As a gym owner, you are constantly looking for ways to grow your gym. You’ve tried direct mailers, billboards, social media, email marketing and more, and you’ve scoured sites like Salesforce.com for tips and advice on how to increase sales. Whether you have achieved success with these methods or not, there are always new and innovative ways to increase the number of leads walking through your doors. After years of working in this industry, I have discovered a few foolproof ways to enhance your conversions.
- Facebook Message Chatbots
Message bots are a rather new option on Facebook that allows you to have an automated conversation with people who click on your messenger. Rather than sending them to a landing page where the individual would fill out the typical first-name-last-name-email-phone-number bit, you are engaging in a conversation. This allows for a better understanding of what the customer is looking for. In fact, according to ChatbotsLife.com, people are 10x more likely to engage with a chatbot.
We have utilized message chatbots to get a free pass to the gym, fill out fitness assessments or register for new classes. You can develop your own chatbot, which allows for a more personalized experience for your potential lead.
- Images of Your Gym & Renderings
When A/B testing a variety of gym advertising on Facebook and Instagram, I have discovered that images of your gym, without people in them performed better than images with people. I wish I could tell you why that was the case, but in all candor, I do not know. What I did know was that I was converting a gym lead with a lifetime value of $600 at a cost of $3. I utilized images of the gym as well as renderings of a boutique fitness class. These eye-catching renderings were so successful, we only decided to move forward with gym images and renderings to continue to acquire hundreds and hundreds of gym leads.
- Create an Ad Funnel
Long gone are the days when a person sees an advertisement and signs up immediately. Sure, it is possible, but individuals are bombarded with ads so frequently, they have lost their muster.
Stop pressing the “boost now” button and start developing a sales funnel that will result in warmer leads. What do I mean by a sales funnel? Let’s start with phase one of your funnel, or in other words, “top of funnel.” The top of the funnel can consist of a photo or video of your gym that you create by taking advantage of software solutions like Loom. You can share this with individuals who live near your gym, or perhaps lookalikes of your gym members. Then comes phase two of your digital sales funnel. Develop ads for people who have engaged with your prior posts/ads or watched a percentage of your video. These individuals are “warmer audiences” and more likely to take action. The final phase, or bottom of the funnel, includes remarketing. Develop ads for individuals who went to your website or landing page but did not take action. This final advertisement should have a strong call to action. They may need a little bit more of a nudge. If you are also selling a digital product with your sales, you will need to ensure a safe eCommerce platform for customers to get their product, this can show them how much you value their custom. Using platforms such as FastSpring may be the way to go with this and provide a positive addition to your sales.
Overall, rather than wasting money on boosting your Facebook post, I encourage you to set up an advertising funnel to a lower cost per lead.
- Internal Promotions
Your current members are your greatest advocates. They are more likely to refer a friend or tell others about their positive workout experiences. When developing your marketing plan, don’t forget to look internally for marketing options, and don’t forget to personalize and tailor your marketing strategy to meet the needs of your business, (check out this resource here), as this could help to increase your revenue and sales going forward.
Some suggestions include checking in for a free bottle of water. Now their friends and family will see they are a member of your gym. Do a referral campaign or encourage your current members to provide testimonials and stories of their gym experiences.
People are more likely to buy a product or service that is recommended by a friend or family member.
- Gym Challenges
Offer a six-week challenge. Incorporate how this challenge will change the prospects life, body and health. People want to see the end results and by developing a roadmap to that end result, you are most likely to achieve success.
For even better results, create a separate short landing page with an application form that ties into your gym challenge. Make sure your social media ad and messaging is parallel to your landing page. Consistency is key.
Good luck!
