With New Year's Day on the horizon, there has never been a better time to make a resolution of your own to help bring in the customers who plan on making a healthy start in 2014. Of course, your goal might be a little different from theirs, but the result—making a positive impact on your future—remains the same. However, just handing out fliers and paying for a commercial spot on the local TV station isn't going to cut it. People have a lot of reasons (or excuses) not to join a gym—time cost, and location concerns— but pumping up your marketing efforts with some creative and exciting techniques is the only way you can count on making a difference in 2014.
Keeping up with the Latest Workout Trends
With the rise of so many fitness celebrities and talking heads, simple workouts, like squats and lunges, might be effective, but they won't bring many new members to your gym. Do your best to keep up with the latest trends as they happen—not when they’re yesterday's news. For instance, think about the role Pilates, yoga, and Zumba classes probably have in your gym now. These are now staples of many workout routines and gym classes, but they were once dismissed as nothing more than passing fads. However, those who got in on the ground floor reaped the rewards for their forward thinking. Your gym can do the same by looking to the latest trends, such as ballet barre-based workouts, and building classes and events around the latest hot offerings.
Get in Touch with Your Social Side
Nothing says modern and in-touch like social media. With Forbes business magazine reporting that half of the adults in the United States have smartphones that can connect to social media apps, you could be missing out on a major chunk of new memberships as 2014 rolls around. By building a social presence online, your gym can connect with customers and people who are currently on the fence about making the commitment. To help persuade these potential new members, you can offer deals and valuable workout tips in a fun and engaging manner that grabs their attention and gets them through your doors. And the fact that every “like,” “favorite,” and “retweet” is free marketing to a wide network of friends and family members doesn't hurt your bottom line, either.
Add Spontaneity and Fun to Your Marketing Approach
Take the social aspect of your online presence to the real word and try to get out into your community with your marketing activities. Once you get your membership engaged online, consider doing an event at a park or other public area. Nothing says hip and trendy like a free impromptu boot-camp workout that only people who follow you on your various social media accounts will know about. While this process might start out small, the buzz you'll generate among the fitness community will have your page views booming, and consumers keeping a close eye on what you'll be doing next. Making these events fun and engaging will set you apart from your run-of-the-mill competitors.
Challenge the Community with Special Offers
Speaking of New Year's Day, what better way to make a big splash than by building a program dedicated specifically to those looking to change their physical outlook? Instead of littering a parking lot with $5-off coupons that people are just going to throw away anyways, get the word out to the community with a fun or motivating challenge related to the typical weight loss resolution. This can include a free month's membership for anyone who comes to the gym four times a week throughout January, or a free trial of any of your special workout classes for new members who stick with the gym into February. Taking a different spin on incentives by tying them into a fitness challenge will keep your new members excited and engaged. If you really want to go the extra mile and reward customers who stick to their resolution, you can offer some new special or offer for each month of the year.
Help Your Customers Go Hi-Tech
With the Apple App Store and Google Play offering seemingly limitless programs and services to smartphone users, it was inevitable that fitness would find its way into the world of hi-tech offerings. Today, apps cover everything from gaining muscle mass to counting calories, keeping users in touch with their fitness goals like never before. With this in mind, your gym could be missing out on a serious chance to connect with customers who are glued to their smartphones. To get the most out of this opportunity, think about how your gym can use these tools to create a better experience for gym members or attract new members. For example, one new company, GymPoints, connects consumers and gyms by selling one-day gym access on users mobile devices. Consumers use GymPoints.com or the mobile app to find gyms, see photos and then check-in and pay for access. GymPoints provides Partner Gyms with a tablet to check-in users and let them sign the liability release right on the screen. GymPoints offers consumers valuable savings and a hassle-free check-in and payment experience while offering gyms new revenue and new customers at almost no added cost. The GymPoints program is just one example of how gyms can employ new technologies to bring in new clients – and new revenue at minimal cost.
Add in Some Upgrades of Your Own
The final part of your resolution focuses on bringing in customers by committing to a better future for your gym. While getting in touch with your hi-tech options and social media networks is definitely a good call, having substandard or broken equipment won't help you keep members around once they give your gym a shot. To fix this issue and start 2014 on the right foot, consider upgrading your old, worn-out equipment to newer, more advanced offerings. Having the latest, greatest equipment on the floor can make a major difference in the way customers see your gym, and you can use your cutting-edge equipment as part of your next promo. Of course, upgrading your entire inventory might not be realistic, but whatever your budget allows can go a long way in changing the public perception of your gym – not only in 2014 but also into the future.
About the Author: Aaron Trockman enjoys snow skiing, hiking, biking and generally being outdoors. A native of the Chicago Suburbs he has since moved to Colorado where he participates in the up and coming technology start-up scene and the thriving music scene. His favorite concert venue is Red Rocks Amphitheater. When not skiing or at a concert, Aaron is often found making occasional trips to the gym or a fitness studio around town. Since May of 2013, Aaron Trockman has led the development and rollout of GymPoints.
