Written by Lauren Irvine
When you first start out as a personal trainer, it’s likely you will be taking on every client possible to start building your business. But as you gain more experience, you might find yourself drawn towards a certain clientele base or enjoy working with people who have a specific goal. This is called a “niche market” and learning how to tap into this can allow your coaching business to grow and profit beyond that of an average personal trainer.
WHAT IS A NICHE MARKET?
Finding and understanding your niche is more than simply saying, “I only want to train ‘X’ type of clients”. Having a niche is about identifying a specific target audience’s No. 1 problem and being the place they go to solve that problem. Examples of coaching niches could be a Strength and Conditioning coach for professional rugby league players, or a female physique coach who specializes in natural bodybuilding.
THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A NICHE
When you’re working within a niche market, you have a very specific clientele base you are trying to target, so you can tailor your services and advertising to specifically appeal to those clients. When someone within a niche market is looking for a coach, if you can show your experience in that specific area you will stand out from other coaches. Additionally, clients within a niche market are often willing to pay a premium for your services.
MARKETING TO YOUR NICHE
When clients are looking for a coach within a specific niche, they aren’t simply going to search “Personal Trainers”. They are going to research keywords such as “natural bodybuilding coach” or “rugby strength coach”.
Therefore, marketing yourself as a “Natural Bodybuilding Coach for Females” or “Rugby Strength and Conditioning Coach” across your website and social media channels, ensuring it is the first thing your potential clients see when they come across your profile, will make it easier for them to choose you.
When it comes to creating social media content, think about how you can provide potential clients with easy to digest information (in the form of infographics, short videos, etc) that provides them with value, like answering a frequently asked question or giving them tips to apply to their current training.
BECOMING AN AUTHORITY WITHIN A NICHE
There are a few ways you can start to build authority within your chosen niche so that clients will start coming to you instead of you always searching for them. The first way to do this is to start gathering written testimonials from your current clients, showing their journey with you and how it positively impacted them.
Another way to assert your authority within a niche market is to be featured in the media, either as an ‘expert’ in that field giving information for a story or showcasing an impressive client transformation.
With so many niche markets in the fitness industry, it’s important to make it clear to potential clients what you specialize in and ensure you are always targeting your content and business model towards them.
If you’re looking to start your journey to becoming a personal trainer and uncovering your unique niche market, our Master Coach Program will equip you with the skills to excel no matter which market you choose!
