Previously, Staci Alden shared simple strategies to save money on a fitness retreat. Here, Alden provides seven fitness retreat marketing strategies.
A retreat is a multi-day adventure, usually offsite from the facility and in some cases outside of the country. The schedule during a retreat usually consists of a combination of excursions, classes and workshops. Retreats are a unique, immersive, and interactive opportunity for members to experience their favorite classes with their favorite instructors in a new environment.
Building a solid fitness retreat marketing strategy will help you sign up more paying participants without breaking the budget or offering discounts.
Early Bird Pricing
Reward early commitment to paying for and committing to attend the retreat by providing early bird promotions. Aim to ensure this promotion amount does not exceed the minimum amount you must offer to accomplish your revenue goals.
Run a Referral Promotion
Offer a promotion for people who refer additional participants. Instead of making referral promotions solely on overall retreat price reduction, you could present a gift card or discounts on excursions for your facility.
Build an Event Landing Page
Use a temporary banner on your main website to catch visitors’ attention and direct people to a separate page with all the retreat details. Make it easy for visitors to purchase and reserve their spot for the retreat right on this page if possible. This page will also be a valuable resource to link to when posting about the retreat on social media.
Use Enticing Images
Aim to use images from past retreats and if you must use new photos, make sure they are happy people enjoying great experiences relevant to the retreat you plan to offer. Avoid generic images of yoga props and generic hotel or outdoor spaces. Instead, use photos that evoke strong emotions and have people in them.
Produce Short Videos
Film short two-to-five minute videos that are informative and personal for interested participants to review. Here are some video content ideas:
- Meet the Instructors: Interview the instructors asking them to tell a bit more about themselves and why they are excited to teach at the retreat.
- Tour the Location: This video could be a simple screen capture with a voiceover reviewing the hotel’s websites and possible excursions participants can explore.
- Review the Itinerary: Film someone describing the itinerary with excitement, adding in some images here and there from past retreats or classes.
- Participant Testimonials: Share testimonials about previous retreats either in writing or in a short video interviewing the participant. If you have yet to host a retreat, provide testimonials from class participants about the instructors instead.
This content can be shared and repurposed for the event’s website, social media and email marketing.
Host an Informational Meeting
Schedule and advertise a short meeting about six-to-eight weeks before the retreat. Build an excellent presentation with the images and marketing strategies described above. Describe this meeting as an opportunity to help attendees interested in the retreat to learn the ins and outs of the retreat and have the ability to ask and hear answers to questions. Aim to have the instructors there to answer questions, and if you have a previous participant willing to share their experience at this meeting, even better.
Instructor Influencers
Utilize social media and the instructors themselves and set the expectation that part of their role as an instructor at the retreat is to help promote the retreat by sharing social posts and tagging the event. Make it easy by sending the instructors the posting schedule and images and templates you’d like them to use. Then, when you post about the event, be sure to tag them and possibly send the post in a message on the platform so they can see and share it.
As soon as you’re working on the retreat details, it’s time to start marketing. You can always notify your members that the facility is considering offering a retreat and that those interested can join an email list to be the first to know the details as they come. The sooner you can get people talking about this exciting and unique fitness experience, the better. Now spread the word.
Interested in attending a retreat? Learn about the 2022 Club Solutions Leadership Retreat.
