The world of online marketing is consistently and rapidly evolving. Trends, technology, and techniques rise in and out of relevance at an alarming rate. If your 2023 goal is membership growth, it’s critical to have your online fitness marketing strategies nailed down before going into 2023.
Social media and websites are the top two channels used by consumers to find brands.In order to make the most out of your online marketing strategies in 2023, you’re going to need to have a strong grasp on the evolving trends and technology used to increase organic traffic. In a study done by Semrush, the most successful content types were:
- Videos
- Blog posts
- Success stories
Especially for fitness and health clubs, using each of these content formats can be incredibly powerful in showing people why your gym or club is the right fit for them.
Blogs, webinars, SMS campaigns, and ebooks can even add value to the membership packages you’re offering and serve to create a rich community that keeps members coming back. Dedicating time to establish and maintain an online presence in any capacity can significantly increase your gym’s capacity for growth.
In this article, we’ll explore 8 impactful online fitness marketing strategies you can use in 2023.
1. New year’s email campaign
72% of consumers report that they are more likely to open an email if it offers discounts. The new year is a perfect time to capitalize on this inclination. That being said, many gyms have trouble keeping members engaged and dedicated to their new years goals beyond the first few months.
Here are a few ways to spice up the classic New Year’s campaign and keep members motivated past February:
Offer discounts for long-term commitments
A great way to get your members to commit to their fitness goals (and to your fitness club) is to offer discounts that reflect their goals. Try offering discounts or free months for members who pay for a year-long membership upfront.
Add perks for long-term members
Looking down the barrel of a year-long fitness goal can be overwhelming for a lot of members. Offering them tools to make the goal easier to digest can help ease the stress. Offering a consultation with a trainer or a free menu plan can be a great way to show members that you’re invested in their goals.
Accountability buddy discount
A recent study showed that individuals who committed to meeting their goal with another person were 65% more likely to follow through. Offering referral discounts to your loyal members can help them stick to their goal and expose high-intent customers to your gym. This can also be helpful in creating a positive and enticing gym culture.
2. Focus on the digital community
More than 50% of gym goers report going to the gym to build a community. Building a digital space for your members to celebrate their successes, get advice, and share information can be incredibly helpful to creating an in-person community.
Create online forums
Creating an online forum is a great way to encourage both your members and your staff to share goals, their progress, get advice, and find inspiration.
Facebook is one of the most well-known and frequently used platforms for forums. Facebook also allows you to create multiple dedicated to various interests such as weight training or weight loss.
In the beginning you may need to begin the conversations by asking questions or making posts. After your member interaction begins to grow, it’s important to remain active on the page to ensure that the forum is welcoming to everyone and to show that you’re invested in the community.
Host a virtual event
In the wake of COVID, online events have become a popular online marketing strategy for businesses in and out of the fitness industry marketing. As a gym or fitness club, you have a lot to offer to clients in terms of expertise.
Hosting an online seminar or even a hybrid event can be a cost-effective and simple way to generate conversation and community between members.
One of the easiest ways to host an event is through Facebook Live or Instagram TV. Choose a topic such as nutrition, workout comparisons, or do a 101 class where you offer members the space to ask questions around things they’re building the confidence to try.
3. Implement video content
Long format video content has become a major demand from consumers both in and out of the fitness industry. In a study done by Social Media Weak, researchers found that consumers retained 85% more information when it was in video format.
With statistics like this, it’s no wonder that over 60% of companies include video content as a major part of their marketing plan.
Fitness clubs have a unique opportunity to use video content in their favor when it comes to marketing. Here are three types of videos you can include in your online fitness marketing strategy in 2023:
Anchor video
Creating an anchor video is a great way to introduce your company to potential customers.This video acts as a digital business card and tells clients who you are and what you’re about.
This type of video is incredibly versatile and will be relevant for years to come. Post your video on your website, on facebook, or even show it at events.
Sales video
In a recent study, 94% of respondents reported that they used video to make a purchasing decision. Creating a sales video can be the needed nudge that gets a client to sign up for a membership.
Your sales video should focus on what amazing services or features your gym has. It should also explain why your gym is the better choice among competitors.
In general, sales videos tend to have the highest ROI out of all the videos and can be a powerful online fitness marketing strategy to implement in 2023.
Social proof video
In a social proof video, you can ask long time members or members who have worked towards major transformations to share their story and their experience. These videos offer an emotional display of what your gym can do for potential prospects. In some ways, social proof videos can act as sales videos.
4. Get on TikTok
Whether you’re dancing in the studio or offering workout tips, micro video content, like TikTok videos, are a cost-effective and powerful way to get customers engaged. TikTok in particular offers businesses an easy path to creating exciting content that motivates consumers to get to your gym.
With over 800 million active users monthly, this platform is primed for fitness companies and professionals to take advantage of. The biggest age group using TikTok is between 18 and 24; but this doesn’t mean you’re out of luck if you’re looking to attract a more mature audience.
In fact, a well designed TikTok campaign can make reaching an older audience easier because there is not a lot of content marketed towards the older population.
Another positive aspect of TikTok is that it is simple to use. Its video software is manageable for even the least tech-savvy users and the content can be posted across all platforms.
Here are a few ways you can use TikTok to get your members engaged:
Challenges
Get your staff to partake in a challenge and video the results. Do a trendy dance or choreograph a challenge. You can even challenge your members and then have them tag you in their final videos.
Class promotions
Are you planning on adding a really cool class? Maybe you’re going to host a one-time theme event. Whatever it is, TikTok is a great way to capture the event in action and show off just how cool your fitness club is.
Build a workout
Everybody loves a tutorial. TikTok is a great way to feature a trainer, offer promotional deals, or show off your very aesthetic studio. TikTok is a great way to give your target audience a creative and authentic look into the expertise of your staff.
5. Utilize long format video content
As we discussed earlier, video is a powerful way to draw consumers in and show them what amazing products and services you’re offering. 45% of customers say that authoritative content makes a brand feel more authentic.
Using long format video content is a flexible strategy that allows you to use one piece of content in multiple ways and build trust with consumers.
For videos that are informative, you can strip the audio and turn it into a podcast. You can also use the transcription to create a blog post or as a template for an ebook. Alternatively, can edit the video into multiple parts and create an in-depth web series that you release weekly.
Whatever it is, this type of content can help you create a database of reputable resources that your consumer base will value and depend on.
6. Develop a virtual fitness library
Another great way to utilize long format video content is to build a library of online classes.
The virtual fitness market has seen a nearly 42% compound annual growth rate since 2021.
For fitness clubs looking to expand their repertoire, virtual fitness classes are a great perk to entice new members and show established customers that you’re committed to their growth. They offer your members access to a variety of classes that keep them coming to your gym regardless of their busy schedule.
7. Strengthen your Online presence
Strengthening your online presence can be a great way to generate organic traffic. Here are a few ways you can strengthen your fitness clubs online presence in 2023
Get on social media
Social media is a powerful, cost-effective tool to spread the word about the amazing services your gym has to offer. On top of this, social media offers insights to help you see what’s working and what’s not.
Maintaining a high level of activity on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter can be beneficial for building both your virtual and in-person community. Encourage your members to post pictures and tag you. Share your members’ stories and allow them to be ambassadors for your brand by encouraging them to like, share, follow, and comment on your account.
Blog
Businesses who prioritize blogging are 13 times more likely to see a positive ROI. Blogs help to generate organic traffic and can become a critical selling point for customers new and old. Furthermore, consistently generating SEO blogs will increase the likelihood of your ideal customer finding you through google.
Blog content can offer a great way to offer valuable content to your members and provide added value to any of your membership packages. If you choose to place your articles behind a paywall, you will be adding an additional product to your online market
8. Influencers
62% of marketers indicate that they plan to use influencers this year.
Why?
Because these individuals, or groups of individuals, can have a huge and highly engaged fan base on social media. An influencer marketing strategy is essentially a referral marketing strategy which is proven to be one of the most effective online marketing strategies available.
When laying out your influencer strategy consider the three R’s: relevance, reach, and resonance.
Relevance: A relevant influencer should be someone whose message is aligned with your target audience and shares content relevant to your industry. For your gym or fitness club, you’ll want to look for local entrepreneurs, athletes, health professionals, or even the president of the local school district. These individuals will have a higher engagement with their local community members.
Reach: This requires you to consider the number of people you want to reach. Influencers offer a great tool to reach very niche target audiences. Determining your goals for this marketing campaign will help you to establish what demographic you want to gear your influencer campaign towards and how large that community is within your target area.
Resonance: This is the level of engagement your influencers audience has with their promotional content. In this case, bigger isn’t always better.
If you’re a boutique gym in pittsburg, it probably wouldn’t serve you to pay a macro-influencer in California to promote your gym. Instead, partnering with the local PTA president will likely be more lucrative and cost-effective.
Determining what fitness marketing strategy is right for your club
The key takeaway is that consumers are looking for interactive content such as advice and recommendations. They want to connect with a product or service organically and authentically. 76% of companies prioritize content marketing strategies that will do just that.
Studies have shown time and again that brands who consistently create and post high-quality content generate higher conversion rates than those that don’t. This is because online marketing helps to answer your audience’s questions and generate authentic relationships with your current and potential customers.
In general, fitness clubs rely on long-term memberships as the primary source of revenue. Low churn-rates are also important for expansion and equipment upkeep. When it comes to digital marketing strategies, thoughtful content creation is essential to cultivating that brand loyalty and member base.
Social media, blog posts, and emails are the top three most effective content platforms to invest in this upcoming year. Whether it’s Instagram or an inbox, there are many creative ways to create interactive experiences across all of those platforms.
Managing your online marketing strategies can be difficult and knowing what is going to work best can oftentimes feel like taking a shot in the dark. However, content development is a worthwhile investment that can help your business grow into its full potential.
Do you still have questions about what will work for you? Check out our blog or schedule a free demo to see how Gleantap can help you manage your reputation, generate leads, and develop an online fitness marketing strategy that’s perfect for your gym or fitness club.
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