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How To Create Good Video Content You’re a great coach, but no one outside your gym knows it. Let’s show them. STEP ONE Don’t set up a sound stage: just coach a class as you normally would, and record the “skills” portion. Use your phone, a small video camera or DSLR. Record the whole thing. STEP TWO Review the video, and find the best cue or tip you used. Cut that portion and drop it into iMovie or Corel Video Studio Pro. STEP THREE Add your logo to the start and finish. STEP FOUR (OPTIONAL): Clean up the background noise. In iMovie, reducing background noise by 50-55% can remove hum without distorting your voice too much. Or use a more sophisticated tool like Audacity. STEP FIVE: Add a simple “next step” for viewers: a site to visit, a facebook link, or another video to watch. STEP SIX: Post to your YouTube Channel. Add a link to sign up for your intro session in the video summary. THIS IS IMPORTANT: Don’t wait until you can create a perfect video. Consistency is better than perfect lighting and sound. START HERE: Video the movements you teach in your OnRamp or Foundations program first. These are the most important, and most usable in future content marketing. AND…..ACTION! Download a sample template for use in your staff handbook here: Sample Video Content

  You need to show people how you can help them. Content marketing doesn’t mean plastering flyers on windshields: it means demonstrating your expertise. After all, if they don’t KNOW you’re the best coach around, who’s going to tell them? Not your competition! Here’s how to create a simple 300-word blog post: FIRST PARAGRAPH Explain how your topic will help the reader. Give them a reason to pay attention. Benefits, not features: “Squatting will keep you out of the nursing home. It’s the single most important exercise you can do. Here’s how to do it right.” SECOND PARAGRAPH Show, don’t tell. Keep instructions simple, and use pictures to illustrate what you want. “Push your hips back until your weight is on your heels (you should be able to wiggle your toes.)” Focus on what to DO, not what to avoid. THIRD PARAGRAPH Give examples: when should people squat? How often? “Try to do ten perfect squats in a row. Include squats in your warm-up, or do 20 while the coffee’s brewing!” FOURTH (SUMMARY) PARAGRAPH Give the reader a “next step” to take. “Click here to watch a video demo!” The most important thing in content marketing is CONSISTENCY. Get a blog post up every week, and post a coaching video at least three times every month. Make it good, not perfect, and hit “post.” A downloadable version of this post to add to your staff handbook: Blog Post Template

“Fit It Forward” Marketing Strategy – Details Riding The Wave Choosing a gym seems like a logical one, but it’s driven by emotion.
When people decide to lose weight, they’re admitting they’re fat. When they decide to get stronger, they’re admitting they’re weak. When they say their back hurts, or their knees ache, or they can’t walk up a flight of stairs anymore, they’re admitting they’re feeble. Even young, healthy studs making the switch from McFitness are in a highly emotional state: they’re excited. And this is never more true than after the holidays. It’s the real reason people join gyms in January. You don’t need to offer discounts after the Open; you just need to embrace their emotional drive. With Fit It Forward, that’s exactly our goal. Creating A Wave of Emotion People like your gym. And they like you. But sometimes, they LOVE the gym. When their emotional state is heightened, they’re far more likely to recruit their friends. So when are they most passionate about you?
* after a “bright spot,” like a first pull-up * after overcoming a social obstacle (finishing their first Open in front of everyone)
* after a longer-term challenge (food challenge, “The Gift,” PR Week.) Chances are, you’re already giving them these emotional high points. When they’re bursting to tell people about you, why not give them a reason? In this strategy guide, we’re going to create that emotional high point, and then use our “Fit It Forward” strategy to ride the wave. The “Help-First” Handoff In Handoffs and Hail-Marys, I wrote about a client’s three points of influence: those they live with, those they work with, and those who attend their “third place.” All of those folks should be doing CrossFit. We’re going to invite them using our “Help First” philosophy. Our message: you feel great about yourself, and rightfully so. If there’s anyone in your life you’d like to share this feeling with, ...