Marketing your gym

Almost every small business owner dreams of one day having a thriving gym, but very few actually make it happen. Why is that? Probably because most owners don’t realize just how much goes into marketing a gym. This blog post will outline some gym marketing ideas that you can use in order to make your gym successful. Keep reading to learn more!

Brand strategy and differentiation

Have a strong branding strategy that sets your gym apart from the competition

First, make sure to create a strong branding strategy. Your branding should be consistent across all channels, from your website and social media profiles to your advertising and signage. Branding is a long-term investment that takes effort, but it’s a step that cannot be skipped!

Think of your branding as being composed of two elements: Brand Identity and Brand Image. Brand identity refers to the tangible parts of your brand – things like logo, color scheme, font, etc. Brand image refers to how people perceive you and your brand. Brand identity and image should not be the same. For example, you wouldn’t want your gym to have a fun and exciting brand image, but a boring and serious brand identity!

Know what makes your gym stand out from the competition

The next step is to know what makes your gym different from the competition. This means that you need to study your competition – not just the other gyms in your area, but also businesses that offer things like yoga, self-defense courses boot camps and more. You should always be on the lookout for new trends in fitness like hot yoga or mixed martial arts (MMA).

Create a brand story you can use to attract members

You also need to create a brand story that you can use to attract new members. Branding is all about storytelling . You don’t want your brand story to be boring, so brainstorm some awesome ideas for your gym and how it came to be. How did you come up with the idea for a gym? What’s something awesome that would happen there? Write out your brand story so it’s easy for you to remember, and then use it to attract new members.

Make sure that your website is properly showcasing what makes your gym unique

Next, make sure that your website is up-to-date and showcases what makes your gym unique. Just because you’re a small business doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use an online marketing strategy. This is especially true of gyms, because more and more people are using the Internet to find places to work out.

The “About” page on your website should be filled with lots of information about why somebody would want to join your gym. Make sure that the first thing new visitors see is a brand story that tells them what makes your gym different from the competition. Use a CTA (Call-to-Action) button to encourage visitors to schedule a tour of your facility or take the first step toward signing up for membership.

Include photos and videos of your members on your website

Feature pictures of your gym, happy members and your personal trainers.

When potential gym members visit your website they want to know if they will fill comfortable or fit in with your fitness environment. It is important to show pictures  of your personal trainer staff along with bios and interests. This will make visitors feel like they already know the people who use your gym, and it will also give them a clear idea of what working out at your gym is like.

Additionally, make sure you include lots of photos and videos of your gym and fitness space on your website.  This is a great way to give potential members a feel for what your gym is like. You can also use these photos and videos in your social media marketing.

Use local SEO to make sure your gym comes up first in search results

Finally, make sure that you’re using local SEO to ensure that your gym comes up first in search results. Search engine optimization is very important as most new customers will want to find a gym close to them.

You spent all that time thinking about were your gym or fitness studio should be located to attract the most visitors. Make sure that you reflect that online, stand out from other local businesses with local seo optimized owned web pages and social channels.

Start a fitness blog.

A well thought out content marketing strategy for your gym along with a content production system will be one of the best investments to market your gym.

Content marketing is a great way to attract new gym members and keep your current ones engaged. But what exactly is fitness content marketing?

Fitness content marketing is creating and distributing content (such as blog posts, videos, photos, etc.) that is related to fitness and exercise with the goal of attracting, engaging and retaining customers.

The best content marketing efforts start with figuring out who your target audience is and what kind of content they would find valuable. Once you know that, you can create content that appeals to them and helps you achieve your business goals.

Some ideas for content that would appeal to gym-goers include:

• Exercise tips
• Fitness routines
• New exercise of the day
• Healthy recipes

Fitness email list or drip content

People are always looking for fresh content, so why not give it to them? Drip content is a content strategy where you release content bit by bit over time. This can be done through a blog, an email list, or even social media.

The great thing about drip content is that it keeps people coming back for more and ensures that they don’t forget about you. It’s also a great way to build up a relationship. Drip content can be as simple as releasing a new exercise every day or sharing a healthy recipe once a week. If you want to get more creative, you could also create fitness challenges or share customer success stories.

No matter what kind of content you create, the goal should always be to provide value to your audience and help them achieve their fitness goals.

Do not underestimate the power of word of mouth

Next, focus on generating word-of-mouth buzz by providing excellent customer service and offering unique programs and services that people can’t find at other gyms. Word of mouth marketing is incredibly powerful! Word of mouth can happen online or offline. Word of mouth can be used to build awareness about your gym, but it’s even more effective for generating new members. Word of mouth is free advertising and has an extremely high ROI (return on investment). Word of mouth marketing is also different from traditional print and online ads because it comes from real people. People trust their friends or family more than they trust advertisements, so if a friend tells them about your gym, there’s a good chance they’ll give it a try.

Get involved in the local community by partnering with schools and other organizations

In addition, get involved in the local community by partnering with schools and other organizations. For example, you could become an official gym partner of your town’s high school sports teams, or you could join forces with a yoga studio to offer discounts on memberships for people who take classes there. WoWord-of-moutharketing will really help these initiatives because it’ll encourage people to speak about your gym with their friends.

Host charity events

Host charity events to show your support for the community. This will build customer loyalty because it’ll make you memorable in people’s minds. Plus, it will develop a sense of trust between you and your members. Get involved with organizations that are meaningful to you by hosting fundraisers or donating money to help them accomplish their goals.

Give out free trial memberships to potential customers

When you’re marketing to people who have never visited your gym, it’s important to give out free trial memberships. One of the most effective trial models is to refer a friend with a free trial. People are much more likely to trust an exercise recommendation from a friend or family member than they are to trust an advertisement. That’s why offering free trial memberships is so effective for gyms.

Offering free trial memberships will encourage people to try your gym out for a week or a month, and if they enjoy it, they’ll sign up for a paid membership plan because you’re not the only place that offers free trials. You need to do something different from other gyms to stand out from the crowd, so offering free trial memberships is a great way to do that.

Create a social media presence and post regularly on all platforms

Additionally, you need to create a social media presence and post regularly on all platforms. For example, make it a goal to update your Facebook page with at least one new post each day and encourage people to like and comment on your posts. If someone comments on a status update or photo, be sure to respond! You can also host social media contests to encourage your followers to interact with you.

When it comes to social media, customer service is key. You need to show people that you are listening and respond quickly if you want them to come back. Social customer care is powerful because it affects customer perceptions of your brand, so make sure you’re treating every customer the way they deserve!

The best thing you can do for word-of-mouth marketing is to provide an excellent customer experience that will keep current members happy and attract new ones. Word of mouth works best when it’s positive, so do what you can to keep your customers satisfied by checking in with them about how they are doing.

Make use of online marketing tools, such as Google AdWords and Facebook Ads

Finally, use digital marketing tactics such as SEO, PPC, and email marketing to reach potential customers who are searching for gyms in their area. The biggest advertising platforms are Google AdWords and Facebook Ads. You can also advertise on social media sites like Instagram or Pinterest, but if you’re advertising through those platforms, make sure it relates to your brand!

Google advertising is effective because people use Google to search for products online. For example, someone might search for “gyms near me” or “body weight workouts” on Google. If your gym pops up in the search results, you’ll be advertising to people who are already thinking about starting their workout routines!

If you’re advertising on Facebook, social media remarketing is a great idea. People spend so much time now on social media that brands have to find ways to stay relevant and connect with their customers. Remarketing allows you to advertise your gym to people who have already been on your site, so it’s a great advertising tool.

Creating an online presence for a gym is a smart strategy because potential clients are searching the web before they ever visit a brick-and-mortar location. If you can reach these people before they have a chance to try other gyms, you’ll be able to go above and beyond what other facilities are advertising.

When your gym is advertising online, it’s important that you use a variety of marketing tactics in order to reach the widest clientele possible. Work with advertising partners so you can advertise on multiple platforms and keep up with the latest advertising trends.

We understand how difficult it can be to manage your customer relationships and provide top-notch customer service while also trying to attract new members. That’s why many gyms choose marketing firms like Adept Creative to help them with branding, advertising and marketing. 

Contact us today for a consultation on how we can improve the way you market yourself through SEO, pay per click (PPC) campaigns, video production or other strategies that will make your gym stand out from the rest of the competition.