How to Become an Online Personal Trainer

The fitness sector continues to develop and gain popularity as people become more aware of the benefits of health and wellbeing. The fitness industry size for trainers and instructors is expected to increase significantly.

Specifically, 15% faster than the typical profession by 2029, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook.

So if you want to grab your share from this business opportunity, then this guide can be great for learning about how to be an online personal trainer.

So let’s dive right in!

How to start online personal training business

Much of the conventional fitness sector has been disrupted by the epidemic. This prompted personal trainers and fitness-related company owners to begin delivering many of their services electronically.

Running a fitness company from home has many advantages: you’ll have access to a larger potential customer base, your customers won’t have to pay for club membership, and you’ll be able to earn passive revenue.

We’ll show you how to establish a fitness company online or pivot an existing firm to work with customers remotely in this post.

1. Picking a sub-niche & specializing

There are basically two different directions that you can go with picking a niche. The first is picking a popular fitness trend, like Zumba or yoga, and becoming an expert in it.

The second is picking an area of your interest that you are knowledgeable about – whether that’s weight training or running – and focusing on that.

It’s important to choose a niche so that you can provide your customers with all of the relevant information and advice.

In fact, one of the most popular misconceptions is that you need to know how to teach every type of workout in order to run a successful online business as a personal trainer. The truth is, you can actually specialize in just one specific area.

These are some examples of sub-niches from fitness(Broad niche):

Weight Loss:

This niche focuses on making sure the client is healthy and active, but also trying to lose weight. Helping clients find changes that work with their lifestyle is as important here-such as meal planning, daily exercise or even tracking progress.

Cardiovascular Health:

It is more on helping others reduce the risk of heart disease through diet and increased activity levels.

Muscular Endurance:

It’s about the strength of a client’s muscles and their abilities to perform daily tasks.

It’s important to choose a sub-niche because if you don’t narrow down your target market, you’ll likely end up with nothing. Trying to please everyone may lead to pleasing no one and alienating those who really need your help.

Understanding who fits in your demographic allows you to make better business decisions – like marketing strategies and advertising budgets. Professionals agree that having this information is critical before starting a personal training business, as it will allow for more effective customer targeting and lead generation campaigns which can save time and money.

Once you’ve decided what kind of niche to focus on, you’ll need to research how competitive the market is.

2. Identify target audience

As you are about to start setting up your new personal training business online, you can read our full article about getting coaching clients. one of the first things you need to do is decide who your target audience will be. It’s important that you don’t try to please everyone.

Instead, decide what type of person or group would benefit most from what you have to offer and focus on them. You may want to consider factors such as age, sex, location, and interests. For example, if your products are geared towards kids then it may not be worth trying to market them towards adults – even if they’re also interested in fitness.

Here are steps for deciding which people might want your services:

1. Ask yourself “who wants my product?” If there’s a particular demographic that could use it more than anyone, then they’re your first thought.
2. Look on social media to see what people are talking about. Are there lots of hashtags related to fitness on Instagram? Lots of complaints about the gym? Take note – you could be filling a gap in the market!
3. If you have any existing connections, ask them what they think of the service. Do you have any friends who would be interested in signing up?
4. Imagine who would your ideal client be, Use the 5 w’s ( who, what, when, where & why)
5. Then Brainstorm a list of people who could benefit from your product or service and narrow it down to your final audience. Then, make sure they know about your brand!

It’s also important to think about what you can offer that other trainers can’t. For example, do you have experience in a specific type of exercise or sport? Are you a certified personal trainer? Do you have a nutrition certification? Think about how can you achieve USP ( unique selling proposition) and market yourself accordingly!

3. Decide on your online training business model

Virtual personal training provides a diverse range of options in several styles. You may select the way that best matches your company model, or you can mix a few different layouts to let customers choose the style and price point that suits them best.

The following are some ideas for structuring an online fitness business:

One-to-one sessions

Offer one-on-one personal training, in which you instruct a customer as they exercise, usually through video conference. The sessions are usually tailored to the client’s needs to assist them to achieve their objectives.

Live classes

Lead Livestream “group” courses in which numerous customers may participate at the same time.

PDFs

Create a fitness plan that clients may access after buying (typically as a PDF). These programs are often non-personalized and developed for a certain population, such as pregnant ladies or senior citizens.

Recorded tutorials

Provide customers with pre-recorded fitness videos that they may view and follow for a monthly subscription fee.

Any of the aforementioned training approaches may be combined. Offer a bundle of Livestream group classes with access to your video library of pre-recorded fitness videos, or a PDF of workout routines and a monthly personal training session.

Consider your objectives and the scalability of your model while deciding on the best structure for your company. Some forms may provide more passive revenue than others, but they will likely need bigger or more consistent time investment.

For example, developing a PDF template of exercises needs minimal client involvement, but getting people to buy the product will require a lot of web promotion.

Make your versions as unique as possible. Figure out how to make the most out of your efforts—for example, you might record your certification course and publish them to your platform for members to view for a price.

Consider adding to your offering. Nutritional programs, online assessments, healthy living instruction, and accountability check-ins by phone, email, or text to your coaching services. This obviously depends on your credentials and interests.

4. Obtain the Appropriate Fitness Equipment and Technology

You don’t need to spend a lot of money to get started. You may update your tools as required as long as you have the necessary basic equipment.

One of the most critical requirements for online personal trainers is a fast, stable internet connection. A WiFi booster may assist in ensuring a positive experience.

To film yourself while performing exercises and monitoring customers. You’ll need a camera, which may be as basic as a laptop, iPad, or smartphone. A second gadget will let you time and keep track of a client’s exercise data, such as how many repetitions they accomplish.

For your fitness company, you don’t need to invest in expensive software. Email and tools like Google Drive are both cheap and productive. If you decide to employ software, look for choices that will save you time and can expand with your company.

Many firms provide free trials so that you may try out multiple goods to see which one is the best match for you.

3 Best Software programs for online personal trainer:

Persona

The Persona app is a fitness coach’s secret weapon, helping you to run your business with ease and for free! It’s great for personal trainers, gym instructors, fitness trainers, or any other fitness professionals who wear many hats.

With this app, you can organize clients, make notes on every session, stay accountable to your schedule, clock in and out of sessions at the touch of a button, manage multiple clients, track training & send reminders to your clients… and way more.

Moreover, it helps in receiving payments, managing expenses, doing your taxes, and scheduling. You can even launch your own store and list your services, Persona can do all of it.

This app has a user-friendly interface that would ensure that your clients can easily navigate and schedule sessions in no time! Be sure to partner up with Persona if you are planning to start an online personal training business!

My PT HUB

MyPTHub helps entrepreneurs reach more clients, provide better service and save time. This app features a secure directory of vetted experts with custom profile pages perfect for crafting your pitch.

Insiders have the opportunity to connect directly with experts through chat or voice support just about anytime they need it, plus MyPTHub’s directory includes professionals who specialize in services like Crossfit classes and personal training sessions – no matter what their location might be.

Members can also use this phone-based directory to find workout buddies as well as crucial certification workshops that will arm them with toolsets for success such as CPR training and licensing classes (if your area requires these).

MyPTHub presents memberships at four different levels: Business ($30), Premium ($50) Elite ($100), and Custom Tier.

Business comes with a custom profile page, group chat, directory listing for CrossFit classes and personal training sessions across the nation, chat appointment scheduling.

Premium comes with all benefits of Business plus a sleek new design on your website, video promotions in the MyPTHub directory listings, and a handful of client testimonials, plus chat appointment scheduling.

Elite comes with all benefits of Premium plus 1-on-1 video sessions with your members, marketing tools for member growth, and referral programs to help get more clients in the door.

Custom Tier allows you to totally individualize your professional online presence by picking only the tools you want.

You can even set up to manage your clients’ whole life cycle from the birth certificate and immunization records to school letters and everything in between all the way through college applications – with a simple dashboard right at your fingertips!

Tranerize

Tranerize is an online personal training software that can be used to keep track of time, workouts, and more! This app has been designed for those trying to establish themselves as professional trainers; you can make use of its features such as goal-driven workout programs and analysis tools.

There are also exercises and challenges available in the database with videos or images – adding an extra layer of detail to your workouts. The extensive logger is yet another feature it offers: users can log their distance covered each day, calories burned per session and total duration exercised.

This way they will know how close they are getting towards their goals and be able to track improvement over time. Tranerize also assists in catering to the client’s changing needs: it provides a quick connection between trainer and client, making communication easier.

In order to access all of these features, you need to make an account on the website after downloading the app on your smartphone. The pricing model is great because it’s affordable for all fitness enthusiasts who need help with staying on track.

Another important aspect of Tranerize is that, as a client, you can use it to track your progress and make notes about what you like best about your fitness trainer. This way the app helps build the trainer-client relationship!

When developing exercises, keep in mind that your customers will have access to various kinds and quantities of training equipment.

Keep the essential equipment minimal if you’re creating a basic exercise program. It’s a good idea to have a set of light, medium, and heavy weights for your clientele.

Other essential equipment for an online personal trainer, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine, includes:

• A huge fitness ball
• A BOSU ball is a kind of exercise ball.
• A slam dunk
• A ball used in medicine
• Bands of resistance
• Kettlebells

5. Decide how to charge your clients

Pricing

You’ll want to make sure that your prices are competitive, but also reflect the value of your services. You may also want to consider offering different plans, such as monthly or yearly memberships, or one-time sessions. There are 3 main pricing strategies:

Cost plus pricing

Cost-plus pricing is when you add a fixed percentage onto your costs to arrive at your selling price. This is a popular strategy for businesses when needing to know how much to charge for personal training.

Competitive pricing

One way to differentiate yourself from your competition is by offering competitive pricing. If you’re in an area where there are a lot of vendors, offer the lowest prices possible.

You may have to accept a smaller profit margin, but if you’re able to secure more clients as a result, it could be worth it but it all comes down to the real question of – how to price personal training sessions?

If you’re at a point where multiple consumers are asking for your online services and there isn’t enough supply, charge a higher price by increasing the value of your services or charging extra fees for certain amenities.

Price skimming

Price skimming is a pricing strategy in which a business sets the initial price of a new product or service high in order to generate revenue and lower the price later to attract more consumers. The goal of price skimming is to maximize profits by capturing the most profitable customers.

Penetration pricing

Penetration pricing is a pricing strategy where the producers of an item sell it at an ultra-low price in order to increase demand. There are two main types of penetration pricing: temporary discounts and permanent price cuts. Temporary discounts are used as promotional gimmicks by retailers like Amazon.com, which offer steep discounts on products that are intended to be sold at full price after the promotion ends. Permanent price cuts are often implemented by small businesses with relatively high operating costs in order to maintain profitability when margins get tight during periods of reduced demand.

Dynamic pricing

Dynamic pricing is the use of different prices for the same product or service. It is used by retailers to compete with other sellers, and by consumers, as a way to maximize the value, they perceive from their purchase.

Packaging

Once you’ve decided your pricing strategy, now go ahead and create packages and plans that fit that model.

You can divide your services into different categories such as,

Training clients online:

1. Initial consultation and assessment

2. Customized fitness plan

3. One-on-one personal training sessions

4. Follow-up sessions

5. Nutritional advice

6. Optional supplements

7. Discounts for multiple sessions

8. Free gym membership

9. Additional services available on request

(CrossFit, yoga, etc.)

6. Prepare Your Workout Area

You will feel and seem more professional if you have a distinct training space. When deciding on an exercise location, consider the following questions:

Is there enough space between you and the camera for customers to see your emotions and for you to simply show the exercises?

What is the state of the lighting in your room? Clients need to be able to see you doing the exercise, and good lighting may make you seem more professional. Make sure the light is bright enough at various times of the day if you’re using natural lighting.

What is the color scheme of your room? When clients are viewing you on the screen, they will notice this.

Is there enough room to keep your gym gear? During a session, you don’t want to have to leave to fetch anything.

Are you going to be interrupted? If your client’s time is interrupted by children, dogs, or other distractions, it may seem unprofessional.

Is it peaceful, or are there sounds from outside? If you play music during your sessions, keep in mind that it may seem choppy to a client, making it difficult for them to understand your instructions or clashing with their music.

7. Protect your customers and your company

Maintaining accurate and up-to-date information on your customers and their progress protects both them and your company.

Keep track of each client’s contact information, address (in case you need to call 911 for them during a session), and emergency contact information in a file.

It’s also a good idea to keep track of what exercise equipment they have so you can tailor your workouts to their needs.

A liability release, a safety waiver, and a contractual agreement that defines your rules are all required legal paperwork (personal trainer cancellation policy, late fees, etc.). Clients should also complete a Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) to detect probable exercise-related dangers depending on their medical history.

8. Develop a Marketing plan

A successful online personal trainer business needs a marketing plan. This document spells out your overall strategy for generating awareness and interest in your product or service. The plan of how to get personal training clients includes what channels you’ll use, how much money you’ll allocate to marketing efforts, and how you’ll measure success.

A good marketing strategy starts with understanding your target audience. Who are they? What do they want or need? What are their biggest pain points? Once you have a clear picture of your target market, you can begin devising ways to reach them.

There are many different channels you can use to market your online personal trainer business, from paid advertising to PR to social media. How you choose to allocate your resources will depend on your budget and your target audience.

For example, if you want to reach millennials, you might spend more of your budget on social media than on pitching your service to small business magazines.

Follow these tips to start marketing your personal training business:

1) Create social media profiles for yourself (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).

2) Build out your personal page with all of the information about services offered, contact info and more.

3) Put together packages based on different needs–beginner package or specific areas like weight loss etc.-include prices if possible.

4) Develop a marketing plan through social media advertising channels–Twitter ads are relatively inexpensive; Facebook ads too but have a higher learning curve.

5) Once your website is built out (easy with WordPress), set up auto-feeds for social media to update followers of new blog posts or new services offered.

Get Ready to Run Your Successful Online Personal Trainer Business.

You’ll need a clear business strategy, structured bookkeeping and accounting systems, successful marketing techniques, and access to small business resources when starting your online training service.

Do you want to know how to establish your pricing for online fitness coach sessions? The amount you charge is determined by your degree of expertise, your clients, and the value you provide.

One-on-one virtual instruction might cost anything from $100 to $500 per month.

According to PayScale, the average hourly salary for an online personal trainer is $19.35, with prices ranging from $11 to $51 per hour.

Online trainer sessions are often 20% to 25% less expensive than in-person training sessions.

Whatever you charge, be consistent with your rates, charge the same amount to all of your future clients, and don’t undervalue your worth and abilities. Oh, and also, try Persona! 🙂