“Direct mail: My first love and secret weapon.” – David Ogilvy, Ogilvy & Mather.
In the fitness club industry, 40% of our clients leave each year. We must replace them and find even more in order to remain profitable. Prospects are the lifeblood of the industry, and we require hundreds of them every month. Where do we find them?
IHRSA studies indicate that 90% of people most likely to join your club either live or work within a 15-minute drive of your facility. Advertising directly to this audience concentrates marketing efforts on the people that count, and dollars are not wasted outside your market area. The most effective way to reach these prospects is with marketing that gets directly into their hands, including: direct mail, flyers, inserts and guerrilla marketing.
The advantages:
• Audience selectivity: Select the audience most likely to join and market directly to them.
• Exclusivity: Your message does not compete with other ads.
• Geographic flexibility: Deliver your message where it needs to go.
• Control of message: Control your brand, your offer, your call-toaction, and your timing.
• Cost effective: Pay for fewer wasted hits as with radio and TV.
Once you have identified the target, execute your direct marketing strategy with a clear, appealing message. There are three essential components. They are, in order of importance:
1. Delivery: Locate the right audience; decide on quantity or number of hits, and consider frequency – how often you will distribute your message.
2. Offer: Present enticing, risk-free benefits of joining; not just features of your facility. Include a call-to-action.
3. Look: Your advertising should have the right appeal to grab attention. Convey a strong statement that positions your club topof- mind, and generates enough interest or excitement to make your audience take action.
Advertising should be simple. First, we identify what we want: More members! Then, we identify our target market; decide on the strategy to reach them and execute it. There isn’t a single, perfect advertising solution. Simply make your plan and work your plan.
“The secret to getting ahead in life is getting started.” – Mark Twain.
Pat Kell is the President of Susan K. Bailey Advertising. He can be contacted at 888.349.4594, Ext. 23. For a free copy of “How to Write a Marketing Plan,” email Pat at pkell@clubads.com. For more information, please visit www.clubads.com.
