I poke around a lot of different fitness center websites. Almost every site has a tab titled “about us” or “the club,” or “take a tour.” Click on one of those tabs and you are likely to read about how awesome the owner(s), staff and equipment are. And nobody cares. Think about it: What is the goal of having a website? More memberships and clients? Well, that may be the end goal, but what is the first goal? As many “hits” to your site as possible, and then as many “leads” as possible via your website. The best way to get a lot of hits, and ultimately gain new leads, is to do the following three things effectively:
1. Have a blog.
Here’s the deal on blog posting: You have to do it at least every two to three weeks. If you cannot, don’t have one. People will judge you, often times without consciously knowing they are judging you (read Gladwell’s “Blink”), if they click on the “blog” tab and the last entry was three months ago. Your blog posts don’t have to be long. Around 300 to 500 words is perfect.
Think of numbers when trying to come up with topics. For example, “Three things you need on your website,” (Ha). But seriously, for your gym, things like, “Top three exercises to do in a hotel,” or “The three best foods to eat after your workout” are great examples. Check out another gym’s blog to get some ideas. There are also companies who will do the work for you, though I recommend using your own people. Ask every coach to submit 300 words on a health and fitness topic every couple of weeks.
2. Videos.
Like your blog, the purpose is to offer health and fitness tips. But you will likely get more attention via video if you demonstrate effective exercises by staff with good energy. Use your highest energy trainer, get another trainer to act as the client, and film 10 to 12 on a Saturday morning. Upload one per week, and then get together again after 3 months to shoot some more. You will also post these weekly video tips on you Facebook page.
3. A FREE giveaway.
I recommend an ebook. You don’t even have to write it. Use iwriter.com or a similar service. Find or write an ebook on a topic such as, “ The 10 best foods for fat loss,” or “How to get fit without joining a gym.” Yes, I am serious about that last title. In order to get the FREE ebook, a person has to put in a name and email. That’s it. Don’t require anything more. If you do, the amount of leads you receive will be less than if you only ask for a name and an email.
Instead of an ebook, you could go with a video, like I do at www.jasonlinse.com. My videos give gym owners real applicable advice on how to increase profits. Your video needs to give real, applicable advice on how to get fit. In this day and age, you surely know by now the importance of content marketing. But also make sure you give them your best stuff. I received this advice from a mentor, and it has paid off tremendously for me, and I know it will for you.
Treat your website as a tribe builder, and you will see more hits and more leads. The key is to keep it dynamic by having new articles posted under your “blog” tab, new video tips placed on your home page, and a big old arrow pointing to your FREE ebook or FREE video offer.
Keep changing lives.
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Jason Linse is president and founder of The Business of Fitness, a consulting company. He also owns a personality assessment company called People Plus+ Fitness. Contact him at jason@jasonlinse.com or 612-310-1319 for resources on scheduling more tours and personality assessments, or visit www.jasonlinse.com.
These are great tips. We have just started blogging regularly. Our goal is to publish one blog a week building to occasionally publishing two a week. Its a lot of work but creating an effective workflow around creating content, editing, optimizing for search engines and publishing is key.