Marketing a fitness business is hard, but there are things you can do to make life easier for yourself.
We’ve previously highlighted how gym owners can improve their fitness business’s Google Business Profile, run profitable Facebook Ads, enhance their presence on Instagram, and develop a robust organic content strategy. We’ve also discussed the importance of taking proactive measures, such as engaging in outreach and utilizing Facebook Groups with one goal in mind: to attract more members.
But beyond these tactics, there’s one key strategy that separates more successful gym owners from the rest—and it’s a clear client avatar.
Today we’ll explain why a clear client avatar makes marketing easier, and we’ll show you 10 of the best examples we’ve found in the fitness industry.
What Is a Client Avatar?
A client avatar is a detailed representation of your ideal gym member—aka, your dream client. It helps you understand whom you want your gym to serve, enabling you to tailor your content, programs, and services directly to your target audience.
(Source: TheHoth)
With a well-defined client avatar, you know exactly who you’re talking to, which makes easier to make content that resonates with that audience.
The takeaway here? The more specific your avatar is, the better. Put another way: stop trying to be everything to everyone.
If a stranger spends 10 seconds on your website or Instagram and they’re unclear about who you serve, that’s probably a sign that you narrow your positioning and get clearer on your client avatar.
The Most Successful Gym Owners Use a Client Avatar
Client avatars do more than just simplify marketing efforts and attract the ideal gym-goer; they can get you more qualified leads and boost your fitness business’s earnings. In fact, 56% of companies that incorporate client avatars into their strategy generated higher quality leads.
Simply put, the industry’s top gym owners and fitness enthusiasts make more money when they have crystal-clear insight into their target market.
Here are 10 examples that prove this:
Ben Patrick (aka Kneesovertoes Guy)
Kneesovertoesguy tailors his content and training to individuals suffering from knee pain, helping them strengthen their knee health and improve performance. This approach has led to a massive following across both his Instagram and YouTube channel.
Cassie Day
Cassie is the Founder and CEO of All Day Fit with a mission to “represent underrepresented bodies in fitness” by providing inclusive programming and helping clients feel more confident.
Take one look at the gym’s Instagram page and you’ll automatically get a sense of whom it targets. Not to mention Cassie has a stellar content strategy—she brings in $85k/mo from Instagram.
Bret Contreras (aka The Glute Guy)
In the gym world everyone knows that Bret is the go-to source for expert glute training. Similar to Ben Patrick (aka Kneesovertoesguy), his niche focus has garnered him a significant social media presence, proving the power of specialization.
Lindsey VanSchoyck
Lindsey is a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner and runs an online nutrition business called Rejuvenating Health. She specifically caters to women who struggle with hormonal changes due to perimenopause & menopause. On average, her business generates $100k/mo.
Mark Fisher
It’s “NYC’s only Enchanted Clubhouse of Glory and Dreams” at Mark Fisher Fitness and the place to be for those in the Broadway community. Mark, a former professional actor himself, created a gym where performers feel at home, moving away from the usual gym vibe. His unique take has brought in over $33M in sales.
Devin Gage
Gage Strength Training explicitly states that their services either cater to beginners or adults over the age of 40. Potential clients can instantly gauge if the gym aligns with their needs.
Dr. Stuart McGill (aka BackFitPro)
Experiencing debilitating back pain? Professor Stuart McGill and his website, BackFitPro, are your saving grace to help reduce your suffering. His niche strategy resonates with the likes of Ben Patrick and Bret Contreras.
Ali Gilbert (aka Queen of men’s health)
For all the men out there, Ali Gilbert’s content zeroes in on men’s health, helping them optimize testosterone levels. Her targeted approach has made her a notable figure in men’s fitness.
Melissa Shevchenko
Melissa of Fitgirlsrock is an online fitness coach targeting women who are “obsessed with scale numbers” that want to lose weight and learn how to maintain a sustainable lifestyle. Her approach typically brings in a profit of $500k per year.
Eric Cressey
Cressey Sports Performance is a high-performance training centre with locations in Florida and Massachusetts. Both are designed by athletes, for athletes.
Eric, who happens to be the president and co-founder, also serves as the Director of Player Health and Performance for the New York Yankees. During the off-season, over 100 professional baseball players travel down to Florida to train with him.
Elevate Your Marketing Through The Power of Client Avatars
Implementing a client avatar sharpens your marketing focus, ensuring you connect authentically with the right audience.
It isn’t just about creating relatable content; it’s a strategic move that directly influences attracting your ideal gym member and increasing your revenue. We’ve seen that the top gym owners and fitness enthusiasts are leveraging this to enhance their profits.
Gym owners: If a client avatar isn’t part of your marketing blueprint just yet, now’s the time to make that change.
