The Most Successful Boutique Fitness Studio Marketing Tools Right Now
Summer is ending, which means it's time to launch your gym's new member marketing for fall. Your marketing may have gone unnoticed during the summer and back-to-school rush while parents figured out their kids' extracurricular schedules, but school is back in session, and it's the perfect time to step up your advertisements.
As a fitness industry coach, I've spent most of my time lately discussing marketing in the post-pandemic landscape. Countless articles, webinars, and studies have been dedicated to cracking the code of what makes for an effective marketing campaign. While no perfect solution will guarantee hundreds of new gym members through your door (despite many marketing firms' promises), trends are becoming evident that you'll want to take advantage of.
What We’re Not Doing
First, let's talk about what we're definitely not doing this fall and let this quote by Beth Moore be your new marketing mantra, "You cannot keep doing the same thing, the same way, and keep expecting something different to happen." Leave these out of your marketing strategy this quarter:
Facebook ads. Unless you have a giant budget, a digital marketing team, and a free offer, leave paid social media ads out of your approach. The cost per click is just not worth it right now for most small businesses.
First week free. Or any variation of this. Unless it's a specific free class on a pre-set day with a perfect sales strategy, it's out.
Instagram. Hear me out on this one- I don't mean, "never post to your business page again," but it should not be the first line in your get-new-leads strategy. Very few customers find and join a brick-and-mortar business based on their Instagram feed. Should you have a page that you post to regularly (which may mean just weekly)? Yes. Your customer will research to see if they fit in and learn what to expect before trying your gym. But you can leave reels, 3x daily posting, and all the stress of creating content behind unless it brings you joy.
Now, here's what we're focusing on this quarter:
Out-of-Home (OOH) Marketing
Out-of-home advertising- also called outdoor media or outdoor advertising, is any marketing material that customers experience and interact with outside their homes. This includes billboards, banners, posters, signage, or any material your client could walk or drive by.
There has been an explosion in the effectiveness of OOH marketing in the months following the pandemic. 70% of those surveyed reported noticing OOH marketing more than they did pre-pandemic, 77% said they regularly learn about new brands from OOH ads, and 80% made a purchase after seeing an ad.
Billboards, place marketing (i.e., signage at a mall or stadium), and other large sign effectiveness depend on your market, audience, and competition. Before signing a contract, run a cost-benefit analysis and ask for their current customer contact info to verify ad success- just like you would for any marketing campaign.
If you're creating a billboard or place marketing advertisement as a small business, remember the following:
Location. Most gym-goers travel five miles or less from their home or workplace to work out. Keep your ads central to your studio to reach your future members.
Get to the point. Drive-by and walk-by traffic will only see your ad for a few seconds, so make the most of their limited attention. A general rule of thumb is six words or less.
Stand out from the crowd. Look at where your sign(s) will be located. What is the landscape? If you want customers to notice your brand, you'll need to stand out to catch their attention.
Keep it simple, but be memorable. This is a tough one. As a small business, your logo may not be recognizable to most. Your branding should be present in color and style, but your ad should include messaging that catches attention since you can't rely on brand recognition like larger companies.
Speak directly to your intended new member. If your target client is a specific demographic, include photos or verbiage inviting similar potential customers to see themselves fitting in.
Studio Banners
OOH ads can be as simple as a "GRAND REOPENING" banner or as complex as a digital billboard, but complication doesn't translate into effectiveness. Your rent is likely your most significant expense. Take advantage of your storefront’s marketing potential.
Banners that are working for studio owners:
Free Open House Barre Classes (with a QR code to book)
A direct question such as "Looking for your new favorite yoga class?"
Your "why statements" in bullet form, i.e.,
Free child care
Before and after work classes
Affordable unlimited memberships
Friendly, welcoming staff
Celebrate with us! Five years of incredible barre and boot camp!
Take note next time you drive down your street. What businesses are using their windows and walls? I bet some of the ones that catch your eye will be businesses you've hadn't previously noticed.
Refresh Your Signage
As an established studio, how often have you heard, "Have you been open long? I drive this way every day and I’ve never noticed!" I know it's infuriating, but it's also telling you that it's time to audit your street-facing advertising. Walk outside and use this checklist:
Has your current signage been the same for more than six months? If yes, it's probably blending into the landscape and going unnoticed.
Are your modalities and "why" statements apparent? Your studio name likely means more to you than it does to your new ideal client. Don't forget to include the bullet points of what makes your studio the best and perfect for your potential customer. If you're unsure why your clients choose your gym, survey them.
Could you discern what your business specialized in if you drove by? I love graphics, window paint, and vinyl photos to tell the story of your gym without requiring your client to read long sentences.
Do you have a specific call to action? Your advertisements should ask your clients to do something, not just passively experience your material. Should they call? Stop in? Book a class on the website? Don't leave it up to chance- give them direction.
How will they remember you after they've passed by? My favorite solutions for this problem are 1. A window realtor box with a discount flyer for intro offer. Or 2. A QR code leading to a landing page to capture their information in exchange for a discount or bonus.
Open Houses and Come Back Campaigns
If you're one of my clients, you already know how much I love open houses to attract new leads and comeback campaigns to reclaim old ones. I won't ask you to reread the articles, but if you're new to the concept, you should read how to host and how to advertise your open house articles. They don't get thousands of clicks every year for nothing.
Change Your Intro Offer
When coaching studio owners, I often hear, "I don't have anything to advertise!" and I know how that feels. If you've been marketing your same offers for months now, changing up your intro offer can give you the fresh push you need to get excited about marketing again. My current favorites are a "Buy 2 get 1 free" (for the same price as two drop-in classes) or an X number of weeks unlimited offer that ends right around your Black Friday/January membership sale. Intro offers are nuanced, so you should book a strategy call if you haven't set yours with a coach.
Start a Fall Challenge
Lastly, fall is a great time to help your clients re-commit to their health and remind them what they're capable of. A simple attendance challenge where clients take a class and earn a sticker is a tried and tested attendance booster to help your clients build their gym habit at your studio. Don't forget to offer a membership or intro offer with the same timeline and follow up with each client to convert them into a long-term commitment.
It was a difficult summer for most boutique studios and gyms, and we're seeing marketing companies offer promises like, "fill your studio fast!" all over the place. Remember that you know your clients better than anyone and are more than equipped to find new leads (and keep them as members). Here's your to-do list.
Choose one marketing strategy at a time and pour all your focus into it rather than bounce from idea to idea.
Speak directly to your ideal client with your words, graphics, and messaging.
Provide a clear call to action.
Follow up multiple times (in non-spammy ways).
In many ways, we're seeing a return to basics in the marketing world, no ever-changing algorithm required.
