Owning a fitness center is doubly rewarding — your business helps people live healthier, more active lives, and you get to earn a living doing it! But, how do you make sure that folks choose your gym when there are so many competitors in your area? To retain current members and bring in new clientele, you need a smart plan that helps you stand out from the crowd. Finish up that protein shake and get ready to flex your learning muscles — here are five smart ways to grow your fitness center.
Solidify Your Brand And Culture
Let people know what kind of fitness center you are with a strong, culture-focused branding message. The Gold’s Gym franchise heavily identifies with the ‘bodybuilding’ side of fitness. Planet Fitness made its mark by creating a culture where people are less concerned about bodybuilding and more focused on general fitness. Also, with the growing popularity of other types of fitness trends such as CrossFit, yoga, cycling, etc. there is plenty of choices of how you want to brand your company.
Stay true to who you are when branding. A false brand will fall apart under pressure, and cookie-cutter fitness centers that don’t have a strong culture are a dime-a-dozen. Be yourself, and customers who share your brand’s core values will feel more loyal.
Offer Deals And Promotions
According to International Health, one in six gym members will leave their health club and search for a cheaper alternative. If you find that you are losing potential memberships due to pricing, look at offering specials or promotions to help close the deal. Consider offering seasonal promotions that wave start-up fees and entice potential clients to sign up from the moment they visit.
Reward loyal members with free classes, time with a personal trainer or even discounted workout gear and supplements. Being fit can be pricey depending on how intense one gets with it. Offering deals to your clients and first-time visitors shows them that you consider the financial aspect of fitness and want to help spot them in that area.
Create A Fitness Blog Or Newsletter
Ever have someone offer you advice during your workout? Frustrating, isn’t it? There’s a time and place for sharing fitness tips with an individual and a blog or newsletter are the optimal outlets for it. By offering periodic news articles in your fitness industry, you provide personal advice to your clients in a non-intimidating manner, and also show off your expertise in the category. Being that reliable source of information for your client’s health goals will not only help keep them coming in the long run, but it can also help clients recommend your company to their friends and family.
Feel free to share specials and important company news in your newsletter, but don’t just talk about yourself. Write about what your audience needs to know — proper stretching technique, how to start exercising again after an injury, first-time in the gym tips — and curate articles related to a healthy living. There’s plenty of well-researched content on supplements, meditation, and healthy eating for you to choose from.
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Be Active On Social Media
If you are not consistently posting and engaging with your clients and potential clients on social media, you’re missing out on a big factor to help grow your business. You can’t just rely on word-of-mouth or local advertising to grow your clientele.
Social media is the perfect space to share and promote your fitness brand and culture to people who are looking to join a health club. Sites like Instagram are also popular for folks who enjoy posting photos and videos of their fitness journey. Encourage members to name drop your fitness center in their social media posts so others can see where their amazing fitness transformations take place.
Want to increase social engagement? Start a fitness challenge at your gym with a custom hashtag. As your members run farther, lift more, stretch deeper and shed fat, they can share pictures on Instagram, tag your center and include the custom hashtag. Now you’re building an online community of fitness lovers at your gym! At the end of the challenge, reward those who met their goals and encourage the rest to keep going.
Offer Free WiFi
Almost everyone today uses their smartphone as part of their workout. They track personal health data, provide workout playlists, and catch those perfect post-workout selfies. ll that smartphone use can come with a lot of data use, too. Show your first-time guests and members that you understand the frustration of having to use up mobile data and start offering them free WiFi. With free WiFi, your clients will have one less thing to worry about and they will now be able to fully enjoy their workout experience each and every time.
Are your ready to take your fitness center to the next level? With GoZone WiFi’s Smart WiFi platform, you can solidify your brand, offer deal and promotions, send out period news and tips pieces, and engage with your members through social media and do it all through your guest WiFi.
