Top 10 Digital Marketing Strategies for Personal Trainers

Digital marketing can be highly effective for personal trainers. Whether you offer your services online or in person, digital channels are a fantastic way of driving leads and sales for your business.

In this article – we outline the most effective digital marketing strategies for personal trainers to generate sales leads and paying clients.

Google My Business listing
Personal trainer website
Social media
Video marketing
Digital Ads
Fitness blogging
Online quizzes
Email marketing
Affiliate marketing
Influencer marketing

We’re a specialist fitness marketing agency with 15+ years of industry experience, so we know first-hand what works (and what doesn’t!). We’ve helped personal trainers and fitness coaches to successfully promote their businesses online, so our digital marketing strategies are tried and tested.

Let’s dive into each of these digital marketing ideas in more detail…

Fitness Marketing Fundamentals [Online Course]

Google My Business Listing

Of all the digital strategies on this list, having a Google My Business listing is the most important. When people are looking for a personal trainer, Google is usually their first stop so it’s crucial your business shows up in the results.

“88% of local searches on mobile result in a call or visit within 24 hours”.

To ensure that you’re top of the search listings, you’ll need to complete your Google Business Profile. Doing this ensures your business information is seen on Google Maps and search results so you can get easy (and free!) leads. Include your contact details, operating hours, and photos so that people have all the info they need to sign up.

Personal trainer website

Having a professional website is one of the fundamental marketing tactics for personal trainers. Every fitness business needs an online presence and your website should be the hub. While social media is important, your account can be banned at any time, so it’s crucial to have your own site too.

A good personal trainer website needs to include…

Home page – that immediately explains how your training helps people and why they should read more.
About – which covers more about your PT business, it’s start-up story and values, your professional bio, and why you’re the best trainer in the area.
Products or services – that explains what you offer (fitness programmes, training options, meal plans, etc.), including features, benefits, and points of difference from the competition.
Contact – make it super-clear how people should get in touch with you (online booking form, phone, or email) to ensure the site generates as many leads as possible.
Lead generation form – such as a free trial sign-up, program taster, or free ebook that captures the email addresses of potential leads.

It’s also important to include testimonials on your PT website as they do a lot to validate your brand and build trust. Tell the stories of past customers who attained their fitness goals and demonstrate your credibility as a personal trainer. Sprinkle these across your homepage, product pages, and sign-up pages too.

List of 10 Digital Marketing Strategies For Personal Trainers

Social media has become the biggest platform for showcasing fitness achievements and telling fitness stories. These platforms have also presented a big opportunity for personal trainers and fitness instructors to connect with new customers and build their brand.

There are lots of ways for personal trainers to promote themselves on social. From Instagram to Facebook and every platform in between, the important thing is to have a strategy. PT marketing goes beyond posting a few pictures now and then on social – many fitness pros are doing the same thing. So, you need to have a plan that’s going to build your brand, drive leads, and grow your PT business.

Here are some proven social media ideas to get you started…

Exercise technique tips – showcase how to perform a specific movement so people can see the benefit of working with a knowledgeable fitness specialist.
Client success stories & testimonials – demonstrate the results that people can achieve by working with you or let clients tell their story in their own words by sharing their testimonials or reviews.
Polls & questions – gain insights into your audience and encourage interaction with polls and questions to generate two-way conversations.
Fact .vs. fiction posts – bust fitness myths by explaining the facts so that people see you as a credible source of information.
Lead magnets – share freebies and lead magnets that encourage social media followers to subscribe to your email list and sign up for tasters of your services.
Collab posts – partner with complementary health and fitness brands to grow your network and grow your audience by tapping into theirs.

You might also like… 20 social media marketing ideas for personal trainers.

Video marketing

Video is another highly effective digital marketing strategy for personal trainers. It brings fitness to life and enables would-be clients to see what it’d be like to train with you. And marketing professional agree that it gets great results…

78% say videos help increase sales
96% agree that videos improve user understanding of their product or service
Tutorial and how-to videos are the third most popular type and well-suited to fitness content

There are lots of different types of fitness video that personal trainers can use for marketing. The quickest and easiest option is to video a training session, edit it down to 1-2 minutes, and share it on your website and social media. This works especially well for fitness activities that people may be unfamiliar with, like barre, Pilates, or HIIT.

You can also record ‘how-to’ videos and post them to YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook Live. Videos that help clients achieve a goal or solve a problem are really effective at generating leads.

If you run a personal training studio, then you can create video tours of your facility. Potential customers like to see exactly what they’re signing up for – from the space and decor to cleanliness and changing areas. It’s easy to showcase these elements in a quick video tour of your PT studio.

50 Fitness Marketing Templates

Digital ads

If you want to get clients quickly, then online advertising is a great option for personal trainers. Running Google Ads is the first option we recommend to clients as it allows you target people searching for PT services in your local area. These people are searching because they’re already interested in training which makes them a fairly warm lead. All you need to do is convince them that you’re the best choice.

This is why Google Ads is often more effective than social media advertising, especially if your goal is sales. Someone scrolling through Instagram who gets ‘interrupted’ by an advert isn’t looking for your services. They’re checking their Insta feed rather than looking for a personal trainer near them. Social media ads can work when done correctly, but they aren’t the easiest DIY advertising option.

Fitness blogging

Start a fitness blog or PT website where you can publish articles and videos that showcase your expertise and reach lots of people (.

Fitness blogging is a powerful marketing strategy for personal trainers as it establishes you as an authority in your field. By creating a fitness blog and regularly sharing informative and engaging blog content, trainers can showcase their expertise, share workout tips, and address common fitness concerns. This attracts a broader audience and enhances a PT’s credibility.

A well-optimised blog can improve your online visibility, attracting would-be clients who are actively searching for fitness advice. With a little search engine optimisation, a blog can propel your PT website to the top of Google. To get started, set up your blog on WordPress or Wix and then write high-quality articles that your target audience will value.

Online quizzes

Interactive content like online quizzes can be an engaging way for personal trainers to connect with clients and generate leads. Quizzes that assess fitness levels, health goals, or workout preferences provide valuable insights on your audience and a personalized experience for clients. Asking fitness-related questions and providing tailored training recommendations is a great way to collect qualified client leads.

To implement this strategy, use a quiz platform and promote it on your website and social media accounts. Use them as lead magnets, capturing contact information for potential clients, and tailoring future marketing efforts based on individual responses.

Email marketing

Email marketing is a direct and effective way for personal trainers to connect with clients and prospects. Emails allow you to share valuable content, such as workout routines, nutrition tips, and success stories, directly to your audience’s inbox. You can use it to nurture relationships and build trust with would-be clients who aren’t yet signed up.

Try sending welcome emails, newsletters, promotional content, or special offers on new training programmes. You can even segment your email list based on client preferences or fitness goals, to deliver personalised content that resonates with each recipient. Get started by collating the email addresses of existing clients and people who’ve ever inquired about training with you, then sending regular emails.

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Affiliate marketing

For personal trainers that sell online programmes, affiliate marketing can be a great strategy for reaching new customers. Affiliates are people who get a commission for every customer they refer or lead they generate for your personal training business. But you only pay them once the sale is confirmed, so it’s a low-risk yet highly effective tactic.

Lots of big fitness brands run affiliate programmes as it’s a proven way to increase brand awareness and drive sales. But PTs can tap into it too by setting up tracking links and partnerships with people with relevant audiences. It’s easy to set up an affiliate program with a digital platform like Podia, Impact, or LeadDyno.

You might also like… 7 Cool Marketing Tools For Personal Trainers & Fitness Coaches.

Influencer marketing

Influencer marketing is another digital strategy that personal trainers can get great results with. While you might not have the budget to partner with mega influencers like the Kardashian, fitness micro-influencers with 1,000 to 5,000 social connections can actually build more trust for your brand. Working with smaller influencers who have dedicated followers interested in health and wellness can amplify your reach.

Personal trainers can partner with influencers for sponsored content, workout challenges, or joint social media campaigns. You get introduced to a new audience and also enhance your credibility through association with well-known figures in the fitness industry. It’s great for promoting online programmes but if you only train clients in person, then be sure to choose influencers with followers local to you.

Fitness Marketing Fundamentals [Online Course]

Digital Marketing for Personal Trainers

So, now you know exactly which are the most effective digital marketing strategies for personal trainers. Prioritising your time and effort on the tactics with the greatest returns will get the best results for your business. Many don’t need much money (if any) to implement so you even with a tiny budget, you can get incredibly good returns.

Making the most of online channels is fundamental if you want your PT business to grow. If you don’t have a Google My Business listing and website, then get those set up first as they’re fundamental for fitness trainers. Then pick 1-2 other strategies and focus on those until you’re confident you’ve mastered them, then add other strategies to the mix.

Personal Trainer Marketing Templates

Our ready-made templates make it quicker, cheaper, and easier to promote your fitness business. They can improve the effectiveness of your sales and marketing campaigns. If you aren’t an experienced marketer, then templates also provide a useful guide for you to follow.