5 Amazing Ways to Boost Your Gym’s Memberships
Are you looking to get more people to join your gym, but aren’t exactly sure how to do it?
Just like living a healthy lifestyle is a big commitment, so too is joining a gym. In fact, a recent survey found that the average American spends $155 per month on health and fitness.
With the rise in home workouts and at-home fitness programs, how are you supposed to convince people to join your gym? It all starts with the right marketing.
Check out this guide to discover the top marketing tips to boost your gym memberships.
1. Create a User-Friendly Website
Even though you’re going to spend the majority of your time interacting with your gym members in-person, you still need to make sure that their online experience with your gym is top-notch.
This all starts with creating a website that is user-friendly. Your website should be:
- Easy to navigate
- Informative
- Present in search engines
In terms of information, your website should include your gym location, hours, amenities, and prices. There should also be a section on your website where people can sign up for a membership, or at the very least, sign up for a free trial.
Your website should also include high-quality photos that showcase your classes, locker rooms, facilities, and equipment (you can click here to learn how to save money on gym equipment).
It’s also a good idea to include testimonials, as well as a wide range of content. A quality website includes blog posts, videos, infographics, and more.
2. Complete Your Google My Business Page
Google is the most popular search engine in the world.
Before heading into your gym to sign up for a membership, a lot of people will check out your Google My Business Page. If your Google My Business Page is incomplete, this may deter people from joining.
Make sure your page includes your hours, gym address, a link to your website, and photos. Also, a lot of people use Google My Business to leave reviews. Make sure you’re responding to each review on your page, be it positive or negative. This will show others that you’re truly invested in your members.
3. Offer Free Trials and Training Days
As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, joining a gym is a big financial commitment. People want to be sure that they’ll be getting their money’s worth before they make this commitment.
Instead of trying to lock people into 12-month memberships right off the bat, we suggest meeting them halfway with free trials or free training days. The concept of a free trial is simple: All you need to do is create a landing page on your website where potential clients can fill out a form that allows them to access your gym for a limited period of time.
We suggest making this free trial period at least a few days, as most people need more than one gym session to decide whether or not a gym is the right fit for them.
As an alternative to free trials, you could also offer free training sessions or free workout classes. Again, you can create a landing page for your website where non-members can sign in via Twitter, Facebook, or email.
Then, once they sign in, they’ll receive a voucher for a free training session. It can be a good idea to make this a limited time offer so people are more likely to act on it quickly.
4. Create a Referral Program
Oftentimes, the best marketers for your gym are your current members.
You can incentivize your members to get others to join your gym by creating a referral program. There are several ways you can implement your fitness referral program, including:
- Passing out referral cards
- Having it built into your club’s mobile app
- Sending out emails
By creating a digital referral program, you’ll make it easy for your current members to reach out to their friends and family members about joining. But, keep in mind that it’s not enough to simply create a referral program. You also need to make sure that your members know about it.
You should use flyers, social media, and emails to get the word out about your referral program. What you offer in exchange for the referral is up to you and your budget. Some ideas including:
- Offering a discount off their membership for every referral
- Offering a free month of membership
- Offering credit for your gym merch store (if you have one)
Studies show that the most credible form of advertising comes from those we trust. In fact, 83 percent of people say they trust recommendations from friends and family members more than they do any other form of advertising. A referral program can be a great way to take advantage of these trusted recommendations.
5. Create a Blog
Creating a blog for your gym can work wonders.
For one, running a blog will help you appear higher in the local search results. This will make it easier for people to find your gym’s website online.
Not only that, but running a blog will help you establish yourself as a fitness industry expert. This, in turn, will lead to better brand trust.
The great thing about the fitness industry is that there are so many things you can blog about. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:
- The Best Workouts for Back Pain
- The Pros and Cons of Taking Preworkout
- How to Train for a 5K
- Cardio vs Strength Training: Which is Better?
As you can see, you can take your blog in all kinds of different directions.
Are You Ready to Get More Gym Memberships?
Now that you know how to get more gym memberships, it’s time to put these marketing tips into action. Before you know it, your gym will be packed with new members!
Be sure to check back in with our blog for more marketing-related tips and tricks.
