Wondering what marketing strategies for gyms are available to help you bring new members back through your doors? To say that the fitness industry has seen an impact from COVID-19 and the restrictions it ensued is to put things lightly. In actuality, COVID-19 stripped many gyms and fitness centres around Australia and NZ back to bare bones and the gym membership sales losses many business owners faced are astronomical.
A recent report conducted by Fitness Australia outlined some very troubling statistics around the impact of the pandemic on the industry. When analysing boutique and multi-service fitness businesses, it reported that:
- All businesses have had to stand down employees with less than 10% of staff still working
- 70% of businesses cited a 100 per cent decline in memberships
- 24% of businesses reported a 61 per cent decline in memberships due to cancellations or suspensions
- Revenue was down 100 per cent for 50% of gym owners
- Gym have only been able to generate less than 10% of their usual income through virtual or outdoor one-on-one training.
Click here to view Fitness Australia’s report, COVID-19 Fitness Industry Impact.
There’s a lot the industry needs to do to rebuild, but the first thing to focus on is getting revenue through the door again. Since the report found that 24% of business reported a 61% decline in memberships due to cancellations and suspensions, it’s fair to say there’s some opportunity hidden away there.
Even though members may have cancelled their gym memberships at the start of the COVID-19 lockdown, that’s not to say they never want to re-join a gym again. They may have used the opportunity to cancel at a facility they weren’t happy with but were locked into a contract with. They may have started working from home more due to COVID-19, which has now become their predominant workspace. These potential members would no longer need their city gym membership, but may look more towards the suburb they live in.
There’s range of reasons for why there may be a lot of potential members looking for their new favourite gym right now. So, focus on some marketing strategies for gyms that will help your gym lead generation efforts.
Here are some easy marketing strategies for gyms:
Adjust your gym membership sales offer
Even though we’re on our way out of COVID-19 restrictions, and New Zealand is now completely lockdown free, there are still many “new-normal” implications for gym goers. Consider adjusting your membership fees to account for the current climate. For example, you might choose to reduce membership fees by 50% until you are completely reopened and functioning normally. Once stage 3 restrictions are completely lifted and your members can use your facility like normal again, you can reinstate your full fees.
Create reopening specials to assist with lead generation in gyms
Create a membership offer potential members won’t be able to resist! You may not be in the position to offer reduced sign-up fees to new members, so focus instead on adding value for any new sign-ups. After 3 or so months of being confined to the indoors, many people will be looking for guidance and motivation in getting back to their fitness routines. Create a range of nutrition plans and guides, create a detailed guide to restarting a fitness journey, and offer complementary personal training sessions. This will also give your PT’s a chance to rebuild their clientele.
Re-engage gym members who have cancelled their gym membership
Hey, they joined with you once before, right? They may have left for a reason that is very ‘fixable’ for you, and you won’t know until you try! Reach out to them and start regularly engaging with them again. Communicate any updates in your gym since they’ve left (there will be a lot thanks to the Covid-19 restrictions).
Highlight key changes that may appeal to attracting them back to your gym. This could be new classes, new instructors, new PT’s, renovations and upgrades, updated fitness guides. Focus on your winning points and get back in touch with them!
Keep track of your gym leads with gym sales software
After spending time implementing any marketing strategies for gyms, you need to be sure you can keep track of all the enquiries and manage gym leads you’ve acquired! One of the easiest ways to do this is having access to a simple, yet powerful, gym lead management software system.
MyMemberSales can help you keep track of every single new lead you bring into your business, so you can make sure they convert to a happy and loyal customer in no time flat. Check out how Health Mates improved their gym lead management in leaps and bounds with MyMemberSales.
We’d love to show you exactly how MyMemberSales can help you manage the flow of a customer’s journey from the initial enquiry all the way through to when they convert to a member. Sign up for a free trial of MyMemberSales today and take it for a test drive!
