Do you like my new banner? 👆🏼I employed Shay who's infinitely more talented at graphic design. 😝
It goes without saying that running a fitness business is HARD, and that's why it's so amazing that more and more tools are becoming available to help you run it!
Of course, you've got your agency services to help you with your marketing, social media, and finances, but then you've also got (with the rise of AI) tools that can help you write copy, edit videos, create social media posts, and more!
But the problem is... if you have no idea what your brand strategy is about, who you're speaking to, or how to articulate what they need to hear... ALL of these tools and resources don't provide you with help that translates into new clients.
For example... I had brand strategy sessions with two different studio owners this last week. The first one saw the value in what I could do to better communicate her value too her dream clients, but she couldn't afford to work with me because she was already pouring hundreds of dollars a month on a marketing team that was getting her no return on her investment.
This is not a standalone issue! I've spoken with dozens of business owners who have employed a marketing team that's draining their funds and getting NO results.
Part of the problem is that most marketing companies don't understand the fitness industry, but an even bigger part of the problem is that these business owners aren't able to articulate to a marketing company (or a social media manager) what their brand is all about, and what their dream clients need to hear.
They simply entrust who they hire to figure it out for them, and as a result, the messaging that comes out isn't strong enough, and they're not speaking to the type of person they need to be speaking to.
So these people that are supposed to be saving you time and money wind up costing you more.
The second brand strategy session I had was with both the manager and marketing manager of a studio. I spent over an hour with them on Zoom, and neither of them were able to answer very basic questions I had about the brand, what problem they were solving, who their dream clients where, and how their classes were best equipped to deliver on their promise.
I recorded the session and when the owner watched it they realized how big a problem they had...
...if their manager and marketing manager couldn't articulate the brand and value of the business to me asking very direct questions... it was guaranteed that their dream clients weren't getting the message either.
If the people you employ and entrust to speak on your behalf and on behalf of your business aren't able to do this, they wind up causing more damage, eroding trust, and confusing the heck out of your potential clients (and probably your current ones). And the worst part is... it's not even their fault! It's up to the business owner to know how to set these people up to be successful in their role.
Lastly... Shay and I also just came across a new AI tool that is designed to significantly decrease the amount of time you put into creating content. (We haven't had a chance to play around with it yet. If it works as well as it looks, I'll be sure to tell you about it!)
But the FIRST thing it does to ensure the AI can do it's job well is ask you about your business, your value proposition, who your target audience is, and some talking points on your brand.
We looked at this and were like "dude, this is an amazing tool." But... if you don't know your brand (which is not your logo, and color palette btw) you're going to look at this tool and it's going to be too overwhelming. You're going to miss out on using something that could really help you out and save you a ton of time!
You should feel really proud and comfortable talking about these key points of your business's brand strategy...
...with the agencies you hire, the people you employ, and also an AI.
HERE'S THE ONE THING...
This week, before you go spend more money on an agency or new tool, I want you to give yourself a little test. Can you answer the below questions in five minutes or less? Are you able to easily articulate them?
1. What's the problem your business solves? The best fitness brands aren't solving the problem of "where can I take a yoga class." They're solving problems like "we offer the best cure for feeling like your cup is empty"
2. What does it feel like to struggle with that problem? How does it manifest in the lives of your dream clients? Being able to articulate to your dream clients how the problem they're struggling with is making them feel is the best way to form an emotional connection with them and get them interested in your brand.
3. Why and how are YOUR classes (and the way they're programmed, taught, etc. best equipped to solve that problem for them?) This one might be hard to answer if you're just offering your workout for the sake of offering that workout. But the problem is, more than ever, people want to know the reason why they should take your workout- especially when its readily available at other studios and online.
If you had a hard time answering these, I think you should consider booking a call with me. It's free, and spending that hour with me could drastically change your ability to get the most out of the people and tools that are supposed to be helping you... not hurting you.
I promise you'll walk away knowing exactly how to talk to people about what you do in a meaningful and impactful way that doesn't feel cringe. You'll never doubt in your messaging, marketing and branding again, be yourself out in the world and never feel like you're selling, and feel deeply connected to your purpose and passion for your business and be able to bring it to life authentically.
Rooting for your success,
Barry
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