Gym & Fitness Marketing: 13 Simple Ways To Get More Leads And Sales

Are you struggling to market your gym? Has it been difficult to get ahead of the competition to generate more leads and sales among your community’s fitness enthusiasts? Do you want a simple marketing plan you can actually implement?

If you said “yes” to either of these questions, you’ve come to the right place. Listed below are 13 of the most effective fitness marketing strategies to help small gyms grow and thrive in the competitive fitness space.

(PS — whether you are a big gym, a small fitness studio or a personal trainer, these are practical and easy-to-implement tips to help create a simple but effective marketing strategy).

1. Update Your Gym's Website 

When was the last time you updated your gym’s website? Are you still using the same layout and images that you chose when you first launched it?

When it comes to fitness marketing, giving your website a refresh can help to boost your search engine rankings and make it easier for people to find your gym when they’re looking for one online. This is particularly true if you make an effort to focus on improving your site’s usability (how easy it is to navigate, how easy it is to read the text and watch videos, etc.).

Keep in mind, 88 per cent of consumers say they won’t return to a website if they have a bad user experience. If you aren’t thinking about the usability of your site, you could be unintentionally sending away a lot of potential leads and new clients.

2. Create an Enticing Offer for New Clients

If you’re looking to revamp your approach to gym marketing, consider running a promotion that will entice new clients and get them interested in checking out your business. Perhaps you can offer a free personal training session or a free week of group classes, for example.

These kinds of offers are great for getting people in the door. From here, it’s much easier to promote your gym and show them what separates it from others in the area.  

3. Monitor the Competition

Speaking of other gyms in the area, make sure you’re monitoring your competitors. Take note of how they’re marketing their gyms both online and in-person.

While you shouldn’t copy another business, you can use competitor research and monitoring to get a better idea of what’s working for them and what isn’t. Then, you’ll know what to avoid in your own gym marketing strategy. 

As a business owner, you can also use competitor research to identify gaps in their digital marketing approach. In other words, what aren’t they doing that you and your team could start doing?

While you shouldn’t copy another business, you can use competitor research and monitoring to get a better idea of what’s working for them and what isn’t.

4. Create Educational Content

Research shows that small businesses (this includes small gyms) that have blogs can generate 126 per cent higher lead growth compared to small businesses that don’t have blogs.

Content creation, especially blogging, is a great way to educate your audience and provide them with valuable information. This, in turn, helps them to see you and your team as experts in the fitness industry, which may cause them to feel more interested in working with you now or in the future.

In addition to blogging, you may want to consider other types of content marketing, such as filming videos or recording podcasts for your fitness brand.

5. Prioritize Local SEO

When you’re creating content for your gym’s website (a blog post, a landing page, a services page, etc.), make sure you’re keeping local SEO tactics in mind. This will build your brand's awareness but also help with lead generation for potential customers.

This includes using keywords that are relevant to your location (“gym in [insert your city]”, “personal training in [insert your city]”, etc.). This makes it easier for people who are close by to find your gym and learn about what you have to offer.

If you haven’t already created a Google My Business Account, now is a great time to do that as well. Creating this account helps you to show up in local Google search results and helps people to find your gym when using Google Maps.  

6. Use Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is a must-use tool for any business (particularly small businesses) that wants to succeed in 2021 and beyond.

Social media marketing helps you to easily meet members of your target audience where they are (remember, 56.8 per cent of the world's population currently uses at least one platform) and share content that will attract their attention.

Social media is especially helpful when it comes to sharing your content (blogs, videos, etc.) to a larger audience and expanding your reach.  

(PS — if relevant, paying an influencer can also help with your marketing efforts, but this won't apply to everyone).

Social media marketing
is a must-use tool for any business that wants to succeed in 2021 and beyond.

7. Invest in Facebook Advertising

Posting on social media platforms is a great way to reach more people and grow your audience. To reach those who are most likely to invest in your gym’s offerings, though, consider investing in paid advertising on Facebook.

A Facebook ad is highly targeted and allows you to tailor your ads to a very specific group of people (people of a certain age, certain genders, certain locations and interests, etc.). It can often help you to see results faster than other types of digital marketing, too.  

8. Invest in Google Advertising

Google ads can be a great fitness marketing tool when you’re trying to reach a particular group with your gym’s promotions.

This approach helps you to get in front of a larger audience. It can also increase conversions since you’re promoting your gym to people who are already interested in fitness or looking to join a gym in your area.

Google advertising is effective for businesses of all sizes and with all kinds of budgets. No matter how limited your marketing budget is, you can create a Google ad campaign that aligns with your needs and helps you to achieve your goals.

9. Don’t Neglect Print Marketing

Some gym owners and marketers assume that, in the world of social media and SEO, print marketing is dead. That definitely isn’t true, though.

Print marketing is less common these days than it once was, which can make your flyers, posters, brochures, and direct mailers stand out more. 

Keep in mind, too, that 56 per cent of consumers say they trust print marketing more than other types of advertising. Furthermore, over 75 per cent of small businesses use both types of marketing to promote their products and services, so you and your team can enjoy the best of both worlds.

Print marketing is less common these days than it once was, which can make your flyers, posters and direct mailers stand out more. 

10. Don’t Neglect Existing Clients

Of course, as a gym owner or marketer, you need to make an effort to generate leads and sell memberships to new clients. At the same time, though, make sure you’re not neglecting your current client base because you’re so focused on marketing to new people.

Look for ways to upsell packages to current clients or get them interested in additional services like one-on-one training. Consider creating a referral program, too.

Encourage current gym members to refer a friend in exchange for a discount on their membership fees for the next month (or offer any other type of reward that you think would be enticing). This allows you to kill two birds with one stone; you improve customer loyalty and get to attract new clients. 

11. Share Success Stories

Success stories are one of the most effective marketing tools, especially for gyms. Share stories from current members who have lost weight, gained strength, and seen other positive changes in their lives after joining your gym.

Sharing these stories can boost your credibility and show potential clients what your gym can do for them. It will inspire others to take the plunge and invest in a membership for themselves (or, at the very least, they’ll check out your gym’s website and consider signing up for your mailing list). 

12. Don’t Limit Yourself to One Platform

It’s great if you’re taking the time to promote your business on social media. Make sure you’re not limiting yourself to just one platform, though. After all, if you only post on Facebook, you’re likely neglecting a large audience on TikTok or Twitter that might also be interested in joining your gym.

Diversify your marketing content, too. If you’ve only been blogging, try mixing in some videos or podcasts. This will also help you reach a larger audience.

Diversify your marketing content. If you’ve only been blogging, try mixing in some videos or podcasts.

13. Use a Sales CRM to Convert Leads

The right technology can make it much easier for you to convert leads and streamline your fitness marketing strategy.

Consider using Customer Relationship Management (or CRM) software for gyms, such as GymLeads, to manage customer loyalty and retention rates, optimize sales funnels and promotions, and automate various marketing techniques.

These platforms allow you to easily review data and create a personalized approach to best serve each client (and potential client). They help you and your team to be more productive and prevent you from wasting resources on tactics that aren’t effective.

Time to Land More Gym Leads and Gym Sales

Gym and fitness marketing can be confusing. With these tips in your back pocket, though, it should be much easier for you to connect with your audience, generate leads, and increase your gym sales.

If you’ve been looking for great sales software for gyms that comes in with marketing automation, be sure to check out GymLeads today. Used by some of the biggest names in the fitness space, including F45 and Gold’s Gym, GymLeads is the perfect tool to level up your fitness business.

Click the button to see what it’s all about.