I’ve been working within the fitness industry for almost two decades. During this time I’ve seen many training and dieting fads come and go. I’ve worked with hundreds of clients, both online and in person. I’ve helped people lose weight, build muscle, improve their overall health, and increase the value of their own quality of life. I’ve made plenty of mistakes, some of which I have learned from while others I’ve made and continue to make time and time again. I feel that with each new year that passes though, the more experience I gain in my respected trade. And with experience comes wisdom (in most cases anyways).

Therefore when it comes to working with a new client, I tend to rely on my wealth of experience and knowledge that I’ve gained to help this person achieve his or her training goals. And not to come across as arrogant or narcissistic, but the majority of the time a client follows the plan I design for them, both with their diet and their training, they usually succeed. And even though our company has over a 90% clientele retention rate and despite the fact that the majority of our clients have remained loyal to us for over a decade and continue to work with us today ( which is extremely rare in this industry) we are far from well known or considered to be famous amongst our peers and competition.

And Thank God for That!

Back in the Good Old Days……

I wouldn’t consider myself old but I also would not consider myself young. I grew up in an era where if I wanted to get in contact with someone I would have to pick up the phone and actually call them. If I took a photo of myself and my friends, I would have to take the camera roll to the store and wait a day just to get the photos developed. If I wanted to learn about a particular topic, I would have to go to the local library and do some actual research by reading a book. If I wanted to listen to a specific song by a particular artist, I would have to go the store and buy the entire CD rather then just download it off my computer. Oh yeah, and when it comes to computers, I didn’t even own one until I was 25!

Why I Suck at Social Media

Based on the above paragraph I think it’s pretty obvious why I would suck at Social Media. And to be perfectly honest, I’m not exactly sold on how effective Social Media is with regards to helping our business continue to grow. I understand how Social Media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram can be useful tools in allowing for more exposure and insight to what a company does, the services it provides and the types of products it sells. However in my opinion these tools should be considered more luxuries then necessities for a business owner and therefore should not be relied upon to make any business succeed, especially one that is so personal, such as our own.

Using Technology as a Tool

Now by no means am I suggesting that Social Media is useless. In fact, I myself use it for our business on a daily basis. I’m constantly posting health and fitness content on our Facebook Group Page and updating my followers on Instagram with photos and insights into my workouts and providing a few of my own dieting tips and secrets. And I have to admit that communicating with clients through emails and text messages is much more easier then calling them on the phone and hoping that I reach them at a time when is convenient for them to respond to my questions and possible scheduling conflicts. So in retrospect, modern advances in technology has without a doubt allowed our business to be more proactive which in turn has made us more profitable.

Social Media Success Story

As I mentioned earlier, I suck at Social Media. I’m much better at it now then I was five years ago when I first entered this sometimes cruel and extremely confusing world, however I’m still by no means a Social Media Star, nor do I think I will ever become one. And to be honest, I don’t really want to be one. I’ve had a few trainers in the past tell me how important it is for myself and my business to stay “relevant” within this fake online world however I’m still not convinced that it’s as important as some people in my industry might think. For example, I know a few Personal Trainers on Instagram who have over ten thousand followers yet have to work another job just to afford their rent. At first glance, ten thousand followers might seem impressive however if your relying on this platform for exposure that will increase your income and none of your followers are purchasing your services or your products, then it really just becomes more of a popularity contest. And I can only speak for myself when I say, I would rather provide a reputable service and remain profitable then provide a few scantly clad photos and remain popular.

Back to the Basics

Call me old fashioned however I believe that the classics will never die. There are only so many ways that a person can reinvent the wheel. When it comes to using Social Media as a marketing tool for our business, I give it about 15% of my time, energy and focus. I spend the other 85% of my time connecting and helping our existing clientele with their diets and training questions. So when I miss a day or two of posting on Instagram or post my weekly blog a day late (such is the case this week) it’s not because I’m sitting at home playing video games or out at the beach working on my tan. On the contrary it’s usually because I’m stuck in the gym training clients for hours on end or designing training programs and nutritional plans for the people who have paid for my services and expect quality work along with real results.

Creating Consistency

If you train with me in person or work with me online then you’ll know that I believe there is no other tool more powerful for becoming successful in life then consistency. Whether your goal is to lose ten pounds in two months or pay off your mortgage in two years, without a consistent work ethic you’ll find it very difficult to achieve either. Therefore I understand that to become successful at Social Media I have to remain consistent with our content by providing regular training tips and healthy recipes. However I no longer rely on the use of Social Media to market ourselves and our company to prospective clients. Instead I make our posts relevant and helpful to our existing clientele to provide them with another resource that they can use to achieve their health and fitness goals when they are not working with us in the gym or online.

So am I using Social Media wrong? Probably

Do I Care? No

Is it Working? I’ll get back to you in five years and let you know. For now, I’ve got work to do and a business to run……

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove
Forever Fit