66: How she grew her business by being locally famous (strategies)

Dan sits down with Renee Cabassi, who gets 80% of her new clients and members by being 'locally famous'.

Renee walks us through the actual steps she took to make her fitness business widely known and talked about in her local community.

This episode is extremely practical, and offers up clear and immediately actionable steps you can go out and take starting tomorrow.

If you want to create local buzz around your business, this is the place to start.

Renee offers up this actionable take-away you can implement immediately: 'Put on your branded shirt, go to a local café, buy a meal or coffee, post a photo or video online tagging the business, leave them a positive review, and genuinely engage in your community.'

Here's a summary of the key strategies Renee and Dan discuss:

Offline Profile Building Strategies:

1. Tell people what you do

   • Strike up conversations at parks, playgrounds, sports training, etc.
   • Don’t hide what you do; be friendly and approachable, not salesy.

2. Network with Local Businesses and Health Providers

   • Connect and regularly meet with local healthcare providers (physios, acupuncturists, nutritionists, coaches, etc.).
   • Actively share and tag them on social media; promote each other.
   • List these trusted advisors or partners publicly (website, social media).

3. Support Local Businesses

   • Regularly visit local cafes, businesses, and actively promote them online.
   • Tag local businesses on your social media.
   • Host events or meetups at local businesses.

4. Attend and Engage with Local Community Events

   • Participate in council events, community gatherings, markets, fairs, etc.
   • Share and promote these community events online.

5. Use Car Magnets for Branding

   • Place branded magnets on your car; strategically park where your target audience will see them.
   • Increase local visibility through regular presence.

6. Wear and Gift Branded Clothing

   • Create appealing branded clothing that clients proudly wear.
   • Gift branded clothing to local business owners and community members.
   • Consider meaningful branding (e.g., core values printed on clothing).

7. Donate or Sponsor Local Events and Fundraisers

   • Provide prizes or vouchers for local fundraisers, school P&C raffles, quiz nights, sports clubs, etc.
   • Offer free training sessions or events for local clubs (e.g., youth sports clubs, netball clubs).

8. Volunteer and Get Actively Involved in Your Community

   • Volunteer for local groups or committees unrelated to your core business.
   • Show genuine care for local issues; build authentic community connections.

9. Use Studio or Facility Signage

   • Ensure clear signage if you have your own space.
   • Leverage visibility even if in a shared/community space (car magnets if signage is limited).

10. Distribute Flyers and Posters (Strategically)

• Place posters and flyers strategically at locations your target audience frequently visits.

11. Give Talks or Workshops at Relevant Local Groups

• Offer free educational talks or workshops to mother's groups, daycares, community groups.

12. Enter Local Awards and Recognition

• Nominate yourself or your business for local business awards, community awards, or similar recognitions.

Online Profile Building Strategies:

13. Build a Strong and Clear Digital Presence

• Maintain a clear, consistent presence online (website, social profiles).
• Ensure it’s immediately clear who you are, who you serve, and your USP.

14. Create Valuable, Authentic Content

• Consistently create content aligned to your niche.
• Focus on authentic, relatable, observational humour, or real-life struggles relevant to your audience.

15. Engage in Community Facebook Groups

• Be an active, helpful, genuine contributor in local community groups.
• Rarely, if ever, directly promote your business; instead, participate as a community member.

16. Leverage Client Testimonials and Word-of-Mouth on Social Media

• Encourage clients to mention you in online groups when relevant conversations occur.
• Actively thank or acknowledge these recommendations publicly.

17. Create Facebook Events

• When hosting events or fundraisers, create Facebook events and encourage clients to share.

18. Have a Cheerleader Group (Micro-influencers)

• Set up a group (e.g., Messenger or WhatsApp) of loyal clients who can promote and share key posts.
• Sparingly use them to amplify important social media content.

19. Create Locally Relevant Guides or Articles

• Write articles or guides (e.g., “Pram-Friendly Walks in Bayswater,” “Family-Friendly Bushwalks”).
• Share these resources widely online, tagging councils and local groups.

20. Regularly Perform the “Google Test”

• Regularly Google yourself and your business to ensure your online presence aligns with your desired personal and business brand.
• Make sure top results reflect positively, demonstrating active community involvement, quality content, and clear branding.

 

If you enjoyed this episode, you’ll also enjoy the following, they’re some of my most popular articles and podcasts on topics similar to this one:

• Episode 55: The 19 ways to get more gym clients (podcast | article).
• Episode 54: How his referral network earns him $3000 a week (podcast).
• Episode 45: A gym advertising guide for every budget: (podcast | article).
• Episode 41: 13 Habits of Highly Successful Business Owners: (podcast).