Ask the Expert: Brent Gallagher on Video Marketing

This month we spoke with Brent Gallagher, the owner of Avenu Fitness, about video marketing.

What benefits has Avenu Fitness seen from video marketing?

BG: People get a feel for what it’s like to be a part of the Avenu community without having to walk in our door. We attract a low-key individual, one looking to get in and get out, who is not interested in being in our videos. So we’ve designed our videos to not feature our clients. It’s helped “speak” to the individual that we’re truly here for them, and they’re not here just so we can use them to get likes, shares and comments. When we do feature clients, we allow them to tell their story in an authentic way.

What are your goals for the videos you make?

BG: Primarily, we use our videos for branding and education. Avenu is built on small group, 30-minute training. To bring our philosophy to life, we have to brand and educate long before we ask for a sale. Cutting a workout from 60 minutes down to 30 minutes is a hard sell if you’re only in it for a quick buck. Our long-term approach in training is carried over into our videos — we’re not looking to close them on the first, second or third watch. We feel if we can plant a bug in their ear, they’ll stop by or give us a call after they’ve tried other programs that aren’t sustainable.   

How often do you make videos, and what types of videos do you make? 

BG: Videos are made weekly. They can be quick, 10-second nuggets to get people to think about something differently. Or they can be 15-minute workouts and 30-minute complete coach-led workouts. We’ve recently established “Avenu | Behind the Scenes” to help people understand our history better, why we’ve hung our hat on 30-minute training, and what our team does to stay fit and healthy.

Do you make the videos in-house or outsource them? 

BG: We outsourced. We realized it takes too much time to edit the video.

What tips could you share with other club operators for successful video marketing? What should they keep in mind?

BG: Keep the bigger picture in mind. What does it mean to truly live a sustainable and healthy lifestyle? Too many times we get bogged down in the weeds of fitness — sets, reps and new ways to lunge — and we’re skipping over the basics: sleeping more, eating better. Only then does training become sustainable. If we all collectively begin to sing the same song about sidestepping the short-term fix in favor of the long-term solution, we could truly make a difference in our communities.