Jessica Armstrong, the community and partnerships manager at Team Up, shares three partnerships ideas to grow your community in 2023.
Of all the marketing strategies that can help you grow your business in 2023, partnerships are one of the most profitable and worthwhile. Here’s why.
Collaborating alongside like-minded business owners who share your same common goals and values can help you enhance the service you’re providing your members and the service you could provide to potential and future members.
When you align with these other individuals and businesses, together you can create the ultimate ecosystem that your members will thrive in. That’s partnership.
If partnerships are a strategy, you’re ready to go all in on in 2023. Here are a few great places to start your search for the perfect partners for you and your business.
1. Attend a Trade Show or Summit
Events are back in action. Whether a summit for your specific fitness type or an international trade show, events are an excellent partnership scouting opportunity. From software and tech, to equipment and gear, to media and more, if you’re looking for ideas you’re bound to find a few on the trade show floor or in a seminar session. Exploring new concepts for your business while networking with owners of businesses across all fitness verticals can help you identify what your business might benefit from and who can help you fill that gap.
They’re also a great place to hear from leaders in the industry share their experiences and give you guidance on strategies they have tried, tested and executed. If getting firsthand access to potential partners and the leaders in the industry sounds up your alley, register for an upcoming show or summit brands you align with are attending or exhibiting at.
2. Team up with Your Customers’ Favorite Brands
2023 is the year for building the ultimate ecosystem for your community, and there is no better way to complete your service than by partnering with businesses your members already can’t get enough of. Chances are if your members all love a certain brand or local business, there are more potential customers for you to attract.
Partnering with those brands and businesses directly allows you to create an ultra offering for your mutual clientele and provide an additional benefit to each others’ members or clients you don’t yet share. Whether a coworking space, a wellness center, a children’s’ daycare or a local cafe, there are plenty of opportunities for you to add value to new communities and welcome them into your own.
3. Partner with Your Software’s Partners
While fitness management software helps you manage your bookings, customers and payments, it can also help you grow your business with its marketing tools. One of the best growth tools your software can provide are integrations with class aggregators. Class aggregators are platforms such as Gympass and Classpass that make it easy for you to list your classes and services for their members and users to find.
Most class aggregators not only want their clients to find your business but they’ll often offer additional partnership opportunities to increase your exposure and highlight your services on their platform. Flexible software will also take recommendations for partners and services from you so that you can manage all of your business offering in one place.
To sum it up, if growing your business, attracting new members, and increasing your brand’s footprint are at the top of your 2023 goals, then building a network of partners that will add more value to your business and community is an excellent strategy for you to adopt now.
