The Million Dollar Marketing Model

I wanted to write you an updated post of what I would spend my hard earned dollars on right now if I was just starting out, or I had a few thousand dollars to spend, and what i still do now after 14 years of operation.

Yes, you may start small, but this is actually my MILLION DOLLAR MARKETING MODEL !

Please follow the 7 “Steps” below in how to plan your marketing budget and roll-out of advertising pieces.

Of course, I recommend starting starting out small, biringing in some new clients, and then reinvesting in your business.

Most of the PTs I work with can invest $500 – $1,000 per month in advertising… and the GREAT NEWS is that that’s all you really need to get started off with a bang!

Remember, if you spend $500, it should bring in $500 over the next 12 weeks to at least break even – neither one of us are in the business of losing money! This is why you’ll ask each and every new client that signs up or comes in for a complimentary fitness consultation, “ how’d you hear about us? ”

You will then use this and the m arketing campaign tracker as a way of tracking your advertising investment dollars. It’s a simple system that won’t steal more time or energy from your day.

Now it’s time to get started!

When you open a fitness business there a few upfront costs that you will need to spend on – these are the ONE time costs that will market your business forever.

The great thing is that although they are a little bit of work in setting up, you can literally “set it and forget about it” after getting them up and running…

You’ll need:

• An A-frame
  
• Business Cards
• Website/Facebook Business page
• Car Wrap
  
• Lettering/signage on your studio windows
  
• Uniforms
  
• Tear Drop banners
  

Total Cost: $2,000 – $5,000 (depending on whether you wrap or just letter your vehicle)

Where to Save: If you don’t have that much money upfront, then wait on wrapping or lettering your car (it’s the biggest one-time marketing expense – although important.)

Guerrilla Marketing is where I literally carpet bomb my suburb with marketing pieces.

I have each personal trainer on my team choose 5 locations they are responsible for. They place 10 items in each location and check on it once every week to track how hot that location is.

What we place in each location depends on the type of facility it is. Eg: A cafe will have our bootcamp or personal training flyers, a chemist will have info on our nutrition workshops, a physio will have our 'core classes' promos.

You’ll need:

·At least 20-30 9.9cm X 21cm D/L card brochure holders

·9.9cm X 21cm D/L advertising brochures

Return address labels to stick on front of D/L card holder so no one takes it, or places their cards in them “by mistake.” I use these holders:

https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/deflect-o-dl-brochure-holder-portrait-jp77501

Printing: KWIK KOPY/SNAP PRINTING/VISTAPRINT OR OFFICEWORKS

Total Cost: $115 (20 rack card holders)

This is where you can explode your business…

BOOM!

Did I scare you?

Sorry… ; )

Seriously though, right now about 50% of ALL of my new clients come from online advertising (mainly from Facebook & Google).

25% from referrals, and the remaining 25% from offline advertising… So it would make sense that advertising online will bring you the majority of your new clients and it’s the fastest way to bring new people in.

* The ONE caveat to this is that your website must be able to convert online clicks (leads) to sign ups for a complimentary fitness consultation or trial.

You’ll need:

·Google Adwords account ( adwords . google .com )

·Facebook, Instagram and Google Plus accounts

·A daily budget (I suggest starting at $5-10 day)

Total Cost: $150-$300

Where to Save: Start with $5/day just on Facebook. (Set your own budget based on comfort level – I now personally spend about $20-$25 a day combined on Google & Facebook)

Every 4 weeks like clockwork I get my PT's visit our 10-15 local health professionals (physio's, doctors, chiro's etc) and drop in new marketing material for the month. They brief the business owner on what we are promoting and encourage them to help push our cause. Most are willing because they are, after all, local business owners and we like to help out our neighbours. I try and offer them something too, like discounted PT or classes with my trainers.

We will usually get 2-5 new referrals per month with this technique. For us, even getting 24 new clients per year using this method is still worth $144,000 a year (based on 2 PT's per week). So yes, even two new clients per month is worth it as long as you can retain clients.

Plus, I have my PTs do all the deliveries for me, since it’s building up their business and clientele!

You’ll need:

· D/L flyers

·Someone to hand them out

Total Cost: $250 (1,000 D/L cards with shipping)

Where to Save: Save $$$ by buying in bulk. And save money ($15-20/hr) by having your PTs deliver the marketing (By the way, in the beginning I handed out all my own marketing, business cards, etc. to save money).

About 7 years ago the local Primary School asked me to contribute to their newsletter with exercise tips and nutrition advice. I didn't have any school age children at the time but they had heard of our reputation in the area and so I jumped at the chance, what a huge opportunity to market (indirectly) to all the parents at the school, right?!

Since then, we have made literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue from the parents of the school through our service offerings. I am now a GOLD sponsor at 3 separate local schools costing me approx $5,000 a year in total. As you can see, this is chicken feed compared to the return we get. We contribute weekly tips to the newsletter that goes out to over 300 families per school, get invited to attend the school fundraisers each year and are the exclusive 'Fitness Business' sponsor of all 3 schools.

I now have 3 children who attend this school and ALL the faculty know me and my business. In fact, we get direct referrals from the teachers who send the parents down to see us!

This is by far and away the BEST source of leads we get.

Total cost: $5,000 per year

Return: Approx $100,000 per year

Another great lead source is an Online local community business called In The Cove (ITC)

It's objective is to update all locals on community events and acts as a business directory too.

We pay $250/year and get exposed to 10,000 subscribers on a weekly basis. We can advertise 4 times per year and get direct write ups and reviews every month.

Again, this has been HUUUGE for our Community profile and I have no doubt this has contributed to our amazing reputation in the area.

Every year I choose 3 suburbs to write a direct letter to. The suburbs are selected based on socioeconomic status and geographical proximity to the Studio and then I nail down the surrounding streets in that suburb that our EXISTING clients are from. Our existing clients DO NOT receive a letter, only their neighbours. We want it to look like we are not trying to mass market, but if our existing clients received a letter from me, it would certainly look that way.

The distribution of these letters are systemised to go out in February, June and September. One suburb per distribution. We then rotate the month of distribution and the suburb the following year.

Download the letter here

This letter introduces me, my team and our mission to serve the community. The goal is to capture the attention of our target demographic by addressing their needs and wants, and I also add a great introductory offer to get them started.

I get my PT's to drop these letters out, so we know they are getting delivered and not dumped somewhere!

Note: We write our EXISTING clients addresses down so the PT's know not to deliver there.

You’ll need:

· The Letter Template above

·Someone to hand them out

Total Cost: $150 (includes printing and distribution)

If you live in a thickly settled area, then this is where you begin to build your brand (beside your flyer locations) and get the community to realize you EXIST!

More and more companies are forgetting about flyer drops. Maybe offline is dead and buried, I don't know. What I do know though, is maths!
The more fitness businesses NOT doing flyer drops opens up the market for those who are doing them :)

So, this is why my studio never stops doing them. Every 6 months we FLOOD the local area with our brand.

This includes: D/L flyer letterbox drops, noticeboard flyers, advertising at fundraisers etc. These are usually generic flyers with our service offerings, nothing specific or targeted. We add an intro offer of 3 PT's for $99 or $49 for 30 Days of Group Training.

See an example herein our marketing section

So that’s essentially EVERYTHING I do!

Yes, I throw in some cool Ab rack cards, coffee cup sleeves, business cards, etc., but I recommend following Step 1-4/5 first. Then you can add in additional marketing pieces after that.

I really hope you enjoyed this Exclusive SSB Post for your private use and growth of your business.

I also hope it showed you that there are no smoke and mirrors, secret “push button” marketing systems, or black hat tricks that are needed to be successful.

When I first started out all I wanted was 1 client a week – AND I still believe DEEPLY in that mindset.

That mindset will make you rich. Very rich…

One client per week = 52 clients per year. 52 clients x $480/month = $24,960/month or $299,520/year. (Year 1-2)

104 clients x $480 = $49,920/month or $599,000/year. (Year 2-3)

156 clients x $480 = $74,880/month or 898,000. (Year 3-4)

208 clients x $480 = $99,840/month or $1,200,000. (Year 4-5)

And this is if you’re only charging $120/week! (based on 2 x 30 min PT sessions)

Note: Based on 100% Retention! Factor for 5-10% attrition.

Would you wait 5 years to build a MILLION dollar fitness business?

I would… and I did, it actually took me more like 8 years since I was tinkering and didn’t know what you know now in this Smart Studio Blueprint… BUT now that I’ve got my SYSTEMS on lockdown I've already helped others reach over $500,000 in under 5 years.