Build your community, and the rest will 'follow'.
How social media helped me become an entrepreneur within my community.
Hi there! I'm Adam, and I'm a fitness coach living in Barcelona. I run a fitness business, which initially started out as a side-hustle that I did with friends and friends-of-friends, but over time I have built it into an actual community fitness business. It's been (and still is!) hard work, but I love it. And the Bookable platform has been a great resource along the way!
It takes time, but I have learnt that with discipline, perseverance and prioritising, the following three things are key to building a community-based business.
- Hosting regular events: I organise beach workouts, yoga and Pilates workshops and occasionally just socials for members of the community to connect in a different setting.
- Consistently posting engaging and relevant content: videos from our sessions, workout instructions, or just updates from local neighbourhood events.
- Ensuring my business reflects my values: what I offer my customers is aligned with what I personally believe in and my own lifestyle.
I considered getting a website, but decided against it because I don't actually need one! Instead, I use a few free tools that work brilliantly together.
Instagram and TikTok: these are great to showcase what my fitness community is all about, and give potential new customers a flavour of what to expect in my sessions.
Bookable: it works super well with the other platforms, creates an automatic schedule of my events, and customers find it super easy to book and pay through it.
WhatsApp group: great for direct contact and updating my customers about events.
MeetUp, ClassPass and Urban Sports: I have a profile on these platforms to get visibility amongst prospective new audiences, but these platforms charge a big commission. Great for meeting new customers, but then I quickly try to encourage them to book directly with me the next time they want to come.
At the end of the day - your community business will thrive if you provide amazing, immersive experiences for your customers. But finding the right tools and platforms definitely has been a big part of what has made my business what it is today!