Client acquisition and engagement has never been more difficult. COVID has pushed studio owners into a virtual fitness world, and the rules of engagement online are different than in-person.
But if you learn how to masterfully engage with your clients and acquire new ones in the middle of a pandemic, just think of how ahead your studio will be (and how great you’ll feel) when the doors reopen and the sun shines brightly yet again.
First of All, What is Client Engagement?
In the social media world, client engagement is the “like” or the comment or the “click.” It shows that the content you put online isn’t being scrolled past and ignored. Someone has found it interesting enough to interact with.
In the studio world, client engagement is how your clients interact with your brand outside of the designated class time. It’s how much they post about your brand online. It’s how much they talk about your brand to their friends. It’s how much they schedule their lives around your business.
Got it. Now How do I Increase Engagement?
You want your clients to think about your studio a lot. Because the more they engage with your brand throughout the day, the more likely they are to (1) stay loyal to your business, and (2) tell their friends about your business. Here are some ideas to try on for size:
What About Acquisition?
What problem does your studio solve? That’s the question you need to answer. Identify the micro problems that your members and prospects have, and show them how you can solve those problems. Do that, and you won’t have any trouble acquiring new members.
Identify Micro Problems
Micro problems are specific, targeted problems. They’re not broad. And they don’t resonate with everyone. But they do fiercely resonate with a small number of people.
Here’s a macro problem:
“I’m fat. I need to lose weight.”
Here’s the micro problem within that macro problem:
“My sister is getting married in two months in Jamaica. Everyone will be in bathing suits. I’m going to be so uncomfortable and embarrassed. I’ll be hiding from all the cameras.”
The micro problem is the deeper problem. And when you show someone that you can solve their deepest, most piercing problem, you’ve got yourself a buyer.
Your job is to find out what the micro problems are for your clients and prospects. Identify 30 micro problems and write them down. Here’s how you gather that data:
Give Them a Plan and Show them a Successful Ending
Once you establish what the micro problem is, you need to show your audience:
Example:
Micro Problem: “Are you the mom who sits on the bench at the playground, completely exhausted and out of shape, while the other moms are running around and having a blast with their kids?”
The Plan: “Join us for a free week of on-demand classes. You’ll find out fast that our tried-and-true program and elite-level trainers can help make you the most badass mom on the playground.”
Successful Ending: “Before you know it, you’ll be climbing the ladders, scaling the mountain climbing wall, and passing kids on the monkey bars. WARNING—The other mothers will surely be jealous of your fitness and overall glow. Be prepared to answer the following question several times during your stay at the playground: ‘How do you have so much energy?!’
Try this formula out organically on your social media platforms. See what resonates. Take notes. Then turn your top-performing micro problems into paid ads, more organic ads, and prominently displayed website copy. (Remember: Your studio’s website and social media platforms are for leads and potential prospects only. Create content that speaks to your prospects, not your current members.)
More Roads that Lead to Acquisition
In addition to organic and paid advertising online, your studio can host complementary events. The goal for the events is to bring awareness to your studio. Because before anyone can consider buying from you, they must first know that you exist.
Hook up with another local business. Help each other. You can, for example, host an outdoor workout at a local brewery. Now you’ve got the entire brewery’s audience aware of your brand. And you’ve brought the brewery new potential customers. Win-win.
We know that engagement and acquisition is tough right now. And we also know that YOU GOT THIS.
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