Fitness Business Blog

AFS 2016 Marketing Best Practices Report - Coming Soon!

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

UPDATE (6/23/16): The 2016 Fitness Studio Marketing Best Practices Report has been released! Learn more about this ground breaking research!

At AFS, one of our biggest priorities is conducting on-going market research to uncover best practices for the fitness studio community. This couldn't be more apparent with our soon to be released, 2016 Fitness Studio Marketing Best Practices Research Report!

In recent years we've released our 2014 Fitness Studio Industry Research Study along with our 2015 Fitness Studio Operating & Financial Benchmarking Report - both reports, a first for the fitness industry!

Precor & AFS Host Studio Owner Dinner in San Francisco

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

"The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it, keep looking. Don't settle." - Steve Jobs

I recently had the pleasure of co-hosting a focus group/roundtable with some of the brightest studio owners in the San Francisco Bay Area. At AFS, we always jump at the chance to assemble these types of events. It's essential that we fully understand exactly what our members are going through.

A Guide to Migrating from Dot-Com to ‘Dot-Fitness’ or ‘Dot-Training’

Sunday, May 8, 2016

As you may know, two domain extensions recently launched that are a perfect match for fitness professionals looking to strengthen their digital brand: ‘dot-fitness’ (.fitness) and ‘dot-training’ (.training).

These new domains allow you to create short, meaningful web addresses that stand out from the crowd and speak to your passion. Having a strong web presence is critical to the success of any business, and it’s even more important in the incredibly competitive fitness industry.

2 Studio Hiring Tricks: Involve Your Team and Follow Your Instincts

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

All hiring should be done carefully to make sure that the right candidates are selected and brought on board properly.

A quality hire may become a long-term valuable asset to your business, while hiring the wrong person can cause stress on all involved, hurt your business and waste resources causing you to start again.

A Guide to Building the Perfect Website for Your Fitness Business

Sunday, April 3, 2016

In the digital age, having a strong web presence is critical to the success of any business. That’s why it’s more important than ever to have a web address that is memorable and meaningful to your target audience.

Fortunately, two new domain extensions just launched that are a perfect match for fitness professionals looking to pump up their digital brand: .FITNESS and .TRAINING.

AFS, IHRSA 2016 Recap

Friday, April 1, 2016

Hot off the 2016 IHRSA show in Orlando, FL - AFS was excited to take the floor and meet with our partners, advisory council members, and focus on building stronger relationships within the fitness industry.

Without a doubt the top three trends witnessed were the focus on fitness studios, technology (especially wearables), and training.

The Fitness Industry Gets an Online Makeover

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Over the past decade, advancements in technology have reshaped the fitness industry to become more personalized and consumer-friendly.

From workout tutorials that can be downloaded in seconds to wearables that monitor your every heartbeat, fitness professionals are taking advantage of technology to connect and engage with trainees. In 2014, YouTube reported that viewers watched 5,500 years-worth of yoga videos alone.

The Top 5 Ways to Build a Marketing Plan and Ensure Its Success

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Timely, targeted marketing campaigns are critical to the growth of your business, yet many studio owners don’t even want to think about it, let alone set aside time and money for it! The reality is that daily operations keep you running from open to close and beyond and let’s face it marketing is at best, challenging.

It can also be time-consuming, frustrating, and is often confusing. Without a doubt, however, Marketing is absolutely necessary to grow a successful business.

How to Grow Your Studio Business During the Summer Months

Friday, January 8, 2016

A beautiful weather summer can be a painful season to endure if you own a fitness studio. The nicer the day, the fewer clients you see. Prospect inquiries evaporate, program sales burn out and there is lackluster enthusiasm all the way around. It’s no secret that you would rather be outside enjoying the weather, too!

For your consideration (and motivation), I’ve put together an action plan that addresses nearly every aspect of your business. The way I see it, summer is ripe with opportunities to be busier than ever, highly productive and because of this, better positioned for the inevitable; Winter Is Coming.

The Brand Promise and Its Impact on Your Fitness Studio

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

“Your brand is possibly your most important attribute. It defines who you are, your values, your desires, your goals and your beliefs. It is the character of your company, from the inside out and how it is perceived from the outside looking in. It must work to develop credibility and foster trust in your business.”

This is taken directly from SKB’s website, it’s our philosophy on what a brand is and it is from this place that we work to develop a visual identity to uphold the brand and execute a strategy to reinforce and nurture it.