150+ Gym Marketing Ideas That Work in 2023

Read our gym marketing guide full of actionable gym marketing ideas to get more gym leads and more gym revenue. Every gym owner wants to grow their gym business, but coming up with new gym marketing ideas can be hard to do when inspiration runs dry.

Use this big list of gym marketing ideas to grow your gym and bring in new revenue. Whether your need ideas for gym social media marketing, gym email marketing, gym SMS marketing, gym partnership marketing, gym video marketing, or even influencer marketing for gyms, we’ve got fitness advertising ideas to market a gym galore.

And, of course, be sure to utilize the power of the best gym management software system that will help you implement your fitness marketing ideas at your gym and turn gym marketing ideas into an increase in gym revenue and profitability.

Exercise.com is simply the best. We were using three or four different apps or softwares to do what we can now do all in one with the Exercise.com platform.

Brandon Stroupe

Founder and President, APEC Sports Performance

Want to learn more? Get a demo now!

Top 50 Creative Gym Marketing Ideas

Marketing is essential to the success of any gym, as it attracts new members and retains existing ones. Creativity in your gym marketing strategies can set your gym apart in a highly competitive industry. Exercise.com provides various features that can enhance and streamline your marketing efforts. Here are 50 creative gym marketing ideas, with explanations on how Exercise.com can help implement them.

Fitness Challenges: Launch a fitness challenge using Exercise.com’s best gym fitness challenge software to track members’ progress, increase engagement, and attract potential members—all in your very own custom branded fitness apps! Read our big list of fitness challenge ideas or even run a fitness challenge online to market a gym for cheap.
Referral Programs: Encourage members to bring a friend in return for rewards. Use Exercise.com to track referrals with the best gym software with referral management tools. Learn how to create a gym referral program for more info.
Social Media Contests: Run competitions on social media for best transformation photos or fitness routines. Use the Exercise.com platform with the best gym progress photo tracking software to build healthy habits as part of your custom branded fitness apps.
Branded Merchandise: Sell gym-branded digital products, macro guides, and more via your online landing pages with Exercise.com’s best gym ecommerce software. Learn how to how to build a gym sales funnel and how to increase gym landing page conversions.
Nutrition Seminars: Host online webinars on nutrition, promoting them online.
Before and After Stories: Use your custom-branded web platform to showcase member testimonials and transformation stories.
Community Events: Participate in local events and share your involvement via your app. Throw your own event and get inspiration from our big list of gym event ideas.
Influencer Partnerships: Collaborate with local fitness influencers and track the success of these partnerships with best practices from the influencer marketing for gyms guide.
Workout of the Day: Share a unique daily workout on your custom-branded Exercise.com fitness platform to engage members. Utilize the best gym habit tracking software and the best fitness assessment software to create custom sequences and automations.
Email Newsletters: Send regular email newsletters with fitness tips and gym updates using Exercise.com’s best gym email software tools.
Discounts for Local Businesses: Partner with local businesses to offer member discounts and advertise these on your platform. Utilize best practices in gym partnership marketing and learn how to increase gym word of mouth.
Free Workout Sessions: Offer a free class or session and manage sign-ups via Exercise.com’s best gym booking software that is fully integrated with all of your marketing (yep, you can even add a Facebook pixel, work with Google Tag Manager, you name it).
Charity Runs: Organize charity events and manage participation using Exercise.com’s best gym software with event management features. Learn how to host a live fitness event.
Personal Training Packages: Promote special personal training packages on your web platform and in-person.
Fitness Podcasts: Start a gym podcast and share it with your members on social media.
Holiday Promotions: Offer special holiday promotions and advertise them online and in your gym. Get some ideas with our big list of gym promotion ideas.
Themed Workout Days: Create themed workout days, like “Superhero Day,” and promote them via social media.
Partnerships with Health Food Stores: Partner with local health food stores and share exclusive discounts with your members.
Birthday Rewards: Offer members a free class or personal training session on their birthday and automate these rewards through Exercise.com’s automations.
Fitness Blog: Start a blog with tips and advice, and share new posts via messaging with your members.
Free Guest Passes: Encourage members to bring friends for a free workout and track usage with Exercise.com’s best gym software with coupon codes.
Live Stream Workouts: Use Exercise.com to learn how to live-stream fitness classes and workouts, reaching members at home.
Family Fitness Classes: Offer family-friendly classes and manage registrations via Exercise.com.
Corporate Wellness Packages: Use Exercise.com to manage corporate wellness programs, providing a source of steady clients.
Outdoor Boot Camps: Host outdoor events and manage sign-ups via Exercise.com. Learn how to start a fitness bootcamp and use our big list of fitness bootcamp ideas.
Promote Member Achievements: Celebrate member accomplishments and milestones on your platform.
Limited-Time Membership Deals: Offer discounted memberships for a limited time and manage sign-ups through Exercise.com.
Free Health Checks: Offer health and fitness assessments and manage bookings via Exercise.com.
Online Personal Training: Use Exercise.com to offer virtual personal training sessions.
Member Social Events: Organize social events and manage RSVPs via your website.
Member Surveys: Send out surveys, gathering feedback to improve your services.
Google My Business Listing: Keep your Google My Business listing up-to-date and encourage reviews. Learn more about how to create a gym Google My Business Listing and how to manage Google reviews for your gym.
SEO: Regularly update your gym’s website with keyword-rich content. Read more about gym SEO marketing and how to use the best fitness and gym keywords for SEO.
Video Testimonials: Share member video testimonials via your Exercise.com app. Learn how to get more gym testimonials and how to incorporate them into your gym video marketing strategy.
Wellness Workshops: Host workshops on wellness topics and manage registrations through Exercise.com.
Fitness Webinars: Host and promote fitness webinars to engage and motivate your members.
Fitness Quizzes: Create fun fitness quizzes and share them online.
Interactive Social Media Posts: Post interactive content like polls or Q&A sessions on social media.
Weekly Fitness Tips: Share weekly fitness tips with members via your custom branded gym fitness app.
Online Fitness Classes: Use Exercise.com to provide online classes for members who can’t make it to the gym.
Weight Loss Challenges: Host a weight loss challenge, using Exercise.com to track and share progress.
Healthy Recipe Shares: Share healthy recipes with members via the Exercise.com platform.
Specialty Class Promotions: Promote unique classes like yoga or kickboxing using Exercise.com.
Anniversary Offers: Offer members a special discount or reward on their membership anniversary. Set up automations with Exercise.com to make this all happen automatically.
Collaboration with Local Athletes: Host a special class or event with local athletes, promoting and managing the event via Exercise.com.
Free Trial for Online Services: Use Exercise.com to offer a free trial of online workout programs.
Promotion of New Equipment: If your gym gets new equipment, promote it using your Exercise.com platform.
Senior Citizen Programs: Create workout programs for seniors and promote them in your community.
Fitness Retreats: Organize a fitness retreat or day trip and manage sign-ups via Exercise.com.
Free Downloadable Workout Plans: Offer free downloadable workout plans via the Exercise.com platform as a lead magnet for potential new members. Offer fitness up-sells and sell workout plans online to make money as part of learning how to create multiple gym revenue streams.

Keep reading for even more gym marketing ideas!

And remember that Exercise.com can streamline and enhance your gym marketing efforts, leading to more membership sign-ups and a stronger community presence. These creative marketing ideas will help you learn how to promote a gym and make the most of Exercise.com’s features, boosting your gym’s success.

Our overall experience with Exercise.com is a breeze. We love how easy it is to integrate this app with our current workflow while providing great fitness programs for our customers and save us time in the process.

Julie Ledbetter

Owner, Ledbetter Fitness

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The Importance of Putting the Best Gym Marketing Ideas Into Action

One thing every gym owner knows (or will soon find out) is that their gym is only as good as their gym marketing plan. Unfortunately, you can have the best gym in the world, but if nobody knows about it then you won’t be around for long. Learning how to market a gym is a very important skill for any gym owner. And this holds doubly true now with the importance of both in-person and online gym marketing; learning how to market a gym online is crucial!

Key learnings from our gym marketing ideas research:

Don’t be afraid to experiment and try new gym marketing strategies.
Summer is a key time to ramp up your gym marketing.
Not everyone that wants to train with a personal trainer has a schedule that will allow them to do so, but launching an online workout is a great way to upsell regular gym members.

We’ve created this big list of fitness marketing ideas so that you can pick and choose new gym promotion campaigns, fire up your gym CRM, and see what works for your facility and market.

Every club is different, and not every idea will work for every gym. But don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things to get more gym leads. Ditch what’s not working, and scale up the gym promotions that are having a positive impact on your business. We’ve got loads of gym membership promotion ideas, gym offers ideas, and tons of other marketing ideas for fitness studios that are tried and true.

With our Exercise.com software platform—the best gym management software—we help gym owners, trainers, coaches, and fitness professionals all over the world manage and grow their fitness businesses, so read on for some lessons learned in the ultimate guide to gym marketing ideas.

Schedule a demo now to brainstorm with the Exercise.com team on the best fitness center marketing ideas (we’ve helped our gym customers turn ideas into reality through our software platform for almost every type of gym marketing idea on this page!) and learn how to grow and manage your business better.

“Before I came across Exercise.com, the process I used to try and communicate a program with an athlete long distance was extremely cumbersome. Those days are long gone, and I look forward to providing professional, clean, organized, and effective programs to clients for years to come.”

Chip Gosewich

CSCS & Founder, PMR Performance

Get a demo now!

The Importance of Gym Marketing

Gym marketing is important because it helps you establish a relationship with your target audience. It helps you seek them out and, hopefully, turn them into paying customers. Where many fitness businesses get stuck is when they realize marketing should be ongoing. It is not a one-and-done ordeal. That realization can be daunting because it means that you’ll have to consistently spend time tweaking and implementing your marketing plan.

Here are a few gym marketing ideas to help make the process of ever-evolving gym marketing a bit easier. Read on for some of the best ways to promote a gym on social media, in-person, with partnerships, and more.

Let’s go into detail on some of the top gym marketing strategies you can put into action in your gym today.

#1 – Gym Referral Program

The key to a good gym referral program is to incentivize referrals in a way that rewards both the referring client and the newly-referred client. In other words, if you offer a free training session to a current client if they refer a new client to you then be sure to tell them that their friend who they referred will also get a free training session.

This makes your client feel as if they are sharing a special deal with their friend, and holds more prestige and sense of value, of being an “influencer” with “special access”.

Everyone likes to share and recommend things that make them feel important and “in the know”. A side benefit to this is that your referral source tracking will also improve because those who are referred will feel the need to mention who referred them in order to claim the special deal.

#2 – Friend/Partner Pricing

This is a closely related cousin to a referral program, but it’s one of those health club marketing ideas that is tried and true, because it just works, over and over again. If you approach all of your current training clients and offer them special discounted pricing to bring a friend or a spouse/partner to train with them then many will say yes (this can also be just the excuse some clients have been waiting for to get their spouse/partner into the gym!).

The big bonus for you as the trainer is that typically they will both workout at the same time, so you’ve just increased your hourly rate without having to train any extra hours.

#3 – Gym Rewards Program

A gym rewards program is a great way to incentivize all of the behaviors that you wish your clients would take on your behalf to act as brand ambassadors and market on your behalf.

You can create an elaborate points schedule where clients can earn different levels of points for doing things like sharing your gym page on social media, liking your gym Facebook page or Instagram page, writing a review on Yelp, checking in to the gym, and of course, the highest point value should be for referring a friend to the gym.

However, sometimes a big, over-the-top referral program can actually get too complicated and backfire. Sometimes the simplest way to go is just to offer a direct and immediate swap of one action for one reward.

For example, place a table near your door with gym t-shirts, protein bars, energy drinks, etc. along with a sign that says, “Like and share our Facebook page now on your phone for one free item.” You can even train your front desk staff to make this part of your gym’s onboarding process for new members.

#4 – Gym Co-Marketing

Think of a gym co-marketing campaign as a referral program but between professionals/businesses and bi-directional. For example, think about the businesses closest to your gym. Chances are you have other small businesses in your shopping plaza or within walking distance even who are also interested in ideas to get new customers/clients.

If you have a supplement store close by (if your gym doesn’t sell supplements in your gym) then befriend the store owner and ask if you can put up some flyers and “special discount” referral cards in their shop, and offer to do the same in your gym.

Some of the same principles apply here as they do with structuring a good personal trainer/gym referral program: the more you can make the referred person and the referrer feel as if they are sharing insider’s access to a special deal then the more successful your co-marketing campaign will be.

The same applies to you. Ask the shop owner if they can give your members 10 percent off everything in the store and you will feel better about recommending them to your gym clients.

If you really want to take this to the next level then you can hire a dedicated staff member to create, manage, and implement a robust “gym perks” program where you offer your members a large assortment of discounts and savings from many different local businesses, all the while, getting the name of your gym out in the community and increasing the likelihood of other businesses referring new clients to your gym.

If you are desperately wanting to know how to get more referrals for your gym or personal training then this is a great strategy to implement.

A note of caution: This works particularly well if you concentrate on finding other co-marketing partners who offer complementary products/services to your gym members values.

Yes, you can probably strike up relationships with the owner-operators of the local fast-food restaurants and get your members discounts on burgers, fries, and pizza, but a better approach for your gym brand might be to talk to local health food stores, healthy restaurants, chiropractors, massage therapists, physical therapists, and other businesses with a healthy image.

#5 – Barter Agreement

An interesting twist on co-marketing is when you partner with other local businesses or service providers to exchange services on a swap/trade basis. For example, you may strike up an agreement with a chiropractor to trade an alignment for a personal training session or a massage therapist to trade a massage for a gym membership.

Don’t be afraid to get creative, and there’s often not a better way of trying out local offerings so you can feel good about what you recommend to your clients, but just be sure to talk to your tax advisor about any applicable tax reporting related to barter agreements.

#6 – Community Events

Now that you’ve hopefully begun to build relationships with other businesses in the community, why not join together and organize a fun event for your community?

A gym has a natural tie-in with any type of community event revolving around the themes of fun, family, health, and fitness. Create a community health fair and family fun event.

Offer free food (talk to local restaurants, vendors, and food trucks), blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol screenings, fun games for the kids, obstacle courses and fitness challenges, boot camp workouts and other fitness competitions, local music, flu shots, giveaways, fundraiser tie-ins with a charity or local cause, and many other ideas are all things that you can feature at your event.

#7 – Professional Referral Network

So, this is a little different than a standard gym client referral program where clients of yours refer new clients to your gym or to your personal training, and it’s also a little different than a co-marketing program where you and other businesses in the area co-promote each other to your members/clients/customers.

But instituting a professional referral network is different enough and important enough that it’s worth singling out. This is one of the best gym membership marketing ideas because if you are intentional about building out this network then you won’t see results overnight, but you will see results for years to come.

A professional referral network is when you actively and intentionally solicit other professionals to refer people to you for personal training. Your goal is to be the first person they think of when one of their clients needs a recommendation for a gym or a personal trainer.

The classic professionals to target include physical therapists, chiropractors, massage therapists, doctors, corporate wellness directors (sometimes companies will even reimburse employees for gym memberships and personal training fees), and other similar professionals who routinely encounter people looking to make a change in their health, fitness, and lifestyle. YOU want to be their go-to recommendation.

So, how do you do this? Well, it’s worth taking a page from the classic pharmaceutical sales rep playbook. You need to:

Show up in person
Build the relationship consistently over time
Demonstrate your value (your certifications, credentials, and experience will be very important here, particularly to Doctors and physical therapists who need to trust that they are referring their clients to a competent professional)
Make it fun (could you drop off some goodies and gym freebies at a physical therapist’s office just like a pill-pushing pharmaceutical rep and likely get great results? You’ll never know until you try.)

Yes, you can win friends and influence people in medical and other professional offices.

If you are curious to read more about how pharmaceutical reps build those relationships and influence the prescribing habits of physicians over time, here are some eye-opening strategies and statistics in this article: Following the Script: How Drug Reps Make Friends and Influence Doctors.

#8 – Walk the Gym Floor

This might sound low-tech, but speaking of winning friends and influencing people, one of the best marketing ideas for fitness classes is to simply walk around the gym, strike up conversations with regular gym attendees, and then invite them personally to attend one of your fitness classes.

Sure, you can hand out a flyer, or tack up a poster on the wall, but there’s something about a personal invitation that will get results that might surprise you. Be sure to position the ask totally from their perspective:

“YOU would love our Zumba class.”

“YOU would be great in our HIIT class. We need some more people that can do those plyometric workouts you are doing.”

The same strategy holds for getting more personal training clients too, of course. Striking up conversations with people in the gym with the intent of upselling personal training sessions has long been a key tactic for personal trainers.

However, beware that you don’t come across as purely self-serving, mercenary, and transactional.

Truly build up a relationship with people, show them that you care, take an interest in what their workouts and fitness goals are, and then when you provide them a laser-targeted personal invitation… they’ll at least be polite when they shoot you down.

Kidding! You’ll hear some nos, but do this the right way and you will also hear more yeses than you might suspect!

#9 – Offer New Classes

Speaking of inviting gym members to try a new class or sign up for personal training, when’s the last time you added a new fitness class, boot camp, or challenge to your gym schedule?

One of the best ways to learn how to promote fitness classes in your gym is to talk to members and ask them what new classes they would be interested in attending.

Yes, I know, a revolutionary idea.

Talking to members and asking them what they want. I get it. Sometimes people don’t know what they want. But most of the time, they do. If you want new fitness class ideas then you’ve likely got an entire block of people milling around your gym right now who would be happy to share their opinions.

Everyone likes to be asked their opinion, and when you have a critical mass of people suggesting a similar type of class, then you have a built-in group of people you can sign right up.

Sometimes you may want to seed your list of potential fitness classes to create with some choices for your members to choose from, but be sure to always leave space for them to suggest their own free-form idea. Here is an example:

We are polling our members for new fitness class ideas to add to our gym schedule. Which of the following would you most be interested in attending? (you may select more than one):

Cardio
Dance
Martial Arts/Boxing/Kickboxing
Olympic Weightlifting
HIIT
Circuit Training
Pilates
Yoga
Bikram Yoga (Hot Yoga)
Spinning
Zumba
Barre
CrossFit
Boot Camp
Booty Blaster
Les Mills BODYPUMP
Les Mills BODYATTACK
Tai-Chi
Strength Training
Active Older Adults
Family Fun
Other: __________

But remember, the key is that you actually go out on the floor and TALK to people, face-to-face, and ask them what new fitness class they wish the gym had.

#10 – Staff Your Gym With Great People

Did you know that, on average, 1/3 of the members of a gym will cancel every year? This ~30 percent turnover rate means that there is a huge opportunity for additional revenue if you craft a gym marketing campaign aimed at improving retention. One way to do that is to hire great people.

You can have all of the best fitness center systems and processes, but if the people you hire are grumpy, rude, or unwelcoming to guests then your gym will leak people like a sieve.

Your gym’s marketing funnel can be honed and perfected to the extreme, but it’s good people who will keep your members around and even extract more revenue and more referrals out of your current members.

This is one of the best small gym marketing ideas because when you are a smaller gym then losing even a few members can have an outsized impact on your profitability.

Does that mean that sometimes your personal trainers will serve more like therapists than trainers? Yep.

Hire personal trainers who look and act the part. They should be interested in helping others and be exemplary role models for what a life that prioritizes fitness and health looks like.

No, this does not mean that every trainer must look like a Greek demi-god—in fact, it’s important to have a representation of different body types and different genders—but each trainer should clearly be seen as someone that “walks the walk” and doesn’t just “talk the talk” when it comes to fitness.

#11 – Launch a Summer Gym Marketing Campaign

It’s time that you move beyond just January/New Year’s gym marketing campaigns.

We all know that January is one of the best times of the year to get new member signups, but if you don’t engage members and reach out to new members throughout the year then your success in January can end up being a revolving door problem for your gym.

Summer is a key time to ramp up your gym marketing and make your gym stand out.

One of the best summer marketing ideas for gyms is to focus on all of the natural reasons why people start getting motivated to get in shape as summer rolls around: spring break, looking good at the beach, warmer weather = fewer clothes, cookouts, swimming, vacations, cruises, weddings, class and family reunions, and other special events.

Every piece of marketing collateral you create should be written with this in mind. Imagine your gym members planning for a special event coming up in the summertime; you want to be their go-to resource to help them accomplish their goals.

Another thing to keep in mind when planning out your summer gym marketing campaigns is that summer is a time where students are out of school, and often in the area just for a limited time period.

You can offer discounted or even free rates for students, as a gesture of goodwill, and also as a way of hopefully earning a client for life. Planet Fitness even went so far as to offer free student gym memberships in the summer.

#12 – Run a Corporate Wellness Challenge

Appeal to business owners and local businesses by helping them motivate their employees to get in shape. All business owners are interested in having healthier, happier, and more productive employees, not to mention the cost-saving on health insurance premiums for a healthier workforce.

This will require buy-in from local business owners and wellness managers, but chances are, you already have people working out in your gym who have influence in their company were you to involve them.

#13 – Offer a Free Training Day

This is one of the best social media marketing ideas for gyms because the offer is so simple: come into the gym on X date and you can work out for free, and train with a trainer for free. Everyone likes free, and everyone understands free.

#14 – Create an Online Workout Group

People are busier and busier. Not everyone that wants to train with a personal trainer has a schedule that will allow them to do so, but launching an online workout is a great way to upsell regular gym members who want more personalized instruction but are unable to work out in person with a trainer consistently.

We have trainers and gym owners on the Exercise.com platform using online workout groups for many different purposes, but this is a great one to consider for your fitness center. Be sure to use the best gym online groups software to grow and scale.

You can create different groups with different goals. Here, trainer and gym owner Paul Fabritz uses his custom-branded iPhone and Android fitness apps and a custom branded web portal with online workout groups that offer vertical jump training.

I sold a workout program and matched my yearly salary of in-person training within two weeks of selling to my community!

Paul Fabritz

Founder and BS, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, ACE, FMS, PJF Performance

#15 – Start a Fitness Challenge

There are many different types of fitness challenges you can create to better engage your gym members while also serving as a magnet to attract new members. Choose a channel that you are comfortable with and that you (preferably) already have an audience.

This could be email, social media, your website, in-person, etc. Choose a time frame (8-12 weeks works well) and then choose a goal that is general enough to attract enough people while being specific enough to touch on a real pain point for people (losing weight, summer beach body, etc).

Use an automated software solution like Exercise.com to administer the challenge participants and onboard people to your apps and website or else be prepared to deal with the enormous new headache of manually helping people through the flow one by one. The best gym software with fitness challenge functionality built right in will typically provide enormous ROI.

We’ve done launches with thousands and thousands of concurrent users, and so a software solution is a must here. Learn more about fitness challenge software.

#16 – Use Instagram Hashtags

Instagram fitness marketing is worthy of its own in-depth guide. One of the best ways to learn how to promote a gym on Instagram is by using hashtags. Hashtags can even be used for engagement within stories. One easy strategy any gym can use is to make good use of the most popular Instagram fitness hashtags:

Popular Fitness Hashtags

#GetFit #Cardio #Cycling #FitFam #FitLife #Fitness #FitnessMotivation #FitnessAddict #GetStrong #LiftHeavy #GirlsWhoLift #GymLife #GymTime #NoPainNoGain #PersonalTrainer #Sweat #Weights #WeightLifting #Workout #TransformationTuesday #FitQuote #FitnessMotivation #MotivationMonday #Fitspo #GetFit #Goals #YouCanDoIt #FitnessGoals #TrainHard #GoHardOrGoHome #NoExcuses

And here are some of the most popular nutrition hashtags:

#Health #EatClean #EatLocal #FitFood #GlutenFree #HealthyEating #HealthyRecipes #Nutrition #Paleo #Vegan #GetHealthy #HealthyLife #HealthTalk #HealthyFoodPorn #IQuitSugar #Detox #Nutrition #CleanEating #AvocadoLove #CalorieCounting #MealPrep #MindBodyGram

Running Hashtags

#RunnersOfInstagram #FurtherFasterStronger #RunningMotivation #Marathon #MarathonTraining #SeenOnMyRun #TrailRunning #InstaRunners #CrossCountry #Instarunners #LoveRunning #RunnerLife #RunningCommunity #RunningShoes #RunItFast

CrossFit Hashtags

#crossfit, #crossfitgirls, #crossfitlove, #crossfitlife, #crossfitfood, #crossfitcoach, #crossfitmoms, #crossfitters, #crossfitgirl, #crossfitlovers, #crossfitcouple, #crossfitstyle, #crossfitter, #crossfitmen, #crossfitfamily, #crossfitforlife, #crossfitlifestyle, #crossfitstrong, #crossfitathlete, #crossfitwod, #crossfittraining, #crossfitbox, #crossfitopen, #crossfitphotography, #crossfitmotivation, #instacrossfit, #crossfittersdaily, #crossfitmasters, #crossfitcommunity, #crossfitgames, #wod, #crossfitaddiction, #crossfitquotes

Of course, unless you use the Exercise.com software platform to grow your fitness business online and offer online training and online workout groups then many of these general fitness hashtags will be a waste for you if you only offer training to the very narrow slice of the Internet that can meet with you in person.

#17 – Upgrade Your Website

One of the best gym marketing campaigns you can ever launch is to give your gym website a makeover. This is something that will pay off for years to come. People are searching for your gym online and visiting your website every day. Approximately 70% of people will search online for a gym close to them before deciding to go visit in person.

#18 – Optimize Your Local Gym SEO

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is key for gyms when competing for many local keywords (i.e. Austin Gym, CrossFit in San Francisco, Miami kickboxing, etc.) Adding and managing your gym in Google Business is a great place to start so that you can optimize how you show up in the local search results. Use the best gym and fitness keywords for SEO that are specific to your local market.

Learn more about local SEO in our guide, “Gym SEO: Local SEO Guide for Gyms“

#19 – Retarget Your Website Visitors

When people visit your gym website and then leave without taking action, what happens to them? Do you lose track of them? What if there was a way to continue to market to those people throughout their journeys across the web?

Well, using the Facebook Pixel and other easy-to-implement code snippets on your website, you can do just that with a remarketing campaign. Retargeting marketing campaigns have some impressive statistics and should be at the top of your list for online fitness marketing strategies. This should be near the top of any list of marketing strategies for gyms.

#20 – Post Actively on Your Gym Facebook Page

You do already have a Facebook page for your gym, don’t you? How often do you post? What kind of engagement do your posts get? Post consistently and pay close attention to the types of content that resonate with your target audience.

When someone comments on your posts, do you interact with them? Pay a college intern to run your gym social media accounts, and work with them to create an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) that you can use as a guide.

#21 – Market to Ex-Members Who Have Moved Away

Every gym has ex-members who have left the gym due to logistics, schedule, or some other factor outside of their control. Many of these ex-members still love your gym, receiving training from your personal trainers, and all that you’ve worked so hard to build.

But if you can only ever help the people who are able to walk into your building during a set schedule then you are likely leaving a lot of money on the table. Use a professional software solution to grow and manage your fitness business by selling personal training workout plans online to anyone, anywhere in the world.

Maybe the answer to the question of how to get more members to your gym is more Zen-like than you realized. What if you were to ask a different question: how can I still engage members that can’t make it into my gym anymore because of time or location?

Exercise.com makes my life easier by providing an all-in-one solution and the opportunity to help those who otherwise would never have access to my programming!

Tony Gentilcore

Founder, Core Online

#22 – Back to School Gym Campaign

When thinking about ideal times to market to potential new members it’s often helpful to think in terms of major life transitions and new life stages.

Some gyms target direct mail campaigns to new homeowners and other people new their area, so if you have a college or university close to your gym then a naturally related campaign would be to target these students with a back-to-school gym membership campaign.

Just note that you will often be competing against the (often free) campus rec center so hone your pitch accordingly. That being said, students are ideal marketing candidates for being interested in fitness and if you have amenities and marketing copy that appeal to this demographic then this can be a great way to get an influx of memberships every school year.

Of course, the downside to the student market is that this population tends to be a very transient one so your retention/churn metrics will suffer. Many times this is an acceptable tradeoff, but just be clear on what your expectations are for the student marketing before embarking on a back-to-school gym marketing campaign.

#23 – Run a Christmas Gym Promotion

“Give the gift of fitness this Christmas!” Ever heard that before? Most likely you have because Christmas time is a natural holiday for running a promotion. Don’t forget to target your marketing both at members who may want to sign up friends or family as well as other external potential members.

#24 – Advertise Your Fitness Classes

Do you only think of advertising in terms of advertising your gym brand and standard gym memberships? If you have a robust class schedule then don’t forget that many people join a gym just for a particular class so if you don’t highlight that class then how will other potential class attendees ever find out about it?

Think in terms of types of classes—Cardio, Dance, Martial Arts/Boxing/Kickboxing, Olympic Weightlifting, HIIT, Circuit Training, Pilates, Yoga, Bikram Yoga (Hot Yoga), Zumba, Spinning, etc—as well as individual time slots and specific classes. This is where affiliations and partnerships with other local groups and associations can pay off dividends too.

#25 – Run a New Year’s Personal Training Promotion

New Year, new you. Pretty common marketing angle, huh? It’s common because it works.

Say what you want about the hoards of New Year’s Resolutions members who flood your gym in January and then seem to disappear off the face of the earth in February, this is a key time for people to evaluate their gym options and you want to be front of mind and top of their list. Just make sure you get that recurring billing set up.

#26 – Gym Content Marketing

Can you provide fitness educational resources to your gym members and others in your circle of influence? Whether it’s a gym email newsletter, blog posts, or social media posts, content marketing is a great way to grow your audience. First, demonstrate value, earn their trust, and then recommend helpful ways for your audience to reach their fitness goals.

#27 – November Gym Specials

Snag some new gym members early by launching your gym holiday promo campaign with a November gym marketing blast. Sometimes the key to success is simply timing. Yes, Christmas, New Years’, and other times are classic times for having a gym holiday sale, but give a Thanksgiving-themed gym sale a try and you might just be thankful for the results.

#28 – Gym Flash Sale

Flash sales are great because they incorporate an element of exclusivity and a ticking clock that can compel people to act. Let’s face it, your big, hulking gym isn’t really like a limited edition run of designer clothes or other fashion wear that can legitimately claim to be “sold out”, because today, tomorrow, next week, your gym will still be there.

A fitness studio flash sale is a great way to stir up some excitement and drive new members to your club. Here are some gym flash sale ideas: limit the time frame to 24 hours or 48 hours, offer “buy one, get one free” promotions on sessions, use online billing to promote via social media.

#29 – Gym Brochures & Gym Direct Mail Advertising

In the age of online advertising, a funny thing has happened recently. People are actually paying attention to mail that is sent to them. Gym marketing has truly come full circle.

You might just be surprised at the ROI of printing out some informational gym brochures and launching a gym direct response snail mail marketing campaign.

If you need any additional confidence in direct mail as a channel, then you should know that even Google is a large direct mail customer, marketing their Google AdWords product to local businesses all across the world.

#30 – Funny Gym Ads, Posts, and Commercials

Humor sells. To clarify, humor done right sells. Be careful about coarse, tasteless humor that sacrifices your brand for cheap laughs, but if you can pull it off then humor has the potential to go mega-viral.

The fitness industry is uniquely suited to make this approach work, with the rise of gym prank videos, gym fail videos, and other funny fitness videos. There are loads of gym advertising ideas you can come up with just by mining funny gym memes and other similar humorous gym content. Again, tread carefully here though.

BONUS: 100 More Gym Marketing Ideas

Check out this bonus list of gym marketing ideas and even some extra special creative gym ideas for some fresh inspiration on getting new gym members:

Social media advertising
Facebook or Instagram page
Facebook or Instagram ads
Gym Google My Business listing
Google ads
Email marketing
Influencer partnerships
Referral program
Community outreach program
Loyalty program
Fitness blog
Guest blog posts
Online directory listings
Gym website
Fitness video tutorials
Personalized fitness plan
Client reviews
Testimonials
Facebook live workout sessions
Instagram live workout sessions
Fitness podcast
Free guest passes
Direct mail campaigns
Customer appreciation events
Partner with a local nutritionist
Community clean-up days
Join local business organizations
Targeted online ads
Mobile app development
Yelp listing
Snapchat geofilters
LinkedIn advertising
Referral discounts for existing members
Host a booth at local events
Sponsor a sports team
Targeted social media posts
Outdoor advertising (billboards, bus stops, etc.)
Host a charity fundraiser
Offer corporate memberships
Host a fitness seminar
YouTube channel
Host an online challenge
Promote gym merchandise
Partner with a local gym apparel store
Organize a fitness competition
Host a fitness-themed event
Offer group discounts
Host a gym open house
Attend local business expos
Create a loyalty rewards program
Host a fitness retreat
Have a referral contest
Free fitness classes for new members
Targeted email campaigns
Blog and social media collaborations with influencers
Networking with other gyms and fitness centers
Google AdWords
Free fitness assessment for new members
Co-marketing with local fitness-related businesses
Offer a discount for multiple month sign-ups
Social media content creation
User-generated content campaigns
Community event sponsorship
Online influencer campaigns
Targeted local print ads
Offer a trial day or week
Host a free wellness fair
Promote gym gift cards or gift certificates
Partner with a charity organization
Create a YouTube workout series
Host a challenge through social media
Host a community sports event
Create gym-branded clothing or merchandise
Have a referral program for local businesses
Partner with local schools to promote physical fitness
Host a healthy food and beverage workshop
Promote gym membership on local radio stations
Host a fitness-oriented cooking class
Create a virtual gym tour video
Promote gym membership on local TV channels
Host a member appreciation party
Create a gym-branded fitness tracker or app
Partner with local hotels to promote the gym
Host a pre- and post-natal fitness class
Offer a special discount for military personnel
Host a social media photo contest
Create an interactive website experience
Host a charity workout event
Sponsor a local sports team
Create a referral program for existing members
Offer a student discount
Host a post-holiday fitness challenge
Partner with a local outdoor recreation company
Host a fitness-themed book club
Host a fitness-themed event at a local bar or restaurant
Promote gym memberships on online business directories
Create a monthly newsletter
Host a fitness-themed trivia night
Offer free personal training sessions
Host a fitness-themed podcast.

If you want to offer an elite service for the end user you need to get with the times and use elite level software that is intuitive, visually appealing, and effective. That is exactly what Exercise.com delivers to its clients.

Jimmy Myers

Owner/Trainer, Relentless Sports Performance

Grow Your Gym with Gym Marketing Ideas

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