I never actually took a formal poll on this, but I’d feel confident in saying that “brand” marketing has been the cause of many bankrupt fitness centers, and will continue to be the cause of many more to come in the future. The “get your name out there” marketing mentality has taken many hopeful fitness entrepreneurs back to their old full-time careers and out of the gym business in a hurry.
Don’t get me wrong, if your club is a heavy hitter – i.e. a big chain, with many locations, TV spots, and a chunky advertising budget – brand marketing may have its place for long-term results. But, nothing will suck the profits out of your pocket more than spending all of your marketing dollars on “brand” marketing, especially if you’re a small- to medium-sized operation with one or two clubs that need more new members now. If that’s you, you need something called “direct response” marketing.
First, let’s look at brand marketing. So, what is “brand” marketing? Brand marketing is a slow, strategic process that hopefully will get people to associate your club, or logo, with their thoughts about fitness in the future.
What is “direct response” marketing? Direct response marketing is a fast process that gets prospects off their duffs and into your club to join today, i.e. now. Which one makes you more money? Or better yet, which would you rather have at this point in your fitness business? If you still don’t know the answer, ask yourself this question: When people see your marketing campaigns, do you want them to say, “Hey that’s a neat logo…” or, “Hey, I have to go join that club tonight!”? Direct response marketing gets them to say the latter. Nothing will put more revenue and cash into your pocket faster than direct response marketing will. That’s right, direct response marketing will put cash into your pocket and into your club today because it gets prospects to take action in the fastest time possible.
Direct response marketing solicits a direct response which is specific and quantifiable and motivates people to take action now. Brand marketing is getting your name, your sign, or your logo design out there so people can recognize your products and services, and it does little or nothing to motivate people to take action.
3 DIRECT RESPONSE MARKETING GUIDELINES
So, how do you make sure you avoid the mistake of brand marketing and become a direct response marketer that attracts new members faster and easier? Follow these three marketing guidelines that will keep you focused on the most important thing in your marketing: getting more members into your club now!
1. Keep away from the “me” mentality: In your marketing, make sure you don’t headline your club, the features of your club or its services. Notice, I said don’t “headline” them. It’s okay to mention the features of your club, such as a clean, neat facility, but don’t make “features” your central marketing message, or your headline. And, if you do mention them, include the benefit of having those features. The “benefits” must be your headline. For instance, “Here’s How to Lose Weight Quickly, Safely & Without Spending Too Much Time in the Gym!” is a much better headline than “Tone Up With Our Amazing Weight Loss Equipment.” The first headline focuses on “them”- the prospect. The second headline focuses on “you” and your club (i.e., the “me” mentality).
2. Stop thinking about your logo and graphics: Don’t spend days laboring over putting graphics and logos in your marketing pieces. As a matter of fact, leave them out all together. Even better, don’t even mention your club name on your marketing pieces! Don’t even offer a free pass right away. Instead, offer an incredible solution with a specific action to get it. For instance, offer a free report on fat loss. Require the prospect to visit a website (non-branded) or call a tollfree number to request the free report. Once they read the report, reveal who you are. Explain that they can lose fat by becoming a regular exerciser at your club, and if they call now, they can get a free week to try it out. Of course, when they call, set the appointment and require them to come in to retrieve, and activate their free pass.
3. Finally, make sure all of your marketing has a specific offer with a specific action step to receive the offer: Some of what we mentioned above did exactly that. Every single one of your marketing pieces should offer the prospect something specific. A free pass, a free session, a free class, a discount, a free report, etc. Notice “free” is mentioned a lot. That’s because “free” is very powerful. I highly recommend you give away something for free to maximize your marketing response. Don’t forget to tell them how to get it: “Go to our website… call this number…email us here.” Asking prospects directly to visit the club can also be a secondary option.
Try direct response marketing instead of brand marketing and realize the direct benefits!
Pat Necerato is a Sales and Marketing Expert with over 15 years experience in the fitness industry. He can be contacted at 866.468.2832, or go to www.MoreNewMembers.com and get his FREE Marketing Video & Report.
