As a gym owner, marketing may not be the first bullet on your to-do list. However, it is as important as managing your gym.
Otherwise, how do you plan to attract new members? Finding the time to market your gym can be hard, but it’s just as important as managing it.
An empty gym will show you how important marketing is. So, you can be a gym owner or a marketer working for a gym; you need to know how to market a gym.
I list some of the best marketing ideas you can start to get more clients today.
1. Offer a 7-Day Gym Pass
Providing people with a 7-day gym pass is a marketing strategy as old as time. And it is an excellent idea.
It’s a low-cost way to bring in new clients and show them what your gym has to offer. Many people are not ready to sign up for a new gym that they don’t know yet. You can let them experience your services, equipment, and culture with free passes.
Plus, it gives you a chance to upsell them on memberships or other services. To make this work, you need to have a great sales pitch ready.
2. Run a Six-Week Challenge
A six-week challenge is a great marketing strategy to attract new clients and retain existing ones.
It works like this: people sign up for a six-week program where they commit to working out 3-5 times per week.
They also get access to a nutrition plan, workout schedule, and other resources.
At the end of the six weeks, there is a finale event where participants can show off their results.
This is an excellent marketing strategy because it gets people in the door and committed to your gym. People who are unsure how to achieve their fitness goal can commit your gym.
Plus, it helps you build a community of people who support and encourage each other.
3. Offer Free 1-On-1 Personal Training Sessions
People are always looking for ways to get in shape, and they are willing to pay for quality personal training.
Because for newcomers trying to figure out what to do at the gym is such a frustrating time.
According to the New York Post, 50% of Americans feel too intimidated to develop a workout routine around other people. Plus, 37 percent of those who have never worked out think they are too unhealthy to even start exercising.
Therefore, you can help them to feel more comfortable with a 1-on-1 personal training session. You can show new customers how to use the equipment, the environment and a basic program to start with. It’s important to make customers feel a part of the family. Ensure that they can ask and consult you whenever they need.
4. Start a Fitness Blog
Believe it or not, blogging makes a huge difference. It doesn’t mean that you’ll turn into a famous blogger suddenly but with a proper strategy, you can attract new members.
- You can reach people looking for fitness tips and hacks (potential customers)
- You can show off your gym’s authority and credibility in the fitness industry
- You can drive more traffic to your blog with SEO.
- Your website can be at top of the search results.
Blogging gives you the opportunity to perform SEO (Search Engine Optimization) practices, leading your gym’s website to rank on page one for Google Search.
First of all, this creates prestige, but more importantly, 91.5% of Google traffic stays on the first page. With the right SEO practices, you can outrank other gyms’ websites and take the number one spot.
Try to post 2 to 4 SEO-optimized blog posts weekly.
5. Update or Create Your Google Business Profile
Don’t forget the befits of local SEO. It can be often overlooked but can make a big difference.
People searching for new gyms in their area will search on Google. Once they click search, they’ll see a list of gyms on the right-hand side of the SERP (Search Engine Results Page). If you don’t have a Google Business account, your gym won’t be one of them and you’ll miss out on customers who could have called or visited your gym to sign up.
You can create your Google Business Profile for free. Include your hours, location, contact information, website, and reviews.
Make sure that all of your information is accurate and up-to-date. You should also encourage customers to leave reviews.
Google considers reviews when determining where to rank businesses in the search results.
The more positive reviews you have, the higher you will rank.
6. Use Social Media to Promote Your Gym
It’s a great way to connect with potential and current customers, build relationships, and increase brand awareness.
Use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to post about your gym. Share photos and videos of your facility, staff, and clients working out. You can also use social media to run promotions and giveaways.
Make sure that you are active on social media and engaging with your followers regularly. Respond to comments and questions in a timely manner.
Choose Your Social Media Platforms
I know that social media marketing is an extra effort and it is hard to manage all your accounts on several different platforms. So, you don’t need to spread your gym all over the internet by joining every app.
Because for newcomers trying to figure out what to do at the gym is such a frustrating time.
Choose at least two platforms that your target audience uses daily, where they go to find products and where they find gyms. This can be Instagram and Facebook for you.
Creating Content for Social Media
You need to post regularly to keep your page active. Don’t share too many promotional messages, irrelevant information, and spamming that’ll make people unfollow the brand.
On the other hand, if people are interested in the product or service, if the brand shares promotions and entertaining content, people tend to follow the brand.
7. Send Email Campaigns or Newsletters
Email marketing is an excellent marketing strategy for gyms because it’s a great way to stay in touch with your members and keep them updated on what’s going on at the gym.
You can use email marketing to promote new programs, events, or special offers. You can also use it to send helpful tips or reminders.
If you’re new to email marketing, here are three essential emails campaigns:
Welcome Email Campaign
Do you know that 76% of people email expect to receive a welcome email after subscribing to your list? Moreover, people who receive a welcome email show 33% more engagement with the brand.
Retargeting Email Campaign
In order to maximize the gym’s email campaign efforts, retargeting can be employed for gym members who have previously shown an interest in the gym but have not yet signed up for a membership. Retargeting involves emailing the gym’s promotional material to potential customers who have previously visited the gym’s website. This will serve as a reminder of the gym and its services and may prompt them to sign up for a membership.
Service/Product Email Campaign
You also can update your customers about new products, classes, offers, and plans via email. This can boost your traffic and attract their attention.
8. Host a Giveaway or Contest
9. Provide Free Nutritional Planning or a Meal Plan
Nutrition is a key part of fitness, and as a weight-loss expert, you know that one of the biggest challenges that keep some people from reaching their fitness goals is not having a proper meal plan or nutrition in place.
You can offer this service for free to attract new customers and show that you are an authority in the fitness industry. You can offer a free meal plan based on their goals and let them keep up with their membership.
This is a great marketing strategy because it shows you care more than just selling memberships.
You want to help people reach their fitness goals and are willing to provide resources to help them do that.
10. Create a User-Friendly Website
Your website is often the first impression potential customers will have of your gym. Having a user-friendly and professional website lets you have a strong online presence and increases credibility.
It is your showcase and a hub for all your information about your gym. Your goal has to be to direct your potential customers who visit your websites for them to get more information to buy your fitness services ultimately.
Here are some tips for creating a user-friendly website:
- Make sure your website is mobile-friendly.
- Include clear call-to-actions (CTAs) on every page.
- Use high-quality images and videos.
- Write compelling copy that sells.
- Optimize your website for SEO.
- Ensure your website loads quickly.
If you don’t have the time or resources to create a professional website, you can use a drag-and-drop website builder.
Six helpful features that should be a part of your website:
- A gym highlights section: Boast about the gym’s unique features that set you apart from your competitors. Highlight your gym’s USP.
- Reviews section: This section must consist of testimonials from existing/ past customers describing their experience.
- Blogs section (if any): Educational blogs with a few soft-sell points of your gym can be shared with your community.
- Gym member spotlights: You can post people who have undergone positive body transformations since joining your gym, proving that your gym could deliver results.
- Downloadable free fitness ebooks: Provide ebooks to your site’s visitors. They can benefit from ebooks related to fitness, exercise lists, dietary plants, etc.
- A Book Now button: This is the most important Call-To-Action (CTA) on your gym website. This feature allows customers to book a workout session or even a free trial easily. You can use gym scheduling software like Appointy.