Business Briefing Tuesday 25th March

Session Type: Marketing & Business Strategy for Fitness Professionals
Theme: Funnel structure, evolving industry models, and actionable digital business ideas

1. Opening Chat & Community Engagement

• Rachel welcomes viewers and reflects on Part 1 of the funnel series.

• Light-hearted nostalgic chat (e.g. leaving the phone off the hook in the 80s).

• Notifies supporters about receiving notifications again, which is a good sign for engagement.

2. Group Fitness: The Industry’s Changing Landscape

• Shares insights from a US podcast discussing the future of group exercise.

• Highlights a decline in new instructors, especially younger ones, due to:
  • Low pay in gyms and clubs

  • High competition and saturation

• Compares the modern situation to the 90s and early 2000s when instructors could make a full-time living from group classes.

• Notes how Les Mills-style programming replaced traditional instructor training and diluted the need for deeper skills.

Key Insight:
The traditional group exercise model is fading, but new opportunities exist for instructors willing to innovate, especially online or in community settings.

3. Reimagining Your Fitness Career: Key Strategies

• Rachel encourages instructors to:
  • Shift focus to digital offers.

  • Package skills for online delivery, events, retreats, and workshops.

• Emphasises the importance of:
  • Having a working website.

  • Building a robust sales funnel.

  • Offering freebies to grow email lists and sell digital products passively.

4. Funnel Blueprint Breakdown (Part 2)

Step-by-Step Funnel Strategy:

1. Free Class Offer (Freebie)
   • Upload a free Pilates or fitness class to YouTube (unlisted).

   • Promote it via social media—ask for a keyword comment to trigger access.

   • Collect emails via sign-up forms on MailerLite or other platforms.

2. Automated Follow-Up
   • Set up automation to deliver the class via email.

   • Include an upsell in the same email—e.g., a 7-day intro programme (£10–£30 range).

3. Low-Cost Digital Offer
   • Could be:
     • 7-day Pilates challenge

     • Core series

     • Menopause-specific strength sessions

   • These should be pre-recorded, easy to deliver passively.

4. Flagship Offer
   • Promote a six-week programme starting after Easter (e.g., Summer Shape-Up).

   • Add call-to-actions in every email linking to:
     • Waiting list

     • Early registration

     • Membership sign-up

5. Passive Income & Content Creation Ideas

• Suggestions for pre-made digital products:
  • “7-Day Lift Lean”

  • “Midsection Meltdown”

  • “Strength for Women Over 60”

• Reuse existing content or record simple follow-along videos.

• Use Reels, written posts, and graphics to drive traffic to your freebies.

• Bundle offers and rotate weekly or seasonally.

6. Membership and Long-Term Offers

• Add upsell links to your membership or higher-ticket offers on all freebies.

• Position your free classes as the entry point to your ecosystem.

• It’s okay if people just take the free content—they’re still on your list and may convert later.

7. Final Notes & Encouragement

• Even if you don’t have a mid-tier offer yet, you can go straight from freebie to membership or flagship product.

• Focus on building email lists, nurturing with value, and marketing with clarity.

• Promotes consistent testing and refining your funnel.

Key Takeaways

• The fitness industry is changing—but there’s more opportunity than ever for those who adapt.

• Build a full-circle funnel: Freebie → Low-cost offer → Flagship product.

• Prioritise digital visibility, automation, and passive income streams.

• Take action now to prep for post-Easter programmes.