Start Your Own Newsletter – The Backbone of Your Online Fitness Business

Start your own Newsletter

Did you know that a little email newsletter is what launched my entire online business and choreographytogo years ago? Yes, really. I began with a list of 100 Instructors. From there it helped spread the word about my fitness business, workshops and training courses, gain credibility as a presenter, grow a list of interested Instructors, Support solo Fitness Instructors with a network, forum and business system and provide me with an online business that has gone from strength to strength.

And while today I take advantage of many marketing methods out there like networking, writing, speaking, blogging, and social media, this newsletter is still my number 1 marketing tool and the backbone to my  Choreographytogo online business.

Email is a tool we all use every day, it’s easy to use, and pretty much something that most people use now. I  still  get loads emails from C2Go’ers worrying about websites, google local, social media, blogs etc and how difficult they find managing everything,  when you can easily start email marketing even without a website using a simple ezine/newsletter.

Newsletters will also help gain online trust with your audience, help promote your services, set yourself up as a leader in your area, PLUS help market your services, promote special offers, update your clients with class information and educate and inspire them with articles and helpful information.

If you can write an email and press SEND, you can publish a newsletter.

Even if you know ZERO about email marketing you can put all your email addresses into a bcc (blind copy) and send out an informative newsletter just using your inbox. I used to mail the Choreographytogo newsletter out like that for months and keep adding email addresses of interested people. With all the hi tech ways of starting an online business writing a newsletter is the first step in complementation your offline business and most definitely shouldn’t be overlooked.

Tips for Writing a weekly newsletter

1. Keep it fresh, proactive, helpful and fun read.

2. Don’t use your newsletter to hard sell your services, use it to communicate, interact and engage with your readers.

3.Keep your articles short and to the point. Top 5 Lists are always good for scan reading, plus include some longer articles. You can always recycle these on a blog or at a later date. Your written articles are never wasted.

4. You don’t even need a website! I started Choreographytogo 6 months before my website was finished. It helped me build a list before the website launched.

5. Reliability – Publish your newsletter same time, same day every week. This will help build trust with your audience online.

6. Keep it rich in content. I write a bit of the newsletter every day, sometimes just 15 minutes a day ( usually when I get up is the best time for me to write), I write about what is inspiring me at that time – keep it fresh and current. I cant write under pressure – you may be the same.

7. Use guest writers and articles with the authors permission.

8. If you are not great at writing then use video (VLOGS) in your newsletter. Speak directly to your audience. Use a cheap web cam and upload to youtube. Send the link to your membership.

9. Always remember you are trying to nurture a genuine relationship with your readers. Help, support and advise them!

10.Ask yourself what are your business objectives? Are you trying to get new clients to your classes,  Build an online business to compliment your offline business, develop an online community, Gain visibility in cyberspace. Keep these points in mind when writing your newsletter.

11. Who is your target market? When I first began C2Go it was aimed at Group Exercise Instructors and Community Instructors needing support and new business and promotional ideas. Who is your potential profile.

12.Use your Twitter and Facebook to encourage people to join your newsletter list. Get people from your Facebook onto your newsletter list.

13. Offer value to your readers. Everybody’s inbox gets rammed with “stuff” make sure your newsletter contains  interesting info pertinent to your readers.

14. Write your newsletters as if you are emailing a friend – you are- your class members and clients members are your friends and you are building an online relationship with them.

Writing a weekly newsletter is a lot of fun! I LOVE the feedback from C2Go’ers when its gone out.

Yes, it is time consuming to write,

Yes, sometimes I CANNOT think of what I’m going to write!

Yes, It  is hard to do if you are away or on holiday

BUT it’s THE best way to build your online business and personally I think it should be the backbone of all online fitness businesses! Good Luck and please feedback to me on this subject

Building your email list successfully

After you have started a newsletter then building your list is the next step to take when creating an online business.  It’s important to collect everyone’s details and emails who attends your classes already so you start with a good active base.

My top tips for building your list.