15 Secrets To Profitable Fitness Business Marketing

Marketing can make or break your business. With this in mind, following are 15 secrets to profitable fitness business marketing. 

1. Build the right culture: John McCarthy of IHRSA stated, “Clubs without a strong ‘retail sales’ culture cannot and will not succeed in this business.”

2. Think strategic marketing: What market segments will you target? How will you target them? And how do you want to ‘position’ your club?

3. Build a great product. Peter Drucker said, “True marketing does not start with ‘what do we want to sell?’ It asks ‘what does the customer want to buy?’”

4. Use a professional sales system: Do not underestimate the power of a professional sales system to turn leads into members.

5. Provide sales training: According to McCarthy, “It is incumbent upon all clubs to continually invest in improving the skills of their sales personnel.” 

6. Implement strong sales management: Sales manager or not, the sales function still needs to be managed for maximum success.

7. Sales team: Use professional sales staff, or provide fitness staff with the skills they need to succeed.

8. Direct marketing: Use direct mail, email or SMS marketing to build membership.

9. Build profitable databases: The goal of all fitness businesses should be to own and dominate their market. Do this by building your own sales database.

10. Lead generation: Use proven lead generation tools to fill your database with people you can help. 

11. Digital marketing: Successful digital marketing strategies can provide more sales leads than you can handle. But ensure your digital marketing fits in with your business goals.

12. Social media: Be sure to use Facebook’s advertising targeting capabilities.

13. Marketing technology: Use CRM systems, web intelligence and marketing automation software to automate sales and marketing.

14. Build your brand: The creation and development of fitness brands represent a powerful source of sustainable competitive advantage.

15. Retention: Use retention marketing tools to increase the lifetime value of a member. At our clubs, if we extend the average membership by 30 days, we get another $1.6 million per year.

Alan Leach is the group general manager and director of sales and marketing at West Wood Clubs.