Looking for personal training advertising strategies to market your business and get more clients? Whether you’re a freelance PT, employed by a gym, or run your own studio business, generating sales is always a priority. So, how do you advertise personal training in a way that drives tangible results?

In this article – learn the five most effective ways to market and advertise personal training.

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 PT studios to successfully promote their businesses, so our marketing strategies are tried and tested.

We’ll answer frequently asked marketing questions, such as…

  • How can I advertise as a personal trainer?
  • How do I market my PT business?
  • Where can I promote personal training?
  • How do online personal trainers get clients?

Top 5 PT Advertising Strategies

Promoting a personal training business can be tricky if you’re not sure where to start. In fact, a huge proportion of PTs quit within their first year because they struggle to make ends meet. It isn’t a reflection on their training ability, they just can’t attract enough clients to earn a decent income.

Becoming A Personal Trainer Quit Stat

So, let’s jump straight into the five best personal trainer advertising strategies for getting clients quickly…

  1. Google Business Profile
  2. Testimonials & Reviews
  3. Online Advertising
  4. Social Media
  5. Partnerships
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Free Fitness Marketing Guide

Learn which fitness marketing strategies produce the best results (so you can focus on what actually works).

1 – Google Business Profile

Google is the first stop for most people looking for a personal trainer. They’ll probably use a search engine to learn more about the services on offer, where trainers are located, and how much they charge. This is an opportunity for you to get in early and become their first choice. 

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

This is why Google is the single best way to get personal training clients. Simply complete a Business Profile so that you’re featured on Google Maps or at the very top of search results. It should include your contact info, operating hours, photos, and reviews or testimonials.

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7-Day Fast-Track To Fitness Clients

Your step-by-step guide to getting personal training clients quickly.

2 – Reviews & Testimonials

Reviews and testimonials are a powerful promotional tool for personal trainers. They demonstrate your credibility and prove you can be trusted to deliver results. No-one will hand over their hard-earned cash unless they believe in your training ability. So, get cracking with creating testimonials and asking for reviews.

Fascinating fact of the day – 20-50% of all purchasing decisions are driven by word of mouth. No amount of advertising can compare to the opinions of other people. This is why gyms are always pushing for referrals – they know just how powerful they can be.

You might also like… 30 Marketing Ideas for Personal Trainers & Fitness Pros.

If you’re not sure how to approach this, then check out this handy testimonial template. Ask all of your existing clients to provide one and then feature them everywhere. This means on your website or blog, social media accounts, in-club posters, personal trainer bio, and any sales collateral you use.

Fitness Testimonial & Elevator Pitch Templates
Our Fitness Marketing Library includes Testimonial & Elevator Pitch Templates.

3 – Online Advertising

When it comes to personal training advertising ideas, PPC ads are excellent value. Although it does involve a small investment up-front, the returns are consistently strong (especially if you have a solid sales funnel). Plus, you can usually secure a free credit if you’re signing up for the first time.

Google Ads and Facebook are the most common digital advertising platforms for personal trainers. Start by creating a landing page that features a short sales pitch, testimonials, and contact form. Then use compelling ads to drive people to the page and follow-up with enquiries quickly.

Learn more… The Personal Trainer’s Guide To Pay-Per-Click Google Ads or get inspired with these fitness-themed advert examples.

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7-Day Fast-Track To Fitness Clients

Your step-by-step guide to getting personal training clients quickly.

4 – Social Media

Social media is a marketing favourite digital marketing strategy with personal trainers. It has a huge reach and enables you to connect with thousands of potential clients. But building up a following takes time, so how can you use it to find customers quickly?

If you’re just starting out, then you’ll need to leverage other large accounts. Which businesses or pages will your ideal client be following? Head over to where they already are and start interacting. This will allow you to build rapport and relationships with potential clients quickly.

Creating a longer-term strategy and posting consistently will help you build your fitness brand. It takes time to grow a loyal following and convert your audience into paying clients, but pays off eventually. Check out our more detailed social media marketing guides for advice on how to approach this…

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Social Media Growth on Autopilot

Grow your social media, increase engagement & generate leads.

5 – Partnerships

The social media approach can also be used in real-world situations. Figure out where your ideal clients hang out and then partner with those places! This is an under-utilised but highly effective method for generating high-quality personal training leads.

Make a list of businesses that are complementary to your own – athleisure stores, health food cafes, spas, etc. Their customers are all likely to be interested in fitness and have the disposable income to pay for personal training. Then partner with them to get more clients, whether that’s through a basic poster, joint-campaign, or some kind of live event

Longer-Term PT Marketing Ideas 

If you can play the long game, then here are some other personal trainer marketing ideas to consider…

  • Email marketing – segment your lists based on different interests and send them content that’s perfectly aligned with their fitness goals.
  • Fitness blogging – target specific health-related keywords to get found on search engines and generate a steady stream of online leads.
  • Kindle books – if you’re an online personal trainer, then consider creating a Kindle book to generate leads for your business. 

Advertising a Personal Training Business

So, now you know exactly how to advertise your personal training business and promote your fitness coaching services. These PT advertising ideas will help you generate leads and secure new clients quickly. All you have to do is take action.

Creating testimonials provides the foundational content for your Google Business Profile, social media channels, and advertising page. Just be sure to have a solid follow-up process in place so you take full advantage of all those juicy leads!

Join The Easy Fitness Marketing Club

Join the Easy Fitness Marketing Club and get ready-made resources that make promoting your fitness business quicker, easier, and cheaper. Plus exclusive members-only articles, opportunities to vote for new resources you’d like created, and monthly fitness industry discounts.

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Join for just $29 and get instant access to our library of 30+ fitness marketing templates and other resources. Upgrade to our Social Plus plan to receive 30 days of social media content every month too… Learn more here.

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How to get personal training clients fast

Caroline @ Wellness Creative Co

Qualified personal trainer (BSc Sports Science) & nutritionist (MSc Human Nutrition) with 15+ years of fitness & wellness marketing experience working with global brands.