What Is the Perfect Marketing Mix for Gym Membership Growth?

One of the biggest challenges that gym owners face is finding the right marketing mix. A marketing mix is the tactics and strategies gym owners use to generate increased business awareness and ultimately, grow membership. Most business owners need to continually adapt their strategies as seasonal motivations change, and new fitness trends emerge.

Can your business keep up?

Moreover, you're fighting fitness industry stats like:

• 80% of gym members lose motivation and quite within five months
• 20% of gym members leave due to financial constraints

The good news? Many of the industry's top gyms and fitness centers are using the four P's of marketing to generate increased membership — and you can too!

The Perfect Marketing Mix for Gym Membership Growth: 5 Ideas Worth Investing In

First, what are the four P's of marketing?

Product: The products, equipment, and services that your business offers. What are you providing to your customers?

Price: The cost of your products, equipment, and services. What are prospects and customers willing to pay?

Place: The physical location of your business. Ideally, your business is located near other popular attractions, including shopping centers, schools, residential areas, and more. How can your location benefit your prospects and current customers?

Promotion: The tactics you use to build brand awareness.

The following marketing programs and promotions are a great way to implement the four P's of marketing.

1. Referral Programs

The fact is, word-of-mouth marketing is still one of the most valuable programs gym and fitness centers use to increase membership overnight. When a member has a good experience at your gym and is willing to tell their friends and peers about it, that can be powerful for your business.

To launch a referral program, follow these steps:

Step 1: Select a reward. What will members receive in exchange for the referral?

Step 2: Consider your target audience. What do your members want/need?

Step 3: Choose a promotional channel. How will you let members know about this program? Try sending out a text message to all your members. Be sure to include a link to relevant information, referral codes, etc.

2. Membership Renewal Promotions

As a gym owner, you know how difficult it is to get members to renew. The most successful gym owners plan ahead and leverage powerful membership renewal promotions to keep members motivated and engaged.

To launch a membership renewal promotion, follow these steps:

Step: 1: Consider any barriers to re-entry. What are some of the reasons why members wouldn't renew? How can your business help members to overcome some of these barriers?

Step 2: Launch targeted referral promotions well in advance of the renewal. Start reaching out to members at least one month before their membership expires. You can also create text follow-ups after their membership expires.

Step 3: If the member still hasn't renewed after a month or so, it's helpful to ask why. Understanding why someone chose not to renew can help guide your future renewal promotion campaigns. Don't be afraid to send a simple follow-up.

3. New Year Campaigns

The start of a new year is the perfect time to promote your business. Many people set fitness resolutions during this time, and they need a gym that will help them to reach their fitness goals.

To launch a New Year campaign, follow these steps:

Step 1: Consider prospects' fitness goals. What do they want to achieve?

Step 2: Make a list of services, equipment, classes, and other resources that align with prospects' fitness goals.

Step 3: Look for opportunities to align prospects' fitness goals, offerings, and promotions. For example, try running a promotion that gives new members access to a personal trainer.

4. Weight-Loss Challenges

A weight-loss challenge is a great way to get people with similar fitness goals together. When members find fitness partners, they are more likely to retain their gym membership and renew year-over-year. Additionally, a weight-loss challenge is a great way to attract new members who are interested in being held accountable.

To launch a weight-loss challenge, follow these steps:

Step 1: Determine the rules for your weight-loss challenge. How will the contest be scored? How long will the contest run?

Step 2: Create a prize. How will winners be rewarded?

Step 3: Place signs inside the gym. Consider other promotional tactics, including text message marketing, email, social media, and others.

5. Text Message Alerts

A text message alert program is a great way to encourage more people to use their membership. In fact, alerts make it easy and convenient for members to stay on top of important events such as fitness classes, sessions with personal trainers, and more. A self-service platform like EZ Texting's that requires no API or web development allows you to start texting your contacts in minutes.

To launch a text message alert program, follow these steps:

Step 1: Make it easy for members to sign up for text alerts. Some gym owners will advertise their text alerts via signage. Additionally, you can post messages on social media to raise awareness about your program.

Step 2: Consider how you want to use your text alerts. What types of messages will benefit your target audience the most? As a best practice, consider segmenting your list. Segmentation will help you send the right message to the right audience.

Step 3: Sign up for a service like EZ Texting. We make it easy to manage your member list, send, and receive messages. You'll also be able to track your text marketing effectiveness from an easy-to-use reporting dashboard.

Shorten Your Text Marketing Learning Curve With Our Playbook

The fitness industry shifts constantly throughout the year. Just as fast as your customers are jumping aboard the fitness wagon, they're finding reasons to jump off. If you don't have the right marketing mix, it's difficult to both attract and retain prospects and customers.

A proven marketing tactic, text messaging has helped gym and fitness center owners reach their marketing goals and objectives. There are thousands of opportunities to send gym members high-value text messages.

To kickstart your text marketing journey, we've compiled a list of ready-made text messaging templates. Use these templates to start growing your text marketing database today. Download a copy of this special playbook and get ready to grow your membership.

Photo: Getty Images/nimis69