Do you own a gym or fitness studio? The health and fitness industry is extremely competitive right now for any small business owner. When competing in crowded markets, your management and marketing skills can make the difference between winning and losing clients. Here are a few expert tips for growing your gym or fitness business.
1. Use Gym Management Software
“If you want to operate efficiently, you need to find software that streamlines every part of your business. Management software is non-negotiable. Without a platform, you will spend a lot more time tracking billing and gym memberships.
Your management software also helps to boost the member experience by allowing your members to access all the information they need. Whether it’s the ability to pay their membership through your platform or sign up for your latest workout stream.”
Source: Glofox
2. Financial Management is Critical for Long-term Success
“In order to run a successful fitness business, it is essential to have a firm grasp on financial management. This includes understanding your expenses, setting a budget, and creating a pricing strategy that will allow you to turn a profit.
It is also important to keep track of your income and generate financial reports regularly. This will give you a clear picture of your business’s finances and help you make informed decisions about where to allocate your resources. By staying on top of your finances, you can ensure that your fitness business is sustainable and profitable.”
Source: Spark
3. Upgrade Your Email
“The average person checks their email about 15 times per day. That said, plenty of those emails are ignored, deleted, or moved to spam. To boost your email engagement and craft the kind of emails that your customers will want to read, there are some strategic ways to start making a difference:
- Keep it short, sweet, and direct
- Lead with your main idea or topic
- Keep your language aspirational
Another key aspect of an email newsletter? Voice. Every gym has its own brand and style, which should be present in your email. If your gym’s foundation is built on positivity, self-care, and wellness, make sure your email epitomizes those qualities.”
Source: NextDoor
4. Advertise Your Products and Services
“You should market your gym and sell a product or service. Many gyms sell workout equipment and other health products. Some gym owners even offer meal plans as well. This can be a great way to ensure that your gym gets plenty of business. You will want to advertise your products in places such as newspapers, magazines, as well as network marketing companies.”
Source: Wellyx
5. Provide Compelling Reviews and Success Stories
“One of the first things I do before investing in any health or fitness product or service is binge-read reviews. Since these types of products can often be expensive and may or may not yield results, reviews are very meaningful in this industry. Not only do you, as fitness marketers, need to solicit reviews from happy customers, but you also need to incorporate these reviews into your marketing tactics.
For instance, if you have a high rating on Google-approved review platforms, incorporate these into your Google search ads. Use customer quotes in your imagery for social and display ads. Or even go a step further and film a compelling customer testimonial video.
The bottom line is that if your customers are happy (which they should be), you need to leverage this to help market your business. It will make a substantial impact!”
Source: WordStream
6. Know Your Unique Value Proposition
“A unique value proposition can help to create a unique experience that your customers feel when they visit your gym. How do the unique qualities that you offer make your customers feel?
Ask yourself what unique services you can offer to your gym and fitness clients that they would find helpful. Are your customers interested in the ketogenic diet, yoga, cognitive health, meditation, self-defense, or any unique activity that can help you differentiate yourself from competitors?
Spend time brainstorming so you can develop unique health services that would be valuable to your existing members, and dream prospects. Remember that your customers and clients are continually changing and evolving. Therefore, the list of services that you offer should change with their demands!”
Source: Reflexion
7. Engage with Clients on Social Media
“Whether it’s on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn, starting (and continuing) the conversation with people who interact with you on social media is crucial.
Engaging with clients on social media will help demonstrate your expertise in the fitness field, which can turn readers into long-term clients. Answer any questions they have and try to provide as much value as possible in every conversation.”
Source: AFPA
8. Create an Irresistible Intro Offer
“The best introductory offers for gyms and fitness studios attract new customers who might not otherwise be ready to commit to a full pass or membership by:
- Allowing them to try your services at a substantially discounted price.
- Giving the new potential customer enough time to try your fitness business and get hooked (these can be short-term deals that allow for one use only).
- Naturally leading into a pass or membership purchase with a bonus discount at the end.
Successful fitness business owners know that the key to intro offers that convert into more lucrative full-paying customers is to provide excellent customer service during the intro offer, and to follow up before the intro offer ends to invite the customer to stick with their new fitness routine by purchasing a pass or membership, sometimes at a slight discount.”
Source: Punchpass
Financing Your Business Marketing
Do you need help financing some of these fitness marketing ideas? First Union Lending can help. We have 9 different loan types, so you can find the best loan for your needs.
Lending specialists are available to help you with the process. Simply call 863-825-5626 or click here to get started.
Applying for a loan won’t affect your credit, and your loan could be approved in as little as two days. Contact First Union Lending today to fund your fitness marketing strategies.