Do you currently own and operate a gym? Are you curious how you can get more members in the door? Everyone says they’ve got the secret to getting more customers. The truth is, it doesn’t have to be as hard as people make it out to be.
While there’s no set task that works the best there are a few different things you can do to achieve more members.
Marketing
Marketing is obviously the most common way of getting people into your gym. You just have to know how. You should also pay attention to the marketing you are doing. Are you seeing a return on your investment? Is it actually gaining you new members, or are you just wasting your money?
Being consistent with your marketing is a great way to ensure success. You also want to make sure you’re saying the right thing and sending the right message. Adding a personal touch to any marketing you do will be more popular. Nobody likes cold advertising campaigns.
Honestly, no one particularly likes being marketed to. If you can connect on a deeper level with your marketing, you’ll be successful.
Referrals & Incentives
When someone likes something they are bound to tell people about it. If one of your members has had a good experience at your gym they might want to tell a friend. When that friend joins you’ve gained a new member without having to do anything at all.
Why not reward your existing member? Giving people incentive to spread the word about you is worth any small amount you might give as a reward. Word of mouth advertising is more powerful than all other types. It comes with a layer of trust you can’t match with campaigns or Facebook posts.
Partnerships
Partnering with other companies isn’t a guaranteed way to grow your memberships. But they can help get your name out there. They can put you in front of customers you might not have reached otherwise.
You can partner with people by agreeing to place a banner ad in their store, flyers at their front counter, or holding a weekend bash with samples. The options are endless. Get with the business you are partnering with and come up with ideas. Ideas that are beneficial to both parties are ideal in keeping the partnership healthy.
Great places to partner with include smoothie chains, supplement stores, health food stores, doctor’s offices, and rehab facilities.
Be Genuine
Being genuine is a good exercise to practice in all things. It’s especially true in advertising. If an advertisement you’re about to place in a paper or on Facebook screams stuffy and unoriginal chances are it will be viewed that way. When you give people something to relate to you can connect with them on a more personal level. This means they’ll be more likely to trust you.
When you’re genuine and people can tell you truly care about what you do they will come. If your potential customers can tell you’re only in it for the money they’ll walk. People like to see you care. When you can show others you care you’re more likely to get them as new members.
Provide Value
This may sound like a given, but some gym owners just don’t understand the value in providing their clients with value. You can go to any gym and pay a monthly fee to workout. Finding out with your monthly fee you also get access to specialized classes, a pool, or other activities just sweetens the deal.
Do everything you can for your members to feel appreciated and that they are getting a good deal for their money. Try providing some services for free, or include them in a membership package. This doesn’t mean every service you offer comes in the package that can get pretty costly. Tier the packages accordingly. That way they are able to choose.
People love value. Add it and they’ll be more inclined to sign up for your services.
Once again, none of these tactics are a sure fire way to gain new members. You’re going to have to experiment with what works for your gym and the potential customers you are marketing to. Keep an eye on members and what they are doing.
Staying up to speed with new trends is just another way to get more people in the door. Once you have them there give them a reason to stay.