Recently on the PushPress blog, we’ve been encouraging you to explore various areas of your gym that could help increase revenue and retention as we head into the fall season. From marketing and sales processes to membership levels and class schedules, our goal has been to help you find areas for improvement. Today, we’re talking about your digital marketing strategy.
Because once everything is running smoothly in your gym, it’s time to spread the word and get more people through your doors.
Fall is the perfect time because generally, people are embracing structure and routine again. They’re looking to commit to their health and wellness after the long summer months. And sometimes the only thing they need is a nudge, which is where your digital marketing strategy comes in.
As always, we turned to the experts at LASSO to get their top tips! LASSO works with gym owners around the world on paid ad strategies and sales training. Together, you come up with an offer that gets put into action via ads. The goal is digital marketing that brings in high-paying members, increases ARM (Average Revenue per Member) and overall revenue.
Five Tips to Dial in Your Gym’s Digital Marketing Strategy.
1. Focus on the Follow-Up.
Sherman Merricks is a co-owner at LASSO. His biggest digital marketing tip is to remember to follow up with leads consistently. Not just during the fall rush, but all year round.
“The fortune is in the follow up,” he said. “That’s how you’ll change lives and make more revenue.”
Merricks said that even though you may get a higher number of leads in September, they may not sign up right away. That’s okay and you shouldn’t give up on them. They may just need another month or so to fully get into their fall routine.
“Too many people give up on the leads after one or two touch points,” he said. “And it (sometimes) takes eight to ten. Some people sign up quickly, but some will take two to three months.”
2. Craft the Perfect Offer.
Blake Ruff - the other owner of LASSO - said crafting the perfect offer is a critical part of a successful digital strategy.
First, it’s especially important to focus your digital marketing strategy on exactly who your offer is targeting. For example, especially in the back-to-school season, think about a parent looking to get back into fitness. This is important because your ad should speak to this person’s specific problem, Ruff explained.
“They have to read it and think, ‘They’re speaking to me,’” Ruff said.
People are visual, Ruff and Merricks explained, so the headline and image needs to directly address the problem and your solution to it.
3. Consider Offering Hybrid Memberships.
Aimee Moller is a member of the LASSO team and the owner of Swift River CrossFit in Conway, NH. Her top tip is that, from a sales perspective, fall is typically a time when people - especially parents - are looking for structure and accountability.
In light of this, Moller suggests offering membership packages that combine both fitness and nutrition, and there are several reasons why. First, hybrid memberships like this give people what they need to get results faster. And second, gym owners can charge considerably more for these services to increase gym revenue.
4. Win Back Former Members.
David Rubin is another LASSO team member and the owner of Courage Fitness in Durham, NC. He suggests running an “aggressive, we want you back” campaign for former members at the end of the summer.
“Most gyms that have been around for more than a couple years have significant numbers of former members who are still local to them,” said Rubin. “They may have left during COVID or its aftermath, or went on to try something new, only to get bored or fail to follow through.”
With that in mind, your digital marketing strategy to re-engage former members has just one goal. Remind them that your gym is still here, and that you’re excited to see them again.
For example, Rubin runs a “No Strings Attached, We Want You Back” campaign a couple times a year, including the fall season. Generally, he’s found it to be very successful in bringing former members back to his gym.
5. Use PushPress Grow to Automate Your Digital Marketing Strategy.
When it comes to the entire customer journey - from lead generation to the ultimate member experience - PushPress Grow is the help you never knew you needed. It’s like adding an extra team member that works around the clock through the power of automation.
Pro Tip: Want to learn more about how Grow can help with everything from your digital marketing strategy to increasing member retention? Book a demo with our team today!
In Summary: Fall is the Perfect Time to Fine-Tune Your Digital Marketing Strategy
As summer comes to a close and fall is just around the corner, it’s the perfect opportunity to evaluate areas of improvement for your gym. Start with in-house things like marketing and sales processes, membership levels and class schedules. Then, once your gym is running like a well-oiled machine, it’s time to spread the word to prospective members with a powerful marketing strategy.
Our friends at LASSO shared their favorite tips for dialing in your strategy this fall. Sherman Merricks said to focus on the follow-up. Blake Ruff explained how to craft the perfect offer. Aimee Moller suggested that gym owners consider offering hybrid memberships. And David Rubin shared ideas for winning back former members.
So this fall, contact the team at LASSO for digital marketing strategy help! And let PushPress Grow help you save time and increase effectiveness through the power of automation.
