Client attraction is high on the priority list for health clubs, gyms and fitness studios. There are a hundred different ways to go about it, but social media marketing is one of the most efficient solutions out there for attracting new members. Aside from the fact that the audience is wide – there are more than 3.8 billion social media users around the world – it offers two things that traditional marketing doesn’t:
- It is cost-effective – Setting up a business page on any social site is free. And purchasing social media ads is cheaper than you might think. Bonus: You can specifically target your ideal demographic with these ads.
- Results are easily measured – Built-in reporting data delivers valuable results that show how your posts and ads perform. That way you know almost immediately what works and what doesn’t.
But just posting to your social pages for your existing followers isn’t enough. In order to attract new members, you must be strategic in getting yourself seen by new people and potential clients. So how do you do that? We’re glad you asked…
1. Focus on Your Audience (Not Yourself)
Social media is, well, social. And if all you’re doing is talking about yourself, then the conversation becomes annoyingly one-sided. So, make it about your members. Create posts about them – like achieving fitness goals and overcoming obstacles – that they will share. And be sure to tag them in the post. That way their circles will see it too, which means your content finds a wider audience. Just remember social media etiquette, and ask them before you post.
2. Provide Valuable Content
A good social media strategy in the fitness industry involves offering valuable content that is educational, engaging and entertaining. For every “ask” you post, there should be three pieces of valuable content. A good mantra is “Give, give, give, take.” It’s all about providing useful information that people will want to share with their friends. It also sets you up as a trusted expert so that when you do ask, they’re much more likely to hand over an email address or contact information.
3. Offer Lead Magnets
You’re creating all of this valuable content, so why not up the ante and make a lead magnet out of some of it. Lead magnets are a great way to capture email addresses and draw people further into the marketing funnel. Special content like meal plans, workout guides or even a video course are valuable enough that people would be willing to give up their email address for. (You can also pay extra to promote it as an ad or sponsored content – that way it gets see by even more people.)
4. Utilize Referrals
There’s nothing better than word-of-mouth marketing. People will trust a friend’s recommendation. The problem is, sometimes we can feel awkward asking for referrals. Social media makes it easy – just add a call to action at the end of your post. Something like, “Tag a friend who’ll love this.”
5. Pay to Play
As we mentioned above, advertising on social media is extremely cost effective, especially since you can hone in on your target audience. Even a small investment can make a significant impact on the reach of your content and promotions. Create a sponsored post or advertise a specific offer that then links to a form where you can capture an email address. That precious information, in and of itself, is worth the cost.
Fitness social media marketing can make a huge difference in attracting new members. If you aren’t seeing the results you want, Fly Pages can help. Just drop us a line.