The Guide to Marketing Your Pilates Studio

Running a successful Pilates studio is a full-time job, and it can be challenging for many studio owners to find the time to manage their studio and take care of all of the online marketing. If you don't have any online marketing experience, this task can seem overwhelming and stressful. Where do you begin?

The first step in developing an effective online marketing strategy is to spell out all of the necessary pieces that work together to get new clients into your studio.

To make your life a bit easier, we've created this guide that describes all of the components of a successful online marketing plan.

A Great Pilates Website

Your website is the core of your entire online marketing plan.

A great Pilates website will provide all of the information a potential client needs to learn about your studio, the services you offer, and will make it easy for them to contact you and make an appointment.

What makes a good website is pretty involved, so check out our guide to Pilates websites.

Pilates Content

You need to have written content on your website for two reasons:

First, most people visiting your website don't know much about Pilates and this is your chance to educate them. You'll want to have articles on your site that describe what Pilates is and how it can benefit them.

Second, Google uses the content on your website to determine how to index your site in the search results. By having articles and blog posts on your site about Pilates and your city, you'll have a great chance of ranking well in the search results. That means that clients are more likely to find your website than a competitor's.

At Waxwing, your Pilates website comes configured with SEO-ready Pilates content. You also can use our site editor to add your own articles, blog posts, images, and videos!

Google My Business

Getting your studio listed in Google My Business is critical and one of the first things you need to do for success.

For certain kinds of businesses (Pilates, yoga, massage therapy), Google assumes that if someone is doing a search, they're looking for a local business. If someone in your community does a Google search for "Pilates," a properly setup Google My Business profile means that your studio will display in the Google Maps and Local Business results. This is exactly where you need to be, as these results show up at the top of the page. Being #1 in the Local Maps listings can drive a lot of traffic to your website.

There are a number of things that you need to work on when setting up your Google My Business listing. These include having the correct name, address, and phone information (NAP); accurate studio hours; and images of your studio.

Google My Business is a powerful tool, and we've created a guide to getting started.

Client Reviews

Having good client testimonials and reviews are a powerful marketing tool and one that you need to spend some time working on. Reviews serve multiple functions in your marketing strategy:

First, people use business reviews when making purchase decisions. If they see your studio has 20 5-star reviews and another local Pilates studio has fewer or no reviews, your business will instantly have more credibility.

Second, Google My Business prominently displays your review score, so clients will see your ratings when they do a Google search.

Third, Google will rank a business with good rating higher than one with poor ratings or fewer reviews. Google's philosophy is that a business with better ratings is a better business and they'll display that first.

Fourth, online reviews act as word-of-mouth online. If a person doesn't have a personal referral to your studio, good reviews and testimonials will serve the same purpose.

It's important to add reviews and testimonials to your website as well as on Google and Yelp! Even better, get a video testimonial and add that to your website and YouTube. That's a very personal and authentic type of referral that can also provide you with some video SEO benefit.

Online Directories

Google looks a lot of different factors when figuring out how to rank your Pilates studio in the search results. Above, we've talked about content on your website, Google My Business, and online reviews. Another ranking factor for local search is online directories.

Google will look at your studio listings in these directories as a type of confirmation that your business is real and legitimate. If Google sees that your business appears in certain directories, they'll assume that your business is established and successful.

In addition, you can never tell where a new client is going to come from. If your studio is setup on Facebook, your business listing will often display in the Google search results and some people will find you when searching in Facebook.

You'll need to make sure that your business is listed in the following directories:

• Yelp!
• Facebook
• Manta.com
• LinkedIn

In addition, you'll want to add your studio to any Pilates organization or local business directories. Make sure that your listings match your name, address, and phone number for NAP consistency.

Social Media

Love it or hate, social media plays a large role when marketing your business. For Pilates studios, you need to have a Facebook and Instagram page at the very least. Twitter isn't useful for most Pilates businesses, unless your client base is active on the platform or you're marketing in a large city.

Social media is a useful marketing tool for the following reasons:

• It's the perfect way to stay in touch with your clients. It's easy to get busy with life and work and family and a timely post on Instagram or Facebook can serve as a reminder to schedule an appointment with you.
• It's a great referral tool. Say that you have an existing client who is chatting with a co-worker about some postural or back pain problem. They can easily share a relevant Facebook post with them from your studio about how Pilates can help.
• It's a fantastic way to build a Pilates community. Getting clients to share stories, testimonials, or photos is a wonderful way to increase engagement and show that your studio is a dynamic place.
• It will help build your search ranking. Active social media accounts with reviews and ratings will show up in the Google results.

Images

Photos of your studio and staff are an important part of your overall marketing.

• They can be used on your website, to show off your studio and equipment.
• They're great for sharing on social media.
• They help people get a sense of your studio.
• They're an important part of your Google My Business profile.
• They're great for including with testimonials.

Take regular photos of your clients (with their permission, of course) and share them to show potential clients that you have a busy studio.

Need Help?

Online marketing for your Pilates studio can be time-consuming and challenging if you're busy with your studio. Waxwing is here to help make your life easier.

We have services for any size Pilates studio that will help you build your online presence and get new clients.

Give us a call today at (855) 780-1081 if you have any questions or would like to get started.