One of the most insightful marketers ever is a man from Indiana named Jay Abraham, possibly you've heard of him. He's an author and marketing consultant who has produced many books, seminars, and audio programs of his marketing philosophy. He comes to mind because it's January and that means that it's the peak promotion season in the gym management and fitness-centered world. Every New Year I'm reminded how almost everything he's written has proven to be true. One thing that Abraham writes about is how promotions can be so non-linear that just a slight change in wording or graphics can [...]
Read more...
Innovation is a key to survival in the modern business world and Gym Insight is always looking to develop new methods for gym owners to take advantage of technology to stay on the leading edge. We are developing a program for gym owners that will have the benefits of a marketing service without the cost of a full service business-to-business agency. I know from experience that small gyms and independent fitness center owners don't have a lot of resources to throw at marketing. Also, if you are like us, you want your business to be a lifestyle enterprise. We intend [...]
Read more...
Here at Gym Insight we're always looking to the future of gym management software. To that end, we've been attempting to read the fitness trends in which our customers, as owners and managers of independent small gyms and fitness centers, have a real interest in understanding and anticipating. With the coming Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia there's all the usual fanfare and spectacle. But this time there's a definite high-tech edge, as Russia seems to want to show their technology prowess. If you've been following the Olympic Torch Relay you will have seen it cross Lake Baikal by scuba and [...]
Read more...
I've occasionally had some casual inquiries about adding the ability to manage time-limited part-time customers to Gym Insight. That means time selective memberships that use your gym when you have excess capacity, the quiet times of low attendance that comes from the natural ebb and flow of membership demand. I haven't fully written the code to support this yet but, if there's serious interest in the health club community, I would be happy to consider adding an update or expansion module. The Off Peak Trial Period Membership For the kind of offer I'm talking about, here you need a connection [...]
Read more...
When you have to make the decisions about where you are going to spend your marketing efforts, it really helps to have a sense of what your market is like statistically. In my post about the 80/20 Rule I talked about how a few activities can produce the majority of your successes, profits or even problems. On the other side of the equation you have the unique and obscure diversity of what is known as "The Long Tail". Out of The 80/20 Rule Comes "The Long Tail" The principal behind the 80/20 Rule is called a power law distribution. This [...]
Read more...
You can never have too much information about where the market trends are heading. One really insightful source that I'd like to discuss is the eighth annual American College of Sports Medicine's (ACSM) Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2014. To get the most out of it I recommend that you read the entire survey report yourself. Every year for the last eight years, the ACSM has commissioned a worldwide poll of fitness industry professionals. There are some really interesting issues that turn up in this survey. One of the best things about it is that it attempts to distinguish [...]
Read more...
New Year's Day is right around the corner, and that means gyms can expect the annual rush of resolution-fueled gym members. Although the short-lived swarm of new clients each January is great, gyms should be doing more to market themselves throughout the year - and doing it in more innovative ways. People hesitate to join gyms for many reasons: cost, location, fear of commitment (both time and money). Although there is usually a gym membership for most anyone's income range - some gyms offer monthly memberships for as low as $10, while memberships to "luxury" gyms can rival the cost [...]
Read more...
What is the one thing that you need to keep in mind to keep people signing up for gym memberships? What is it about hanging out in a communal space to exercise? With reasonably priced modern fitness equipment, most people could train at home, so why take the time and expense of traveling to a gym? The answer, I believe is actually pretty simple. People could do a lot of training at home. But who really wants that? It's too easy to slack off and it can get a little lonely. It's the social component of being around other people [...]
Read more...
If you own a small gym, you probably know about taking on the heavy burden of capital investment and leasing your venue and equipment. It'll keep you awake at night when you're signing the checks, believe me! Like all small business owners, you really need to look at every possible way to bump up the value of foot traffic entering and leaving your gym. One effective way to do that is to sell retail items at the front desk or at a cash register in the foyer or lobby. What will people buy? It may take you some research and [...]
Read more...
Targeted studios are the young guns of the fitness industry. As a small fitness center owner or manager, you have to respond to their potential threat, or they may figuratively eat your lunch. This type of fitness business represents a significant threat to the conventional gym model. But there are actions you can take as a small fitness center owner or manager. Read on and I'll explain how. If you have a small conventional gym with a small selection of group classes or no classes at all, you must start considering how to fulfill members' needs. Be prepared to respond [...]
Read more...
I founded Gym Insight because I wanted software that catered directly to how I manage my fitness center, and I just couldn't find that on the market. At least, not up to the standards that I expect from a dedicated business application. Insight has been so successful because other owners of small fitness center and their managers face the same demands every day. One of the most important things that the best gym management software must do is integrate with the customer experience. It has to help the curious browser or window shopper to pull the trigger and commit to [...]
Read more...
You know that you need to establish your brand name and image in the fitness industry, but how will you do that? Giving excellent customer service and providing state-of-the-art gym equipment and facilities are just some of the initial steps. You also need to create some buzz about your gym and appeal to the public at large. While we strive to get creative promotion ideas, we tend to overlook one of the simplest and most effective promotion technique - giving out promotional products. Using branded promotional products are one of the sure-fire ways to increase brand visibility and ensure member [...]
Read more...
Flyers and leaflets give you an inexpensive way to promote your gym and attract new members. Whether or not they offer an effective solution is up to you and what you decide to do with them. Not every flyering campaign brings you the reputation that you want or the clients that you need. If your campaign is not done correctly, you might end up running at a loss and dealing with a bunch of agitated residents complaining about the littering. To ensure that your flyering campaign brings you the good exposure and business that you need, you need to ask [...]
Read more...
Like I've mentioned before, the fitness center market is highly competitive (as if you didn't know that already). To gain any leverage in the marketplace you have to be extremely creative in the way you attract new members. I've developed some enticements for members by experimenting, building on what works and letting all the rest go. Gym Membership Management With Self Service Marketing There's one promotion that's worked particularly well over the years. I let members work for discounts on their monthly rate by bringing in referrals, down to a certain amount. It works like this: my monthly membership amount [...]
Read more...
When it comes to signup time most gym membership prospects want easy choices. Then, of course, there are the more knowledgeable new clients, who know what they want and love to think they got a little something extra in the deal. As the gym owner or manager, you can play your cards close to your chest and make them all happy. This strategy sells more memberships and everybody wins. I'm a huge advocate of making things simple for gym members. When people apply for a fitness club membership they're often looking to you to guide them to the right membership [...]
Read more...
