Gym Marketing Strategies That You Can Implement Today and See Results

As the pandemic has subsided and public gyms are the new norm again, gym owners typically have two mindsets: Some lay on their laurels, believing they don’t need to do anything extra to get new members. Others take the initiative to market their gym and stand out from the competition.

If you’re in the latter group, this marketing guide for gyms is for you.

Now, this isn’t meant to be a one-size-fits-all approach to gym marketing. You may be the analytical type who focuses on data and stats, i.e., SEO or PPC, or the creative type who likes to get their hands dirty with content creation and customer interaction. 

Whatever your approach is, we’ll cover all marketing aspects to drive more members to your gym in 2022. Let’s get started

Create an Attractive Website that's Easy to Navigate

Whether you own a small local gym at the corner of the block or a chain across multiple cities, a professional website is non-negotiable.

According to a new study, 80% of local mobile searches converted into sales. To put this into context for gym owners, local searches can trigger gym visits, gym membership signups, or scheduling a gym class.

Without a website, you’re severely crippling yourself regarding visibility and customer acquisition. In other words, gym owners must be present online if they wish to increase gym memberships in 2022.

To have a good website that won’t turn potential leads away, it should be:

Easy to navigate – Your website should be intuitive and allow visitors to find the information they’re looking for easily.

Contain all info – Business hours, facilities, amenities, pricing, FAQs – every piece of information a potential customer may have easy access to.

Attractive – You don’t need to invest in luxurious design features, but make sure the website looks pleasant and isn’t overbearing.

Indexed on search engines: Ensure your website is indexed and accessible on multiple search engines.

If you’re starting and can’t afford to hire a web developer, you can use one of many online DIY website-building services. Some of these include:

• WordPress
• Wix
• GoDaddy

I personally recommend WordPress for gym owners. It is a robust website builder with easy-to-use features and ensures your website won’t have slow loading times and lags. Regarding SEO, WordPress is also the most reliable and search engine-friendly.

Invest in Local SEO

Ok, probably many of you are probably scratching your heads and thinking:

“What the heck is SEO and why should I bother?”

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of increasing your website’s visibility for people searching for keywords related to your business. 

Whenever you input a keyword into a search engine, i.e., ‘Cheap Gyms Near Me’ or ‘Gyms in X town or city,’ it will display a list of results tailored to your query. Your site should be listed in the top 5 search results to ensure maximum website traffic and visibility.

Local SEO is when you focus on optimizing your website for local searches. As mentioned, 80% of people who search for local businesses will probably convert. Investing in Local SEO ensures you capture that traffic and increase your membership base.

In the context of SEO and website visibility, Breeeze specializes in enhancing your online presence. They excel in optimizing websites for local searches, ensuring that your business ranks high in results, just like a breeze sweeping in success. Collaborating with this SEO agency can be the refreshing change your website needs to capture more traffic and boost your membership base.

From the query ‘Gyms in South Launceston,’ you can see three of the top five results are gyms.

To optimize your website for local SEO, make sure you include the following:

• Location-specific keywords in titles and meta descriptions, i.e., ‘Gyms in South Launceston’
• Accurate contact information.
• Location pages for each branch you own if you own multiple gyms nationwide. Each should have unique content and appropriate location-specific keywords.
• NAP (Name, Address, and Phone number) across your website.
• Input your gym’s NAP information on multiple local listings and directories, such as Google My Business, Facebook, etc 

Finally, you’ll want to ensure all content is relevant to your primary keyword and the local area. For example, you wouldn’t discuss CrossFit classes in London if your gym specializes in powerlifting in Sydney.

Google My Business

Google is the most widely used search engine on earth. Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool that allows businesses to create and manage their Google listings.

Creating a GMB listing does the following:

• Allows your customers to find out more about your gym, i.e., operating hours, phone number, etc.
• Let you potentially appear in Google’s Local 3-Pack search results (the first three places in the rankings).
• It enables customers to read and leave reviews.
• Your customers can see what facilities you offer.

If you have multiple gyms in different locations, ensure each has its own GMB listing under a single account. 

Do Your Keyword Research

Keywords are words or phrases customers type on search engines when looking for a product, service, or information. Choosing and inputting relevant keywords onto your website can help you rank higher on search engine result pages.

Now, unless a searcher already knows your gym, i.e., they’ve seen your ads or heard of you through word-of-mouth, they’ll probably type in your gym’s brand name. This will immediately bring up your website as the first result. However, if they don’t know your gym, they’ll most likely search for gyms using keywords such as ‘cheap gym near me”.

While searching on Google for keywords is an excellent place to start, you can also use online tools such as Ahrefs, Moz, or Google Keyword Planner to help you identify relevant keywords. 

When you type in your query, these tools will provide your chosen keyword’s search volume, difficulty to rank, SERP, and related keywords.

Optimize Your Webpages for Their Targeted Keywords

Once you’ve identified the right keywords, it’s time to optimize your web pages for them. This means including your target keyword in the:

• Page titles and meta descriptions
• Headers
• URLs
• Image file names and alt text
• Internal & external links.

Your content should also be relevant to your primary and secondary keywords. For example, if your primary keyword is ‘cheap gym near me, ensure your content clearly illustrates that you offer affordable gym memberships. 

Have a Link Building Strategy

The next step is to create a link-building strategy to set yourself apart from the competition.

Link building involves getting hyper-relevant to your website from other websites, increasing authority and your position on Google’s rankings.

Below are a few time-tested ways you can get high-quality backlinks:

• Creating high-quality content on external sites in the form of guest posts, whitepapers, or eBooks
• Develop partnerships and exchange links with other websites in your industry.
• Write unique research articles/blog posts that other sites will read and reference. For example, product reviews on the latest gym equipment.
• Reach out to local or national influencers and ask what they need in exchange for a link.
• Get involved with local directories and associations.
• Doing interviews or hosting webinars on other more established websites.
• Paying for backlinks (This goes against Google’s guidelines, but we’d be lying if we said it didn’t work).

Ultimately, the goal is to get high-quality websites with a large following to link back to your website. The more high-quality and relevant backlinks you have, the higher your chance of ranking higher on SERP.

Use Google Analytics to Track and Evaluate Your Marketing Campaigns

Your website may have many daily visits, but where are they coming from? Were they drawn to your site from a Google search, a blog post you wrote, or an email campaign?

This is where Google Analytics comes in.

Google Analytics is an incredibly detailed platform that lets you understand where your audience comes from. It also does the following:

• Monitor the number of visits to your website
• Where are your visitors coming from
• Which pages convert the most visitors to customers
• Which pages have the highest bounce rate
• How long do people spend on your website

Using this data, you can identify any bottlenecks in your marketing campaigns that need improving. 

For example: If your newsletters drive more website visitors, you may want to pour your resources into a full email marketing campaign.

Examples of marketing campaigns you can try include:

Pay-per-click (PPC) – Instantly claim a top spot in SERP by offering an ad in the search results.

Social media campaigns – Create targeted ads on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, and Youtube.

Email marketing – Send out newsletters and product updates to your subscribers. For example, transformation stories on how Jim lost X pounds in Y weeks can be great for engagement.

Content marketing: Write high-quality blog posts and articles to bring organic website traffic.

Once you’ve set up your campaigns, attach UTM tags (except your own web pages) to each of them. UTM tags help Google Analytics segment the traffic coming to your website and determine its exact origin.

Invest in a Fitness Blog Section to Build Topical Authority and Boost Visibility

Once you’ve started ranking for your targeted keyword, i.e., “cheap gym near me,” it’s time to focus on other relevant keywords related to your business. 

How do you do this?

Simple – by creating a fitness blog section on your website!

Ok, we’re exaggerating about its simplicity, but creating a blog section has tons of benefits.

Firstly, it helps you to establish yourself as an authority in Google. Gaining topic authority means that Google considers you a trusted source for information on that topic. For example, Healthline.com is a top-level domain for health topics, which will drive more organic traffic to their website.

Secondly, you become an invaluable resource for your readers. While video content is massive in the fitness industry, people still love reading answers to their questions through blog posts. Answering queries related to your service i.e. how to lose weight will help build trust and convert more visitors into actual leads.

Target Fitness-Related Keywords Using Online Tools

Unfortunately, simply writing a blog post and praying it will rank on Google won’t get you too far in today’s competitive market.

Why?

Because you need to know for sure that your blog post matches the query your potential customers are searching for.

To increase the chances of ranking, target specific keywords related to your service. As mentioned, you can use online tools like SEMRush, Moz, and Ubersuggest.

You’ll ideally want to target low KD (keyword difficulty) phrases with a good monthly search volume. Contrast this with targeting high KD phrases that will take much longer (if at all) to rank for.

Let’s take the keyword ‘upper chest cable fly’ as shown below to clarify what I mean:

You can see that this phrase has a monthly global search volume of 3.0K and a relatively low KD score of 11. If your blog post effectively covers the topic (which it should), you have a good chance of ranking for this phrase.

Target Fitness-Related Keywords that Are Locally-Oriented

While generic fitness topics can attract visitors, the only ones that count are those who will convert into actual customers. 

To target local customers, you need to modify your keyword strategy slightly. Instead of targeting generic terms like ‘How to squat’, a great way to do this is to target local-oriented keywords:

• ‘Best Pilates classes in (your city)’.
• Best running tracks in  (your city).
• ‘Where to buy supplements in (your city)’

Naturally, these keywords have a much lower volume than broad topics. However, in terms of attracting actual leads, they are much more effective. This is because Google will show your website to people who actually live in the area you’re targeting.

Connect with Future Gym Members through Social Media

Ahh, social media – the platform where you’ll see everything from twerking cats to Elon Musk’s ongoing war with Twitter! It’s all there, but it’s overwhelming to try and keep up with the latest trends, memes, and influencers.

But, putting the loudness aside, social media is a powerful tool to use in marketing your gym.

For gym owners, social media can connect with customers, advertise their services and products, and build brand loyalty. It’s not just about entertainment, it’s about informing and inspiring them too.

Let’s go through some of the ways you can create content on social media to reach more people and gain more business:

• Showcase your facility

There’s nothing like a sleek gym facility packed with all the latest equipment to inspire potential members. Show off your facility with pictures, videos, and interviews with current members and staff.

• Share Success Stories

Your gym members are among your most prized assets. Share the success stories of your members who achieved life-changing health and fitness goals. Body transformations are popular as it helps people envision the possibilities in their own lives.

• Offer Special Deals and Discounts

Everyone loves a good deal, so use social media to offer special discounts. This is typically done after the new year when everyone’s fitness new year resolutions kick in. Identify which months drive the most traffic and post special deals on those months.

• Highlight Events and Workshops

Perhaps you have a champion bodybuilder coming in for a workshop or a local celebrity event. Promote it through your social media channels and spread the word about the occasion. You’ll attract new faces who may sign up to your gym.

• Mention Local Partnerships

Do you have partnerships with local businesses? Showcase them through your social media channels and show community support. For example, you can post your collaboration with a local juice bar and offer special discounts or free items.

Like your other marketing campaigns, attach UTM tags to your social media links and track their performance. If body transformation videos have higher click-through rates, post more of those! You can test different strategies and see which ones work best for your business.

• Reach out to Fitness Influencers

Fitness influencers can range from established nutrition coaches to local sporting athletes to lifestyle bloggers. 

But before you reach out to them, establish what it is you need. Do you want them to promote your gym, host a workshop at your facility, lead an event, or review one of your products? For example, if your goal is to increase brand awareness, a positive gym review will help to do just that.

Understand Your Gym Members to Make Data-Driven Decisions

Your gym membership database offers a wealth of data about your members that enhance decision-making. When trying to segment members, utilize the data to identify member groups who stay longer, or refer the most.

If, for example, your data suggests that members between the ages of 20-30 have higher retention rates, you could focus on channels (whether it’d be traditional or digital) that reach this demographic. For example, around 30% of American TikTok users are between 20-29 years old –  if this age group is your targeted demographic, consider posting content on this platform.

Establish a Referral Program

Now that you have gym memberships, it’s time to put them to work!

And no, we don’t mean them working out.

Your members can be the best gym advertisers. If they’re pleased with your gym’s amenities and services, they’re likely to tell their friends and family about it.

Create a referral program where members get rewarded for signing up with their friends and family. You can reward both parties with discounts on their memberships or your partner’s products. This helps you reach more people, drive sign-ups, and build loyalty among your members.

Need help figuring out how to start? Try the following methods to kick off your referral program:

• Include the referral into your gym’s app (if you have one)
• Send out email newsletters to your members who mention your program
• Share referral codes and links on social media
• Create a landing page dedicated to your referral program
• Offer a referral card with a discount code on it

The biggest battle with referral programs is getting your members to see and use them. Ensure you incentivize them with attractive offers i.e, membership discounts, and keep track of their progress and success rate.

Differentiate Yourself from Standard Gyms

In the mid-’90s, reigning Mr. Olympia champion Dorian Yates owned a gym called ‘Temple Gym Birmingham’. However, it wasn’t your traditional gym, instead revered for its hardcore atmosphere that catered to bodybuilders. Basically, you didn’t show up to Temple Gym unless you’re serious about training.

Dorian Yates differentiated his gym from other health club chains in the area by catering to a specific audience, and it worked!

By distinguishing your gym, you’ll attract a specific crowd that you think can benefit the most from your services. And it doesn’t have to be hardcore like Dorian Yates gym. Planet Fitness’ whole spiel is to be the anti-gym, focusing on a casual workout atmosphere with no judgments. Neither is wrong; it’s just a way of marketing your gym to a particular demographic.

If your gym, or even you as an individual, can offer something unique, then show it off. You’d be surprised how a little differentiation can help you stand out in the market.

For gym owners, understanding the various facets of marketing is crucial, but it can also be overwhelming. Not every gym owner has the budget or the need to hire a full-time Chief Marketing Officer to strategize and oversee these efforts. That’s where the concept of a virtual CMO or fractional CMO comes in. By leveraging the expertise of a fractional CMO, you can gain access to top-tier marketing strategies and insights tailored for your gym, without the commitment of a full-time executive position. This allows you to optimize your marketing campaigns, stand out from the competition, and drive membership growth efficiently.