📝 Summary

Welcome to Wellness Operator! Simeon here. In today’s edition, we’ll cover 5 key strategies to grow your health and fitness business.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• How to create successful static image ads for health & fitness businesses

• Referral growth hacks to scale your client base

• 7 examples of successful image ads

• How to sell higher-priced packages

• And much more…

Let’s get started!

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🎯 Actionable Tip

Internal referral plays to bring new members

What? Leverage existing members to bring in new clients through a structured referral campaign. You already have your IDEAL customers, so why not have them bring you their friends?

Why? Referrals are one of the most cost-effective ways to acquire new clients. Trust is already established through your current members, reducing marketing costs and increasing conversion rates.

How? Do these three things before launching your campaign:

1. Create an irresistible offer for both referrers and new clients (e.g., free sessions, discounted memberships, or CASH work best).

2. Launch a referral program with simple steps for members to share

   • For example, for every new member you refer that joins a program, you get $100 plus you enter a raffle where every quarter we give away “Insert a Big Price”) - iPhone, Airpods, Lululemon gear, etc

   • If you bring more than 7 people, your ticket entries automatically double from 7 to 14

   • Have an OPEN day where you host a workshop, free workout, seminar, or something that people can bring their friends to

3. Use social media, your website, emails, and in-person announcements to promote it. Do it a lot, and do it often.

   • As soon as you get a referrer. Recognize them in front of everybody. Give them cash. And explain how the program works

   • Have a leaderboard in your studio

📰 Deep Dive:

How to Create Great Instagram and Facebook Static Ads

Last week I covered how to make video ads for your health & wellness business. Now let’s talk about the 2nd type of ad creative, which is also the easiest to start with.

Static aka “image” ads

There are 4 elements to a static ad:

• The primary text

• The image

• The headline

• The description

Here’s how to convert viewers into leads and ultimately clients for your health & wellness business using each element.

1/ The primary text

Copy length

For brick-and-mortar locations, I like to keep the copy short, 4-7 sentences or <250 words.

Ideally, keep the main offer copy “above the fold” on FB and IG so users don’t need to click “see more” to read all the copy.

However, I’ve made a ton of successful ads with long-form copy. When doing this, use bullets to break up the text to make it more readable.

Emojis

Add emojis to illustrate your copy. Don’t overuse emojis or misuse them. 1-2 emojis in your primary copy will help you communicate better and stand out.

For long-form copy use emojis as bullet points like this:

✅ bullet 1

✅ bullet 2

✅ bullet 3

Copy frameworks

I recommend using the AIDA framework:

• Attention

• Interest

• Desire

• Action

Your first sentence should hook readers and grab their attention.

This is a great place to use “dog whistle” copy. Which is copy that only your target audience will respond to.

For example, I might begin an ad for Fit Club with copy like this:

• “Trying your best to get in shape for the San Antonio hot girl summer?”

• “Want to get in shape before the holiday shopping spree at North Star Mall?”

• “Here’s how to get in shape quickly with these 3 steps”

Don’t be too obvious or crude in the way you call your target audience out. I would avoid using copy like:

• “ATTN: women of San Antonio”

• “San Antonio women who want to lose weight? Read this!”

• “Calling all women in San Antonio!”

This type of copy screams “ad” and will be ignored.

It used to be extremely effective back in the day, but it’s been overused and it’s lost its charm.

We want our ads to look authentic - like actual posts you would see on FB and IG.

Your second sentence should create interest.

Here you should share:

• What prospects learn as part of joining your program or studio

• What benefits do your services provide

• What problems does your product solve

Here’s an example of a Fit Club ad:

“We work with the most successful career-driven women in San Antonio and share their daily routine with you.”

Okay, now this ad is interesting. Many ladies would love to learn what others who’ve already achieved results are doing.

Now you need to channel that attention and interest into desire.

To do that, you need to use proof and credibility to build desire and belief.

At this point in the ad, the reader just needs to know that your “Fit Club” is legit. They want to know “the daily routine” of “the most successful” clients you have. But can this ad deliver that to them?

To show them they can believe, I show credibility through the “authorities” we work with.

Here’s what that copy might look like:

“Our clients include, M. N. Lawyer 47, I.A. Executive Director 54, A.M. Doctor @ San Antonio Hospital, The Mayor, and more”

We are using abbreviations to protect our clients, but if they are open to being featured include it in your ads.

People in your target audience would associate with the people in the ad. If you want more executives to attend your classes, use them as credibility, if you want college athletes, use them as a point of reference.

You get the idea. You are doing BROAD targeting and you don’t want just any person above 30 with a pulse, right? You want to build a community and a thriving business. That happens when you have like-minded people.

They’re more likely to resonate with my ads and desire what I’m advertising.

If you don’t have the “authorities” you’ve worked with, don’t worry! There are tons of other ways to show your credibility and expertise.

Here are a few:

• Where you’ve been featured - “As seen in LOCAL NEWSPAPER”

• How many members you have - “Join 300 members”

• Prestigious people who have joined your program or classes - “Oprah joined our classes”

• Your personal experience - “After 10 years coaching career-driven women”

• Where your members work - “Loved by leaders at Google, Netflix, and Amazon”

• Where you previously worked - “From the founding team of Equinox San Antonio”

• Your member testimonials - “Members call it: ‘The best 30-minute workout for women. Period.’”

• Your team's experience - “With the combined experience of over 20 years in helping women get in shape”

You get the idea…

It’s also a great idea to “show” that credibility in your ad image. (You can also show credibility in the image rather than the copy - or do both).

For example, if a celebrity like Oprah (even a local one) uses your products, services, or classes, show it in an image so it’s believable, don’t just say it in your copy.

Finally, the last part of your copy should get prospects to take action.

This is the easy part. Keep it simple:

• “Join for free wellness evaluation”

• “Book a FREE body and habit analysis”

• “Join for a 5-minute free intro call”

• “Click the link to sign up! Get your first visit on us”

If you have a FREE intro offer (or a special promotion) mention that here.

Putting it all together

Here’s my ad for a Fit Club using the AIDA framework:

Attention - “Trying your best to get in shape for the summer?”

Interest - “We work with the most successful career-driven women in San Antonio and share their daily routine with you.”

Desire - “Our clients include, M. N. Lawyer 47, I.A. Executive Director 54, A.M. Doctor @ SA Hospital, The Mayor, and more”

Action - “Book a FREE body and habit analysis”

Now, this ad copy could work great, but it’s a bit long. Here are a few shorter versions using the foundational ad copy I wrote from the framework:

• “Getting in shape for summer? We work with the most successful career-driven women in San Antonio (like M. N. Lawyer 47, I.A. Executive Director 54 and more) and help them install successful routines for sustainable healthy results. Book a FREE body and habit analysis!”

• “Want to learn the daily routine of the fittest career-driven women of San Antonio? We’ve worked with them. And we share those learnings in a free 10-minute call.”

• “Become your fittest self in 2 hours a week. Get the daily routine and strategies of the most career-drive women in San Antonio (Lawyers, Doctors, Executive Directors, and more). Join for a Free Consultation.”

Also - I don’t always include a clear call to action in the primary text. Sometimes it’s better to add that in the image or sometimes not at all. But if you don’t include one, make sure you explain what the product is (a free consultation). Don’t expect people to click to find out.

The above example is a FREE consultation but you can pull it off for virtually any offer. Could be a challenge, a free weekly pass, a discounted month, etc.

2/ The image

Here are my favorite types of images for brick-and-mortar ads. Use them as inspiration, but add your spin. Most are direct Call-to-action for a mid-priced offer:

A. Memes & Drawings

Use this meme template library to find ideas for your ads.

Use easy-to-understand memes or drawings that show the benefit of your offer and call out your audience. Your memes won’t be funny, but they should grab attention and show a reason why people should join.

B. The text and notes ads

Write copy in the iPhone notes app (or Notion). Screenshot it and use it as an ad. If you’re using this style of image, your primary text should be short. These could be also the so-called “Twittter Ads”

C. Text ads

Same concept, different look and feel.

D. Founder or Staff images

If you’re the face of your business, use images of you. The images should be personal or aspirational - but not too personal or aspirational.

Meaning:

- Use an image you would share on Instagram, but without your friends or family in it.

- Use a photo of you promoting your business, making something fun, and hanging out with the members of the community.

E. Carousel of content

Use the headlines and images from your best content to make a carousel ad.

F. Testimonial screenshots

Screenshot testimonials for image ads or use multiple testimonials in one ad.

G. Press or award screenshot

Featured in other publications? Show that in your ads.

H. Authority / Social proof

Show off your credibility and expertise in an image like this where you’ve been featured.

Want more examples?

Go to the Facebook Ad library of your favorite advertisers:

Select "active" ads only

• Select "active" ads only

• Scroll to the bottom of the page

• Look for ads that have been live for 1-2+ months

If an ad has been live for that long, it's working great.

3/ The headline

Your headline should show:

• A clear benefit

• Social proof or authority

• How your offer solves a problem

• How easy or fast it is to get the benefit or solve the problem

Also, it should almost always be in Title Case.

Here are a few examples from some of my favorite campaigns:

“Join 1,000+ Busy Women For Daily Dose Of Fitness”

“Trusted In San Antonio. Helping Women Since 2008”

“Become A Fitter Version Of Yourself In 30 Minutes a Day”

“Find Out Why Our Members Stay With Us Over 3 Years”

4/ The Description

This is the last and simplest part of your Facebook ads.

Your description should be a short copy that has a call-to-action, shows social proof, or emphasizes your offer.

Here are some examples:

“Get Started Today”

“100% Free To Get Started”

“Limited Spots Available. Join now!”

“Join 100+ Members Today”

“Start Your Transformation. Click Below.”

“Join Our ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rated Challenge”

Want to sell high-priced packages?

Watch my video on pricing strategies you can leverage in your facility to effortlessly increase your prices.

I share how you can use the anchoring bias sales technique to increase your revenue with a simple tweak.

🔗 Best Links

Here are some of the best resources I’ve found since the last newsletter:

📈 Sales

• 81 Quick Sales Tips Every Rep Should know

🎤 Marketing

• Simple Database Reactivation Campaign You Should Use

📱 Social Media

• Maximize Your Reach with the Latest Social Media Algorithms for 2024

🤖 AI, Tech & Tools

• Top 10 AI Content Creation Tools To Save Time

🫂 Community Building

• Community Building Tips: Key To Happy Members And Retention

🤝 How I Can Help You

If you like this newsletter and want to work with me, here are a few ways we can collaborate:

1. You can apply to work with my Agency, Digital Wellness Partners ( → Apply here).

2. Need AI-Powered Marketing Platform for your health and wellness business? Get WellGrow.Io (→ See Demo)

3. Take your client experience to the next level with AI-powered fitness, nutrition, habit-coaching, plus in-app messaging, progress tracking, and more. (→ See Demo)

Or, simply reply to this email. I reply to everyone who reaches out.

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