How Marketing Pilates to Runners Got Me In Trouble

Years ago, when I was just starting out as a Pilates teacher and building my business, I began working with a business coach who taught that it’s important to have an ideal client avatar. Basically, I needed to understand exactly who I’m talking to. Who are they? What do they like to do? What do they eat? Where do they hang out? What are their hobbies?

I knew that I loved to help all kinds of people through Pilates but understood that it’s beneficial to one’s business to have a specialty or area of expertise. The more I thought about it, I finally narrowed it down: I enjoy helping active adults keep doing the activities that they love. For me, one of those things is running.

How Pilates Has Helped Keep Me Running

I’ve been a runner for years. Like many runners, I’ve dealt with my fair share of injuries: plantar fasciitis, achilles tendonitis, and more. I’ve also caught myself just at the beginning of an injury, and thanks to Pilates, was able to work through it before it became a bigger issue. 

Some days, I do Pilates after a run to keep me limber and avoid tightness. Other days, I use it as a warm-up, because Pilates gently moves your body through all the ways your spine and joints are meant to move—foot to ankle, knee to hip, spine and more. Frankly, Pilates just helps my body to feel good! 

Marketing To My People

So, with my ideal client in mind, I decided to focus more of my content on Pilates for runners. I wrote social media posts, ran a workshop, and wrote a blog about 5 Pilates Exercises for Runners. I was excited to write that post! I took the time to photograph each exercise and explain why each one was helpful. It was easy to write about two things I’m so passionate about, but it was hard to choose only five exercises. 

The truth is, almost every Pilates exercise can benefit your running in some way. But I know that’s not how it works for someone brand new to the method. People want to know what they’ll get out of each exercise, so I picked five that I knew runners would really feel – the ones that would give them a big stretch or noticeably improve their mobility. 

I was proud of having narrowed down my focus on who I was marketing to, and who I loved to work with. I shared my blog on Instagram, getting support from my running friends, clients, and family.  

And then the messages started…

Yes, I Made Someone Mad With My Blog

I got a DM on Instagram from a Pilates teacher who I had met in person one time. She was an amazing mover and had completed an extensive amount of training in Pilates. She messaged me privately and said “Just do the work.”  

I responded that I do understand and believe in the full system of Pilates, and that is what really will help all athletes. I explained that I was marketing specifically to runners and why I had chosen only five exercises. I should have known better than to engage, because she kept at me with several other messages. I stopped after two responses to her, because she was quite nasty and I was upset. Especially when I’d met her in the past and felt she was a new Pilates ally! 

Over the next few weeks she commented on a few of my other posts… and then she was in my inbox again going on about another of them, commenting, “Oh yeah, I know – Marketing, right?” This is when I finally blocked her. 

She Wasn’t Totally Wrong

The truth is, she was right that to get the most out of Pilates, you will need a full workout, not just a few hand-picked exercises. Still, a few exercises will benefit you more than doing none. And if my post inspired someone to try Pilates for the first time, I consider that a win! Runners tend to be pretty obsessed with running and many don’t do a heck of a lot to support their running. For longevity in running, strength and mobility work is very important. 

If You’re a Runner – Give Pilates a Try

Runners are good at putting on their shoes and going running for hours on end. However, they aren’t always so good about stretching, regenerative work, or working through injuries. Pilates is an excellent way to stay strong, rehab, and even avoid those common injuries altogether. It will also help you keep running better far into the future.