Even if you think you’ve got a solid membership base, complacency is dangerous. Circumstances can change overnight.
Look at how the pandemic affected the fitness industry. In 2019, the global fitness industry revenue was worth just shy of $100 billion – however that shrunk to $54 billion in 2021 due to closures and lockdowns.
If you read our last post, you’ll already have your sales funnel built, so now it’s time to start filling it. There are many different methods to start filling up the Awareness stage of your funnel, so we’ve put together the ones we think are most effective for gyms, health clubs and so on.
Run an airtight referral campaign.
The reason referrals are a fantastic opportunity to generate leads for your sales funnel is because the hard work is already done. Your customers have already bought into your business and trust your gym as the place to go, so those new leads have got all the proof they need. The referrals will also be hot, meaning they’re much more likely to convert into paying customers. Plus, it’s free to ask your customers if they wouldn’t mind spreading the word about your club to their friends.
Even if you asked 50 of your members to refer a friend and only 10 of them do it, that’s still 10 more paying customers – and you haven’t had to lift a finger!
You could go one step further and offer rewards in exchange for referrals, such as getting free access to a class or money off a membership, which offers an incentive for your members to engage with the campaign. Although it introduces some level of cost, it’s likely to be more cost-effective than trying to acquire a brand new member.
Use social media to build awareness.
If you don’t already have one social media account dedicated to posting about your club, you should seriously consider creating one. Think about your target audience and which platform they spend most of their time on if you’re not sure where to start.
Our best advice for posting on social media is whatever you do, do it consistently. Once you’ve gotten into a good routine of sharing updates, review how the posts are performing and do more of what works. You can share things like gym updates, video tours of your site, equipment and membership options, member achievements and general health & wellness advice.
Offer value for free.
Now that you’ve got an online platform for your club, you can give out high-value content that your audience can access in exchange for entering their details and keeping for themselves. Think eBooks, guides, tips and tricks; stuff that educates your audience and transforms your business into more than just a gym – you’ll become a thought leader in the industry and a trustworthy source of help for your audience.
Great ideas we’ve seen from some of our Users include meal plan templates, workout routines and recipe eBooks. After they’ve given you their email and downloaded their content, you can nurture them through your sales funnel. The great thing about offering free, valuable stuff is that your prospects will be far more receptive to the future information you send them.
Engage with your local community.
Whilst the emphasis nowadays is very much on digital, in-person networking isn’t dead. We always recommend attending community events so that people can put faces to names. Engage with local businesses and see if there’s a way for you to develop mutually beneficial partnerships that raise awareness for both organisations.
You could even host fun days or charity events to give back to the community. Not only is it great PR, but it shows your prospects that you care about doing good and showcases your business values. You can get to know the people in the area and what they like so you can better serve them.
Whichever method you choose to start with, consistency is vital. Even if you think the top stage of your funnel looks to be full enough – circumstances can change overnight and it’s always a good idea to keep tipping new leads into your sales funnel, especially in the current economic uncertainty. With a little time and patience, you’ll have an endless list of prospects to market to.
ClubRight is the go-to member management software for businesses in the health and fitness industry. To discover how we can help you drive growth at your club, give us a call on +44 (0)203 884 977 for a no-obligation chat with one of our industry experts. Or, to see the software in action, you can book a free online demo below.
