Looking to drive more leads through the door? Don’t get caught in these horrible gym marketing ideas!
The fitness market is booming today. Nobody can deny that. Take a drive around any reasonably populated locale, and you’ll find at least a couple busy gyms. So, how do you stand out? A well-orchestrated marketing plan always helps. If you haven’t done enough research, however, you may end up with some gym marketing ideas that damage your business.
Gym marketing ideas that will ruin your sign-up and retention rates
As a gym owner, sometimes it’s hard to recognize bad marketing when you see it. If you hire a marketing company, it’s a good idea to be involved in the process. You know your gym better than anyone. If you’re keeping your marketing in-house, make sure you don’t fall into traps that non-professionals fall into.
Bad idea #1: You think more is better with email promotions
Don’t get me wrong: email is a fantastic marketing tool. Most gyms rely on email promotions to engage contacts throughout the sales process. That’s the correct way to do things, but it’s easy to overdue it.
Email is cheap. You don’t have to spend much for this type of marketing. That’s why gym owners, especially those just starting out, will keep pumping out non-stop promotions. That will not help you. In fact, you will lose leads and annoy members.
Your email campaigns have to be focused and valuable. They must contain information that will guide your leads closer to the sales funnel you have set up. Be consistent in your messages, but don’t overdo it.
Bad idea #2: You fill your website with aggressive sales pitches
You have to push the prospect to buy, right? You make an offer, provide an incentive, focus on the benefits and price, and then drill in the “ACT NOW” demand. That’s how you gain real memberships—you have to push them.
No. Just…no. Bury this conviction and never bring it up again. It’s false.
Is there a time and place to push the sale? Absolutely. But your website is not the time and place. Not even close.
Your website is meant to showcase your gym and provide the experiences your potential members want to see.
- Testimonials and success stories
- Pictures of clean equipment and work spaces
- Prices, mission statement, trainer spotlights, etc.
The one thing you’re trying to accomplish is to get the person in the door. You’re trying to create qualified leads. Supply a request form for a free consultation and an opt-in email list with valuable content.
Bad idea #3: You use advertising that is easily misinterpreted
Misleading advertising is probably the worst idea you can come up with. Seriously, folks. Everyone hates responding to an ad and seeing the truth behind the lie. That leads people to write bad reviews, spread the word to others, and so on.
Bottom line: make sure you’re are promoting your gym honestly and transparently. If you have a $100 on-boarding fee, a cancellation fee, locker fees, and more, don’t advertise “No Extra or Hidden Fees.” Good gym marketing ideas aren’t misleading.
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Keeping track of leads is an important aspect of every marketing strategy. Want to take your conversions to the next level? Schedule a free demo of our lead management software and turn leads into customers with less work!
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Bad idea #4: You spend all your time in one marketing outlet
Everyone loves to talk about Facebook ads. Are they effective? If you know how to run a smart PPC campaign, then yes. But you shouldn’t limit yourself to Facebook. There are other avenues of SEO and search marketing.
Twitter, Pinterest, and Google Ads are great PPC outlets. If you’re looking for something more affordable, consider building a blog on your website to target keywords and drive traffic.
Bad idea #5: You expand your target audience to attract more sign-ups
First, you have to establish your ideal client. That’s the most important marketing decision you’ll make; all of your marketing should target that audience.
Gym owners make the mistake of targeting new audiences too soon. If you’re not getting enough traffic to the gym, it’s usually because your current strategy needs to change, not the target audience.
If you’ve created the gym with a specific persona in mind, stick with it. Don’t expand your marketing focus to include mixed incomes and demographics. At least not until you’re in the position to grow.
Bad idea #6: You talk smack about local competitors
Have gym marketing ideas to snub your competition? Ugh. That’s a low blow. By spending your time devaluing your competition, you’re revealing more about the weak character of your gym rather than your competitor. People will judge you for resorting to that tactic.
Don’t give direct comparisons between your gym and other gyms. There are plenty of clients to go around. Focus on yourself and making your gym unique in its own way.
Bad idea #7: You believe print marketing is dead and gone forever
For some industries, print doesn’t make sense; for most industries, digital always makes sense. It’s the way the world is these days, but that doesn’t mean print won’t work for gyms. In fact, print can do wonders for your business.
- Direct mailers to local neighborhoods can have big returns. If your incentive is attractive and you’ve nailed what people in those areas are looking for in a gym, you can generate good leads with a direct mailing.
- Handing out flyers with redeemable offers at events works like a charm. Where does your target audience gather? What events do they attend where you can meet them in person? Face-to-face event marketing and flyers still work!
Don’t let your good gym marketing ideas go to waste! Make sure you follow up and build a sales pipeline
Now that we’ve covered the bad ideas, don’t let your good ones fall short. Your gym will attract more sign-ups and memberships if your staff has the tools to nurture leads. Have your thought about using a sales automation software for your business? If you want your sales staff to make the most out of your leads, focus all their follow-ups tasks in one place.
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Keeping track of leads is an important aspect of every marketing strategy. Want to take your conversions to the next level? Schedule a free demo of our lead management software and turn leads into customers with less work!
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Do you have any gym marketing ideas that work perfectly for you? Let us know in the comments!