercise wage (read: too low).

Personal trainers are out there with group training and boot camps and enjoying a higher profit margin. Now I'm doing the same, but with group exercise.

So as I market two new revenue-generating fitness events this Fall - one's a 6-week circuit interval program for gym members, and the other's a step/strength workshop for fitness instructors - I'm thinking about that old cliché, "A picture is worth a thousand words."

I'm a writer, so you know I love words, but I also recognize the value of using carefully selected, targeted images in fitness blog posts and fitness marketing material.

To that end, I logged onto iStockphoto.com to download a couple of fitness shots.

It's at times like these that I'm glad I have a fitness blog so I can rant about this irksome fact: A lot of fitness images of women are so ... hard to love.

I want a photo that pushes emotional buttons but looks cool to fitness folks and doesn't disappoint those of us who are way beyond stereotypical, outdated advertising images.

Dear iStockphoto, here's what I don't want (and what, unfortunately, you've got a lot of):

• Scrawny women who appear to have never exercised, gazing either seductively or passively at a couple of hand-weights that they clearly have no intention of ever lifting.


• Modern, fit-looking women waving around pink, Barbie-sized dumbbells.


• Women exercising with cringe-inducing form (note: lunges don't involve hyperextending the spine so the ribcage juts as far forward as possible).


• People lifting weights wearing socks, no shoes.
  

Did I miss anything?

Sure I rant, but I still heartily recommend iStockphoto.com.

One of iStockphoto's newsletters includes free downloads, which is how I get a lot of the images I use on this blog - at no cost. (They're not usually fitness photos, but with creativity, you can still make them work for a fitness blog.)

Other places to get free photos:

• Morguefile.com


• Flickr.com (check the Creative Commons section)
  

Anyone else have tips about where to get budget-friendly images for a fitness blog and fitness marketing?

Blogging is Like Exercise. How Often Do You Do It?

I just got a delivery of two books about blogging for a roundup review I'm writing for the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA). (I'll post the review here, too.)

I love blogging, but maybe I don't do it as often as I should. Actually, I'm not convinced that I should be blogging to some set schedule. When I write blog posts on assignment for other people or magazines, I meet my deadlines of course.

But for my blog? I post when it makes sense.

How often you blog probably depends on who you are and why you blog. If you even do it at all ...

As a fitness writer and presenter, I encourage fitness pros to use social media like blogging for marketing purposes.

"Just do it!" I say. "Start a blog!" People get overwhelmed though.

OK, then think of it as being a bit like exercise. (If you're a fitness pro and you're like me, you probably really enjoy relating most things back to exercise.)

You wouldn't tell a fitness client to exercise ONLY if he or she could absolutely, positively do it the recommended 4-5 times a week, would you? Isn't 2-3 times a week better than just not working out, ever?

So that's what I think when I start getting down on myself for not logging onto Blogger more often. I might only blog once a month sometimes. But it still beats not even bothering to have a blog at all.

What do you think? Is blogging like exercise in that you should just do it when you can, or should you commit to doing it at set times even if you don't feel like it?

Fitness Press Release

Take the Lead With Your Next Press Release

As a fitness writer, I receive a lot of story pitches from personal trainers and fitness organizations.

Recently, a press release came across my desk promoting a new product based on a popular fitness format. After struggling through the first paragraph, I stopped reading.

It was too boring and confusing. I suspected most journalists wouldn’t bother to read past that first muddled paragraph either.

The first paragraph of a press release - sometimes called the lead - holds a lot of weight. Its crucial job is to hook readers and relay important information while promising something interesting in the paragraphs to come.

Getting the lead right - whether it’s for a press release, a blog post or an article – takes savvy.

For example, if the topic you are touting is already well-known, piggyback on this success, but find a new angle.

If you write a press release about a topic that’s already been covered in the media many times, you might think this proves the worthiness of your own press release. But editors or television producers in search of new stories might not see it that way. Instead, they might see your press release as rehashing the “same old stuff” and delete it or toss it in the recycling bin.

Keep this in mind if you’re writing a press release about staying fit this summer. Begin with something interesting and fresh. For example, introduce a new spin on an old idea. “Get in Shape for Summer" has been done many times and it’s pretty generic. It’s not particularly compelling either – any journalist can think of that idea on their own.

You need a better hook. For example, "Shape Up to Prevent Summertime Hiking Injuries" or “Remake Your Shape: 7 Summer-Fit Moves You Can Do Anywhere.” Both examples present some type of focused hook.

Bottom line: Increase your success by putting a new and specific spin on a familiar topic.

More Direction for Using Twitter and HARO

I recently recommended joining Twitter and HARO to boost your fitness marketing opportunities. If you've already done that, or you're still figuring out how to make sense of it all, here's a little more guidance.

Tip 1: Please, please, please add a picture and thoughtful bio to your Twitter profile - it'll help you gain followers. Include a bit of professional info in your bio, but also a thing or two on a more personal level.

Even a well-thought-out series of words that describe you can be effective. Here's how I wrote my Twitter bio: www.twitter.com/amandavogel

Tip 2: If you haven't already, check out these two posts on this blog:

1) The Top 10 Reasons I Will Not Follow You on Twitter (it's by another writer and links to Mashable.com), and

2) Using Twitter for Marketing & Publicity (it's a video from Hubspot.com that you can watch right from my blog).

Tip 3: Try out a site or two that will help you manage Twitter and finetune your networking potential there.

Tweetlater.com lets you set up keyword alerts so you know when people are tweeting (chattering on Twitter) about you and/or stuff that matters to you (hint: it's a good way to choose pertinent people to follow).

Also, have a look at Tweetgrid.com to get a real-time overview of who's talking about subjects of interest to you.

For example, type "fitness" into a search bar and see what pops up. You can also make your searches more specific, such as who's talking about fitness where you live.

Tip 4: If you subscribed to the HARO e-newsletter (HARO stands for Help a Reporter Out) as way to score publicity, but you're unsure about how to respond to journalists, read this article by a writer from Mopwater PR.

Still in doubt? Ask me for more tips by posting a comment here or posting to the discussion board on the Active Voice Facebook Group.

How to Find Ideas for Blogging, Writing Articles and Publicity

Looking for something to blog about, write an article about, or use as a hook to get publicity in your local newspaper?

Cite this new study that suggests walking roughly 100 steps a minute - or pretty much to the beat of the Bee Gees song Stayin' Alive - keeps you moving at a moderate-intensity pace.

Apart from being an excellent news hook (I've already hammered out several queries that make use of the study), these findings are a simple way to demonstrate to your clients what moderate-intensity exercise feels like.

In fact, after strutting around my living room to Stayin' Alive, I bet a lot of fitness clients would be encouraged to know they can hoof it a lot faster than the song's beat! Move over, John Travolta.

Here's an audio summary of the study with lead researcher Simon J. Marshall, Ph.D. of San Diego State University. (Audio courtesy of medpagetoday.com.)



Source: Marshall SJ, et al "Translating physical activity recommendations into a pedometer-based step goal: 3000 steps in 30 minutes" Am J Prev Med 2009.

Sell More Fitness Articles/Get More Publicity

Simple Ideas for Building on the Media Promotion You're Already Getting


Suggest Another Story: When a journalist interviews you for a story, you have his or her full attention. Take advantage of this golden opportunity to receive more media exposure.


After you’ve addressed all the journalist’s questions, pitch an idea for another article that you could contribute to as an expert source. This works whether you’re doing a phone or email interview. Just be sure to make your pitch short and to the point.

Sell Your Articles More Than Once: Make your health and fitness articles work for you many times over. Sell them as reprints for extra revenue (often with a time investment of 10 minutes or less).

Use your previously published articles as lead-generating content for your client newsletters or website. Tweak the wording for new audiences. For example, an article on the benefits of boot camps can be easily adjusted for a skiing magazine, running magazine, parenting magazine, business magazine and more.

Keep the Love Alive: Stay in touch with the media people who contact you. This sounds so simple, but the vast majority of fitness pros don’t do it. The hardest part of scoring the kind of media exposure that brings you the recognition and credibility you want is breaking in.

This applies to both writing articles and getting publicity. Once you’ve made contact with members of the media, you’re on the “inside,” so to speak. This is your chance to turn one valuable media hit into ongoing exposure and marketing power for your fitness business.

I’m not suggesting that you add journalists to your newsletter list without their permission (this is a good way to get your email blocked from reaching them). I’m talking about pitching ideas, sending informative press releases, occasionally asking if they need help with a story, and so on.

More simple ways to recycle your media promotion.

Facebook, Twitter and Publicity for You

Use the Web to Get Media Attention

It's still winter in Vancouver, B.C. - it snowed here this week - but I'm already in summer mode, partly because I'm still unpacking my flip flops, tank tops and bikinis from a vacation to sunny Mexico earlier this month.

But it's also because magazine editors plan so far in advance; right now, they're asking me for fitness stories with a summertime twist.

Now's a good time for you to plan how you'll use the media to promote yourself and your health/fitness business during the upcoming year.

To help you get started, I offer these five tips for gaining success with the media using online resources. Everything I suggest below is totally free, and each tip takes just a few minutes at most to implement.

1. Subscribe to the HARO e-newsletter: HARO stands for Help A Reporter Out. These newsletters arrive to your inbox three times a day packed with media leads from journalists who are looking for experts to quote or feature in an article, on TV, on a blog or on the radio.

Each newsletter includes a specific section for health and fitness stories, but be sure to check the other categories, as well. Fitness-related queries sometimes appear in categories such as lifestyle or travel.

2. Join Twitter: Micro-blogging using sites like Twitter helps you expand your sphere of influence as you write short updates about what you're doing.

Being on Twitter pays off. A producer for a popular cooking show in Vancouver recently contacted me through Twitter, asking if I would consider being on the show.

However, she wanted me to talk about healthy eating AND cook at the same time. I'm a bad cook, so I declined and referred her to someone else. It was an important lesson about knowing your limits even when you want the publicity.

3. Follow the Media on Twitter: Once you're on Twitter, connect with media folks there. Follow writers, producers, magazines and media outlets that interest you.

Check out who I follow to find fitness writers. And also search for media folks on Twitter through associations for journalists, such as MediaBistro, skydiver (that's HARO), WoodenHorsePub and prnewswire.

4. Share Media Hits Online: Most online magazines and newspapers now allow you to quickly and easily share links across the web.

Recycle your media promotion in social networks like Facebook by sharing links to articles you've written or that quote you. In my experience, the more you market your media hits, the more media opportunities arise.

5. Join the Active Voice Facebook Group: Speaking of Facebook, stay on top of media opportunities and learn more about how to succeed with the media by joining the Active Voice Facebook Group (find it by searching “Active Voice Writing Service” under Groups).

Post a question (I'll answer it!) and read advice from a former Shape editor, a regular contributor to Men's Fitness magazine and other fitness pros who've achieved success with publicity and fitness writing.

If You Write Articles or Want to Start ...

Check out these two resources from Active Voice:
How to Write Winning Queries
Anatomy of an Article

Using Twitter for Marketing & Publicity

A great webinar from HubSpot about how to use Twitter for marketing and PR.



Please follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/amandavogel

Writing a Headline? Look at Fitness Magazines

January is a busy month for gaining leads and making sales in personal training and at gyms. Now is the time to be planning your marketing schemes for the new year's rush in the fitness industry.

Fitness entrepreneur Bedros Keuilian of The Art of Selling Fitness posted an interesting YouTube clip about using popular health and fitness magazines to help you generate attention-getting headlines for your web pages, advertising material and e-newsletters.

Take a look at Bedros's clip, it's just three minutes long:



Bedros's advice makes a lot of sense because editors at the most popular magazines - publications that are prominently displayed in bookstores and grocery stores - spend a lot of time deliberating on and fine-tuning cover lines (what Bedros is calling headlines).

In addition to the image that goes on the front of the magazine, cover lines are what sell the magazine. So editors carefully craft cover lines to be as mouth-watering as possible to potential magazine buyers.

Like Bedros says, the next time you need headline-writing inspiration or a clever way to package a fitness promotion, look to the cover lines on the magazines your clients are likely to read.

Just be sure to tweak the wording for your own purposes rather than copy it verbatim.

Fitness Marketing Language

The Antithesis of a Testimonial

Once, a fitness presenter told me he got an evaluation at a conference that simply read, “I don’t like your personality.” Ouch! And how mean!

When you put yourself “out there” – whether it’s as a bootcamp instructor, presenter, fitness director or studio owner – you’re going to eventually face negative feedback from someone. It’s inevitable, really.

I imagine you don’t like receiving negative comments any more than I do. But what stings the most is when less-than-positive feedback is not constructive because it doesn’t help you improve in some way.

I am writing this post because I need your help!

Below is a note I got from someone who attended one of my sessions at a recent fitness conference. This person doesn’t like the way I represent myself. And since this person took the time to send me a few thoughts (to THREE of my email addresses, no less – thanks for that!), the least I can do is get a blog post out of it. Here's the note:

>>I would like to provide some feedback on your BCRPA conference
presentation, and on your self-marketing strategy.

Without doubt, you are very knowledgeable and experienced. However,
it is unwise to constantly remind everyone that you write for
Chatelaine, Self, Fitness and other trash magazines. If you want
people to respect and view you as a true professional, you should
write for intelligent publications, including peer-reviewed academic
magazines. Associating your business with bottom of the barrel media
does not add to credibility.

In your biography write up, you are using low brow, outdated, and
meaningless marketing gimmicks such as "51 free tips", "free ebook"
etc. These are mostly used by telemarketers, snake oil sellers and in
infomercials. Please respect the intelligence of your potential
readers! It is a real turn off when an educated person resorts to
dumbed down amateur marketing tricks. Thank you. <<

Well, I can’t do anything about the person’s first directive that I should write for “peer-reviewed academic magazines” instead of the so-called “trash” magazines I contribute to. Gee, if I could find a way to feed my daughter, pay for her daycare and keep on top of bills by contributing to all those academic journals that pay ZILCH, I’d jump right on that advice. Oh, except for the fact that I like writing for the magazines I contribute to.

Anyway, what I'd like your help with is this:

Please add your constructive comments here to help other fitness pros determine the most effective language for marketing their own fitness businesses.

And while you're at it, please save me from changing the name of my free e-book (51 Need-to-Know Writing & Marketing Tips for Fitness Pros) to something more intellectual, such as A Series of Grammar Lessons Fitness Professionals Must Study, Posthaste! … a digital document (aka: e-book) available to anyone who wants it (sorry, I don’t know how to make “FREE” sound boring).

Hey, if uttering the word “free” is tantamount to being a “snake oil seller” then the majority of successful businesses I can think of are in real trouble.

Call me defensive, but this has been cathartic!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a yoga book to ghostwrite about cultivating inner peace and an article to complete that will help personal trainers connect in a more meaningful way with their clients. Low-brow stuff, indeed.

Marketing Fitness with Social Media

I have to admit something … I don’t “get” Twitter.

Twitter (if you’re wondering) is a social networking and micro-blogging site. You write mini-updates about your life, week, day, whatever.

You can update every hour or sooner if you want. Each update has to be 140 characters or less, so Twitter forces you to write concisely. In that way, it helps you improve your writing skills.

Apart from that, though, what's the point?

Do people really care that I visited Multnomah Falls near Portland, OR, or that I chatted with Jim Labadie on the phone (these were two of my recent mini-updates, or “tweets” as they’re called in Twitter-speak).

My friend Biray Alsac first told me about Twitter, and so I joined the site as research for my workshop “Beyond a Website: Virtual Tools for Attracting Real-World Clients” (I’ll be presenting it next at the BCRPA conference in October 08).

Biray is on top of how to use Internet technologies in the fitness industry. And since I trust her opinion and expertise, I’m sticking with Twitter for now. I still have a lot to learn.

In the meantime, I wanted to find out how other fitness pros fare with Twitter, so I turned to personal trainer Scott Tousignant of UnstoppableFatLoss.com.

Scott’s got his finger on the pulse of how to market fitness using social media (like Twitter, blogging, Facebook). Here’s what he told me:

Amanda Vogel (AV): Has Twitter helped you market your business?

Scott Tousignant (ST): Twitter has been one of my favorite and most effective ways to market my business. The connections that I have made through Twitter have been absolutely priceless.

The biggest advantage of Twitter is being able to connect with some big players in the internet marketing industry immediately. There have been colleagues who I've been trying to connect with through email for a very long time and I have not received a response from. The second I send them a message on Twitter, they respond. I have their attention, and we build a relationship pretty quickly.

Another benefit of Twitter is the search function. I can type in a key word like “workout” and see everyone that has made a “tweet” about working out. If the person looks like someone who I would like to connect with, I offer them a quick tip or congratulations on embarking on the fitness journey.

AV: Who follows your updates on Twitter (is it clients or colleagues)?

ST: It's about a 50/50 split. Ideally, you should create two Twitter accounts. One where you give fitness tips and try to connect with clients, and another Twitter account where you try to connect with colleagues.

AV: What about your Twitter-cise social network at Ning.com, which shows people how to do brief exercises. Does your Twitter-cise network require a lot of upkeep? Has it been a good marketing venture?

ST: Twitter-cise has been a fun little project for me. It's really not much upkeep. It all depends on how much effort you want to put into it and what your other priorities are.

When my wife Angie and I started the community we would shoot four one-minute videos in one day and upload one at a time over the next four days. Total video shooting, editing, and uploading took about 30 minutes for four videos.

Other than that it really isn't much work and has definitely been worth the effort.

AV: Of all the social media marketing tools you use, which is the most useful to you? Why?

ST: My blog is the most useful social media tool and is the hub of my business. When I engage in communication on Twitter, I send people to my blog. When I post a video on YouTube, I send viewers to my blog. When I post something on Facebook, I link to my blog.

The reason my blog has been the most useful is because it provides the best platform to engage with my audience through a variety of media streams like video, audio, and articles.

Also, blog posts can be submitted to all the other social marketing sites and get bookmarked and indexed. You can place your blog rss feeds in your Facebook profile and other social marketing profiles, as well.

Marketing Beyond the Benefits

Writing Promotional Signs That Get Results

Posting signs around your gym or training studio to market your programs, events or specials can increase registration numbers and interest in your services or workouts.

Fitness pros often create a sign that focuses on the features of their offer instead of communicating the benefits in a way that makes sense to fitness consumers. This is a mistake.

Here’s an example:

Let’s say you offer 35-minute training sessions for your clients. That, in itself, is a feature. It doesn’t necessarily communicate any value to the fitness consumer.

The benefit to your clients is that a shorter-than-normal session saves them time and perhaps allows them to work out on days when their schedule is too tight for a longer gym visit.

Now, how could you communicate the benefits of your time-saving sessions in a way that’s even more meaningful to your target audience?

Well, perhaps part of your target market is new moms. When my daughter was under a year old, I would have been sold on the chance to squeeze in a decent workout AND maybe a post-exercise shower before my baby started fussing in the gym’s daycare. That would have been the benefit of 35-minute sessions to me.

With the scenario above, moms like me are happy. Babies are happy. And as the trainer, you’re happy, too, because your ability to communicate real-world benefits to your target clientele pays off.

When you promote benefits that resonate with your clients and prospects, you capture their attention, which is the purpose of your sign (or other marketing piece) in the first place.

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More guidance on how to write marketing material for special events and programs in the fitness industry: Profitable Fitness Events for Managers and Trainers.