Turning your passion into a business can be a trial. Most of us have a hard time even seeing a way to make our passion financially viable, much less a business empire. But the good news is that the internet provides tools to help turn passions into money making machines. And why shouldn’t you make a little money. After all, most people dedicate a good amount of their lives to master a hobby. This makes you an expert, with marketable skills to other enthusiasts.

Today, we will discuss in detail on one passion: Fitness. This will be the first in a series of three articles, each with an emphasis on a particular offline business. Check back later this week to read our next topics, on Home Improvement/Interior Design, and Beauty.

For the rest of this article, we will talk about how fitness enthusiasts can become digital powerhouses. We will discuss how to A) create a digital brand, B) how to attract followers, and 3) (most importantly) how to turn it all into cash money.

Also key, this will focus on fitness, so we will provide references in each category that we believe truly exemplify the subject.

How to Create a Digital Brand

Like it or not, a digital brand is a business necessity these days. But the good news is that we are here to help. The first key element to building a digital brand is creating a platform to reach the billions of people who browse the internet. There are two ways to accomplish this:

A website is the more traditional method and is still the way through which most people interact with the web. It’s a cost effective way to reach potential users and provides a large platform from which you can reach users. However websites can suffer from engagement as compared to an app. Plus apps are on the rise. Either way, Mobile First is a requirement.

An app is slightly more expensive than your basic website, but provides ways to push continual engagement. In terms of fitness, an app maybe necessary. Look at Fitness Internet legend Kayla Itsines. She uses her branded app to keep people engaged with their meal plans and workout regimens. Plus, the modern trend for users (especially those in developing nations) is for mobile device usage solely.

How to Attract Followers

So you’ve got a beautiful website or app. But it just sits there and languishes in the dark corners of the interwebs, going unnoticed. Now, you’ve got to attract the followers. If you look back as Ms. Itsines, she uses her website to provide some examples of her work (before and after) as well as different subscription tiers for those ready to go.

Joe Wicks, The Body Coach takes a different take, prominently displaying his endorsements from any number of notable institutions (and his notable locks of full bodied hair). Michelle Lewin takes a bit more…let’s call it revealing approach that shows off the effectiveness of her program through a frank display.

None of the above examples are a silver bullet. There are really only three secrets to attracting followers:

1. Creating a platform to get your voice out there;

2. Demonstrating the value of your service; and

3. Keeping Users engaged and entertained until they become devoted followers.

The rest is more about determining your personal style. Don’t try to force it – people can usually smell a fake and it will only hurt you in the long run.

How to Turn it into Cash Money

So now comes the part we’ve all been waiting for: how does all of this translate into greenbacks? The good news is that you’ve already done much of the hard work – the key to getting paid is having people willing to pay you (duh). Plus, having a program with demonstrated value means you will continually attract more users.

All of the references today approach monetization in a two major ways: Social Media and the actual service itself. They all offer different tiers of service, whether it’s differing workout plans or special meal plans (or a combination of the two). But the key is in the followers, and not just in getting them to sign up for the various services.

See, the thing about the internet is that when you develop a large following, you become very attractive to a certain segment of the business world – Advertisers. Having people who hang on your every word means that when you endorse a product, people listen and often buy said product.

For the modern digital influencer, leveraging Social Media is the best way to attract money from advertisers. Or, to put it another way, Kayla Itsines makes $75 grand an Instagram post.

Want to learn more about becoming a digital influencer? Give us a call at 408.805.0495/408.621.8481 – or click to contact us!