The fitness industry was greatly affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions in 2020 and 2021. At the Fly Pages Vault, our goal is to support gyms, studios, and trainers to ensure continued business growth and engagement through proven marketing and communication strategies that work, even amid club closures and community health and safety concerns.
Our strategy team has developed a checklist of essential communication channels and assets that will help you maintain consistent communication with members and prospects during any crisis. Make sure your fitness community remains connected using these five essential messaging channels.
1. Print communications
Local newspapers and magazines may seem old-school, but most print publications today also offer online, digital versions. For decades, there has been a steady trend of fewer people reading print periodicals. That trend reversed slightly in the first quarter of this year.
According to Pew Research, daily newspaper readership increased by about 10 percent from January to March of this year. While not all newspapers report their digital readership, Pew researchers estimate that people were looking for news updates from digital newspapers about 25-38 percent more in the first quarter of 2020 than in the fourth quarter of 2019.
What this means for your fitness community is that press releases can be your friend. Write up a simple press release that communicates information about club closures, health and safety measures, virtual training opportunities, and a reopening plan. Make sure you’ve included all the pertinent information your local paper or community magazine will need, increasing the chances that your release will be published.
Call local papers, TV stations, and radio stations and ask for their submission email address. Read this article to learn more about how to build your local distribution list. Send the release to every print periodical in your club’s service area, and be sure to include your contact information for newsroom follow-up.
At the same time you’re sending out timely press releases, make sure to post all pertinent information at your brick-and-mortar location on a flyer. Not everyone will see newspaper releases or the other forms of digital communication we list here, so it’s important to post a flyer at your door as you update your operations and timeline.
Remember to include a URL and a QR code that directs members and prospects to your website for the latest updates and virtual fitness class schedules, as well as club social media page handles so visitors can connect with your online community.
Example: Follow us on Facebook!
As updates roll out, you’ll want to post new flyers so that information is visible to all who stop by “just to see” if you’re open. Both current and future members will appreciate the consistency and transparency of messaging that’s included in on-site flyers.
See what’s included in the vault
2. Social media posting
We like to say that community is built through social media. In times of crisis, when people crave connection as they stay at home, social media communications are essential for distributing information to your members.
Connections through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram especially have the power to build loyalty and a sense of belonging within your community.
Check out these tips from FlyPages Social Media about the fitness industry posting best practices.
Connect with members and prospects frequently on social media. Determine which channels and post types are getting the most engagement (reactions, comments, and shares), and create more of those types of posts.
The general rule with social media posting is: give, give, take. Include content that is immediately valuable for followers, such as tips about nutrition or quick at-home workouts. Make sure your post graphics visually reflect your brand colors and logo, and whenever possible, link back to your website so they can learn more.
Post 3-5 times every week on each social media channel to keep your brand visible and keep your members connected. Ask them to chime in with polls, photos of their pets, or “form-check” photos so your trainers can comment.
Instagram Live became a great channel for interactive, virtual workouts during Covid lockdowns. Spin up an at-home workout program for Instagram and share that schedule on all channels at least weekly. Boost popular posts for a few days when it makes sense to keep the momentum going.
3. Member newsletters
Email has evolved to feel more personal than social media in some ways.
Leverage that perception with communications that call members by name (here’s a cheat sheet for Mailchimp), provide timely information about your fitness center’s operations, and establish the credibility and value you and your staff offer through actionable tips and wellness strategies.
A well-designed email campaign that matches your brand colors and logo to your website, signage, social media posts, and on-site flyers reinforces your fitness branding and provides consistency. Consistent branding across all channels builds credibility, trust, and loyalty, and will benefit your business in the long run.
Don’t yet have a newsletter? It’s time to check out Mailchimp or Constant Contact and change that. You can get started for free and use your existing member emails to start sending monthly emails on a consistent day of the month.
4. Website best practices
In an integrated fitness marketing strategy, all communications and marketing tactics should lead to your website.
(Have we mentioned that before? It’s pretty important.)
As the uniquely branded hub of your fitness community, your website needs to convey a message that is confident, competent, and consistent with communications on other channels. Consider adding a website popup to alert visitors to gym closures or changes in hours, operations, or health and safety measures your staff is taking.
Add a “latest news” landing page where all flyer QR codes and outbound marketing links direct traffic for updates so that members always know where they can find answers to their questions.
If you’re not sure what kind of user experience your current website offers, there’s no time like the present to check it out. Invest in a website that is user-friendly, offers value through a blog or member resources page, and is updated frequently.
Check your site at least a few times a week to make sure everything is functioning properly and visible on mobile view (which represents more than half of your visitors) as well as from tablets and desktop computers. Use this responsive design testing tool to make sure your website looks great on all mobile devices.
5. Keep in touch for more updates
The Fly Pages Vault is a great marketing resource for fitness centers of all sizes and independent fitness professionals. Helping fitness centers market themselves for growth is our business, so we want to make sure you have all the latest information and tools you need to weather any storm today, and in the future.
Contact us if you want to learn more about gaining full access to all the monthly marketing resources your fitness business needs. We’re here for you, and we know fitness marketing strategy like no one else.
