← Pilates Business Podcast
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Do you ever feel like your marketing just blends in? Like you're posting on Instagram, updating your website maybe, and maybe even sending emails, but you feel like they're not landing well, the truth is that people don't remember facts, they remember stories. And if you're not sharing the story of your studio, where it started, what you stand for, and the lives you've changed, you're probably missing the single most powerful way to attract and retain loyal clients. In today's episode of the Pilates Business Podcast, we're diving into how to tell your studio story in a way that connects, that converts and builds a brand people really want to be part of. Well, hi there, I'm Sarah Glanfield. I'm a business and marketing strategist just for boutique fitness studio owners like you. If you're ready to be inspired and make a bigger impact, you're in the right place. All you need are a few key strategies, the right mindset, and some support along the way. Join me as I share the real life insights that will help you grow a sustainable and profitable studio. This is the Pilates Business Podcast. Well, hey there and welcome back to another episode of the Pilates Business Podcast. This is a show for people just like you, movement driven studio owners who are ready to grow, who are ready to lead and want to thrive without burning out. So welcome in. If you're new here, I'm so glad you found this space. I spoke to quite a few studio owners this week who have just come across this podcast. I'm glad you're listening in and have found so many good nuggets of guidance and advice here and are joining, thrive and getting even more deeper into all of the guidance and insights and strategies that we share in there. We just kind of scratch the surface of right here that I try to share as much with you as I can every single week in the 20ish minutes that I have with you. Because I know that you're busy, I know that you're walking the dog, driving to town, picking up the kids and all these things. And I hope that these little nuggets of insight and inspiration keeps you going and keeps you focused and helps you to build that amazing business that I know you can build. And so if you've been listening for a while, welcome back. You're kind of my kind of people. People who are committed and dedicated to building and growing a movement based business. Now today we're talking about something that sounds a little bit soft and creative, but actually it's is incredibly strategic. And ultimately will have a big impact on your bottom line. Now we're talking about marketing. Yes. You know, that's my favorite topic. But you also know if you've been here a little while, that there is lots of different elements of marketing. There's a lot that falls into that bucket, right? And when, you know, when people say I, I, I've done marketing before, it can mean so many different things. But today I want to talk to you about something very, very specific. I want to talk today about storytelling. Now, before you skip ahead and think, well, I'm not a writer. You don't have a dramatic story to share. Let me stop you right there, because you don't have to be, you know, Hollywood level hero's journey. You don't need to have that at all. But you do need to have a little bit of intention. Maybe you even need a little bit of a nudge right now to remember that you and your store, your, your studio already has a story. And what I would like to remind you of right now before we dive into all the details that I'm so desperate to share with you, is that that story is more powerful than any discount or any promotion that you will ever run. Because here's the truth. People are not coming to you to buy one Pilates class. They are looking for more than that. They're looking for an experience. They're looking for a place that they belong. They're looking to feel better, stronger, more confident, more powerful, more capable. And they want to buy into that being the why behind you doing what you do. So whether you're just starting out or whether you have been teaching and running your studio for years, the way that you share your studio story can radically change how your potential new clients perceive you and also how your current clients engage with you. Okay, so let's dive into it. I think, you know, I think that when it comes to marketing, especially some, especially social media marketing, we often end up in a bit of a rinse and repeat cycle of, of the same thing. And perhaps, you know, after a while, we kind of lack a little bit of inspiration and not really sure what to post other than sort of join us for our class or buy the new client special or here's a schedule for this week or here's a picture of, you know, a client doing a movement or book now. And these are all great by and on there at any point to have in your marketing mix, a content mix. And it's not wrong to have posts like this at all. In fact, I often encourage my studio owners to post these exact type of posts. However, it's also important to mix in a different type of post, right? Because those types of posts that I just mentioned. Join us for a class. Book your book now buy your the new client special are all calls to action that are quite sort of transactional, right. And when there's a lot of that type of content in the world, and there is a lot of that type of content in the world, you end up kind of in this sort of sea of sameness where there's a lot of the same type of content out there and you're not really giving people a reason to care, you're giving them a reason to sort of keep going and scrolling past and perhaps onto the next thing that perhaps has a bit of a story to it, Right? So instead of perhaps saying, you know, what is it that I want to sell this week? I would perhaps consider, you know, adding into the mix of your marketing campaigns. What is the story that you want your brand to tell in someone else's life? Okay. Because your studio probably didn't start out as just a business plan. I was talking to a studio owner last week who, who had opened a studio three months ago in. In April, and she has opened off to a flying start, hugely successful opening, fantastic numbers from the beginning. And when I asked her about her business, she didn't tell me about the prices she had. She didn't even actually tell me about the classes that she offered. What she did tell me about, though, was the experience she wanted to create for her clients, the way she wanted them to feel. Right. And the way that she wanted to. She. The. The reason why she started that business was because of that exact reason. And so if you probably in the beginning had those kind of ideas in the mix as well, right. It wasn't just a pen to paper. It wasn't just an Excel spreadsheet that drove you to opening your business. It probably was something a little bit deeper than that. Something drew you into teaching, something drew you into opening your own space, Right. Perhaps creating the energy, that experience, that atmosphere, perhaps the desire to create that community who also loves movement just as much as you and me. Right? But often what happens is we find ourselves over time losing that and, or hiding it, perhaps. And so we often default into that professional mode instead of that personal mode. And sometimes that can happen intentionally, and sometimes it can happen unintentionally. And, and when we do that, we often lose that very special thing that would have made someone stop scrolling and say, hey, wait a minute, I need to be a part of that. So people don't want to buy perfect, right? They don't buy from perfect businesses. They want to buy from real people with real passion and real drive and really deep purpose, truly. And so your journey from perhaps a student of the method to the teacher to the studio owner really is the brand. And what you've learned along the way and the energy that you have in doing what you do is often your brand as well. And so what you've learned over that time, what you have discovered about movement in life and so on, can often be just that transformation that other people want to have for themselves as well, which means that you sharing your story is likely to truly inspire others in the way that you really want. So what does this actually look like in your marketing? I'm probably, probably thinking, hey, Sarah, and this all sounds great. I'm in. I like it. I like this idea. This sounds actually kind of easy. And it does, right? So you're probably thinking, okay, but wait a minute, how do I make this happen? And so essentially, we want to start shifting from content that's about classes to content that's about connection. And reality is, is that we want to shift something, some of our content, from about classes because about classes is also good content to have, but it shouldn't just be all of the content. In fact, I think there are three to five kind of pillars of content that I recommend for my studio owners to cover in their marketing efforts at various different points throughout the customer journey. But when it comes to this specific kind of pillar, which is content that creates connection, then there are a few things and a few ways that you can showcase that and share that. Okay. One of my favorite things that you can. Is very easy to incorporate in your marketing and is the. Is getting started. How did you get started in doing what you do? And this can be getting started in the movement practice, or it can be getting started in opening your studio. What was behind the opening? Why did you want to create a new space? What was it that encouraged you to take the leap? Right? And talking about that time in your life, if it was a long time ago or even if it was very recent, is. Is important because it does help to sort of capture perhaps that heart and that vision and that purpose that you had. And it, it draws people in emotionally. And truly, emotion does actually try many, many, many or much of the buying decisions. So maybe it wasn't. Maybe you would say something like, I didn't open this business, this studio, because I love business. I opened it. Because I know what it's like to feel lost in your body and how powerful it is to finally feel at home in it. Right. Just a quick example of something you could share to give people a lot of insight into what motivates you to do what you do. Right. And there's so much more power in that, in that two sentences than there is in that first class free. Right. And so it helps people to understand you and connect with you. And what we know is not only does that help deepen that relationship from the very beginning, but it also increases retention long term as well. Now, so number one is you can always share how you got started. I like that a lot. The second thing you can share is how your clients get started and what they experience in your studio. So testimonials, right. And these are real life journeys of your clients. This is the behind the scenes, not just the before and after perfect photo. Right. But how their life might have changed, how they feel, what they can now do, perhaps what they experienced early on in the. In their journey within your business. And what happens often is that your ideal, most amazing client will see themselves in those stories. So it creates a sense of possibility. Right. And I think for most people who embark on a new fitness or new movement practice, they're hoping that there is something that is going to help them in that there is some. There is that there is a possibility of, of a, of an, of an improvement of a change of a. Of something that they're not. They don't have right now. So client transformation stories, client success stories, testimonials are a fantastic way to showcase that. That. And then the final way that I'm going to share with you today, there are many, many more, by the way. But the final way that I want to share with you today is some behind the scenes. Right. And I think everybody loves a good behind the scenes. I mean, don't we all love reality TV for this exact reason? Yes. So why do we like the behind the scenes? Well, they help to build trust and relatability. Right. And what happens when, you know, how does it. How perhaps is about what happens when you are putting together a new class format. What happens when there are no clients in the studio? What is everybody doing in the studio when there's no clients in the studio? What is it like to open up the studio in the morning or shut it down in the evening? What is it like to be the leader and the marketer of your business? What are you doing in that role and showing that behind the scenes Kind of lets people in, right? Lets people into your world a little bit more, lets people into your life a little bit more. And you know, often this is what truly builds that loyalty because they, your, your clients and your community really, truly get to know you a little bit better, right? Which is only a good thing. So storytelling is about sort of opening up a little bit, but it isn't just about, you know, that woman fuzzy feeling, right? It's also about building brand equity. Meaning over time, that story that you share actually becomes a marketing asset. And so as you use this tool in your marketing toolkit, it's one tool in of many, many, many tools in your marketing toolkit. You can use this, your different stories that you can tell about your experience opening your business and why perhaps your, your, your other experiences you've had in your movement practice that you teach, perhaps experiences you've seen in your clients, these set of stories becomes your marketing assets, right? And what happens when we tell a story is it creates feelings for people and this is what, how people develop that connection, right? We always say, you know, people always remember how you made them feel. And that's why these stories can be so powerful in marketing. Now, I do want to just put a quick disclaimer and caveat on all of this, which is that I want you to tell honest stories. I want you to be truthful and genuine and authentic in the stories that you tell. So if you are going to share stories, which I encourage you to do, make sure they're real stories, okay? Because that's kind of important in business, especially businesses where you're building relationships, okay? But as you're sharing those stories, know that the more you're able to connect some of a story that you can tell to the client in front of you, then the more you're opening up the world for them as well, right? So while discounts might get attention, while the scheduling posts might be helpful and useful, the stories will build that deeper emotional connection, right? And it's that deeper emotional connection that turns someone who's perhaps kind of curious about your business, by your studio into a committed client right now, people can copy your pricing, people can copy your Instagram look, people can even copy your class names, even your studio names sometimes. But guess what? They can't copy. And that is your story, right? And so when I come, I appro. When I work with my studio owners inside of Thrive, inside of the marketing Intensive, which is a part of Thrive, we run it three to four times a year as part of Thrive, we come back to this very theme every single time. And that is your brand, your brand essence, your brand promise, and what you are all about. Because no matter what, nobody else can copy that. Okay, so maybe you are thinking, yeah, that sounds great, I get it. I want to share my story. But maybe you. You're not sure what to say or how to start, and that's totally fair. I mean, I think that I've seen it all. Some folks tend to write and share pages and pages and pages of their, you know, every step of their journey on their about page. And then others barely, you know, open the door even the tiniest crack into, you know, the behind the scenes of their lives and that. So it's totally fair. And everyone has a different kind of level of comfort with all of this. But inside of Thrive and inside of the marketing intensive, I take you through, step by step, the exercises and the framework that helps you to uncover and to clarify and to share your studio's story in a way that really will create really real resonance in your marketing with the exact types of people that you want in your studio. Because the reality is you're not a professional writer. I mean, maybe, maybe you are, I don't know. But many of you listening are not a professional writer, and neither am I. But when you have a little bit of guidance and when you have a really strong message, and you can, because you have both of those things, then you have the confidence to be seen. The confidence doesn't come first. It always comes last, actually. So after you have that guidance and when you have the message that you know is the right message to share, then you'll have the confidence to be seen. Okay, so here's what we covered today. Quick recap. Most marketing is forgettable, mostly because it's transactional, right? I mean, do you remember the last Instagram post you saw? No. Me neither. Because probably it was an ad for something that maybe I should want. But when we see people's stories, right, people share behind the scenes of what's happening in their world. It's different. It makes you unforgettable. And so while I don't need to know what you had for dinner last night, it is helpful to, if you're. If your studio brand takes on that kind of a Persona and shares a little bit more of what you're all about in your marketing. And I think that when you practice this, it truly can be sort of your secret weapon to building deep relationships with your clients, which means that they stick around a lot longer, they refer people to you and have that fabulous ripple effect on the. The. The growth of your business. So think about things that you can share about your business, things like how you got started, some client success stories, and you know, those fun perhaps behind the scenes that perhaps were overlooked too often. And I want you to focus on that connection and more often than perhaps you are doing right now. So, you know, mix it in amongst the announcements about the new classes or the special offers or the new client trial. Okay. And if you want some help crafting your story, then just remember that's what we do inside of Thrive. It's one of my favorite things actually to help my studio owners to do because I want you to know that your story is not too small and it's definitely not. Not interesting enough. Okay. It's exactly what somewhere out there needs to hear to believe probably that this is the right next step for them too. Right. And your studio is more than just a business. It's got such enormous ripple effects, so that can have such incredible impacts. And so I want to make sure everybody around you knows that. All right, so if you're ready to turn your story into a magnet for new clients, then I'd love to invite you into Thrive. We're actually kicking off a new round of the marketing intensive very, very soon. So head on over to spring3.com forward/thrive to learn more. Thank you so much for tuning in and until next time, if you enjoyed what you're here today, then I'd love it it if you could go to wherever you're listening to this and rate and review this podcast. It would mean so much to me. I would help to get this podcast out there into more the ears of more people just like you who are so committed to making movement a part of everyone's life. Did you love this episode and want more? Head to spring3.com and check out my free resources that will help you run a profitable and fulfilling studio business. And before you go, one last reminder. There is no one way to do what you do, only your way. So whatever it is that you want to do, create or offer, you've got this. Thanks again for joining me today and have a wonderful rest of your day. Sat.