Pilates Business Podcast

This $0 Marketing Tactic Can Bring You Clients for Years

• Seran Glanfield • Season 22 • Episode 213

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 In this episode of The Pilates Business Podcast, host Seran Glanfield shares a wildly underutilized strategy that can take the pressure off your marketing efforts: strategic local collaborations. If you’re tired of constantly posting on Instagram and praying for new leads, this episode will be a breath of fresh air. Seran reveals how partnering with local businesses—think skincare studios, coffee shops, or maternity boutiques—can create powerful, win-win relationships that consistently drive the right clients through your studio doors.

Tune in to learn how to identify aligned businesses, spark meaningful connections, and build long-term referral pipelines that work even when you're off the 'gram. This is must-know marketing for boutique fitness studio owners ready to grow with ease, impact, and community.


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Speaker 1:

What if you weren't trying to get your next five clients from Instagram, but perhaps from the coffee shop down the street or the skincare studio around the corner? Today, we're talking about one of the most overlooked growth strategies in the boutique fitness world, and that is strategic collaborations. This isn't about cold calling or awkward collabs. It's about building real relationships with the right local businesses that can help you grow together. Well, hi there, I'm Saren Glanfield. I'm a business and marketing strategist just for boutique fitness studio owners like you. If you're ready to be inspired and make a bigger impact, you're in the right place. All you need are a few key strategies, the right mindset and some support along the way. Join me as I share the real life insights that will help you grow a sustainable and profitable studio.

Speaker 1:

This is the Pilates Business Podcast. Well, hey there, friend, and welcome back to the show. I'm so glad you're here. If we haven't met before, I'm Saren Glanfield. I'm the founder of Spring3 Studio Business Consulting and I've been coaching and consulting studio owners across the globe since 2013. And in all of that time, I have to say this topic of today's show is one that I come back to over and over and over again, because it is so often quickly dismissed and overlooked as a source of growth for your studio. So this is certainly a topic I've wanted to talk about for a while here on the podcast and it's definitely something I want to perhaps bring back to the forefront of your mind when it comes to how do I grow and where do I find my next new client. Because if you're a studio owner who's feeling like perhaps you're constantly pushing for new leads, constantly worried perhaps even about where they're coming from, constantly checking your social media or trying to keep posting to social media, or perhaps wondering why that referral program you have isn't referring more, this is the episode for you I'm going to be talking about, or I'm going to be diving into more detail, talking about collaborations, local collaborations and that is how to partner with local businesses to perhaps create those win-win situations or relationships that really help you to grow your business. Not only that, help get your name out there in the community and build that sense of community for your business, for your studio. And I'll be honest, when you develop these types of relationships within your local community, it really helps take some of the pressure off of you, especially if you are the one who is doing all of the marketing, as well as all of the managing and all of the leadership and all of the scheduling and all of the training. It can really be helpful to use that sort of local network to grow your business.

Speaker 1:

Now here's the thing Many and I would say most studio owners know that on some level it's helpful to network locally. They often know that already, that community matters, but what perhaps is often overlooked is just how powerful a very well chosen partnership can be for your business. In fact, I see it over and over again that it outperforms hours and hours and hours of content that you might have created for social media. Not only that, but it creates this very sort of deep relationship within your local community or your neighborhood, and that is kind of a ripple effect that really keeps people coming in, perhaps long after that initial conversation has happened with that local fellow business owner. And so the beauty, I think, of this as a lead generation for your business is that it doesn't have to be complicated, it doesn't have to be cheesy, it doesn't have to be pushy and it certainly doesn't require you to be on camera. In fact, this often plays out really nicely in the form of developing a friendship and a kinship amongst you and other fellow local business owners. So if you've wondered, maybe, who should I partner with? How does it work? Do I have to offer them something and how do I make sure that it's the right fit for my business? We're going to cover all of that, and I'm also going to share a little bit of insight as to what I've observed as working when I share this strategy within my Thrive group coaching program, who, I should say, many of the studio owners inside of that program have really tapped into this method and have refined it and are continuing to refine it. We talk about it regularly inside of our group coaching program calls, and so there is no sort of stone left unturned when it comes to growing your business.

Speaker 1:

Now let's start with the sort of what I see most of all and I think this is something that is a really common situation to find yourself in as a boutique fitness studio owner and that is that you're often doing all of your marketing in isolation. So perhaps you are putting together posts for Instagram, tiktok, facebook, all of those places perhaps even posting and doing some digital ads, and maybe every now and again, the occasional sort of referral request pops in, but really you are the one who is driving all of the driving the bus, as it were, when it comes to creating leads for your business, and the problem with this is that it's pretty tiring, right? It's exhausting because you have a lot of other tasks, jobs and responsibilities to do as the leader of your business and often, where we spend the most time when it comes to marketing, aka social media, it's often not as efficient as we would like it to be to bring us new clients, and so, instead of perhaps being that solo voice trying to shout out over all of that noise that exists in the online space, wouldn't it be nice if you had some friends in your local area who promote you to their amazing clients? And that's exactly what more strategic, thoughtful collaborations and partnerships are all about. They're not just about one time you know promotions together, but actually can be more about a very aligned relationship that benefit both you and them, not just for one day or one hour, but for weeks and even months and years. And if you find and when you find, I should say the right partnership for your business, you'll find that you share the same values and you share the same often the interests for your clients and that can be really empowering for you as well, because you now have a fellow local business owner who understands the situation and perhaps sometimes the challenges that come with running a small local business. What else you can do within your local community to build relationships, to network, to build a sense of community that will help to fuel your business for years to come.

Speaker 1:

And I think what most people miss is that it's not about necessarily working with or collaborating with or networking with other fitness businesses. I think for Pilates, initially especially, I should say our sort of mind goes to okay, an aligned business would be, say, a physical therapist or a yoga studio or someone else perhaps who is also sharing a movement method of some sort. And the reality is that those types of businesses can be a great source of referrals for your business, for sure, but that's not the only potential referral referee I should say that you will be able to build a relationship with. Those types of businesses are complimentary businesses. They often share a similar audience already, and so you may not already be tapping into or you may already be tapping into that audience, but they, that audience, may not be looking to add more fitness to their, to their world, right.

Speaker 1:

And so what you want to be mindful of and thoughtful about and very intentional about is thinking about where you can find more people who are similar to the types of people that you have as your clients, and so it's not necessarily about finding people who do the same thing as you. It's actually about finding people who do something that is different but who might have a very similar type of audience. So that can be someone like, perhaps, a high-end skin care studio Maybe already some of your clients will frequent there, and so you know that is where there are perhaps more clients to be found. A local coffee shop or a juice bar with perhaps more wellness conscious clientele or regulars who would be interested in your types of services and offer, if you offer, say, pre or postnatal classes, a boutique maternity store, would be a perfect partner for you, right. And then, obviously, those complimentary businesses as well physical therapists, chiropractors, wellness centers and so on that are popping up everywhere would also be great as a fun collaboration and partner for your business.

Speaker 1:

Now, you don't need necessarily to have thousands or millions of new eyeballs on your business. You just need the right people, because what we know is that it doesn't take thousands of people walking through the door of your business to really move the needle. Often you're looking for that. You know that those that set of new clients each month that are going to come in and commit and sort of the more specific the audience is to your, who are looking already for what you have to offer, who are looking already for what you have to offer, the higher your conversion will be and the less churn you're going to have when it comes to your enrollments and what that means is that more people who walk through the door are going to stay and we like that a lot. You'll start to find that as you think about and we do this a lot inside of Thrive.

Speaker 1:

I challenge my studio owners inside of Thrive often to find those partnerships locally and to think of those different businesses, local businesses, and they arrange in what they do. It can be quite spectacular what's possible when you get creative and you find that this actually fuels your business truly without you needing to really do a whole lot. It's a really fabulous thing. So let's talk a little bit about what makes a good partnership, what makes a good collaboration partner for your business, because I think one of the things that often we kind of jump to when it comes to collaborations and partnerships is we just think about, perhaps, what promotion or discount I should say we need to give them in order for them to want to promote our studio or our services, right? Or we simply sort of walk in with a, with a, with a stack of flyers and say, hey, can I leave these here on the table next to the counter? And this is what I would say very one-sided in terms of what the potential could be, and when you're asking someone if you can leave flyers in their waiting area, it's more of a favor.

Speaker 1:

It's not really a partnership, and I think that there's maybe some. There is a little value to that, for sure, but there's usually more to do, and I'm all about making sure that we are squeezing the juice out of that just down the street or next door. Then I would encourage you to also think about ways that you can be a bit more engaged with that business and therefore also perhaps a bit more engaged with their audience, their clients, and so there's a lot of mutual value opportunities that can come up that you can create for your business that will support those not just that visibility but also potential future referrals. So things like co-hosting an event, having a pop-up, doing a joint promotion together, perhaps even exchanging or trading services or offers, right, that can result in perhaps a high value testimonial or case study. Perhaps there is an opportunity to collaborate via workshops and tap into each other's audiences as well. And so when we think about what would make a really great partner for your studio, we want to think about how can we both add value to each other's audiences.

Speaker 1:

It's not just about transaction. It's about what impact can we make amongst their, for them and their clients that would make them want to continue to send or refer people to our business. What would make it such that they could, or we could, work together again in the future and build perhaps an ongoing relationship with these types of events or interactions? So think about what they might get excited about. And then it's about approaching that business with a very clear but very easy way for them to say yes to what it is you're offering. And I would recommend that you be really thoughtful about the way that you introduce yourself if you are new to them, and be also thoughtful about the way that you propose what it is that you're proposing, and often there is so much opportunity there and I always will come back to the very foundation of what it means to be a business owner, and that is that you absolutely need to be able to share and express and articulate the value that your business has to offer. And although the collaboration partner is not necessarily a client of yours, you certainly need to still be able to share with them what it is that you do that adds value and impact to the lives of your clients, so that they perhaps will also see that incredible value and want their clients to feel and see that too. And so this is a great opportunity to really refine your marketing phrases, copy and introduction and really leverage that to the best of your ability in a slightly different way. And that takes practice, but it also takes knowing what it is that you want people to know about your business. So I need to get back on track. So we talked a little bit about how to decide who would be a good partner for you and what it is perhaps that you could do together. That would be interesting for both of you.

Speaker 1:

Right Now, I just want to go back to something I mentioned earlier, and that was that you know, I think one-off events are really great I really do. I think one-off events can be fun and powerful and, yes, impactful. But I think the real magic happens, especially in a business like yours, when you have ongoing partnerships. And that's because you know, for the most part, you are all in this business of building relationships with your clients, and it's likely that the businesses that you may approach also have relationships with their clients, and so those relationships are really what you are leaning into when you are looking for strong collaboration partners. And so the real magic happens when you're able to have a very ongoing partnership. And so it isn't just about that one time, that one post on social media or that one email or that one event.

Speaker 1:

Instead, be creative about how you can evolve this collaboration, this partnership, into something that is more perhaps ongoing, perhaps it's something that happens monthly or quarterly, or there are certain exclusive offers for each other's clientele. So you want to think less like just a one-time advertiser here and more like a community builder, a relationship builder, because we're looking to really tap into that compounding effect here, where you know one really fabulous partner or collaboration can really drive your business for years, and because most of you are in this to build a business, not just in the short term, but a business that grows sustainably each and every year. It will pay you back in bucket loads to invest in these types of relationships, and I would always start with the easy one right. Start with the business that you perhaps already have some sort of a personal connection with, and think about what would make sense in terms of how you could then turn that into perhaps a long-term collaboration and partnership.

Speaker 1:

Now, that said, there will be times where not every collaboration and partnership will go well, and that's okay. It's part of being in business. Just like some clients come and go, just like some clients aren't, you know your cup of tea. Partnerships and network collaborations are similar too. In that scenario, we have to not, you know, we have to just like we have to practice and to be able to articulate our value in our marketing efforts, and especially when we introduce ourselves to other businesses, we also have to learn the art of setting boundaries and saying no, and not every opportunity is going to be a good fit.

Speaker 1:

So if a potential partner, once you begin to talk about these different opportunities, doesn't really feel like they align with your values, perhaps they don't really match the same kind of brand, or perhaps you find that they have a very different type of clientele or audience than you perhaps initially thought. It's okay to say, hey, this was great meeting with you. Than you perhaps initially thought it's okay to say, hey, this was great meeting with you. Let's perhaps regroup again in a few months time. Or it's okay to simply say this is not the right fit for us right now, and I think it's really important to know when to draw that line, because far too often, I see so many business owners investing in their time and their energy and I think it's more, they are unintentionally investing their time and energy into partnerships that are not right.

Speaker 1:

And you want to make sure that you're protecting your brand, you're protecting your energy so that you can focus on the things that really matter and move the needle on those relationships that are going to help you to grow and are going to create good energy for you and your business. So don't say yes just to stay busy. Don't say yes just because you think you have to Say yes when it feels aligned, when it feels intentional and when it feels sustainable. So please, please, please, trust your gut and if something feels a little bit off, it may well be, and the key really here is focusing on the quality of those relationships over the quantity. Okay, so we're looking for, ideally, in the way that I like to grow businesses and like the way that I like to grow studio businesses is by building relationships that are true and aligned and are going to support you for years. So, quick recap First of all, you do not need to do marketing alone.

Speaker 1:

When you have got some great partnerships in your back pocket, what happens is that you can amplify your reach within your local community. Not only that, but you will also deepen the roots within your local community, and those things mean that your business is getting talked about without you posting on social media, which is only a good thing, right, and what I will say is that, when it comes to choosing the right people to partner with, they will likely share your audience, but they won't compete with what you have to offer, and I think that's something really important to remember in the back of your mind, because we want to make sure that we're reaching new people with the partners that we are collaborating with, but we're not creating a competition for ourselves. Okay, you want to also make sure that you lead with mutual value when you introduce your business, so you're not just discounting for them, you're not just giving them that stack of flyers, but that you are able to really share and showcase the value of your business and what it is that you're proposing that you do together. And then you know, as the your relationship develops, you're going to be thinking long-term right. Yes, initially you're going to speed, you know, treading lightly, seeing if it works, getting to know each other, um, just like in any relationship. But the real growth will happen when you build trust over time. And then remember, please, please, please, say no to anything that feels off. You genuinely want to have a strong sense of alignment between your brands.

Speaker 1:

So inside of Thrive we talk about this all the time. I talk to my studio owners about how to approach businesses, what they can say, different ways that they can promote their business and collaboration ideas. We have playbooks and resources in the portal that give our studio owners step-by-step email templates and scripts that they can use to introduce their businesses to other local businesses. And this again, like I said, is a powerful strategy to have in your back pocket because it genuinely fuels your business for years to come. So if you want a bit of help building a real marketing ecosystem that runs even when you're not on social media, then come and check out Thrive. I hope this was helpful to you as you go about building your boutique fitness studio business.

Speaker 1:

If you enjoyed this episode, I'd be so appreciative if you could take a really quick minute, go to wherever you're listening to this and wait and review this podcast. It would mean a ton to me and will help to get the podcast out into our community so that more teachers and business owners, just like you, can feel encouraged and supported on their journey in our industry. Did you love this episode and want more? Head to spring3.com and check out my free resources that will help you run a profitable and fulfilling studio business. And before you go, one last reminder there is no one way to do what you do, only your way. So whatever it is that you want to do, create or offer, you've got this. Thanks again for joining me today and have a wonderful rest of your day.