Today, I am sharing some of the BEST tips and advice from influential bloggers and business owners who have appeared on The Fit Niche’s Fitpreneur Interview series thus far!
I am so very fortunate to have met some AMAZING women along my online fitness journey. These ladies are hard working, determined to make a difference, and kind enough to give back and share their experiences with others.
I started the Fitpreneur Interview series a little over a year ago. Actually, it was called “Fit Pro/Blogger Interview” back then. I could talk for hours about business so, selfishly, this was the perfect way for me to do that!
These interviews are my favorite posts because I get to learn from those doing great things in the fitness business world, share the awesomeness with you all, and showcase fellow fitpreneurs.
My very first interview was with the talented Katy Widrick. If you are a health and fitness blogger influencer and you have never heard of Katy – please check her site out! She shares seriously valuable tips and tricks for bloggers.
Since my post with Katy went live back in December 2015 (couple months after officially launching The Fit Niche), I have updated it and reposted it. So, it no longer appears as my FIRST interview on my blog – but the content remains true and valuable!
Best of 2016: Fitpreneur Interviews to Move Your Business Forward NOW! #fitnessbusiness Click To Tweet
I TOTALLY understand the pain of starting out, being overwhelmed, having no budget, and getting discouraged. Below, I have pulled out the BEST information from these entrepreneurial interviews to help you move your business forward NOW. Each tip is meant to move your blog/business forward no matter what stage you are in right now and requires no money.
Define your niche and understand your ideal customers (Ariana Fotinakis)
“Defining a niche is SO important. It’s easy at the start to think “I can train everyone!” And while that’s technically true, when you’re trying to speak to everyone, you end up speaking to no one.
Having a clear understanding of who you want to help allows you to use the right language when doing your marketing and branding, and also allows you to pursue further education in the areas that will serve your tribe the most.
Since shifting my focus to working with runners, I’ve started to become known locally as the personal trainer for runners. Runners talk a lot so word travels fairly quickly, and I stay active in the running community by cheering people on at races, speaking to running clinics, and, of course, getting out there and running myself!”
Read full interview HERE.
Organization is key to turning your blog into a business (Katy Widrick)
“I’m a big believer in a blogging editorial calendar – I find it helps me and others not only stay organized but to work and look ahead to posts that may take several revisions and drafts. I love the CoSchedule tool, but a simple notepad or online calendar can work as well. I think the key is to have a plan, because so many bloggers get overwhelmed when it comes to post topics, sponsorship deadlines, and more.”
Read full interview HERE.
Focus on a few things and do them WELL (Jen Elliot)
“When I started, I tried to use all the big social media platforms, which took a lot of time. At the end of 2015, I took a look at my analytics and decided to focus just on Instagram and Pinterest for 2016, along with growing my email list. Taking a step back and just picking a few things to focus on has really helped me hone in on my marketing strategies.”
Read full interview HERE.
Use your online expertise in your local community (Sarah Waninger)
“I began teaching group fitness classes three days a week when my twins turned 6 months old. When I started teaching, I made sure they knew I wanted to take on more of a role in the gym but that being ‘mom’ and ‘wife’ were my first jobs so I’d need work from home type tasks. The manager and I talked and she quickly learned about my blog, my social media training through online courses, and my passion for spreading health and wellness.
Previously, the Facebook page and website were being managed by someone that, though they had some knowledge, didn’t have the time to commit to the pages and didn’t have the time to connect with those left comments, asked questions, etc. It seemed like a perfect fit!
I now manage the Facebook page and website and we are expanding into new areas as I type! Being a local, small town gym we may not be heavy into social media compared to other franchise type gyms BUT our members rely on our pages for information, promotions, and so much more!”
Read full Interview HERE.
Don’t hide your blog and online business from your local community (Annmarie Licatese)
“I hid my blog and interest in fitness from my local community until just the last year or so. Obviously, opening up a studio changed that and in retrospect, it would have been a smart idea to build up relationships in my local community first. Essentially, I had to start from scratch as far as marketing was concerned and the launch was not as big as I had envisioned.”
Read full interview HERE.
Be true to your purpose and passion (Jessica Eichenlaub)
“Being true to your purpose and passion will be what drives your success. I now take a day each month to check in with my progress… What do I need to do more or less of to keep me on my true path?
This time allows me to re-group and reflect – and it makes life a heck of alot more simple than trying to be somebody else.”
Read full interview HERE
Grow your social media following by being you, providing value, and staying consistent (Caroline Foster)
“I have three rules…
1) Be AUTHENTIC – Be YOU!
Don’t try to be like anyone else. The people who connect with you and your journey will want to work with you because of who you are and what you stand for! Stop looking to the right and the left and be the person God created YOU to be! Share your journey. The good, bad and ugly! Allow your followers to see your journey.
2) Bring your followers VALUE – Make sure that every post is going to teach your followers something. They have allowed you into their feed and what you bring them needs to be worth reading.
3) Be CONSISTENT – Show up and be consistent!
For example I always post in the morning and afternoon/evening. Make a habit of your posting times so your followers know when they can expect to hear from you.”
Read full interview HERE.
Grow your social media following by being you, providing value, and staying consistent. #socialmedia Click To Tweet
Stand out to brands and start getting sponsored posts (Ashley Pitt)
“If you are brand new, I would suggest trying to get involved in the blogging networks like SweatPink, FitFluential, CleverGirls, Collectively, and more. You can see the kinds of campaign opportunities that come up and start applying.
Sometimes brands will work with smaller bloggers because
(A) you cost less and
(B) you are easier to schedule with and work with.
Bigger bloggers may need way more lead time to work on a campaign, whereas newer bloggers can be very flexible. If you get the chance to pitch yourself, explain how you will go way above and beyond what is asked of you, explain if you have a very loyal or engaged audience, and also give anecdotal evidence that the brand may not be able to see on your blog or social stats, giving you more credibility.
For instance, do you get multiple comments on your personal FB page of people asking where you buy your clothing or food and then you see interactions of people following your advice? Let the brand know. Are you a group fitness instructor in front of a lot of people on a daily basis with a wide reach in addition to your blog? Let the brand know.
Give them all the reasons why you are WAY more than your social following, and hopefully, some will give you a shot!”
Read full interview HERE.
Keep documentation of your finances (Sarah Waninger)
“The rule of thumb for the IRS is to keep any and all documentation for 7 years after that tax return is filed. The great news is that the IRS doesn’t care if it is paper documentation or electronic documentation. So, if you have a paid opportunity for sponsored posts and you trade emails back and forth with the details – keep those. If you (which I highly recommend) have a signed contract with the sponsor via email – keep that.
I tell clients and fellow bloggers to keep ANYTHING that documents terms of the project or payment. When in doubt keep it!
I keep most of my documentation within Google Drive and in my Google email in folders. You’ll want to create a system that works for you!
The best way to stay organized with blog finances and records is the way that you can consistently complete.”
Read full interview HERE.
Find and connect with your ideal clients online (Katie Proctor)
“I share openly and honestly about my life – whether it’s nutrition or business-related. I find that being authentic attracts people TO you, and I am really grateful that many people have come to me and said “I feel like I know you.”
That know-like-trust factor is what ultimately makes people want to work with you, too!
I find my ideal clients online by spending time where they hang out – mostly Facebook groups and on Instagram – and creating communities for them to connect (FB group).”
Read full interview HERE.
Build support around your project/product BEFORE you launch (Nicole Culver)
“I started a podcast launch team to help drum up support. I gave them sneak peeks inside the podcast and asked them to share it when it went live. I also asked them to rate and review which is really important when you start out!”
Read full interview HERE.
Enjoy the process…seriously (Erica Sara)
“Not everyone is going to love what you’re doing and that’s ok. Don’t take it personally. As long as you love it, there will be others that appreciate your product as well.
I rarely receive an email complaining about an order – but when I have, I used to get really upset and let it eat away at me. One time my husband asked me to calculate how many orders I’ve shipped and of those, how many have resulted in complaints. I calculated the negative responses to be way less than 1% of all of my orders and realized I was doing just fine.
If we didn’t all have different tastes, the world would be a very boring place.”
Read full interview HERE.
If we didn’t all have different tastes, the world would be a very boring place. #beYOU Click To Tweet
Let’s Chat
Which tip resonates with you the most?
Was there something you did this past year that really moved your business forward?
photo credit: Ivory Mix
