If there’s one thing I talk about more than anything else with my clients, it’s messaging. Not because it’s the flashiest topic, but because it is genuinely the foundation of everything. You can have the most beautiful website, the most consistent posting schedule, the most dialed-in software stack — and if your messaging is unclear, inconsistent, or just kind of… missing? Nothing else matters.
So today I’m sharing my best tips for messaging your small business in a way that feels good, sounds like you, and actually converts. Whether you’re a Pilates studio owner, a nutritionist, a massage therapist, or any kind of wellness business owner — this one is for you.
Tip #1: Communicate Consistently
This one sounds simple, but it is SO underrated. Consistent communication is one of the highest-leverage things you can do for your small business marketing. Not perfect communication. Not viral communication. Just consistent.
What does that look like in practice? It means showing up on your stories regularly — even just a quick recap of your day. It means day-in-the-life posts (a short 2-second clip from a few different points of your day). It means your audience knows what to expect from you and when. We genuinely love seeing the human behind the business, and the more consistently you show up, the more your audience starts to feel like they know you — which is when the trust, and then the sales, follow.
Tip #2: Your Best Marketing Is Your Current Reality — Keep Talking About It!
This is one I see people get wrong ALL the time, and I get it because I’ve done it too. You spend weeks building up to a launch — you’re posting, you’re emailing, you’re talking about it everywhere. And then the day it opens? You stop talking about it because it feels weird to keep promoting something that’s already live.
Here’s the thing: that is exactly backwards. The best marketing happens WHILE the thing is happening. When your challenge is running, show us what it looks like inside. When your teacher training is in session, share a behind-the-scenes moment. When your studio is full of energy on a Tuesday morning, film 10 seconds of it.
When we tell someone about our product, it’s really just words. But when we SHOW someone — through photos, videos, real moments — that’s when they can start to feel what it would be like to work with us. That’s when they picture themselves there. And that is when they buy.
So keep talking about it. Market your product while you’re IN it!
Tip #3: Share Your Results — Your Clients Are Your Proof of Concept
When your clients feel results — micro and macro — share it. This is your proof of concept and it is the most powerful marketing you have available to you.
I call these “happy folder” posts — screenshots of clients saying things like “omg I’m so sore in the best way” or “thank you for that session, I really needed it today.” These posts do SO much work because they let potential clients see themselves in someone else’s experience. They’re not reading a list of benefits — they’re watching a real person have a real moment. That’s irreplaceable.
And in the same vein: always communicate the positive. I am a firm believer that empowering marketing outperforms fear-based marketing every single time. I saw a post recently that used something like “it’s the death of the Pilates studio owner” as a hook to sell a service — and I am just so not for that. The empowering version of that message is “here’s how to stay happy and profitable as the wellness space grows.” Same topic, completely different energy. Lead with the possibility, not the problem.
Tip #4: Always Have a Next Step
I see so much small business marketing that just… ends. A beautiful caption, a great story, a really valuable email — and then nothing. No next step, no direction, no invitation.
Every single piece of content you put out should have a clear next step attached to it. It doesn’t have to be “buy now.” It can be “reply and tell me,” or “save this for later,” or “comment the word LIST and I’ll send you the link.” But there should always be somewhere to go. Always be leading your audience somewhere — even if it’s just a little further into your world.
Answers to Your Most Common Messaging Questions
Because I get these ALL the time and I want to make sure you have real, actionable answers:
“How do I figure out newsletter topics each month?”
This one is so fun once you have a framework! If you’re a movement or fitness business, think about body part focus — upper body, lower body, core, back, glutes. That’s five months of content right there, and for each one you can talk about why we train that area, what results clients can expect, and when they’ll see it come up in class. If you’re a nutrition-focused business, you could do macronutrients — one per newsletter — and then vitamins and minerals, one per newsletter. That’s easily a full year of content from two frameworks. The key is to anchor every newsletter to your area of expertise and then connect it back to what you offer.
“Talking about my membership doesn’t come easy — I overthink it and sound like a robot.”
Nothing trips people up more than trying to describe what they do from scratch every time. Here’s the framework that works: start with the end result, then work backwards. What does your client feel, experience, or achieve after working with you? Start there. Then describe the process that gets them there. Then end with a clear next step. Result → process → CTA. That’s it. Every time. When you anchor your messaging to the transformation instead of the logistics, it starts to feel a lot more natural.
“I feel like I’m always repeating myself — is that okay?”
Yes! Here’s the thing: as long as you have a signature process and a clear product, you have a business. My four pillars are messaging, systems, brand awareness, and client retention — and I talk about all four of them constantly. That’s not repetitive, that’s consistent. As long as you’re bringing some variation in how you talk about things (different formats, different angles, different client stories), you’re doing it right. Repetition builds recognition. Recognition builds trust.
“I write too much and make everything too long!”
Such a common one! The fix is to break up your written content with visual representation of what you’re talking about. If your newsletter theme is glutes, show someone doing a squat in class. If you’re writing about upper body strength, include a photo of someone on the reformer. The visuals give the eye somewhere to rest and make the content feel more digestible — even if the word count is the same.
“I get stuck filling my newsletters after the main topic.”
Try splitting your newsletter into two sections: business and human connection. Business content includes things like recent certifications, industry trends, new instructor spotlights, or breakthroughs you’ve seen in the research. Human connection content is the stuff that makes people feel like they know you — recipes you’re loving, podcasts you’re listening to, books you’re reading, playlists you’re playing in class. Both matter. Both build the relationship.
“I’m not sure who my ideal client is — especially when my work feels like it’s for everyone.”
This is so common in the wellness space, where it really does feel like everyone could benefit from what you do. Here’s my take: think about the clients you’ve loved working with most, and who have really seen results from working with you. Start there. And also know that it’s okay to just be really clear about what you provide and trust that the right people will find you. Everyone has a back. Everyone needs strength. Everyone needs protein. You don’t have to narrow so far that you feel like you’re excluding people. Just be clear, specific, and consistent about what you do and who you help — and the right people will find their way to you.
Your Homework
Pick ONE of these tips — just one — and implement it this week. If you’re already doing most of them, go back to tip #2 and ask yourself: am I still talking about the thing I launched last month? If not, talk about it today. Market it while you’re in it!
And if you want a done-for-you monthly newsletter template that has all of this built in — the personal note, the business content, the human connection section, all of it — I have one waiting for you right here. It’s free, it’s beautiful, and it will make your monthly newsletter so much easier to sit down and write.
Want more marketing tips like this every week? Come hang out with me on Instagram at @alexagrowmybusiness or join The Friday Society Membership at foreverfriday.co/membership — a community of wellness and fitness business owners doing exactly this, together.
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