If you are a fellow personal trainer, health coach, small business owner or entrepreneur, then you know that engagement across most social media platforms has gone down over the past few months. It’s hard to get seen, even by your friends. Our niche market is being hit by so many ads, and so much content, it can be hard to cut through the clutter.
If you’re like me, you’ve been a little discouraged, maybe even frustrated by the ROI and lack of engagement with Instagram, Facebook, and even strategic emails. However, even in the current landscape, I’ve been able to get 250 women signed up for my January bootcamp, so there are a few things that are working to cut through the clutter.
Referral marketing.
My business literally blew up because of a few affiliates who are willing to join me in ending the trend of obesity. I offer anyone who goes through my program the opportunity to earn a generous commission on every referral they make. This has literally brought me hundreds of new paying clients in a matter of months.
Another way to leverage affiliates is to reach out to micro-influencers. Consider those in complementary industries who would not be offering a similar program to yours, and ask them to share your early stage offer. Let them know that you have free content that might be helpful to their audience and see if they might be willing to point their followers in your direction.
Use Testimonials Consistently Across Your Platforms.
I wrote a post the other day about using feedback forms. One of the most important pieces of a feedback form is the testimonial. These are important because people want concrete evidence that your program has enhanced other people’s lives. Post testimonials often on all of your platforms.
Post Lead Generators Often
Lately, I have been able to add qualified leads to my list by posting lead generators multiple times per day. On Instagram I have seen more success with the raw, unpolished pictures in terms of growing my list and actual sales.
Emails
I have seen success lately sending out three emails per week; two with a soft sell and one with a more direct call to action. Using email to offer valuable content and then plugging your highly effective program is a simple way to leverage your list and cut through the noise. Make sure that you are offering your subscribers regular, practical information they can use, and weave your offerings into that information in a natural, non-spammy kind of way.
Instagram Live
If you have Instagram live then you need to use it. This is a powerful tool for getting into people’s feeds. Recently, I have not only had great engagement here, but have actually been able to make sales during my live videos. Live video is particularly important among millennials who want to see the raw, behind the scenes footage of your real life.
The market is noisy, but there are ways to cut through the clutter. If you are consistent in posting lead generators and testimonials, send out strategic emails, utilize live video and set up a structured affiliate program, you will be able to reach your ideal clients and bring them into your paid programs.