I think I can at the very least call myself a “fitness enthusiast”. I have been working out regularly since college, have run a few marathons, completed a half Ironman, and was even able to get myself to a point where I could squat 235 pounds. (I know, not super impressive, but long legs are a killer).
I have learned a lot from all that time in training, but only recently realized how much alike two of my bigger passions, fitness, and marketing, truly are. There are a lot of elements that transcend both worlds, and if you are someone who enjoys fitness and exercise, but not the marketing thing so much, this comparison might show you the reasons why marketing is just like something else you love in your life.
Setting goals
When most people take off on a fitness journey, they often set some kind of goal for themselves to keep them motivated. Whether it is to lose some weight, complete a race, or show of your sweet biceps on the beach, a goal is what gets you into the gym or out on that run.
Before you start thinking about your marketing strategy, start with a goal as well. Do you want to increases sales? Get more newsletter subscribers? Show off your huge business biceps on your Instagram account? Whatever it is, find a goal, write it down, and have everything you do work towards that goal.
It is very important to set that goal right away because it will change what strategies you use. For example, if your goal is to grow your current customer base, you might want to start with a newsletter over Facebook ads – just like you wouldn’t want to run 50 miles every week to train for a power-lifting competition.
All of the Personal Trainers might be pretty familiar with the idea of S.M.A.R.T goals for your clients as well. Maybe take a little bit of your own medicine on this one!
Consistency is key
Back in college, when I used to work at the gym, (shout out to UW-Whitewater Warhawk Fitness!) there were two very exciting, yet depressing, times of the year – New Year’s and the week before spring break.
Those 2 times of the year were easily our busiest. It was exciting to see so many come into the gym for the first time and start down the journey of hitting their goals, but also sad to watch as almost all of them dropped out within the first few weeks back (in the case of the week before spring break, people would literally drop as they would work out way too hard and not be eating enough.)
What these people lacked was consistency. You cannot just go to the gym for a week or two and plan on losing weight or seeing results immediately, but that is what people expect. When they don’t see it, they quit. This is no different than what business owners do with their marketing strategy.
We see companies all the time that we go to with ideas and they tell us “oh, we tried that already and it didn’t work.” When we ask how many times they tried it or how long, it is almost the same answer, “once or twice” or “a few weeks.”
When it comes to your marketing, you need to be consistent. Try something for a month or two, then evaluate the results. Of course, you do not want to waste a ton of time or money on something that is not working, but at the same time, you will never know the true results unless you give it enough time to really understand what is happening. Don’t be one of the new years peeps, or spring break passer outers!
Mixing it up can get you over the hump
When my buddy Casey and I were on our big weight lifting kick (hence my 235-pound squat mentioned earlier), we learned this lesson big time. We were in the gym every day. The routine looked a little like this:
Monday: Legs
Tuesday: Chest
Wednesday: Back
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Arms
Saturday: Cardio and Abs
Sunday: Rest
We did this on repeat for months. We saw a lot of results with it, then suddenly, nothing. No new PRs, no new muscle growth, just the same thing every week. Then we had the idea that changed it all, maybe we should try something new…. So, we did. We switched up the days of the week, tried new exercises, worked new muscles, and BOOM the results started coming again.
We as business owners often get comfortable with our marketing plans as well. You might be getting great results for a while with your email campaigns and social media, then suddenly, nothing. No new leads, no new growth, just more of the same. That is why you should always be trying new things in your marketing strategy. That does not mean you should stop doing what has worked in the past, but maybe you change up your email template, try a new giveaway or promotion, or even try something brand new altogether. Either way, mixing it up should get you over whatever lull your marketing is seeing.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
I am a big basketball guy.
Unfortunately, I had to watch my Milwaukee Bucks have another early playoff exit this year. After their season ended, they asked Giannis what he planned to do this offseason and what his response? “I am going to get with my trainers and get better and continue to work on my game.”
This is arguably one of the top 5 players in the league right now, and he is going to go back and work with his trainers.
Similar Blog Post: What we can learn from Giannis winning MVP
Everyone is pretty familiar with the idea of what personal trainers are and how they work. They are there to motivate their clients, help them with their workouts, and make the overall experience of getting fit and reaching their goals a little bit easier.
But personal trainers aren’t just for newbies, the fittest people in the world use trainers. Pro athletes, bodybuilders, and Olympians all have coaches and trainers that can help answer their questions and take them to the next level.
Marketing agencies are just like personal trainers of the business world. If you are new to marketing and need some help getting started – we can help. If you already have a great strategy and are seeing success but need to take things to the next level – we can help there as well.
Just like your overall fitness, marketing is incredibly important to building a strong business that will live a longer, healthier life than it would have done otherwise. By treating your marketing strategy the same way you treat your workouts, I promise you will see a lot of success, and build some awesome business biceps in the process!