When you look up how big the online fitness industry is on Google, the answers will baffle you.
Reports from 2019 suggested that the market valuation of the online or virtual fitness market was evaluated at $6,014 million.
However, what is truly shocking is the fact that the market value is estimated to grow to $59,231 million by the end of 2027.
If that doesn’t serve as a sign that you need to start sell fitness programs online, we don’t know what will. Virtual fitness programs are a next-generation revolution, convenience-based, and a lot more accessible to people living a fast-paced lifestyle.
With the different varieties of online fitness programs to choose from, you can target a versatile chunk of the audience and offer various online programs, including virtual on-demand or even subscription-based programs.
We understand that navigating through a new business idea can be daunting and highly complicated too.
In this article, we have accumulated all the appropriate resources we could muster to help you how to sell fitness programs online.
Today we will cover:
- What are Online Fitness Studios?
- Why and How to Sell Online Personal Training?
- How to Launch an Online Fitness Studio?
- How to Sell Workout Plans Online?
- And, much more.
So, let’s dive in.
What are Online Fitness Studios?
Online fitness studios are virtual platforms that connect fitness trainers with potential clients on a journey to get their physical health on track.
Even before the new normal of Covid, more and more people have inclined more towards exploring virtual platforms for fitness training.
These studios generally include a range of fitness and health-related programs, including:
- Workout videos
- Dietary instructions
- Meal plans
- Training programs
- Nutritional recipes
The best factor that drives the popularity of online fitness studios in today’s date is the ease of accessibility.
As a potential fitness client, you no longer have to sit around and find reasons to not go to the gym, or as a trainer, you wouldn’t have to worry about running out of clients or having access to a limited or local clientele.
Fitness trainers starting their online fitness programs can have access to a global clientele, an unlimited number of people to train, and a steady income from a fixed fitness program.
With so much changing worldwide, people are trying to accommodate their needs with the available resources, and creating your online fitness program is the stepping stone to it.
Why Should You Sell Your Fitness Programs Online?
Let us start with an example.
With hundreds and thousands of online fitness programs and trainers available, Scott Laidler is a name that several people are familiar with. The reason behind his rise to fame stems from the tailored fitness programs that he offers his clientele.
His programs are broken down into three personal goals – 6-week, 12 week, or 24 weeks and the clients have the free will to choose which fitness program works the best for them.
However, the uniqueness of Scott’s fitness programs has now skyrocketed his fame and net worth too.
Scott’s programs start from 195 pounds for six weeks, as high as 450 pounds for the 24 weeks program. Judging by the kind of popularity he has gained in such a short period, you know how successful and satisfied his bank account is right now.
So, does it ring a bell why you should start your training program too?
Apart from the fact that the online fitness market hasn’t been saturated yet and there’s less competition and more chances of earning good money, you can also turn your luck 360 if you are dedicated to what you are doing.
Here’s how to sell online personal training:
Rising convenience
People live a fast-paced life now, and saving up extra time for the gym is not always possible or convenient. On the flip side, online fitness programs are.
To Expand your clientele
When you are working offline in a gym as an instructor or trainer, the chances are that you will only have access to the local clients who either live nearby or come to work out in the fitness center you work in.
With online fitness programs, it is a complete gamechanger. You can reach more people globally and expand your clientele instead of having a limited reach.
Add a side hustle
Remember that just because you sell fitness programs online doesn’t mean you can’t work offline in real time. On the contrary, several fitness trainers start selling their programs online to generate extra streams of income.
Flexible timings
Another reason why you should start selling your online fitness programs today is because it offers you time flexibility.
Unless you are indulging in customized programs for clients, you can have a set training routine and share it on your VOD or subscription-based fitness program and earn a steady income from the efforts you put in.
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How to Launch Online Fitness Studio in 2024?
While it’s one thing to have an idea prosper in your mind, making it a possibility is another hassle.
Remember that starting an online business, especially involve online workout programs, is not an easy task. You need to plan the courses, chalk out the price plans and have a solid business model before you think about executing any of them in real-time.
However, you need to understand that over half of the world’s total population has access to smartphones and the internet, so finding clients is not as difficult as it would have been a decade back.
So, that means that you likely have your potential clients online. All you need to do is drive them to your fitness program by spiking interest in their mind. But, how do you do it?
Don’t worry; we have broken down the steps for you to implement.
1. Start with a viable business model
You can’t possibly think about starting an online business without having a structured business model. The business model further bifurcates into two sections – the programs you will include and the revenue model you want to support.
Generally, trainers who think about selling their fitness programs start with social media consultations, build a repertoire and then think about branching out their business further.
If that is the case with you, we’d recommend deciding what kind of programs you want to set up.
Do you want to offer customized fitness programs or general ones?
Do you want to opt for live training or recorded subscription-based? All of these will come down to how well you structure your business plan and what kind of value proposition terms you’d include in your business.
If you are a complete novice, there are three main business models that the fitness trainers are currently leveraging:
- Membership model – these involve a recurring monthly fee, much like a subscription-based business model.
- Pay as you train – these involve a one-time transactional fee to access specific videos in the online fitness program you have uploaded.
- Customized plans – these are not the most convenient for beginners; however, they can drive the maximum profits per client since you are solely customizing them a complete workout plan. However, it limits the number of people you can work with at a time.
2. Focus on content
The kind of content you share with your online fitness program is the make or break. If it isn’t valuable or unique enough, the chances are that you’d have a hard time reeling in potential clients.
If possible, start with a niche or focus on building your program surrounding your area of expertise.
For example, if you are good with yoga and meditation, develop your program on that. If you specialize in resistance training, focus on curating a program on that. Whatever the content be, it needs to showcase your expertise.
Defining the niche and buyer’s persona helps drive better motivation with content production. Also, avoid doing regurgitated content in your programs.
You need to stand out from the mass of other online fitness trainers trying to do just what you are doing.
Being unique with your content and being niche-specific drives maximum sales, especially if you see it as a business prospect in the long run.
3. Choose a platform
So, now you have a business model and the content planned, where do you publish it?
This is where most people backtrack because they don’t know how to create a fitness program online. If you are on the same boat, let us help you paddle to the shore.
Unless you want your fitness program to have a limited reach, you must invest your time in developing a website for your program. The online website is the face of your business, so you need to make it compelling enough to ensure active conversions.
However, creating and developing a website is no joke, especially if you don’t have a basic idea surrounding it.
Start by researching domains and hosting, and then work your way up from there. Your sole focus should be on making your website seem professional and come with a navigable layout that the customer can skim through.
When creating a website, you also need to make it payment gateway friendly to ensure that the potential clients who want to pursue your programs can securely pay and get their hands on the courses directly.
Your website is not just a foreground for attracting new clients but should also serve as an update page for your existing clientele.
It should have separate access to the dashboard for the subscribed clients to easily access the videos they signed up for.
When developing a fitness website, you need to be mindful of the content that you’d offer your clients.
Will you provide them pre-recorded fitness videos or live training videos? Depending on that, you need to tweak your website’s layout and functionality as well.
In short, your website should sell, engage and hold your client base. So, if you don’t have an idea about website development, we’d recommend you leave it to someone professional.
Some of the most common features to include in an online fitness program platform include:
- Sell pre-recorded sessions or classes
- Conduct live training
- Offer personalized fitness coaching
- Track goals and metrics
- Class management
- Scheduling
- Payment gateway
- Testimonials
- Price packages
4. Decide on the Revenue Model
While deciding the prices and packages for the fitness program will generally fall under the business model section, paying undivided attention to it is also crucial.
Even if you know that your fitness program is worth it, deciding on a single pricing package can be challenging and confusing. Remember that the revenue model will depend on the kind of services you are providing.
Generally, the subscription-based or membership-based revenue models come with a cheaper monthly recurring fee, while the customized fitness programs or goal-based programs demand much higher pay.
If we had to suggest you a ballpark figure, the courses or online fitness programs generally charge:
- Subscription based – $15 to $20 per month
- Transactional or pay as you train – over $100 per classes or video
- Customized plans – over $200 or $400 depending on the duration
However, these are estimated figures and not standard revenue models. You need to price your services based on the kind of efforts you are putting in. If you think your classes should be priced at $50 a month, go ahead and do that.
It all comes down to your inputs, the kind of expenses you are indulging in for the business, and the type of profit that you want to reap in the end.
One piece of advice we’d personally like to suggest is offering free trials. And, as “mimicky” as it sounds like, most of your potential competitors are doing it.
Take Daily Burn, for example. They offer not one but a 30-days free trial to potential customers, helping them retain their recurring clientele and bring in many new prospects.
Before we end this section of the article, let us end it with a bang, shall we?
5. Connect with your prospects
The last step to finally launching your online fitness program is to market your fitness studio. Just creating your virtual fitness program isn’t enough if you don’t SELL it to the potential prospects online.
Most of the time, investing in a good marketing technique can get you the desired results that nothing else can. Sometimes, all you need to do is push your boundaries and connect with the target audience on a more personal level.
When you are just starting with your fitness programs online, finding clients can be a hassle.
So, to market yourself and your services, you need to focus on building an actionable community. It can be in the form of a Facebook group or on your IG profile. It all comes down to customized approaches.
If you are struggling to grasp the concept of developing your online community, here’s a quick breakdown of how you can get started.
How to Sell Fitness Programs Online? [4 Easy Steps To Get Started]
There’s one thing about LAUNCHING your online fitness program, and then there’s SELLING and MARKETING it.
Both of these concepts can seem mutually exclusive, but they aren’t. They are two ends of a pole and require a completely different approach.
Here’s what you should do to SELL your fitness programs online.
1. Set up a membership plug-in
You have developed your website and have everything set up and ready to go. But what about the membership plugin. Where will the people subscribe to get access to the workout videos?
This is your first step to selling your fitness program. Install a viable and potent membership plug-in to your website. If you are using WordPress, many amazing plug-ins can help you sort these out.
Along with the membership plug-in, focus on integrating a reliable payment gateway as well. This will help your prospects pay their subscription fees securely for the services.
2. Cross-promote your services
Another essential factor that you need to be mindful of while selling your online fitness program is to opt for an omnichannel marketing approach.
You need to max out your marketing strategies because you aren’t the only professional in the pipeline.
Instagram and YouTube are flooded with fitness content creators trying to make their coins with their services. There are personal trainers, nutritionists, and health coaches in abundance in the market, leading to brimming saturation.
Marketing is the only way you can get your word out there.
This helps you reach out to your target audience and persuade them to invest in your resources. However, sticking to standard or traditional marketing won’t do you any good. Instead, try cross-promoting.
This means that you can market your newly launch online fitness program website via your Instagram. You can make a lengthy YouTube video explaining the venture and what the audience can expect out of it. The more you market your services, the better visibility you will gain.
Also, when investing in cross-promotions, ensure that your campaigns also include a call to action in the end.
Without it, your audience will be confused about what to do NEXT. A simple CTA can consist of an email sign-up or even redirect the prospect to the landing page of your fitness program.
3. Focus on GIVING
We live in a world where the audience’s interest is driven by words like “FREE” and “GIVEAWAYS”. As mundane as it sounds, it is part of the selling prospect. You can’t expect to reel in your customers if you aren’t offering them anything upfront.
Most of the virtual fitness platforms offer free trials as a way of luring in the customers.
If you want to take it a notch higher, you can conduct giveaways in your community by offering free personalized fitness coaching or consultation.
This way, you can connect with your audience at a personal level and understand their requirements better.
Once you start seeing results from these tactics, you can further amplify or leverage them to drive more sales of your programs.
4. Include EXCLUSIVITY
Another way of selling or marketing your fitness program for higher profits is by including exclusive or limited period fitness programs.
These are ideal for when you have a good following or a well-knit community of people that spend their time and money on your programs.
However, providing exclusive content, especially in the fitness niche, helps irk the audience’s attention, thinking that you will give bonus access. You can start with a few free accesses, gather testimonials, and launch these exclusive workout programs as paid courses.
It is all about how you market your services that make all the difference in the world.
Also, read:
FAQs Related To Selling Fitness Programs Online in 2024
How do I sell an online fitness program?
If you are just starting, you can always start small with a limited clientele, build your portfolio and a community before you think about expanding your reach further.
How do you market a fitness program?
Marketing a fitness program is nothing different than selling any other services. All you need to do is identify your target audience and then cross-market your services. Ideally, we’d recommend creating an online community of people and let them do the rest for you.
Can you sell online plans without being certified?
Yes, it is possible; however, you need to have a good idea about fitness and the ropes of workouts. You can’t expect someone with a few months of experience to bring in many potential clients to their virtual fitness platform. So, we’d recommend that you only consider doing this if you have good years of prior experience.
How much money do online fitness coaches make?
You’d be surprised, but a well-reputed online fitness coach can easily make $5000 a month by selling their programs online. However, this is a fundamental revenue model, and there are online fitness coaches earning millions annually.
Conclusion: Ready To Sell Your Fitness Program Online?
The demand for online fitness training is on an entirely new level of craze. Things are so hyped that statistics suggest that the valuation of fitness segment applications will amount to USD 3,116.3 million by 2024.
If you aren’t tapping in now, you may lose out a lot on profits from a potential side hustle.
If you have been unsure of the process until now, we hope this article serves you as a comprehensive guide to making your fitness program business a reality.
Just keep in mind that you need to integrate the right digital tools, leverage the correct marketing techniques, and curate a valuable course that reels the audience’s attention from across the globe.
Stand out from the crowd instead of following the herd. Create a unique business model. Structure a marketing strategy that’s never been done before and price your business reasonably.
If you want to know how to sell workout plans online? Get started with Mastera.
Co-Founder, Gleantap & Mastera