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Gyms were hit by more than a 50% decline in membership during the pandemic. Since returning to normal, the desire and ability of members to resume fitness routines outside of home rebounded, and the health and fitness market is thriving again.
Did you know the global market is expected to grow at nearly 9% per year and reach a market volume of US $9 billion by 2029? To gain a share of the growth pie for your gym or fitness studio, ensure your brand stands out with these 11 gym marketing ideas.
We gathered 11 ways to help you market your gym or fitness studio. Let’s dive in!
Establishing a strong online presence for your fitness studio has been key to business success for years, but the pandemic made it more crucial than ever.
Here are some facts:
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These numbers show how important it is to have a website for your fitness business. However, this website needs to have all the right elements to effectively promote your studio to your target audience.
Research shows 88% of users are less likely to return to a website after a bad user experience and, if your website load time is more than three seconds, you could be losing 40% of inquiries. So, what you need is a powerful, user-friendly online presence that will help potential customers connect with you.
Before getting started, create a checklist to ensure your revamped website covers the following:
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Find out how our fitness studio management software automates and unifies processes to improve customer experience and save you time.
For successful fitness center marketing ideas, take a cue from popular brands in the fitness industry, such as CorePower Yoga, who actively engage with their community by sharing workout routines, nutrition advice, health tips, and more.
Increase the brand awareness of your fitness studio by inspiring people to move and get fit. Offer guidance on eating the right foods to support their activity levels and introduce new workout plans with demos and trials that will catch people’s interest. Don't forget to incorporate safety tips and enthusiasm to keep them motivated and encourage your members to ‘check-in’ or tag you in their social media to boost brand visibility.
Tip: if you’re unsure of how to use a particular platform then ask an expert! Instagram has plenty of engagement ideas on IGTV, reels, and stories that are ready and waiting to be explored. A social media professional can also help you with gym social media marketing ideas to help you run ad campaigns that drive results from your content.
Did you know that 65% of all new business comes from referrals? Encouraging existing members to spread the word about your brand is one of the most economical ways of boosting your reach. It also tends to be highly effective since your members are likely to be referring you to their friends with similar interests. This means the chances are high that they will love your studio too.
The key to a successful referral program means ensuring your members are incentivized. What this means is “rewarding” both the referrer and the person who is referred, once they sign up. Some gym membership marketing ideas are a one-week free pass, membership discounts, free workout programs, or swag!
It's also important to ensure you are communicating the program effectively and that the process of redeeming the incentive is easy and transparent for all.
Referral marketing belongs on the list of the best gym marketing ideas, so be sure to explore it fully for your business. With the technology to help you maximize referral marketing, your club can boost new members acquisition.
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Affiliate marketing is the method of promoting your business through individuals or companies. Here’s how it works: When fitness centers partner with individuals who promote gym memberships or services, such individuals are called affiliates. They earn commissions for each new member or booking they drive through their referral links, boosting growth and visibility for fitness centers.
Being in the fitness industry, you’ll want to associate with affiliates who can relate to your brand. Some examples to consider are fitness experts, workout routine, workout equipment manufacturers, health food and supplement providers, health juice bars, therapeutic massage centers, spas, and nutritionists.
Before starting an affiliate program, research as many candidates as possible. Talk to them in detail and screen them for specific qualifications you require to promote your brand. Once you have this finalized, you’ll likely need a platform to run the affiliate program, as there are emails, payments, sales, commissions, and more to keep track of. Discover how Zenoti will do this for you.
The next step is to advertise your program so that suitable candidates can find you. Put your social media platforms and website into gear here. Finally, always stay connected to your affiliates to understand their challenges, offer support, and boost sales.
In this strategy, fitness gyms collaborate with influential individuals who in turn promote the gym’s products or services to their followers.
Influencer marketing is similar to affiliate marketing ideas for gym, but it differs in the way an influencer interacts with your fitness brand. Instead of doing the sales, they collaborate with you to build your brand awareness amongst their followers.
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In the U.S., there are over 25,000 influencers with up to 10-million followers each, so there’s plenty to choose from! While this may seem a little overwhelming, start by honing in on your ideal target location and then find influencers that align with your vision and values. You can pick different influencers for different niches – personal training, group classes, boxing, yoga, and more.
Professional influencers will be up to date with industry trends, approachable to their audience, and demonstrate knowledge and expertise. They will also ensure that your brand gets value for money and keep track of stats and results that arise from the collaboration.
Add this to your list of gym marketing ideas that help you amplify your reach.
One way to attract new members to come and try your studio is by inviting fitness industry experts to come and teach guest classes. These specialized classes can be seasonal or regular, based on demand and success rates.
This tactic helps to add variety to your class schedule for your regular members and incentivizes walk-ins who may be fans of this individual or interested to learn from an expert. Consider also throwing in offers, such as “buy 2 specialized classes and get one free”, to boost guest turnout. The main thing is to ensure you schedule the classes with at least six weeks’ time for effective promotion and to spread the word around your local community, both online and offline.
Read on for five more fitness center marketing ideas.
It’s not easy to stay motivated to work out regularly, so this tactic has the double benefit of keeping members engaged while positioning them as a source of inspiration for new members. Select a member on a monthly basis and celebrate their commitment to their health and wellness on your social media channels!
Share insights into their workout routine and habits to encourage potential new members who may be on the fence about joining. It also demonstrates your support and dedication to your members, presenting a positive workout environment that individuals will want to be a part of.
Boredom setting into workout routines is natural. Make some noise and inspire new and existing members with exciting challenges, such as:
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Other ways to get your gym members excited is to offer giveaways, free class passes, monthly meal plans, and birthday treats. These gym marketing ideas work best when you publish them on your social media platforms, as they drive more traffic to your website, get more people to talk about your brand, increase referrals and followers, and boost brand awareness.
There’s never been a better time to establish a corporate wellness program, as the pandemic put the importance of health front and center. In a 2024 statement, the World Health Organization even recommends actions to protect and promote mental health at work.
So, with an increasing focus on stress management, resilience building, and preventive care, companies will need comprehensive and personalized wellness programs that can cater for the varying healthcare needs of their workers. Here’s what some well-known brands offer in their wellness programs:
Top tip: ezConnect can help you further inspire people by sending marketing and communications around their fitness goals? Plus, any responses or goal check-ins are automatically stored in the student’s profile – meaning your partnership and support are automated!
Take steps to position your fitness brand as the go-to membership option for businesses looking to prioritize the health of their employees. Firstly, engage with the human resources teams of companies in your local area to find out what wellness programs they had in the past and what their current wellness goals are. This will give you a good idea of where your brand could fit in.
Learn how to boost revenue with membership programs that work.
You could also consider offering a range of customizable programs that focus on stress relief and prevention of physical ailments. From providing consultancy on how to create a stress-free workplace environment to throwing in fun, stress-busting activities during work time, there are many ways you can help workers move more, breathe easily, and beat anxiety.
If this isn’t possible, then tap into the on-demand fitness class market which research shows 53% of workers are looking for in 2021. Here’s one for your list of gym membership marketing ideas: Or offer group memberships – not only will this encourage a larger number of attendees; it will also drive greater accountability among them. Organize challenges and contests within their work community and tag them in all your social media content to get more engagement from the interactions.
Of all the gym marketing idea out there, here's a fun one: Promote your fitness studio by displaying, selling, and giving away branded merchandise to your gym members. Set up a visible space in your facility to exhibit promotional items, such as the entrance or reception area. Consider giving out discounted merchandise to encourage engagement, such as when guests first sign up, win a challenge or contest, or achieve a fitness goal. Don’t forget to display your branded merchandise in photos and videos on social media platforms to build brand recognition and boost sales.
Grow your brand awareness locally by becoming an active participant in the community. Achieve this by connecting with non-profit organizations, attending health-related events, hosting fundraisers, workshops, seminars, or outdoor summer bootcamps. Alternatively, ask to officiate sports or fitness events where you can demonstrate your experience and expertise. If some of your classes cater to specific audiences then research where you’re likely to connect with them or organize taster sessions, for example pregnancy yoga or Pilates for over 60s.
Begin small by blogging about your thoughts and suggestions on health and fitness. Take your ideas and opinions to larger platforms by publishing eBooks or contributing articles to publications and magazines in your area.
Now that we’ve looked at 11gym marketing ideas, it’s time to elevate your customer interactions and deliver powerful marketing with the fitness studio software that rises to the challenge.
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