5 Tips To Create Better Social Media Posts For More Leads

Marketing

Nov 13, 2020

By Tim Saye



Love it or hate it, social media is a vital tool in generating leads for your personal training business. When used correctly, it's a highly effective tool in getting to know your ideal clients - their pains, fears, aspirations and hopes. You'll be able to build a relationship with them based on real, meaningful shared interests - not just that you both like going to the gym. 

Social media lets you reach out to people in such a way that builds their confidence that you're the only logical choice for them as a coach. But it's often used ineffectively. This article will look at 5 ways that your social media channels could be bringing you more leads.


#1. The Image

The picture is sometimes referred to as "the creative", but it just means the visual elements of a post. On some social media channels (such as Instagram), the creative component is critical as it's the main emphasis of the platform. On all social media, the image you use will be the "thumb stopper" which grabs someone's attention and stops them from scrolling.

Putting a lot of thought and effort into making eye-catching images is usually the first element of a great post because it makes sure people see it and read what you have to say. If you're creating your graphics yourself, there's free software like Canva available online. If you've got a budget, you might consider hiring a professional photographer and graphic designer to create high-quality creative assets. 

As you experiment and pay attention to the posts that perform well, you may notice that your audience prefers one type of content over another. For example, images capturing a face might perform better than computer-generated images of infographics. This will be different for everyone, and the best way to know what works for your audience is to test it.


#2. The Caption

The caption is the written content of the post. It's also called "copy". The copy should be written clearly and deal with one idea at a time. It will usually explain the content of the image, or elaborate on the context by telling a story. The text often is the part that trips up a lot of personal trainers that "don't know what to post" on social media, but there are a few ways you can approach your copy.

- You're showcasing your services: this could include social proof, testimonials, case studies, or a story about how a client overcame a challenge. 

- You're presenting your coaching as different from other similar services: you're speaking out against a common enemy, you're showcasing your values as a coach (which should align with your ideal client's prospects values and beliefs).

- You're educating your clients: this could be busting industry myths, providing information or action steps or talking about how you would solve everyday problems. 

Having a new post every day, as well as content in your "stories" is an excellent way to stay highly visible to your ideal clients.


#3. The CTA

CTA stands for a call-to-action. You would typically include one at the end of your post, inviting someone to book a call with you or take THEIR next logical step in getting to know your content or services. But this can sometimes become repetitive. Instead, consider changing things up.

Putting your CTA at the top or middle of the post will "catch" those people that maybe didn't read your entire caption and may miss it if it's right at the end of the post. Keep changing the CTA so that it's not always about booking a call. It could be to tag a friend, to share the post, to leave a comment or simply asking an open-ended question. 

Having content which invites a conversation is essential. It will present you as accessible and friendly, but it will also increase the post engagement and direct messages you get. Comments themselves aren't particularly measures of success, but having as many conversations as possible each day will be vital for new leads.


#4. The Hashtags

The purpose of hashtags is to allow searches. Using hashtags in the way that an ideal prospect would, to look for information or inspiration, will help them to find your content. For face-to-face personal training, it would make sense to offer local hashtags and geotagging to your immediate town or region (depending on how far people would travel for training with you). But this is something that you could do for online coaching too, based on an online community or geography. 

You can also follow hashtags so different people using that hashtag turn up in your feed as though they are a friend. Taking time to interact on those posts every day can start lots of new conversations with relevant prospects. You can use 30 different hashtags per post, so experimenting with which ones have the most interaction for your ideal client, and storing those in a note on your phone is a time saver.

Finally, for ideas about relevant hashtags, you could take a look at what other personal trainers with similar niche use or you could use a tool like Display Purposes to generate relevant hashtags for your ideal audience.


#5. The "Power Hour"

This tip is straight from Jonathan Goodman of the PTDC. He recommends spending an hour a day interacting on social media, especially after making a post that includes a CTA. This hour could consist of time spent responding to comments on your profile, leaving comments on other people's posts, interacting with stories and recording your own, sending direct messages to thank your audience for following, engaging, and even voice notes which add a personal touch.


Conclusion

Your social media channels are a "shop window" for your online personal training business. Setting time aside in your working day to properly maintain them, and generate new and engaging content on them is a valuable part of your work. Structuring this time correctly, so it doesn't turn into mindless scrolling is also crucial to ensure you get the best use of your time and bring in more leads through social media.

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