Digital marketing for gyms has changed enormously in the last decade. Keeping pace with these changes is important if your brand is to truly dominate.
A well-crafted marketing strategy can help gyms to overcome local competition, seasonal fluctuations, high member turnovers and new challenges posed by fitness apps and at-home workout programmes.
Gyms need to target a local customer base, so implementing effective local marketing strategies is crucial. This includes local SEO, participating in local events or sponsorships, collaborating with local influencers, and engaging with community groups.
Converting leads into actual memberships can be a struggle for gyms. Many leads may be in the early stages of their fitness journey or exploring multiple options. Digital marketing can provide effective lead nurturing strategies, persuasive messaging, and compelling offers to motivate leads to commit to a membership.
Digital marketing plays a vital role in fostering member engagement and loyalty. Regularly communicating with members through email newsletters, providing exclusive digital content (e.g., workout videos, nutrition tips), and offering member-only promotions can help gyms maintain strong relationships and reduce member turnover.
To stand out in a crowded market, gyms need a marketing strategy that is built upon a deep understanding of their target audience. The strategy needs to craft a compelling message that emphasises your unique features and services to give your gym an edge over the competition.
Online reviews and reputation management play a crucial role in the gym industry. Potential customers heavily rely on reviews and ratings when choosing a gym. Your gym needs to establish an online presence in order to monitor and respond to online reviews, maintain a positive online reputation, and address any customer concerns promptly and professionally.
Digital marketing methods can be analysed through key metrics such as website traffic, lead conversions, online bookings, and member engagement, so you can effectively measure your return on investment (ROI).
The gym market has shifted hugely in the last 10 years or so, with the middle of the market all but disappearing and the budget and boutique sectors going through an amazing period of growth. Regardless of where in the market you sit, the key strategy considerations for any gym or club are as follows:
Being clear on what defines and differentiates your offering from larger brands. In which case you’ll need to understand your core audience – and that the 18/19-year-old student demographic won’t be loyal to you.
Fortunately, digital marketing for gyms encompasses other demographics you could tap into and who won’t abandon you when one of the really large chains opens down the road.
The vast majority of people when choosing their gym will begin their research on Google based on their location. So your ability to create rich landing pages that cater to multiple intents is going to influence your ability to rank.
Some examples of the kind of content you would likely want to include are as follows:
– Personal trainer bios
– Member review integration
– Hi-res imagery of the facilities
– Videos of classes
– Class timetable
– Gym address information and local telephone number
– Gym FAQs
The other element to consider is your local maps listing. These ought to be registered with Google, populated with current information and then a number of Google reviews should be collected from your members to ensure credibility, both in the eyes of Google and the consumer.
When opening a gym, you need to build hype on social media and offline, drip feeding offers 6-8 weeks before opening so that – when you open – you have several thousand signed up.
With all of the advertising you can do – and the level of granularity you can dig into on social media – you should be able to break even before opening.
So regardless of where you sit in the market, social media should form part of any successful digital marketing for gyms strategy.
Email is one of the few digital assets you own – and costs next to nothing. It’s a great way to keep your brand visible while updating customers on special offers, new equipment you’ve purchased, or introducing new personal trainers.
You should always segment your email database to ensure your messaging reaches the right people. For example, you might target:
– Weight training enthusiasts
– Online class participants
– Existing members
– Prospective members
Frequently Asked Questions about Digital Marketing for Gyms
Apart from those strategies mentioned, gyms should…
Online reviews and reputation management play a crucial role in the gym industry as potential customers heavily rely on reviews and ratings when choosing a gym. Gyms need to actively monitor and respond to online reviews, maintain a positive online reputation, and address any customer concerns promptly and professionally.
To retain hard-won members:
Blog content allows gyms to consistently create and share valuable content related to fitness, nutrition, and overall wellness. Blogs help to establish your gym as a trusted authority in the industry, improve SEO, and ultimately drive more traffic to your website.
Videos are a powerful marketing tool that gyms can use to share engaging workout tutorials, success stories of their members, virtual tours of their facilities, and informative fitness tips. Gyms should share these videos on social media platforms, their website, and through email campaigns.
Our team care about two things – doing brilliant work and making an impact. That’s why we’re directing every free moment to helping the
Contact us today for a free consultation to drive change and grow your market share.
"*" indicates required fields
© BOSS DIGITAL All rights reserved | Privacy Policy
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Read more in our Privacy Policy.
