Why Email Newsletters Are So Vital to Your Fitness-over-50 Business

The biggest social media channels in the world have been in the news a lot lately. And it has renewed my belief in the power of email for marketing your small business and exercising the greatest control over your communications.

Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t use Facebook or any of the others — they’re still powerful tools, of course. And I’m not getting into the controversies around any of it.

But I want to refocus your attention on email newsletters to grow your business. I’ll create a new episode about it shortly, but this week I want to revisit an episode from two or three years ago. It covers a lot of the reasons why you shouldn’t rely on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or anyone else to be your primary communications channel with prospects and members. Look for that upcoming episode soon. Now, enjoy this encore edition.

#fitover50 #contentmarketing #emailnewsletters 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The biggest social media channels in the world have
been in the news a lot lately,as you probably know, with
Facebook and Instagram ownershipmaking lots of headlines and
TikTok being banned and then notbanned and I don't even know
where it is right now hasrenewed my belief in the power

(00:28):
of email for marketing yoursmall business and for
exercising the greatest controlover your communications.
Now, I'm not saying youshouldn't use Facebook or any of
the others they're stillpowerful tools, of course, and I
am not getting into any of thecontroversies around all of this
but I want to focus yourattention on email newsletters
to grow your business.

(00:48):
I'm going to create a newepisode about it shortly, but
this week I want to revisit areally useful episode from two
or three years ago.
It covers a lot of the reasonswhy you shouldn't rely on
Facebook or Instagram or TikTokor anyone else to be your
primary communications channelwith prospects and members.

(01:11):
So look for that upcomingepisode soon.
For now, enjoy this encoreedition of Optimal Aging.
Hi everybody, I'm Jay Croft andwelcome to the Optimal Aging
Podcast, where we discuss thebusiness of exercise, healthy
living and well-being for people50 and over.

(01:34):
Each week, we explore whathealthy living means for
millions of people over age 50and what's coming next, with a
focus on communications, contentand making powerful connections

(01:55):
.
Now here's a story this weekfor all you gym or studio owners
out there who say you don'thave time to manage an email
list or send out emails toprospects and clients on a
regular basis.
I hear this a lot from some ofyou that you know you think
email is passe or nobody readsanymore, or you don't want to be
annoying to people on youremail list, or you don't have

(02:18):
time to gather people to start anew email list, et cetera.
So I want to tell you aboutPaolo Andaleft of Fit Factor in
Fort Lauderdale, florida.
Paolo is a friend of mine.
He's a member of the FunctionalAging Institute mastermind.
He's a veteran studio ownerwith his partner, michael

(02:40):
Johnston in Fort Lauderdale.
They've been at it for morethan 20 years doing great and
serving this market, this over50 market.
I saw Paulo last week at themastermind gathering of the
Functional Aging Institute inNashville and he shared this
story that I'm going to sharewith you.

(03:00):
So thanks, paulo, for lettingme deliver this to everybody.
Listening Back in 2017, paolosent one email that has brought
in hundreds of thousands ofdollars in ongoing revenue and
is still generating new referralclients right now.
That's right.
One email has brought inhundreds of thousands of dollars

(03:24):
in revenue.
How is that possible?
Well, here's what he said lastweek in Nashville.
He said when we first launchedsmall group training, I sent out
a newsletter because we hadnever offered small group
training before.
And I got an email from a manwho said I live down the street

(03:44):
from you, what's up with this?
Well, that man signed upimmediately.
Right, and he liked thetraining so much that he brought
in his wife and then his adultkids and eventually a few
friends of the family.
The referrals continued asrecently as a few weeks ago and
so far Paolo has won over eightclients from that single email.

(04:08):
He says that's the power of anemail, thank you.
And how much did it cost?
Zero, I spent nothing.
To get eight clients.
I wrote an email.
Don't underestimate the powerof it.
So referrals like this giveinstant authority to your gym or

(04:28):
studio.
As Paulo said, when they comein from a referral, they are
ready to sign.
They're not asking a lot ofquestions about cost or anything
else.
Paolo's clients often stay formany years.
Fit Factor has been in businessfor 21 years.
Most of the eight who joinedbecause of this one email joined

(04:50):
shortly after Paolo sent outthat email five years ago and
they've all stayed so if youmultiply the monthly fees over
time, you get a conservativeestimate of lifetime value
easily $250,000, probably more,it's possible to say, of course,
but Apollo has low turnover andclearly those eight are true

(05:14):
believers in what he's offering.
Regardless of the final number,it's still an amazing return on
one email.
Like all smart gym and studioowners, paulo has been nurturing
his email list of clients andprospects for many years.
He adds new people to itsystematically.
He consistently sends themengaging, interesting content,

(05:36):
including some from Prime Fitcontent, my business.
Paulo also updates his blog andhis Facebook feed with Prime
Fit content and with his ownupdates about Fit Factor.
He and his partner Michael arebig believers in community
involvement.
They attend functions of theChamber of Commerce and similar

(05:58):
organizations in Fort Lauderdale.
They participate in charity andcommunity events.
They practice referralmarketing with other businesses
and they start by asking how FitFactor can help the other
establishment first, not bygoing in and asking for a favor
right away.
Consistent communications andcommunity involvement always pay

(06:23):
off in the long run, so doesemail, and I know that's a
bitter pill for some of you whoinsist you don't have time or
that nobody wants to be botheredwith emails or whatever other
excuse you're using to avoidthis most basic marketing tool
available to all smallbusinesses.

(06:56):
Marketing guru who created theContent Marketing Institute and
has written a few books oncontent marketing and has a
terrific podcast about it, andJoe is always stressing
something that I believe in verymuch that you shouldn't build
your empire on rented land.
You know that means don't relyentirely on Facebook or LinkedIn
or some other social mediachannel or any channel out there

(07:16):
.
That's not yours, because youdon't own those contacts.
You don't own your content thatyou share on Facebook and the
other channels.
You do own your email list.
That's the one thing that youabsolutely control.
So I hope that Paulo's examplebrings home to you the value and

(07:38):
the importance of maintainingand making the most out of your
email list.
Now look, I'm not telling youthat you're going to one day
send an email that brings in aquarter million dollars or more
revenue.
I don't know, maybe you will,but I do know that consistent,
steady emailing of valuable,relevant content always pays off

(08:00):
in one way or another, even ifit's not always this spectacular
.
So is email worth it?
Ask Paolo and then decide hey,everybody wants to bring in more
money and to save time, right?
Well, our friends at Nomly arehere to help you improve your
gym's communications withclients and grow your business.

(08:22):
Join more than 300 fitnesscoaches who are doing more
business with less work.
Helps to systematize andsimplify gym operations by
centralizing member data andcommunications, so gym owners
can increase their customerlifetime value, improve staff
efficiencies and raise thebottom line.

(08:43):
This centralized communicationstool helps you in lots of ways.
It helps you orchestratereferral programs at the push of
a button, helps you holdclients accountable with
built-in two-way texting, and itlets you rest assured that all
your clients' messages are beinghandled properly.
Schedule a free consultationtoday at nomlycom.

(09:04):
Slash optimal-aging-podcast.
That's nomly.
N-a-a-m-l-ycom slashoptimal-aging-podcast Back to
the show.

(09:25):
Thank you for listening to theOptimal Aging Podcast.
I'm your host, jay Croft, and Ihope you enjoyed it, and if you
did, I hope you'll subscribe,tell a friend and write a review
.
All of that helps us grow ouraudience.
I also hope you'll share anycomments you have with me in an
email or on social media,including suggestions for people

(09:47):
I should interview or topics Ishould cover.
You can learn more about me andmy content business at
primefitcontentcom.
You can send me an email at jayat primefitcontentcom.
That's jay atprimefitcontentcom.
I'm also on Facebook, linkedinand Instagram, so find me

(10:09):
anywhere you like and be intouch.
And again, thanks for listening.
Join us next time.