The Top 5 Fitness Studio Marketing Strategies Proven To See Success

By Rachel Cosgrove, AFS Community Expert

How do you change the world? I used to think it was through teaching people how to have a healthy lifestyle because if everyone understood the benefits of exercise and eating nutritious foods we’d have less disease, everyone would feel better, have more energy, live longer and be able to contribute more…you get my point. 

I’ve since realized we actually change the world through marketing because it doesn’t matter what incredible information you have to share with the world if you don’t know how to share it with the people who need it. You can’t change the world if you don’t understand marketing.

Using these top five marketing strategies you can help more people to change their lives and change the world! Listen up!

Strategy #1: Know your target market. Before you can start to share what you do, you must know specifically who you are talking to. Male or female? Age? Occupation? Personality? What keeps them awake at night?  To have effective marketing it must speak directly to a specific person. If you’re for everyone, you’re for no one.  Figure out who you are for and who you are not for.

Strategy #2: Referrals are always going to be your #1 source of new members.  What system do you have in place to increase referrals? Using a VIP 30 day membership card to hand to your members for them to give to a specific friend or family member at the point of sale has been one of our single biggest referral generators.

I’ve since realized we actually change the world through marketing because it doesn’t matter what incredible information you have to share with the world if you don’t know how to share it with the people who need it. You can’t change the world if you don’t understand marketing.

Strategy #3: GIFT – Once you know your target market figure out where they are and how you can GIFT – Get In Front Of Them. Remember marketing is simply to have somebody else share who you are with their audience. Where is your audience and who can help you to get in front of them? Is your audience on Facebook? Is your audience volunteering at community charity events? Is your audience buying coffee at the Starbucks on the corner? Where are they and how can you be there?

Strategy #4: Target your audience through Social Media & Direct Mail. Once you know who they are you can target your posts and your ads on Facebook along with a direct mail campaign specifically to them. Break through all of the noise by speaking their language entering the conversation they are already having in their mind and show up in their feed and in their mailbox. Always include this checklist on any of your ads:

✔  A powerful hook or Grabber

✔  A story that resonates with your target audience

✔  Powerful Images

✔  Differentiator

✔  Call to Action

✔  Contact Information

Strategy #5: Build your database. As you start to get in front of them have a way to collect their information through an opt in form on your website, a sign up sheet if you are out in the community or an opt in form from Facebook, which we have used wufoo.com successfully from our Facebook posts and ads. Once you have their email address and ideally their mailing address you have control to show up in their email box and in their mailbox. Your database is one of your most valuable assets. Grow your database, build trust with the people on it through your communication speaking directly to them and you’ll always have new people attracted to you who you can change their life!