One of the most important steps of running a successful nutrition program is promoting or marketing your program. Now that you’ve used That Clean Life to create the content for your group program and built it in Practice Better - it’s time to promote it to ensure its success.
If you want your program to succeed, you must have a marketing plan. We’ve compiled a list of 10 ways to get more eyes on your program to connect with your audience and, ultimately, increase sales.
1. Create a marketing calendar
One of the best preparation efforts you can make before launching your group nutrition program is to outline your marketing plan on a calendar. This is essential to helping you stay organized and on track with reaching your goals.
To create an effective marketing calendar, start by outlining the key milestones of your program, such as the launch date, special events, or themed months. Identify your target audience and tailor your messaging to address their specific needs and interests as you start planning the content for your calendar.
Your calendar should incorporate various marketing channels, including social media, email newsletters, and your website, to reach the widest audience possible. Plan content that educates and engages potential consumers, highlights the benefits of your program and incorporates visually appealing graphics and testimonials.
Use your calendar to track performance metrics, gather feedback, and adjust your marketing strategies accordingly.
2. Countdown until the start date to create a sense of urgency
People respond in a certain way when presented with a countdown. This is especially true when it’s related to missing out on an opportunity we care about (or getting it at a certain price point or in addition to a special deal).
Using a countdown timer on your marketing materials — or posting a daily countdown on your social media channels — helps to create a sense of urgency among your followers. It reminds your community and potential customers that their time to register for your program is running out.
3. Use partnerships to expand your reach
On our own, we can only reach so far. When we strategically partner with like-minded individuals, brands, or organizations who align with our goals, that reach can be exponentially widened. Consider partnering with influencers in your space or nutrition experts who can help spread the word about your group program.
Identify potential partners who share a similar target audience or mission. For example, if you’re selling a group nutrition program related to weight loss, you could partner with other weight loss and fitness dietitians, a local weight loss center, or other medical weight loss experts.
Establish mutually beneficial relationships that allow you to tap into each other’s networks. This could include co-hosting a webinar or workshop or being a guest on their podcast to showcase the synergy between your nutrition program and their offerings.
4. Run an Instagram giveaway
Instagram is a great platform to grow your audience and the awareness of what you’re offering. Use this to your advantage when marketing your program, and consider hosting an Instagram giveaway.
For example, you could give away a free spot in your program — or an extra freebie related to it — in exchange for people following your account, sharing your post, or tagging others in the comments section. This increases engagement with your content among existing followers and gets more eyes on what you’re selling overall.
5. Promote your program on social
This might seem like a no-brainer, but if you haven’t been used to utilizing your social platforms to market your offerings, this is an opportune time to start. Consider which social channels make the most sense with your specific program and target audience.
For example, you might use:
- TikTok
- X
- YouTube
If it feels overwhelming to use multiple channels, remember that you can (and should) repurpose content. For instance, draft copy for Instagram and then cross-post it on Facebook and Instagram.
Make any adjustments needed to tailor it to slightly different social channels. This way, you reach a much wider audience without significant extra work.
6. Promote to your email list
Effectively leveraging your email list is a pivotal strategy for marketing your program. This group of people have intentionally subscribed to hear from you, so lean on their willingness to listen and interest in what you’re doing.
Craft engaging and informative email campaigns that resonate with your audience. These should be concise and emphasize your program's value and unique benefits. Consider how you can segment your email list based on specific demographics or interests, which allows you to tailor your messaging for maximum relevance.
Emails promoting your program could include the following:
- Relevant nutrition tips
- Actionable items your subscribers can use right away
- Success stories of people who have worked with you or completed your program
- Sneak peeks and giveaways
- Exclusive promos or early access at a discounted rate
Always incorporate calls to action into your regular emails to keep your nutrition program top of mind and encourage FOMO. Monitor your email analytics to see what content resonates most (and least) with your audience. This data can help with your current and future marketing campaigns.
7. Show your face more
People are more interested in buying from real people. In other words, get your face out there rather than trying to sell a group nutrition program solely from copy or stock images.
This likely includes doing more video content. Perhaps this means getting on live sessions with strategic partnerships, posting more reels of yourself, placing videos on your website, or even sending video messages to your email list.
Showing your audience that you’re a real human helps establish a positive rapport, encourages trust-building, and attracts clients or customers who resonate with you most. This can translate to better sales and more engagement among those who register for your group nutrition program.
8. Run paid ads
If you have the budget, you could consider paying for promotional ads. This is a direct method of getting your offering in front of your target audience.
You can create a free lead magnet or discounted version of your program to incentivize people to click and learn more. It can be highlighted via paid ads, and you can collect email addresses upon download or sign-up. Then, you can upsell and promote your paid program.
9. Implement an SEO strategy
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a strategic content approach to get more eyes on your brand — and ultimately, your group nutrition program (and future offerings). It can help you generate more traffic at little to no cost beyond the initial creation of your content.
An SEO strategy helps make your content and name more visible online when people search for something you want to rank for (e.g. “vegetarian nutrition coaching in San Francisco”).
To implement an SEO strategy, you must first determine what keywords you want to rank for and have a shot at doing so successfully. These should ideally be high search volume but low difficulty. Optimize existing content on your website and create new content that incorporates these keywords.
SEO takes some time to have a tangible return on investment, but it is always worth starting now for your long-term goals. Consider working with an SEO expert if you need guidance.
10. Create an affiliate program
Affiliate programs are a great option if you want help spreading the word about your program without necessarily actively partnering with anyone. This allows someone else to promote your offering and earn a commission whenever someone signs up using their link.
You only pay when affiliate links generate sales. This means it’s important to choose affiliates who are most likely to be successful in getting sign-ups. This can be especially helpful if you have connections with a larger audience than you or are connected to a consumer base you haven’t been able to tap into yet.
Get Your Program Seen
If you want your program to be a success, there’s no way around it: you have to have a marketing plan. Use these strategies to create yours.
