The Ultimate Marketing Guide For Gym Owners: 6 Steps To Gaining New Members

Do you want to sell more gym memberships and run your fitness business smoothly? The key is to market your brand correctly. You must promote your business in a way that makes people want to choose your gym over others. Show them that what you have to offer isn’t available anywhere else and that they should want to start their fitness journey with you. 

Getting people to work out or make a trip to the gym shouldn’t be a difficult task. The reality is that people can be lazy! It’s up to you to motivate and attract them to utilize your gym consistently. 

We’ll discuss how you can increase your gym’s traffic and retain current customers in a few simple steps.

1. Set Up Your Social Media Profiles 

To create awareness for your gym, having an online presence is essential. Most people who work out at the gym are between 18-34. They are the ones most active on social media. Therefore, reaching your target audience is best done through social media platforms. 

You don’t have to create a profile on every social network. Pick a few you can consistently engage through, which are the most effective. For example, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube are the perfect platforms to get started. Instagram allows you to post photos and videos while communicating directly with your audience. You can respond to your audience’s questions through direct messages or comments. 

A creative Reels video is more likely to go viral or receive many views. Content on this platform has a higher chance of being shared amongst viewers, increasing exposure for your brand. 

According to YouTube’s statistics, viewers watched 5,500 years’ worth of yoga videos in one year. More and more people turn to YouTube for fitness expertise or guidance. Being active on YouTube can assist in promoting your gym, its facilities, and its services.

2. Include Video Marketing 

The second part of posting on social media platforms is to include video marketing in your strategy. Creating engaging videos will make your social media profiles exciting and educational. Many people need assistance when it comes to working out. They’re unfamiliar with specific exercises or don’t know how to perform them correctly. 

You can create videos on the right ways of exercising for all or specific audiences in sports, bodybuilding, and others. Content like this has a higher chance of receiving interactions. Another option is to create a video where your audience can exercise with you. A step-by-step tutorial can encourage viewers to watch while simultaneously following the steps. 

You should post shorter clips on TikTok and Instagram and longer, more informational ones on Facebook or Youtube. 

Don’t forget to feature your beautiful gym and its amenities in some of your videos. If you’ve got a juice bar, ensure to promote that too, because who doesn’t love a good protein shake?

3. Offer Online Classes 

Whether it’s cardio, yoga, or weight training, offering online classes will give customers an idea of what it would be like to attend your gym. Within the comfort of their homes, people can enjoy your services and get to know you without feeling pressured to visit your gym. It can help build trust and authenticity amongst your clients.

Doing so will show them that your services are indeed for their benefit. They’ll be able to experience positive results beforehand, ultimately wanting to purchase a membership and get the complete experience. 

The more your online followers grow, the more traffic your gym will receive. Eventually, you can post these classes on Facebook or Youtube, which will help with online promotions. Don’t forget about the revenue you’ll receive from your viewers on Youtube. Practina makes it easy to post on multiple platforms at once. With this social media marketing tool, you can schedule your content for posting as per your choice.

4. Invest In Paid Ads 

It’s much easier to reach people through paid ads. They are more effective than organic posts and target people looking to purchase a gym membership. 

A social media marketing tool like Practina focuses on generating leads for gym businesses through Smart ads. Practina can help create ads in under 5 minutes and will target users already searching for a membership or information regarding fitness. It simplifies the process for small business owners and relieves them of time-consuming duties. 

Your paid ad content can be a transformation photo of a gym member, an educational workout video, or even an image of your gym’s interior. Overall, you’ll experience a higher ROI and reach larger audiences.

5. Collaborate With Social Media Influencers 

Getting an influencer to promote your gym will affect your audience more than an advertisement from an unknown source. People trust social proof and recommendations from others much more than companies promoting themselves. An influencer’s opinion will motivate viewers to give your gym a visit or even purchase a membership. 

Make a list of influencers you’d like to contact and research before you do. Understanding the type of audience the influencer has is essential and how effective their opinion is on their followers. Once you’ve found the right influencers to promote your gym, you can offer them a deal. It could be a paid deal or a free membership for a specific time. This way, the influencer can experience your gym first-hand and find better ways to promote it to their audience. 

If you choose someone who’s already into fitness, that’s a bonus. You can ask the influencer to share before and after photos of their fitness transformation at your gym. Whether or not the influencer achieved this goal at your gym, people will feel motivated to achieve such results. Seeing that the influencer is progressing in their fitness journey will positively affect the audience.

6. Offer Discounts & Incentives 

You can spark new interest amongst your audience by offering a discount or deal. People are always looking for a shortcut when paying for something. Customers are more likely to consider your gym over competitors if you’ve got a valuable offer. The deal doesn’t always have to be high in monetary value. 

Here are some ideas you can use: 

• Refer a friend encourages customers to bring a friend where they get a discount on the additional membership. The second person can receive a percentage off their membership, or both members can sign up at a discounted rate.
• Free consultation from a nutritionist. You can offer a customized meal plan or physical assessment to help clients better understand their fitness level. 
• Provide a complimentary two-week pass that allows the client to experience your gym for free before signing up.
• Offer a discounted membership during holidays or back-to-school season. 
• Allow temporary free access to your gym’s pool, sports amenities, or other fitness classes such as pilates or yoga. 
• Offer five free sessions with a personal trainer. It’ll also promote your personal training services. 

Endnote

The best route to take in promoting your business is online gym marketing. Encourage your audience to get involved and make viewers feel like a part of your club. 

Practina will assist you in maintaining consistency with your health and fitness marketing goals. The content you choose to post should be unique and well thought out. By getting Practina’s help, you can expect creative content for your social media. By automating your social media with Practina, you can remain consistent, and your audience will begin to look forward to your content. Save time on the nitty-gritty through Practina and focus on earning more through your videos.