By Jim Labadie

The internet changes fast, and personal trainers interested in harnessing its power for marketing purposes need to keep up. The landscape has changed. Simple websites that act as static business cards are no longer enough. People expect rich content delivered to them in different forms of media. And they want to participate with businesses and engage with them in online conversations.

This is where the term “Web 2.0” comes from. It is the new internet, one where millions and millions of people, worldwide and in your own backyard, – are sharing information and holding businesses more accountable.

Use these 5 tips to help make Web 2.0 part of your marketing plan:

Blogging
Static websites are extinct. Personal trainers who are just now setting up simple websites are several steps behind their competition. Today, blogs are the gold-standard. Search engines and internet users love them. They allow people to get involved in a conversation online. They allow your prospects to follow along with the very latest developments in your business and the results your clients are getting.

Social Bookmarking Sites
Social bookmarking sites allow you to share with an entire online community the content you are finding useful and entertaining. And while you can social bookmark your own content to receive more exposure online, you need to be very careful. A good rule of thumb is to bookmark six other sites and content you are enjoying for every social book mark of your own.
While Digg.com seems to be the best known, fitness internet marketers have found Stumbleupon.com to be the most used social bookmarking site for people interested in fitness.

YouTube.com
Yes, YouTube has been around for awhile now, but personal trainers are still ignoring this incredibly powerful marketing tool. You can upload enticing videos of your training and boot camps, but also include keywords to help people in your area easily find you and your business.

Facebook
Many business owners fail to see the value of Facebook. It’s more than just a silly way to reconnect with friends from high school and college. For business purposes it is an absurdly powerful way to show your prospects and customers that you are a real person with a real family. It is a way for people to get to know you. And people like to do business with people they know, like and trust.

Twitter
Like Facebook, Twitter is an incredibly powerful way to build relationships online. It is a micro-blogging site that allows you to frequently post what you and your business are currently working on. And it is a way to drive traffic to your blog or Facebook page so people can get to know you, like you and trust you.

Twitter has an advanced search feature that lets you connect with local people. These people could very well become clients or joint venture partners. Simply put, Twitter cannot be ignored.

Jim Labadie is a fitness entrepreneur, sales expert and speaker. To discover the 4things you must know about running profitable fitness boot camps, visit: www.howtoprofitwithbootcamps.com.

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