Best free or low cost method to get clients?

Make yourself the go-to person for your target market.

That's going to include speaking, training, leading workshops and seminars, writing articles, social media, creating products, volunteering, etc. Anything that will get you on the top of people's minds when they need the kind of help you can provide.

Depending on you and your target market, some strategies, such as social media will work better or worse than others. Keep in mind that what works for one trainer may not work for you.

Remember to do marketing that stays true to who you are as a person and always offer people, paying clients or not, something of value.

Shawn,email at cupcakefitness@yahoo.com

Networking through online (Social Media/Website) seems to be the best resource for picking up clients. Id suggest integrating Facebook Fan Page for your training, Twitter, and as well as website might be beneficial. Goal is to get a large group following and constantly updating them on client progress, new specials, etc.


Fuel the Movement,
JM

Participate in local company health fairs. As a fitness professional participating in these fairs you have a great opportunity to present your services, engage potential clients in conversation, offer a free service (such as body fat analysis), and build some relationships. I've participated in a number of health fairs, and even if I walk away from one without obtaining any immediate clients, I have opened doors to possibilities of getting new clients.

LaRue, CSCS
www.lecfitness.com
lecfitness@yahoo.com

I agree that IDEA Fitness connect has been a great way to get inquiries from new clients. I also periodically do free fitness talks at the club where I work and write a fitness tip each month for their newsletter. I include a short bio at the end, and find that those two things help to highlight my expertise and interest in helping people get moving.

All great answers, I have tried everything said above. I also looked up every classified type website on the internet that allows you to list your service for free. If you do in-home training you can deliver flyers to junk mail boxes at peoples homes, its a good way to get your brand into their home, and you can probably get about 1,000 black and white flyers printed for around $50.

Make sure that people can see from a distance that you are a personal trainer. Never leave the home without a shirt that clearly indicates that you are a personal trainer. It is amazing how many people will start talking to you. Even if people are just trying to smooch off some training tips, they may talk to somebody else about you and establish a connection for you.

And always have a business card handy.

For existing clients, I have a referral game. The one with the most referrals that sign up gets a free gift. That gift can be products, gift card to health store, restaurant, etc.

A website. You can have your own personal website for around $100 a year. That is about $8.00 a month. (I am sure you can even find it for less) Then you can add your site to Google, Bing, Yahoo directories. That way when people search for personal trainers in your area.....There you are! I would recommend a site with your own URL. some free website sevices use their URL with your name attached to the end. not cool