There are more fitness professionals, gyms, fitness centers, and exercise options for consumers than ever before. There are more posts, tweets and pins on social media and less time than ever to look at them. Essentially, you’ll pay more money for fewer looks on your print persuasion or on your TV or radio ads than ever before.

It means that you will have to be more effective with each piece you prepare. Whether you’re talking about a small budget and grassroots campaign or you’re running ads and direct mail regularly, you want to make sure you’re getting a response. Here is a list of tips to help.

1. Your ad is targeted at a customer and their situation specifically. Gone are the days when you can offer a special discount on a service or product without compelling reasons to buy it.

2. There is a call to action. Examples include: call now, click here now, and visit us today before it’s too late. Your client needs to know exactly what you want them to do next. Tell them.

3. There is urgency. Offer valid until midnight on Friday. The shortage can be part of the urgency by including a limited number of openings. Act now: three left.

4. Provide reciprocity. Stop by for your free gift today. The first fifty attendees receive a free t-shirt. Click here to get your free report now.

5. Headlines that attract attention and attract the client. You have about two seconds while a customer decides whether or not to open your email or continue reading the fine print on your flyer. It had better be good since it competes with a full inbox, the kids, a dog, dinner, and yoga.

6. Clarity trumps intelligence. Your reading level must be between 5th and 8th grade. It must be absolutely clear what the offer describes and why your reader should care or continue to pay attention. The reader is thinking I’m busy, why should I bother?

7. Eye Flow is effortless. In ads or graphics where there is nowhere to look, the reader becomes tired and frustrated or bored. Make sure your landing spot for the eye is planned out and is what you want. Ideally, you have the location such that the call-to-action button is where they land. It helps if it’s a different color.

8. Include photographs. However, make sure your images are relevant. If you show a picture of an attractive slender 22-year-old redhead, yes, that can attract the most eyes. If your target market is 60 and graying, you’ll have lost it before you launch.

9. Talk like they talk. If a client asks for nutrition advice, by all means advertise with those words. Usually though they talk about fat, weight loss, thunder thighs or belly fat. If you want to be heard, speak their language.

10. Try it. Even if you have checked all these components, you can still be wrong. The list above is science. Putting them together in a way that works is an art. So create two ads, or two newsletters, and test one element. When you decide which one has the greatest response, take it and use it or run another test, changing another unique item.

If you do this, chances are most fitness companies won’t, unless they have hired someone to come and consult with them, you will set yourself apart. Naturally, you will attract a better quality customer.