This is a beautiful stock photo. However, as a person with curves, it’s hard for me to think I could do this!
As a person who practices Pilates I am thrilled to see all of the Pilates instructors and studios on social media including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram! I have to admit though that many times I’m disappointed and a little amazed at the pictures I see in these marketing outlets. For many potential clients, I think that the pictures might scare people away instead of entice them to try Pilates.
They say a picture is worth 1000 words — right? I believe that. The pictures you post on your website and on your social platforms are an integral part of your marketing strategy, and MUST be something that your ideal client will connect with and relate to.
Here are some general guidelines:
- Include pictures of “real people” who practice Pilates at your studio. Make sure they are diverse not just in skin tone, but in age and body shape.
- If your ideal client is 50+ years old, your website pics should include people who are 50+ practicing Pilates. Make sure that the exercises you show do not scare people away from Pilates. If you’ve ever heard a client say — I don’t think I could ever do that — then it’s probably not a great exercise to feature on social.
- If you do a photo shoot, make sure that the participants are diverse — not just in skin tone, but in age and body shape as well.
- Remember the goals of your ideal clients, and post photos that show them on the road to achieving those goals, or when they achieve those goals. Most clients will come to you with some goals in mind — improving their posture, improving flexibility, etc. Their goal might be to play on the floor with their grandkids, or lift their grandkids without pain. Their actual goal is not to do an exercise like splits on the reformer or hanging down on the cadillac.
I’d like to share this story that I saw on social media. It features a client who had thought she could not do Pilates — I think this is representative of a lot of people.
If you’d like to talk more about what kind of pictures to share, or you’d like suggestions — I’d love to talk to you about it. Just set up an appointment on my website!