Still Find Writing Fitness Articles a Struggle?

Ok, so I've been sharing a little about how to get your personal training services and website found on Google and I've told you about the most powerful form of client attraction you can use to both attract and keep clients on your site.



Of course, I'm talking about writing!



It's such an obvious marketing vehicle that demonstrates your expertise that I'm stunned that more personal trainers don't write more but, well, it's true, they don't!



Now, there are a multitude of rationalisations, reasons and justifications that are used to explain the reluctance to write but by far the most common is this...



"I don't know HOW to write"



Maybe that's what even you believe?



But that's not the case. Not at all!



You see, writing is simple as simple can be.



It's merely the action of taking the thoughts that are buzzing around in your head and putting them on paper (or into a Word document).

But then, I guess what people mean is that they can't write well, right?

Believe it or not, writing well, writing to attract prospects and keep them interested andwriting to keep them interested enough to get to know you, like you and trust you is far, far simpler than most writing-phobics would ever believe.

It's all about structure.

Nothing more, nothing less.

You see, what differentiates a good article from a not-so-good one is not the words or the message, it's how the message is presented.

I gues you could say it's the packaging that the message is wrapped in.

And that's the structure.

Ok, so assuming you accept that fact, what's the best structure for fitness articles?

Well, again, this is so simple and obvious that you'll kick yourself when you read it but, well, here goes...

1. Present a problem - Presenting a problem is without a doubt the best way to capture the attention of your ideal prospect.

Why?

Because the very reason that they're on the internet looking around is for information to solve their problem, of course!

"Have you ever noticed how long it seems to get back into shape after having a baby?"

"Have you ever noticed how many diet books there are in the bookshops these days?"

"Have you ever noticed how hard it is to shift those last 10lbs?"

Present a problem and straight away you're speaking the same language as your prospect... and they're automatically set up to listen!

2. Describe the scope of the problem - Yep, lay out the size and scope of the problem with statistics or anecdotes to support your problem description....

"It seems that just about every new mum you meet..."

"A trip to my local bookstore showed over 300 popular diets..."

"Research by Harvard med school students revealed that 67% of all women...."

See, people want to know that they're not 'the freak', they want to know that the problem isn't with them and them alone and they want to know that YOU are aware of this too. If you are, that automatically starts to shift you to expert status in their eyes. An excellent place to be!

3. Describe the cost - It might be financial, it might be health, it might be emotional but whatever it is, describe it and do so in such a way as to PROVE that you know what you're talking about.

"... will tell you just how hard it is to lose 'baby fat' and get back to pre-pregnancy shape and that their inability to do so results in stress, frustration, depression and self-loathing..."

"...diets that are range from high carb to low carb, high fat to low fat and everything in between, leading to confusion, frustration and feelings of helplessness and even ambivalence to the whole diet 'thing'...

"...are spending in excess of $100,000,000 a year on weight loss supplements, meal replacement powders and fat burners..."

Once you tell me this, I'm now convinced that you know your stuff, after all, you've done your research, you know my problem, you know how many people suffer from it and you also know how having the problem affects me.

You're definitely moving into expert status in my eyes!

4. Present a solution - But not YOUR solution... yet!

Tell me that there IS a solution to the problem.

Tell me that there are diets, workouts, motivational strategies that I can adopt and that can and do work to bring about great results for people with this problem.

In other words, give me some good news.

But not YOUR good news.

Why?

Because I'll switch off and have a 'I knew it, they're trying to sell me' moment.

Instead, tell me about how easy it is to solve this problem...

"...you know, shifting baby weight isn't as difficult as most people think. All it takes is..."

"... the truth is, diets are anywhere near as complex as most authors and experts would have you believe. It all comes down to..."

"... You know, shifting that last 10lbs is so much simpler than the experts would hav you believe. It's not rocket science..."

5. NOW present YOUR solution! - But don't sell me...

Articles are not the place to sell. They're the place to inform, educate and stimulate.

They're the place to get me to know, like and trust you.

So tell me about the system you use by all means, but don't ram it down my throat.

"What we've found is that the fastest, most effective way to guarantee that new mum's losefat in the fastest, safest way possible is to.... and.... and.... and.... BECAUSE..."

6. Now give me some examples - But NOT testimonials!

People want to hear success stories for sure, but testimonials (despite what you may have been told) have no place in your fitness articles.

Quotes are ok but the strongest support from your expertise are stories.

Stories work!

One of my mentor students recently emailed me to tell me that since he's started telling stories in his blog and his newsletters that both his online and offline sales have increased by over 300%. Not bad huh? Especially when you think that his content is almost identical in factual content and it's just the inclusion of stories that have accounted for the traffic.

What kind of stories?

Stories that bring home the focus of your expertise!

Tell your reader how you got a new mum back into shape in just 6 weeks.

Tell 'em how you created the perfect diet that's been downloaded over 20,000 times, is free to download and works every time.

Tell 'em how you use interval training and resistance work to get rid of that last 10lbs and what achieving this has done for your clients' self confidence.

Entertain them, intrigue them, tantalise them.

But don't sell them.

No free consultations, no website addresses, no 'call now' stuff.

Just the 'meat' of the article.

Finally...

7. Wrap up - Create a concise summary of the article, about how there is a problem but that there's also a number of solutions that people can try and that there's hope.

Remind them that the simplest, fastest and most successful solution is yours because you've covered all the bases for people 'just like them' and then spur them into taking action.

Empower them.

Make them feel positive about doing something to solve their problem.

See, it's not difficult is it?

In fact, it's pretty easy when you think about it. It just requires that you truly understand the problems faced by your prospects and that you genuinely care enough about them to give them the answers they need to advance them in the direction of the solution.

In fact, the truest test of whether or not you've created an article that will be of benefit is to ask this question:

"If this person ONLY ever read my article and didn't call me to work with them one on one, would they still get benefit from what I've written?"

If the answer is 'yes' then publish it. If, on the other hand, when you read it you find that you've held back on 'the good stuff' in the hope that they'll call you to find out more, then don't publish at all, you'll only end up looking greedy and uncaring.

Now it's over to you!

You could spend a few more months thinking about writing something or you could simply go ahead and do it.

Do it today!

Use this template and you'll be stunned at the response!

Truth, joy and love

Dax
www.personaltrainersuccessacademy.com

P.S - Read back through this article and compare it to the template. You'll find it fits almost exactly.... aren't I good? : )

P.P.S - I'll incentivise your article writing... Send me an article in this format in the next 2 weeks and I'll put it in front of 20,000 subscribers on my client list (not personal trainers)

How To Get Your Personal Training Articles Onto 40 Google Pages In A Week

I just sent an email out to my private mentoring group about this
great, great, great (you can tell I like it) article submission
site I've just started using upload my articles and I thought, why
not share it with my 'big list' too?

Why am I so excited?

Well, I loaded an article on monday this week and it's already been
all over the internet and published in 12 blogs and 8 newsletters.
The best bit is that I get the link accreditation and 'Dax Moy is..."
bio in all of them!

But not only that, it's been indexed on over 40 pages on Google
over that time AND been interviewed by three reporters about the
piece too.

Since Monday!

I've NEVER had that happen, even when I've paid someone to manually
upload my articles by hand.

See for yourself how my fun little article 'The 7 Rules For Gaining
Fat Fast' has done in the last few days...

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%22the+7+rules+fo
r+gaining+fat...+fast%21%22

If you have any articles that you really want to get out there
fast, then you should really go take a look at

http://www.submityourarticle.com/affiliates/idevaffiliate.php?id=560
and try 'em out.

They're only $37 a month (about 16 quid) but I have never had a
submission site do this for me before, and I've tried lots of 'em.

Now, clearly, the above link is my affiliate link, meaning that I
stand to make a commission if you sign up (It costs you exactly the
same whether you use my link or not) but don't let that fool you
into thinking that I'm recommending it for that reason.

I'm not.

In fact, if you really don't want me to earn a commission for
sending you there you can just go straight to submityourarticle.com
and sign up directly.

But however you want to play it, I'd strongly recommend you sign up
and try it out for yourself.

Again, just look at

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%22the+7+rules+fo
r+gaining+fat...+fast%21%22

to see how one single article of mine has appeared all over the
place since monday.

Now think on this.

Would it be useful to be all over the internet come January 1st
when everyone starts looking for PT's?

You're allowed to submit 8 articles a month with this service,
meaning that if you submit 20 plus articles by New Year and each
one is submitted over 40 times (like mine was), you'll be on EIGHT
HUNDRED pages of the internet.

How many pages are you on now?

Go on, just get one of your old articles, or jot down a new one this afternoon and send it on over to
http://www.submityourarticle.com/affiliates/idevaffiliate.php?id=560

Truth, joy and love

Dax

www.personaltrainersuccessacademy.com

Dax's CNN Debut

I've managed to get on quite a few live TV spots in my time but recently, just 2 days after getting back into the UK I was invited as an expert guest onto CNN News to speak about obesity and and exercise.

Check it out...



www.daxmoy-pts.co.uk

Get Your Personal Training Website Found On GOOGLE Part 2

Yesterday I told you about doing a keyword audit and checking out the effectiveness of how your own keywords are performing.

I obviously touched a nerve because I had a bundle of mails that told me that most personal trainers 'know' that something is wrong with their site in this regard but that they're simply not sure what to do about it.

"What keywords should I actually use?" was the major question.

It seems that people either cover all their bases by using hundreds of search terms or not enough. Actually, many people don't have any at all!

Well, it's a tough one to tell you EXACTLY what you should have in your keywords but I've a fair idea what should consitute the MINIMUM.

Things like:

'Personal trainer [your town]'
'Personal training [your town]'
'personal fitness training [your town]'
'fitness training [your town]'
'strength training [your town]'

Why?

Well, think about it.

When YOU search for a plumber, don't you type in 'plumber in [yourtown]' or some variation?

It is EXACTLY how people are looking for your skills too!

But they're also looking for SPECIFIC knowledge about your services too y'know!

'Fast fat loss [yourtown]'
'Back pain specialist [yourtown]'
'post partum fitness [yourtown]'

C'mon, you can see that this is simple and, well, obvious, but are you actually including these kewords in your keyword tags on your website?

No?

Why not?

Did someone tell you that 'personal trainer [yourtown]' was to competitive or too generic for you to stand a chance of getting found?

Ignore them.

Just think of this logically. People search for what they want or what they need, in a specific area.

They'll search for you this way too!

Dax

www.personaltrainersuccessacademy.com

Are these guys for real??

Yesterday I posted about the appropriate use of keywords on your website in order to improve position rankings on Google.

I got lots of emails as a result, most of which were positive, a few neutral, and 3 or 4 that were from people who'd hit 'unsubscribe' on my autoresponder and left snarky comments about what a waste of time the newsletter is and how I share crap information that doesn't work.

That may be how they feel about me and they're certainly entitled to their opinions, but I always try to evalute the comments (both good and bad) that I get from my readers to see if I can learn more.

In this case, I checked out the websites of my three accusers and found that their pages were WAYYYY down in Googles ranks.

Specifically, they were at page 18, page 12 and page 8 for the search terms 'personal trainer' and 'personal training' in their home towns.

Not only that, they either had too many keywords or none at all!

Look, you don't have to like me, you don't have to agree with me and you don't have to do ANYTHING with what I share with you.

You don't.

That's completely up to you.

BUT...

When you're at page 18 on Google (or 12, or 8) don't write me offensive, rude and unfriendly mails telling me 'I don't know jack'. A page one Google listing for Personal Training London is about as good as it gets... and I got it.

Not only that, I'm telling YOU how to get it too and not charging you a penny for the priviledge.

Think on this...

Dax
www.personaltrainersuccessacademy.com

Get Your Personal Training website found on Google

I get a stack of emails every single week asking me how it is that I managed to get my personal website www.daxmoy.co.uk ranked so highly on Google under what is, in the UK at least, a VERY competitive search term.

(Personal training in London and Personal Trainer in London are tough to get ranked on and yet, I'm right up there on page one)

Well, there are a stack of things I've done to create a search engine optimisation process that works, but it all starts with a simple process.

So simple, in fact, that most personal trainers overlook it.

Keywords.

Yep, adding simple keywords to your website that are relevant, informative and actually within your content are a great way to get a higher ranking from Google.

You knew this right?

But are you DOING it?

If not, you're really screwing up your chances of getting a premier spot on the top search engines and, of course, getting a higher number of red-hot visitors to your site too!

Before Imade this post, I looked at around 40 webpages for their keywords and saw that an abysmally small number (6) had ANY at all!

Maybe your site was one of them?!

Have a look at this neat little tool https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal and get your site optimised right away.

If you do, your personal training website will jump up to a far more 'findable' position and you'll soon become the highest ranked personal trainer in your area.

Do it!

Dax

P.S - Did you notice how I got the keywords 'personal trainer' and 'personal training' into this blog posting a few times? Helps you to create relevance! : )

Seth Godin Speaks To Dax Moy!

Unless you've had your head buried in the sands for the last few years, I'm certain you'll have heard of Seth Godin.

He's the self-confessed marketing geek who's been responsible for changing the way the world looks at marketing through some of the most highly insightful, impactful and bottom-line, result-producing marketing books of all time.

In fact, Godin is in such high demand that he even presents to companies like Google and Amazon to teach them how to make a greater impact with their own marketing.

So yes, he's the real deal. He knows his stuff.

Well, it just so happens that I'm a bit of a Godin geek myself, having read everything the man has written over the last few years (and benefitted greatly from it all) and have had it in the back of my mind to touch base with him and ask him about his marketing beliefs and how that may be of benefit the the personal training industry.

So... I did!

And I was amazed that 5 minutes after I emailed him, he wrote back saying that he'd be pleased to answer a few questions for my readers.

(See, if you don't ask, you don't get!)

Now, Seth is pretty economical with his answers, he doesn't waste time with 'flowery stuff' and gets right down to the 'meat' of the issue but nevertheless, his answers are, I'm sure you'll agree, extremely insightful.

See for yourself!

(My own thoughts about Seths answers are AFTER his answers)

1. Seth, what is your definition of excellence?

Excellence has little to do with quality or perfection, and everything to do with exceeding expectations.

2. Who have been the major influencers/mentors that have helped shape your own outlook and why?

Zig Ziglar, Tom Peters, Guy Kawasaki, Jay Levinson, Neal Stephenson, Jeff Bezos, David Seuss, Dr. Seuss, Lenore Godin (my mom) and my dad, Bill Godin.

Writers who told the truth and inspired, managers who pushed the edges and parents that understood both balance and what excellence really means.

Dax: In the excellence module of the 2 year diploma, I teach that your sphere of influence has a major impact upon your own concept of excellence... who's in YOUR sphere?

3. What are the last 3 books you read and what did you take away from them?

I've been reading a lot of Max Barry... he's funny and truthful and smart. I get a lot of out Ben and Jackie's books. And I'm rereading some Pema Chodron right now, because she understands how to breathe.

Dax: You know, one of the reasons I ask this question is from a truly selfish perspective. If I ask recognised experts what they're reading and then I read the same, I'm building the same bank of knowledge as they are. Can't hurt right?

4. As an acknowledged expert on marketing, you must spend a lot of time looking at and reviewing the marketing efforts of others. What are the biggest mistakes that you see being made and why are they mistakes? (In other words, what should people STOP doing?)

That's pretty easy...
Stop deceiving people.
Stop feeling self-important.
Stop being selfish.
Stop making sense (sorry, couldn't resist).

Dax: That's why I love Seth's stuff. His entire philosophy is about being damn-good at what you do and marketing through truth rather than B.S and clever hype. We could all learn a lot from that, I think (myself included!)

5. Why do you think people are still making these mistakes despite the abundance of good, solid marketing material now available?

Because it's human nature. Because people are people first, marketers second.

Dax: That's so simple yet so profound. I guess that even when we're doing our best to market our 'stuff', we can't help but get into 'how can I sell more?' mode and put our own interests first. Yet, if we could truly get past that and really think about how we can help the prospects... wow!

6. What is the single most powerful step that any business person can take to make a bigger bottomline impact from their marketing? (In other words, what should they START doing?)

Build a permission asset.

Earn the right to deliver anticipated, personal and relevant messages to people who want to get them. (Also, start making stuff worth talking about).

Dax: Between my various lists, I 'talk' to 30,000 people a week, every single one of whom signed up and gave me permission to contact them again. This is the opposite of what Seth calls 'interruption marketing' where you spam, annoy or interrupt a person who never expected to hear from you in the first place.

How many people anticipate your marketing?

7. Why aren't people doing this already if it's so effective?


Because it takes patience (and guts).

Dax: It's true. We all hear about marketing efforts that work 'overnight' and expect that that kind of marking is the norm.

It's not.

Most marketing (most successful marketing, that is) is slower, yet more permanent in nature.

And yes, it takes guts to invest time and effort every week to communicate your message without the 'buzz' of a weekly sale of some kind. But the results are more than worth it.

8. Ok, we've looked at the things that marketers should stop doing, we've looked at what they should start doing, what, in your opinion, do you think is already being done well and should be done more of?


I think the overall quality of what is made is extraordinarily high.

We really don't have to make it a lot higher. (Except the airlines).

Dax: How many products, ebooks, audios have you quit (or never even started) because you thought that it needed to be 'just right'?

I used to do this all the time....

9. To get specific to my readers industry, fitness, what do you perceive as the biggest barrier to marketing success within this niche and what are some of the steps YOU would take to market a fitness business if you decided to change profession?

Dax: This is powerful stuff!

This is an acknowledged world-expert on marketing with absolutely no ties to our profession telling us why we're not connecting to our prospects.

Are you thinking what I'm thinking??

Don't let the brevity of Seth's answers fool you into thinking that what he said isn't revevent.

It is.

In fact, this may be the most important marketing lesson you'll ever learn.

Now, do something with it!