From RAGS To RICHES – storytelling for fitness business marketing

I’ve been talking about storytelling recently – and the most effective “categories” of story for fitness businesses like yours.

Let’s look at another type of story (as identified in Christopher Booker’s 2004 book “Why We Tell Stories“).

Rags To Riches

We can all name several rags to riches stories from fairytales through Disney and beyond. Think Cinderella, Aladdin, Pretty Woman, Forrest Gump, Slumdog Millionaire, and Rocky (yep, him again – I know I mentioned him in the “Overcoming The Monster” post but this is why boxing movies get us so hard in the feels – they are impeccable examples of storytelling).

You know how the R2R story goes. Poor (yet plucky) hero faces incredible challenges despite all the odds being against him. He usually has a loyal sidekick or just one person championing them. Our hero gains something, loses it, then gets it back again – but not until they’ve overcome a situation, learned something important, or become “better” somehow.

There is conflict and drama. The narrative has ups and downs (it would be pretty boring otherwise). The hero always loses something (or someone), or has to leave something behind in order to progress.

So how can you use R2R in your marketing?

Two ways…

1️ For social proof
Client case studies don’t need to be as dramatic as a movie plot, but they do need to show clear progress – with the client overcoming the odds and triumphing in the end. Build the story around contrast: what was life like before, what happened during the journey, and what is life like now? How will your products or services bring “riches” (health, happiness, confidence, fitness) into their life? What are the “rags” they so desperately want to leave behind?

2 Your own story
Intelligent and subtle use of R2R in your own storytelling can really help you connect and resonate with your target market. Do this clumsily, and you’ll come across as cheesy or – worse – insincere. But get it right, and it can create a deep connection which showcases your empathy. Where did you start from? What obstacles did you overcome along the way? What did you learn? How can your story inspire and encourage potential clients who are further back in the process?

Some examples of Rags To Riches in sports and fitness advertising: remember the Nike Golf ad (2016) where Tiger Woods inspired young Rory McIlroy to greatness? Fantastic example – watch it on Youtube to remind yourself.

Or Gatorade’s ‘Rise Up’, ‘Greatness is Taken’, and ‘The Secret to Victory’ campaigns: “Every athlete loses. It’s part of the game. But what separates the good from the great is how they bounce back.”

Want to know HOW to use stories like these in your own business content marketing? Just get in touch – happy to help!

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist with 14 years experience in writing content and direct response copy for the fitness industry. Get in touch via Facebook, by sending a message here.

Join The 21-day Content Creation Challenge

Fitpro-ho-hos! (Too early?)

Who wants to do a MASSIVE push on content in December?

I’m running a free, informal 21-day content creation challenge.

Want to join in?

• accountability
• practical support
• help with ideas
• feedback and critique from me
• a boost in visibility and activity

Plus you’ll get..

…BETTER at writing
…MORE CONFIDENT about posting
…and PAST the annoying procrastination you have about content

All you have to do is commit to posting ONCE per day from 1st-21st December. Yes, we start tomorrow. If you’re in, you’re in! Just get started – I’ll help with the rest.

It can be on FB, Insta, your blog, to your email list… whatever is most relevant to your audience.

This is for you if:

– you’re a fitness professional
– who wants a big push on content in December
– to get ahead of the “New Year rush”

Get in touch on Facebook, or leave a comment here, and I’ll message you with the next steps.

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Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist with 13 years experience in writing content and direct response copy for the fitness industry. Get in touch via Facebook, by sending a message here.

7 Ways Copywriting Is Crucial To Your Fitness Business – Sales Pages

Number seven in this mini series is the big Daddy…

Sales letters

Got something to sell? Then you’re going to need a sales letter (sales page).

But before I get into the elements of what makes a great sales letter (and the things you MUST include), I want to make sure your head is straight.

So put your pen down. Focus.

You Need The Right Attitude To Write A Sales Letter

Writing a great sales letter starts with YOU. Your self confidence, your beliefs about selling, and your pride in what you do.

Selling is NOT pushy or unethical.

At least it shouldn’t be. Think about it like this. You’re in the fitness industry, right? You are in the business of getting people healthier, stronger, happier.

If your product or service makes a real positive difference to people’s lives, solves a problem, and is something they’re already looking for…where’s the problem?

You Owe It To Them!

You’re in business, nobody is arguing with that. And if you believe in yourself, your product, and your service, and if you correctly identify and target people who NEED you, then it’s actually important that you DO sell to those people.

You have a duty to let them know about you, and give them the opportunity to make a decision!

OK. So How Do I Write This Damn Sales Letter?
There’s an art to sales letters, but here are some elements you need to focus on…

• an *amazing* headline
• a succinct, descriptive, attention grabbing intro
• who it’s for…and who it is not for
• proof that you really get them and their problems, and you’re the right person to help
• benefits and value
• the problems you can solve
• exactly how your solution will help them
• what they can expect – what will they receive, how will they use it
• how life will feel/look after they’ve used your solution
• precisely what action you want them to take next
• Q&A or another form of objection handling
• strong call to action/s
• social proof
• your story or the story of the product

Sales pages can be daunting but I promise they don’t need to be.

Start with complete confidence and pride in your product and take it from there.

P.S all 7 of these mini guides are together on this page.

For more fitness industry copywriting chat, join me on Facebook.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who has been writing content and direct response copy for the fitness industry since 2004. Get in touch via Facebook, or by sending a message here.

#6 – 7 Ways Copywriting Is Crucial For Your Fitness Business (About Me profiles)

Today: writing your About Me page (or any kind of profile/bio).

(Check out the posts about videos and video scripts, emails and email marketing, blog posts, website copy and ebooks.

Isn’t Writing “About Me” Easy? I Just Talk About…. Me…. No?

Do you want to bore your readers straight off the page and leave them with absolutely no idea of what life would be like working with you?

Then no, ideally not.

Yes, if you run a business, you do need to tell people about yourself (especially if you are the face of the brand). You might do this on your website, in your social media bios, within sales pages, and as an author bio when you write guest blog posts.

But how much thought do you put into those little “about me” profiles?

“About Me” Is A Marketing Tool Too

Stop thinking of about me/profiles as a footnote and start thinking of them as a key part of your marketing and brand awareness.

It can be challenging to get all the key points into an “about me” section, especially on social media, but that’s good practice. Make your bio sharp and succinct, interesting, and on brand.

9 Things To Remember

If you’re struggling to write an engaging profile/bio/about me section that doesn’t bore people to death, bear these points in mind:

1. know who you’re talking to. The messaging, tone, and language of your bio should change according to your audience, just like any other bit of copy should.
2. don’t just include facts and boring info (tip: nobody cares about you, they care about what you can do for them)
3. make your about me/profile be about the reader. I know, sounds weird. But it needs to be about you in the context of what you do for other people.
4. share your values, character, and what makes you different. Why should the reader work with you?
5. tell the story of your professional journey. People love stories, and this is the best way to get all that boring info in without just listing a load of facts.
6. show how you’ve provided solutions in the past, and how you can help the reader now. This is another creative way of getting those boring facts in, but in story form.
7. give a sense of what it’s like to work with you. Do this through stories, language, and tone.
8. build a sense of connection, familiarity, and trust
9. add a call to action or at the very least a way to contact you

Here are a few examples of About Me/profiles I’ve written

Kirk Miller About Me page

Boldanic (supplements) About Us/company story page

Tony Cottenden Top Condition PT About Me page

Adam Cam About Me page

For more fitness industry copywriting chat, join me on Facebook– and stay tuned here for the final post in the series.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who has been writing content and direct response copy for the fitness industry since 2004. Get in touch via Facebook, or by sending a message here.