How to become an online personal trainer | Steppen
Want to become an online Personal Trainer? Building a community is the place to start. Here’s how to do just that.
Are you an online fitness creator looking to take your business to the next level?
If you want to reach people all around the world and experience unlimited growth, why not become an online personal trainer?
Offering your services online will free you from the confines of space and time and increase your earning potential, so it’s a great step for creators who are ready to future-proof their craft.
This guide will tell you everything you need to know about getting started and building a community as an online personal trainer.
What is an online personal trainer?
As the name suggests, an online personal trainer is a certified trainer whose services are available online.
Rather than meeting up with their clients and training them face to face, online PT’s provide their services over the internet.
There are many ways to offer services as an online personal trainer. The most popular methods include either or both of the following:
- Providing personal training sessions for clients via video chat.
- Writing up personalised training programs for clients to do independently. These programs have accompanying demo videos so clients can perfect their form.
Becoming an online PT has numerous benefits, including:
- Access to a wider pool of clients
- Flexible working hours
- Greater creativity
- Increased earning potential
- Closer bonds with your clients
What qualifications do you need to become an online personal trainer?
To become a successful online personal trainer, you usually need to be certified.
The qualifications you’ll need will vary depending on the type of services you want to offer. For people who are interested in just becoming a personal trainer in Australia, CleanHealth has a Personal Trainer Program that combines all of the core units you’ll need to become a successful PT.
Think of all the services you want to offer, and do some research to find out what qualifications would best suit your goals. The more qualified you are, the more trust you’ll gain from potential clients, so study up and master your craft.
How do I build an online personal training community?
Once you’re qualified, you’re ready to start building your online PT business.
We’re going to go through the steps you need to take to build a successful online presence.
Figure out your niche
The first and most important step is defining what you want to offer as an online PT.
When picking a niche, focus on what makes you truly unique as a trainer and creator.
Maybe you’ve had an injury in the past so your niche is creating low-impact training programs for people who are in recovery. Or, you may be a pilates expert who specialises in using classical pilates techniques in unconventional ways.
Choosing a niche may feel like you’re cutting yourself off from a bigger pool of customers, but in reality, it will do the opposite. Having a well-defined selling point will ensure that your services reach the right people at the right time.
This will make you successful as it will help you find and retain loyal clients. If you market yourself too broadly, you’re more likely to be overlooked because you’ll be doing the same thing as everyone else. You need to differentiate yourself if you want to stand out, so choosing a unique selling point is pivotal to your success as an online PT.
After you’ve chosen a niche, it’s also important to determine what you want to offer as an online PT. Maybe you just offer Zoom PT sessions, or, you could choose to offer an online fitness and nutrition program via a content creation platform. All of this is up to you. Spend some time brainstorming, and decide on a unique selling point, as well as the services you want to offer.
If you need more help when it comes to creating a niche and a social media presence, check out our guide to creating good online workouts.
Figure out how you’ll be delivering your programs
The next step is deciding on a format for your PT sessions.
It’s recommended that you utilise a mix of Zoom classes and pre-written tailored programs. This combination will help you get to know your clients, whilst allowing them to work independently. This will also provide flexibility for busy clients, as it gives them the option to work out in their own time if they’re unable to schedule a Zoom class.
Create workout templates
If you’re building programs for lots of clients, you should create workout templates.
Come up with some generic templates that can be customised according to each individual’s fitness goals, e.g., strength-building programs for women aged 34–45.
Programs take a lot of time and effort to create, but with templates, you’ll be able to streamline this process. One of the simplest ways to do this is to use a platform like Steppen to create a video exercise library. You can create tailor-made programs with video demonstrations by simply uploading your exercise video and selecting it to create a workout. The best part is that you only need to create the content once and you can then use it multiple times at the tap of a button.
Put together the perfect set-up
You need to make sure you have the perfect backdrop for all of your classes and pre-filmed programs. Ideally, you should try to find a nice clean space with enough room to demonstrate moves.
When considering the perfect room, lighting is also important. If you have a dimly lit room, it’ll appear blurry on camera, making you seem untrustworthy. Make sure you have bright lighting, whether this be natural lighting from the sun or artificial lighting.
After you’ve found the perfect space, make sure that you have all of the tools you need, including:
- A good camera.
- Good sound quality. For your Zoom classes, you may choose to invest in a clip-on microphone.
- All the equipment you need to train your clients.
It’s important to present yourself professionally. Make sure every detail is met with precision from the set-up to the lighting, as this will pay off in the long run.
Create content for your programs
After you’ve created your set-up, it’s time to start creating the content you’ll need for your PT sessions. This may include:
- Creating client programs.
- Writing up Zoom training sessions.
- Filming demos for clients to refer back to so they can exercise with the correct form.
- Creating social media content for your marketing strategy.
How do I get online personal training clients?
Now that you’ve mastered your online presence and created the perfect set-up, you’re ready to begin searching for clients.
Choose a target audience, using your niche to guide you
Choosing a succinct target audience will help direct your marketing efforts. It’ll make it easier for you to reach the right people because you’ll already have an audience in mind when you’re creating your content.
Realistically, there will be a select group of people your training style would be the most suitable for, so make sure your target audience includes people who match up with your niche. If you target this specific audience with your marketing content, you’ll be able to attract a client base made up of people who’ll find value in your services.
Market yourself and build an online community
Once you’ve decided on your niche and target audience, marketing yourself will be an easy task. Now, all you need to do is reach your audience by creating content they’ll relate to.
Answer their questions before they ask them, and show them that your services will meet their needs.
When it comes to finding clients, use the power of social media. Leverage the platforms you already use, as well as additional platforms your audience may be using. Create engaging content and show off your personality, because if your audience can relate to you, they’re more likely to become clients.
Create authentic content
When creating content, don’t be afraid to take risks to set you apart from other creators. This will attract an audience of like-minded people, which will ultimately help you achieve success. If you’re able to develop a strong social media following, you’ll get your name out there, which will attract clients by increasing their awareness about your services.
After you’ve attracted your audience, you’ll want to create a sense of community. Create a Facebook group for your clients and dedicated audience members, as this will help you build a loyal and motivated community.
Steppen is another great way to attract clients. Steppen helps people find creators that meet their fitness goals, so joining the app will allow you to find clients who’ll relate to your services.
There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach when it comes to finding clients. Experiment with different online techniques, and you’ll eventually stumble upon the method that best suits your needs.
Becoming a successful online personal trainer takes a lot of hard work and dedication. With the perfect blend of courage, personality and strategy, you’ll be able to launch a successful career as an online PT, and Steppen is here to help.
If you’re ready to kick-start your fitness career, become a Steppen creator.
