Many times a name is not enough. Branding involves more than a generic business name that can get lost in the sea of competitors in your market. In addition, it is important that you develop a tagline for your fitness business.
Successful taglines are distinctive and should be centered on the focal point of your health club. A prospect or member should be able to instantly identify who you are and what you have to offer through your tagline.
The primary purpose of a well-crafted tagline is to get your prospects to say, “Tell me more.” Remember, this is not a mission statement or an elevator pitch to explain all the wonderful things you have at your facility. It’s a quick slogan that piques the interest of your prospects and solidifies the decision of your members.
Some clubs are lucky to have their tagline in their name; Anytime Fitness and Shapes Total Fitness for Women are great examples. However, many of us aren’t as lucky to have a name to identify our Unique Selling Proposition (USP). And, for that reason, all of the Joe’s Gyms and ABC Fitness Centers of the world need to have a tagline. If you were forced to tell me about your business in one sentence, whatever you tell me is your tagline.
Here are a few guidelines to help you develop a great tagline:
- Try to incorporate your location into your tagline.
- Incorporate your USP.
- If you advertise using TV or radio, try to turn your tagline into a jingle.
Some examples of good taglines for a fitness business would be:
- Smithville’s only fitness center open 24 hours a day!
- The gym in Smithville that guarantees your success.
- Lose weight and feel great at Smithville’s only multi-purpose health club.
- Northeast Ohio’s best health club offering EIGHT locations for your convenience.
You get the idea. Think about what your most compelling selling point is, combine it with your location, and you’ve got your tagline.
If your competitor already has a tagline, don’t mimic theirs. You must absolutely be unique … even if you share the same USP (which is a big no-no, but a topic for a different Marketing Alert). Not only could it be illegal to “borrow” a competitor’s tagline, you will not be able to stand out from the crowd.
If you’re in a hyper-competitive fitness market, a good way to begin creating your tagline is to write down the taglines of all of the other fitness businesses in town and begin formulating one that is greater. Your goal should be that if a prospect were to look at a list of the taglines of the fitness businesses in the area, your tagline helps make yours the most appealing choice.
Always remember — no matter how unique or powerful your tag line is, it is completely worthless if your business practices are contradictory. For example, if your tagline is “Smithville’s best 30 minute workout for women.” But, when women show up for a workout and the instructor offers a subpar experience, your members are going to second guess you. Whatever you decide for your tagline, you have to live it and breathe it; otherwise your members will quickly notice that you overpromise and under deliver.
Curtis Mock is the host of www.FitnessBusinessTelevision.com the TV show for fitness entrepreneurs. He is also the executive director of gymsuccess.com. Curtis can be reached at curtis@clubsolutionsmagazine.com.
