The Unspoken Problem Fitness Professionals Must Solve Now
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I can't believe that no one is talking about this.
Either people are unaware of what's happening.
Or they're burying their head in the sand.
I've been guilty of that in the past. Seeing something coming and not getting ahead of it.
I won't be making that mistake this time.
In fact, you're witnessing me build my defence against it in real-time.
Here's what's happening…
A.I is offering us the chance to do some amazing things.
But all that up-side comes with a cost.
The cost to our industry (and others) will be TRUST.
This is a huge problem. Without trust, we have very little left.
And if you have any ambition at all (even the smallest) of delivering content and services online, you need to be ahead of this issue before it's too late.
Let's be crystal clear…
Those that get ahead of this problem will turn it into an amazing opportunity.
An opportunity that others may never get to create for themselves.
I'm here to help you turn a serious issue into a potentially huge positive for You, your business, and your future…
The Hidden Threat of AI in Fitness: Build Trust Before It’s Too Late
Our industry is dominated by aesthetics.
Even the coaches that don't care about ripped abs, dramatic transformations, and the attention-grabbing imagery - need to pay attention.
FYI - I would count myself as one of the coaches described above.
ALL coaches need to pay attention, because…
Our industry shares stories through imagery and videos.
Our go-to format for sharing what we do is heavily based on visual content.
There's no problem with that.
The problem is that we now have ever-improving tools, powered by A.I, that allow people to create lifelike visual content out of thin air.
A computer nerd who has never been in a gym now has the potential to create jaw-droppingly realistic fitness content and serve it to a hungry audience of people willing to consume it.
Given how good AI is likely to get, it's not beyond the realms of possibility that they will drive higher engagement than 'real' creators, and thus, appear more 'real' than humans.
If they wished to do so, they could then sell various products or services to this audience - or promote the services and products of other brands.
If you don't think this is a problem yet, just take glance at the graph below…
The 'AI Influencer' market has grown to over $3billion per year in less than half a decade.
Do you think that trend is likely to slow down or speed up?
…I know where I'd be placing my bet!
"Okay Matt, so people can create fake content - what's the problem?"
I'll revisit my earlier point…TRUST.
As the amount of fake content grows, people will lose confidence in their ability to spot what's real.
This image isn't real, and remember, It's only going to get more realistic from here…
This means that even if your content is real, people might think it's fake.
Your current followers know that you're real - your future followers may not.
Like you see in the example above, we will see brands put their products onto AI Models.
(Notice that the woman is wearing an Adidas cap and shorts)
They, and others, will also use those AI models to create accounts that mimic 'real' users and create what is known as User-Generated Content (UGC).
UGC is when a brand uses an influencer to create content and insert their products and branding into the content in a natural way. It's not too dissimilar to product placement on TV.
This is different, and far more effective, than paying for an Influencer to simply 'shoutout' or recommend a product - as people have become privy to the incentivised nature of these promotions.
In the same way Social Media Users have become aware of paid promotions, they will also become aware of fake user-generated content and AI Influencers.
…But they still won't be able to tell if you are one of them!
Let's cut the core of the issue at hand…
People will want to verify that you are 'real' before they do business with you.
In fact, I'd go as far as saying that people will want to verify your 'realness' before they even give you a 'follow'.
They won't want to risk cluttering their feed with fake content.
This is a problem because most Fitness Business Owners have over-indexed on Social Media being their only distribution method of content and social proof.
They often have very little elsewhere to show what they do.
Ultimately, your Instagram profile and Linktree links aren't going to cut it when people want to verify who you are.
You are a Professional working in the 'Private Sector', and like any other private sector professional, people will want to be able to see your body of work and have non-intrusive interaction with you before they enquire or buy from you.
Here are the types of 'Digital Assets' I believe people will want to see from you in order to verify that you are a genuine Fitness Professional…
Professional, engaging, human-driven Website
Easy access to a diary or booking system
Raw, real videos and images
UGC from clients (testimonials, case studies & reviews)
Engagement opportunities e.g online quizzes, downloads, communities
Trusted payment methods (low-friction)
Regular contact (email marketing, sms, social media, blogs, videos)
Low-commitment products (memberships, communities, digital programs)
Behind-the-scenes content (an understanding of the person behind the brand)
For many, they will need to interact with as may of these touch-points as possible before making a buying decision.
The more of these you have, the more likely you will be to gain trust (and clients!)
Building out these types of digital assets has typically been expensive and time-consuming.
> A great website might set you back £1,500 plus £97 per month in maintenance.
> Staying in-touch via email seems time-consuming and becomes yet another subscription - a subscription that grows as your list grows.
> Building out your own products with trusted payment systems etc feels like something reserved for the 'Big Players' in the industry.
…But all of that is changing!
The Future of Fitness Business is here…
I have been working behind-the-scenes with my 1-1 Coaching Clients to help them build-out the types of digital assets I mentioned above.
I want to ensure that these individuals are bulletproof when these verification issues arise.
In addition to that…
I've been making sure that these digital assets are aligned with the business coaching principles I teach.
This means that the assets we build don't just verify that the coaches are 'real' - they actually grow their business' now!
And as if that wasn't enough…
I've packaged all of this together (the tech and business coaching) into a one-of-a-kind 14-day program that has never been publicly available before.
My years of experience as a Coach and tech know-how have combined to create something that I believe will change the Fitness Industry.
If that sounds exciting, then wait until you see this…
The 14-day program will be FREE.
…Yes, you will get access to coaching AND the software that powers everything for free.
I can't wait to share more details with you.
Here's how to can find out more…
Check out the Fitness OS Website and apply for our upcoming trial.
Check out the recent podcast I recorded on how I plan to use this project to massively impact the Fitness Industry in a positive way: Listen on Apple -or- Listen on Spotify
To tie things up for today, I want to make the following clear…
The Fitness Industry is already a tough place to build a business.
It's an amazing industry but a tough nut to crack at times.
The changes ahead are likely to make things more difficult - unless you've implemented what I've discussed above!
My aim is to build something that make the Technology, Business Coaching, Support & Community required to thrive in this space accessible to as many Fitness Professionals as possible.
That is my mission.
It would be my honour to help you build the business that changes your life, weathers the storms, and provides the stability and security everyone craves.
If you have any questions you want answering, feel free to leave a reply or reach out to me here.
