The Only Fitness Center Marketing Guide You Need

1 The best flyer fonts make a statement

Considering a fitness center startup? Thinking about renewing a stagnant gym (after all, who doesn’t want to know how to increase gym membership)? The following information will put you on the right track.

Start by determining what type of fitness center you want to own. The type of gym you choose will have a direct impact on your startup and operational costs. Examples include:

As stated, your startup and operational costs will vary depending on which type of fitness center you start.

Chron Small Business offers a ]]> range of $10,000 to $50,000 to start a gym]]>, for example, while CNN Money states the ]]> cost to start an Anytime Fitness franchise ]]> ranges between $46,299 and $321,899. Starting a Gold’s Gym could require an investment range of $2.2 million to $5 million or more.

Profitable Venture presents a ]]> comprehensive overview of fitness center startup costs ]]>, and states it could take $1.5 million to start a mid-sized gym with a swimming pool, and $250,000 to $500,000 to start a small scale gym without a pool.

If you don’t need equipment and a facility, your expenses could be considerably less. One site states a ]]> personal trainer can expect to spend around $23,000 ]]>, but if you’re offering training sessions in-home or at an existing gym you might only need a Facebook page and a business card to get started.

Ultimately, you won’t know your startup costs until you do your research, and the best way to do that is to develop a business plan.

Your fitness center business plan will help you identify what type of gym you’ll start, what your costs will be, what your operational costs will be, and a marketing strategy outline.

Like your startup and operational costs, how much money your gym makes depends on what type of fitness center you own. Your business acumen also plays a major role: you need to be able to run a top-notch facility and sell gym memberships at a clip that exceeds your expenses. Your business plan will help you project expenses, revenues, and net income.

That said, Indeed.com ]]> pegs the annual salary for gym owners ]]> at between $54,742 and $101,267, with an average of $79,217; while Salary.com says ]]> personal trainers make anywhere from $27,300 to $79,217]]>, with a median salary of $55,158.

The largest gyms make millions, while others make nothing – they fail, in large part due to an inability to market their fitness centers.

2 Fitness center branding and design

Great branding is a powerful way to visually symbolize what your fitness center stands for, who your members are, and what benefits you deliver. Use branding to pump up your marketing efforts and go the distance to establish your gym as the premier place to get strong, healthy and fit.

Your brand identity helps you connect with your target audience. It differentiates you from the competition by representing your unique selling points – the benefits you’re best positioned to offer your customers.

A great brand establishes solidarity with its customers, so they identify with you and include your gym in their worlds. That’s a powerful way to foster long-term relationships.

Different fitness center members seek different experiences: some want accessibility to workout equipment, some crave a social atmosphere, others want leagues and tournaments, while still others are interested in personalized services and results. You need to decide which of these you’re the best at providing.

To identify your branded image, you have to consider how you're different from your competitors. What do you offer that they don't (or that they don't promote)? Perhaps you have an Olympic-size pool, more aerobic machines or free weights, or guaranteed accessibility ("Never wait for a treadmill!").

Maybe you offer tournaments, leagues, classes, personal training, a spa, or another major advantage over the competition.

Are you the "Gym for Weightlifters," "Fitness Center for All Family Members," or the "Instructional Gym"? Don't hide it - promote it!

To help you define what type of fitness center you are, consider the features and benefits you offer your members. Understand the distinction between the two. For example, having more elliptical machines is a feature - guaranteeing that members will never have to wait to get on one is a benefit.

List your features and benefits, and pick the most important that also differentiate you from the competition. Develop a short phrase that captures this concept. In the elliptical machine scenario, this word might be "freedom" or "accessibility."

You also must consider your members' motivations. Why would they want to choose your gym instead of a competitor’s?

Once you've identified your differences, strengths, clientele, benefits and motivators, wrap them all together into a singular branded image that expresses who you are, what you do, and how you do it.

Determining what your brand is all about is only part of the equation. Now, you need to use graphic design to transform your fitness center’s identity into a visual influencer.

Create a logo your audience will recognize and understand at a glance. Create a style guide that dictates your brand colors, fonts, and other design guidelines and how they can and cannot be used. Ensure all your marketing materials follow your style guide. Over time, you’ll be able to establish strong brand recognition through design.

3 Fitness center marketing tools

You need marketing tools to promote your fitness center, but don’t think of them as expenses: rather, consider your marketing an investment toward profits.

Business cards are perfect for networking, but they’re also great fitness center marketing tools because they can be placed anywhere your audience will find them. Print business cards that feature membership trials and discounts alongside your benefits. Show off your branding with ultra business card printing: triple-thick business cards that have an attractive stripe of edge color.

Make your own fitness center business cards online with our free health and beauty business card templates and design tool!

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Place posters in strategic areas your audience frequents. Use posters inside your gym to inform members about new programs they might be interested in. Remind restaurant patrons how they can keep their waistlines slim – or get them there.

Like posters, flyers can be placed on bulletin boards and anywhere else your target audience frequents. See if you can work out a deal with your local grocery or health food store to stuff flyers in customers’ bags.

example of a fitness center flyer

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A rather unique, yet extremely effective approach to fitness center marketing is to print booklets or guides about specific health goals - weight loss, muscle building, athletic prowess, yoga, etc. Not only will your booklet add value and establish trust and credibility, it will demonstrate that members can expect real results when they join your gym.

Postcards make it easy to reach your target audience with direct-mail gym marketing campaigns, whether you’re seeking new members or promoting a new feature to your existing membership base. You can print triple-thick, edge-colored ultra postcards to command attention at the mailbox.

Create your own gym postcards online with our free postcard templates and online design tool.

View free p ostcard templates

Fitness centers are not retail businesses by trade, but that doesn't mean you can't upsell. Find suppliers that sell athletic equipment and apparel, especially those that can be used at your gym. You can also sell self-branded apparel (think Gold's Gym T-shirts) for double the sales.

Your brochure should include images, features, and benefits of your gym so it's easy to see why you're the No. 1 choice.

Everyone loves (and uses) free calendars. Include special events, tournaments, and motivational images each month to keep your members engaged. Brand your gym on every page.

Showing that you appreciate your members - and that you truly want to help them achieve their goals - is easy to do with greeting cards. Don't over-pitch, just express that your members are important and wish them health and prosperity

If you sell products, make sure a branded sticker is affixed to each. You can also print branded motivational stickers your members can place anywhere they’d like: on their lockers, on their cars, at work, etc.

Watch a quick video to find out which type of sticker packs the most promotional power for your fitness center.

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A formal approach to staying connected with your clients. Highlight new health tips and tricks, athletic techniques, print tournament news, write about your members in an exciting and engaging way to earn a loyal readership.

Print large vinyl banners and place them outside your fitness center to advertise gym membership drives, upcoming tournaments and leagues, and special events. You can also place banners near high-traffic intersections and in areas your audience will see them.

Refrigerator magnets can help your members stick to their weight loss or maintenance goals, promote your events and membership benefits, and simultaneously brand your fitness center.

Other materials you should consider producing include a website, email blasts, social media pages, door hangers, and a corporate identity package (complete with letterhead, envelopes, brochure, flyer, business card, and pocket folder).