7 Strategies for Attracting and Converting New Leads

You aren’t just a gym owner - you’re management, a trainer, customer service, sales person, and marketing. Just like you research the best way to train your clients and scale your business, you need to stay up to date with the best way to get the word out about your facility. Here are 7 staples to landing leads and converting them into life-long members: 

1. Define Your Market:

Chances are this was a part of your business plan, but before you start taking out ads, identify what sets you apart from the competition. Do you offer specialized classes, state-of-the-art equipment, personalized training programs, or a convenient location? Your unique selling proposition will be the foundation of your marketing message, so make sure it's compelling and resonates with your target audience. This may fluctuate with the time of year - January will be a time to target members who might be new to the gym experience, and maybe in May and June you want to offer a training option to college athletes who are home over the summer.

If you have a gym, chances are you want to check boxes for a number of different markets, so how are your products different from one another? For the barbell club I ran, my goal was to be the “strength coach in your pocket” for athletes transitioning into the college setting, which was a part of my Athlete Membership - it was specifically for the athlete who was different from my more general Fitness Membership, so the marketing message and channels were different depending on which package I was advertising. 

2. Develop a Strong Online Presence:

A strong online presence is non-negotiable in a digital age. Create an engaging and user-friendly website that showcases your gym's offerings, facilities, and success stories. You can invest in professional photography and ensure that your website is mobile-responsive for easy access on various devices. Have people look through your site to make sure it’s user friendly. A good rule of thumb is that it shouldn’t take more than 3 clicks to get the potential client where they need to go when it comes to paying for memberships or scheduling classes. Forms should be easy to fill out and should only take a few moments to fill out, name, email, phone number, and maybe what kind of training they are looking for and how they found your business should be enough info.

Don't forget to leverage social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, and Twitter to connect with your audience. Regularly post content that highlights workouts, client transformations, and fitness tips. Remember that each post should push the viewer to do something, or have a call-to-action. You can drive traffic to your site by utilizing a link in bio tool like Linktree that connects your social media posts to your site. Engage with your followers by responding to comments and messages promptly, this is a part of your customer service!

3. Utilize Content Marketing:

Adding on to #2, position yourself as a fitness authority by creating valuable content that educates and entertains your target audience. Start a blog on your website where you can share fitness advice, nutrition tips, workout routines, and success stories. You can also experiment with video content, such as exercise demonstrations and virtual classes, to engage your audience visually. Just like with photos for your site, invest in the quality of these videos - this is a representation of your business and your product. If you have employees or industry connections, utilize their expertise to help you with content, it can help showcase a wider range of knowledge, and gives them a platform to show off their expertise or topics they are interested in.

4. Offer Free Workshops and Trials:

People love free stuff, and offering free workshops or trial classes can be an effective way to showcase your gym's offerings. Host workshops on topics like nutrition, intro to weight lifting, or give them the option to trial a class. These events not only attract potential leads but also give them a taste of what your gym experience is like. In my personal training days, my first session and consultation were free, so I was sure to give them a taste of the experience they were looking for. For my clientele base, which were mostly high school or college athletes, I stuck to things that would be useful for their sport and balanced the “fun” part of training with stuff that would kick their butt and give them a challenge, rather than just a general introduction session. 

5. Leverage Local Partnerships:

Collaborate with local businesses to expand your reach. Partner with nearby health food stores, wellness centers, or sports apparel shops to cross-promote each other's services. Ask if you can leave your business cards or marketing literature in the checkout line of a running gear store, or throw your logo on their website’s “partners” page. Small businesses are typically excited to join in these partnerships, especially if you offer them the same opportunity at your facility or on your site. 

6. Optimize Search Engine Visibility (SEO):

When potential leads search for gyms in your area, you want your website to appear at the top of the results. Invest in SEO strategies to improve your website's search engine ranking. Use relevant keywords, create high-quality backlinks, and ensure your website loads quickly and is mobile-friendly. You can also add yourself as a location on Google or Apple Maps, you want to come up when someone searches “gyms near me”!

7. Encourage Referrals:

Your members can be your best marketing. Incentivize them to refer friends and family by offering rewards or discounts for successful referrals. Word-of-mouth recommendations can significantly impact your gym's reputation and lead generation. For personal training clients, I offered a discount if they brought a guest with them on a personal training session, or a discount for partner training. There are lots of ways to promote packages or services with referrals, so do your research and pick something that works best for you and your business.

To wrap things up, regularly monitor the performance of your marketing efforts. Track website traffic, social media engagement, email open rates, and lead conversion rates. Use analytics to identify what strategies are working and make adjustments as needed. There is no cookie-cutter marketing plan, and trends can shift with time, so make sure you are staying connected to how and why your members are joining. By implementing these strategies and continually refining your approach, you can attract new leads and turn them into enthusiastic, long-term members, ensuring the success and growth of your gym.