The health and fitness industry is very well placed to take advantage of the opportunities and benefits available to them through online marketing. Firstly, the health and fitness industry is hugely competitive with different brands of food supplements, fitness products and gym memberships all battling for the same health conscious audience. Secondly, health and fitness, by its nature, is a community driven practice. People seek the support and advice of others when starting out on a health or fitness regime. This is where several aspects of online marketing, in particular social media, can be hugely beneficial.
Used for a variety of end goals, online marketing, the process of marketing and promoting a product or service via the internet, can allow health and fitness organisations to better target new customers and communicate and interact with their current customer base.
The Power of Social Media
Social media fits perfectly with the health and fitness community. Often a supportive and collaborative effort, those involved in the health and fitness industry are keen to share in their achievements and challenges.
The leading health centred social network site is Cafewell.com. There, members can track their progress on fitness regimes and diets or get advice, information and help on various health conditions and medical concerns.
Social media is an excellent means to better reach those involved and interested in health and fitness. The support and encouragement people are able to receive through these channels is invaluable. Providing social media communities on your healthcare site allows customers to better connect with the organisation and other customers on a variety of health issues.
The Power of Reviews
Linked to the power of social media and the community culture inherent within the health and fitness industry is the growth in importance of reviews. Whether it is a new gym, fitness class, food brand or health supplement, more and more people than ever before are seeking the advice and opinions of others in the form of online reviews. With customers seeking the thoughts of others, it is important that, firstly, your organisation has a significant presence within these review sites and communities and, secondly, that you maintain a positive reputation. Customer service and a quality product is one thing but if customers are looking at a significant financial investment they seek reassurances from elsewhere. Be sure and encourage positive feedback from satisfied customers to maintain a positive rating across the online world.
The Power of Images
The online world loves pictures. And the health and fitness industry suits the growth in online imagery perfectly. Sites like Pinterest and Instagram have led to significant opportunities for online brand promotion through imagery.
Sharing interesting and valuable pictures can lead to significant brand exposure from a growing online audience. Everything from new fitness workouts to weight loss results and healthy diet ideas can be promoted and shared online, giving your brand ever greater exposure and allowing for more interaction with your customer base.
Given the community and shared nature of the health and fitness industry, online marketing can work very well in boosting the visibility of your brand amongst a targeted group of people. Those searching for, buying and using health and fitness products regularly seek the support and advice of others for mutual encouragement and confidence boosting. Online marketing and social media in particular, is the perfect platform for allowing these relationships between customers and brands to develop and foster. Customers can share information, advice, pictures and videos in a safe online environment at a very low cost to the organisation.
Television and print advertisements can be very costly and offer nothing like the levels of interaction and engagement available through online marketing. Promoting your product online allows for greater relationships to be built with your customer base. This ensures issues and problems are kept to a minimum, consumers are happier and more likely to share in promoting your product to their friends and family via word of mouth, further broadening your brand awareness and reach.
Ross Moffat writes on a number of topics covering healthcare PR and marketing, and has been a freelance writer for PR company Beattie Communications, for the past two years.
