Digital marketing is like training: You’ll never be done, and there will always be an endless stream of new initiatives to take and tools to try.But before you can experiment with various tactics, you need to have a solid foundation. Below are the key digital marketing tools your gym must have for success.
1. WEBSITE
You know you need a website. But it bears mentioning because your website is often the first encounter a prospective client has with your business—and first impressions are forever.
Tell a story
Your site should do more than list your programs and schedule; it should tell a story. Who are you? What’s important to you, and what can you do for the person looking at your website? “About” sections are great for this, but your story should permeate your site though coach bios, client testimonials and blogs.
Use images wisely
Pictures on your website are more than decoration. They show a prospective client what to expect at your gym and what your typical client looks like. So make sure the images you select are representative of all the clients you hope to get. If a 50-year-old grandmother with 40 lbs. to lose only sees pictures of ripped 20-somethings on your site, do you think she’ll feel like your gym is the place for her?
Include a call to action—and make it easy
The main purpose of your site is to attract new clients, right? So make it super easy for prospects to take action. Don’t just list your phone number or email address and encourage people to get in touch. Every page on your site should have a form or button that encourages and enables visitors to sign up for an intro session.
Delegate and Invest
With so many user-friendly content management systems out there, it’s tempting to build a site on your own. But ask yourself this: Do you really have the time and expertise to make it the best possible representation of your business? Like it or not, people will judge the professionalism and effectiveness of your gym based on what your site looks like. So hire a professional—or even better, get a fully loaded, customized website in just a few days from your humble host, PushPress.
2. SOCIAL MEDIA
It might seem more casual, but social media is as much a marketing tool as your website, so use it strategically.
Plan
To make social-media marketing more effective and less overwhelming, create an editorial calendar and assign a different type of post for each day. Maybe Mondays are for new recipes and Tuesdays are #testimonialtuesdays. Strike a balance between promotional, informative and entertaining posts.
Engage
Post on a variety of platforms, and research and follow best practices for each. Engage your audience by asking questions and inviting them to tag a friend. Incentivize your current members to check in and share content with contests—maybe every share equals a burpee for Coach.
Be real
Finally, make sure your social channels highlight and celebrate the real people in your community. Maybe short shorts and glistening abs will attract a few new clients, but most gyms’ target markets (regular people who want to get a bit healthier) will be more apt to join your community if they see people who look like them having fun and getting fit.
3. EMAIL DATABASE
Every time you touch a prospective client—whether that’s via the contact form on your website, a sign-up for a free info session or a social-media post inviting people to opt-in for a free recipe guide—it is an opportunity to capture their email address. Even if a website visitor isn’t interested today, they might be in a month from now, and you’ll want to reach out to them.But it’s not effective to simply mass email everyone on your list. Instead, you’ll want to segment your database into categories targeted toward specific markets. Some category examples might include: age, gender or program interest (nutrition, strength-building, weight loss, kids programs, etc.). You can also use segmentation to break your current membership down into categories like active and inactive members or former clients.All of these lists will help you target your emails about new programs, special events or discounts to the audience most likely to respond. Gather the data from your sign-up page, and execute targeted campaigns through email marketing providers like MailChimp (hint: through PushPress, you can seamlessly integrate data shared across different platforms and tools).
4. GYM-MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
It’s no secret that we think you need a gym-management software; after all, that’s what PushPress is. But in case you have any doubts about whether you need such a system, here’s what it does for you—and why you need to be doing these things.
Accepts, and tracks, class attendance
Class-attendance data is important for several reasons. If you have varied membership levels (three, four or unlimited classes per week, etc.), you need a system to keep track of how often individual clients are attending.This data is also useful on a broader scope. Attendance tracking allows you to measure the success of individual programs and class times, helping you evaluate other things like profitability and staffing needs.
Tracks retention
What do you care if someone isn’t attending class, as long as they’re paying? Well, eventually, an inactive member is going to realize they’re paying for a service they’re not using and cancel. Catch them before that happens by filtering for members who haven’t checked in within a certain time frame and reaching out to see how you can get them back in the gym. Use this data-driven approach within your email marketing strategy so you can target your members with the most appropriate messaging.
Manages member subscriptions and billing
Gym-management software allows you to centralize all aspects of billing, whether that’s recurring monthly memberships or one-time sales for drop-ins, punch cards, special events/seminars or merch. Cut down on losses due to disorganization and errors, as well as time spent billing individually for each of these items.Want to learn more about how PushPress can optimize your digital marketing efforts? Schedule a free demo today!
