Fitness is a hot, crowded, and sometimes confusing market. With so many choices, it can be hard to know which products will deliver the best results. Here’s an easy, quick guide to help you make the best decisions.
Some fitness advertisers are more effective than others. When it comes to fitness products, brands, and advertising, we all want our dollars to go as far as possible. While we may not pay close attention to advertising, we all know that our favorite product is usually advertised in some way. These tactics may not be what we like, but they do work well.
We’ve all been there: we’re going to the gym, but we see someone with the latest fitness watch and it makes us wonder “I wish I had one of those…”. So, we keep going back to the gym, but we’re still not using the watch. Because it’s an item that’s outside of our usual routine, we’re not using it for motivation. But, if we actually did use it to “keep track” of our workouts and other fitness-related activities, we’d be more likely to do them, right? So, we’re going to do just that in this post.
The health and fitness sector is valued at more than $96 billion. This implies one thing for fitness service providers: you’ll need an efficient marketing plan to stand out in this fast-growing, high-stakes industry.
The following fitness advertising techniques can help you create maximum brand recognition and expand your business, whether you’re a small gym owner, supplement firm, or fitness software developer.
Fitness Advertising’s 4 Distinctive Characteristics
Every business, including the fitness industry, has its own set of marketing difficulties. Let’s break down the major difficulties you’ll encounter in the fitness business before we look at particular advertising tactics for this area.
1. There’s a Lot of Rivalry
The fitness and health business is overcrowded. There are: in the United States alone:
In this business, standing out from the throng is difficult, but it is achievable.
2. There Are Rules That Must Be Followed
The statements you may make while selling health and fitness goods including supplements, weight reduction tools, and health gadgets are regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In other words, you can’t make a claim unless you have proof to back it up.
Furthermore, social media sites may impose further limitations on what you may say in a fitness advertisement. You can’t post before and after photos on Facebook, and you can’t use words or imagery that are likely to make people feel terrible about their weight:
Before starting a fitness advertising campaign, it’s important to think about the rules.
3. Visuals Are a Big Part of Fitness Advertising
Visual material is extensively used in fitness promotion. People are interested in learning how your goods may benefit them or how you can assist them in their fitness and weight-loss goals.
In the fitness industry, social media postings and blog articles are fantastic, but they’re not enough on their own. You’ll also need visual material like user-generated content, instructional videos, healthy recipe videos, and transformation photos (on sites that allow them).
4. You (Usually) Sell to Consumers Directly
In most cases, you’ll be selling fitness products and services to people rather than companies. Perhaps you’re a personal trainer searching for new clients, or a gym wanting to expand its membership.
As the name implies, business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing has its own set of difficulties. To differentiate yourself from your competition, you must establish successful customer connections in addition to increasing brand recognition and generating leads. You must provide customers a remarkable user experience and demonstrate that you appreciate their business.
You’ll use a business-to-business (B2B) marketing strategy if you sell directly to companies, such as gyms. While some of the techniques listed below may assist, you should also read my B2B marketing guide.
7 Fitness Marketing Strategies to Experiment With
Are you ready to try your hand at fitness marketing? Great! All that’s left is to decide out how to structure your campaign. Here are seven advertising techniques to assist you achieve your objective.
1. Use Influencer Marketing to Reach Out to a Larger Audience
Influential individuals in the fitness industry may encourage their followers to try new apparel companies, vitamins, exercises, and more. They can also assist a new fitness business grow its client base, which is unsurprising.
Here’s an example of an Instagram bio for an influencer that promotes Gymshark and MyProtein, two well-known fitness brands:
But how do you choose an influencer for your brand? Don’t make the mistake of thinking that influencers with millions of followers are your only option. It all boils down to finding an influencer that is compatible with your business and target demographic.
So, where do you begin?
To begin, try contacting micro influencers. They have fewer subscribers, but they may successfully advertise your business in a specialized market. Alternatively, you may use influencer markets to locate a prominent person who might be a good fit for a campaign.
Finally, remember to do research. Examine the influencers that work for your rivals and attempt to identify people who are comparable to them for your own campaign.
2. Make Use of Social Media to Promote Your Fitness Business
Instagram has approximately 170 million users in the United States. TikTok? Just over 66 million people. Facebook? There are about 2.9 billion users on the planet.
This only implies one thing for fitness marketing professionals: social media.
Set up an account on two or three sites and make sure you have an eye-catching logo, a clear name, and a powerful marketing statement. To increase your chances of success, use popular hashtags in your posts, interact with followers, and publish often.
If you’re looking for motivation, follow famous fitness coaches like Katie Crewe and Ben Bruno on Instagram.
3. Use Paid Ads to Increase Return on Investment
Consider launching a sponsored ad campaign if you have a large subscriber base on a site like Facebook or Instagram. Paid advertisements not only improve your reach, which is important for standing out in a competitive market, but they also help you earn money.
You can launch a Google Ads campaign instead, but you’ll get a better ROI if you run ads on platforms where you already have a following.
Are you running any sponsored advertisements? To make sure they’re really functioning for you, use tools like Google Analytics to keep track of them.
4. Create an Email List Using Lead Magnets
You’ll need a lead magnet if you want to grow your email list.
A “lead magnet” is something useful you give out in return for people’s email addresses. Depending on your budget and marketing objectives, it may be anything from a free cooking book to a discount coupon.
Here’s an example from ATHLEAN-X, one of the most well-known workout brands. You may get his free bodybuilding guide in return for your email address:
You could also provide a free training week, similar to Strong Strong Friends, to entice people to join up for a premium program:
To develop a successful lead magnet, you must first understand your target audience and what they value. Investigate your choices and test a few lead magnets at the same time to see which one is the most effective.
However, the job does not end after you have your leads. You must take care of them! To increase engagement and confidence in your brand, provide them valuable material.
5. Set Up a Membership Website
People pay to access informative “members-only” material on membership sites, which are similar to clubs. For instance, you might provide the following exclusive benefits:
- workouts
- tutorials on exercise forms
- meal preparations
- supplementary information
The Women’s Wellness Collective provides one example. Members have the option of paying a monthly or yearly subscription, giving them greater flexibility to fit their budgets.
In return for their membership fee, each package includes professional guidance, holistic health suggestions, and support from an exclusive community:
The following step is easy for users to take: all they have to do is click the sign-up button to get started.
This company owner does three things well: they distinguish themselves as a specialized specialist, they make it easy to sign up with a clear CTA, and they provide consumers with the opportunity to join a vibrant community.
Consider including a members-only forum, support group, or social media page as part of your membership offering to help individuals feel more motivated and encouraged in achieving their objectives.
6. Make Use of Video Marketing
YouTube, one of the most famous video-sharing platforms on the internet, is perfect for fitness professionals looking to expand their company online. You don’t need expensive recording equipment to get started shooting, and if you post frequent video material, you may amass a sizable following.
Here are four distinct kinds of videos to consider producing in terms of fitness marketing:
- Create a promotional film showing your gym’s amenities if you’re a gym owner. Include footage of members utilizing your gear.
- Make a video list of fast fitness advice, such as how to work out at home, how to begin strength training, or how to choose a supplement.
- Create films explaining common injuries and how to successfully manage them if you have credentials and expertise in injury rehab or physiotherapy.
- To show your knowledge, interview other fitness experts and publish the video on your channel.
Keep your videos brief and interesting, and always include a clear call to action, such as subscribing to your channel or requesting a personal training session.
7. Display Testimonials from Customers and Clients
Encourage satisfied consumers to write online evaluations of your products and services. Prospective consumers are more likely to convert if they see positive feedback.
In fact, 87 percent of consumers read local business evaluations, and 94 percent of individuals are more inclined to utilize a company with good internet ratings. This makes sense, particularly in the fitness business, because consumers want to know they can rely on you to produce results.
But how can you obtain reviews? Begin by personally asking consumers, whether through email or in person, and maybe offering an incentive such as a discount coupon. (Ensure that providing an incentive is allowed by the review site; some do not allow it.) You may also conduct surveys to get information.
You may convert your evaluations into customer testimonials and add pictures or videos once you have them. Remember that images are crucial when it comes to creating a great fitness marketing campaign, so make your reviews more interesting by converting them into graphics.
But a word of caution: make sure you have their permission before using their review in this manner!
Don’t forget to look at my consulting services if you need some extra help establishing a fitness marketing campaign.
Fitness Advertising: Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is fitness marketing?
Fitness marketing is a broad word that refers to all forms of marketing in the fitness sector. Everything from gym memberships to vitamins is covered. The aim is to persuade prospective clients and consumers to select your products and services above those of your competitors in a crowded and competitive market.
What is the best way for me to promote my fitness brand?
Begin by raising brand recognition on social media and other prominent online platforms, and consider collaborating with fitness influencers. Compare the outcomes of each campaign using a mix of various fitness advertising methods.
Is there anything I can’t mention about fitness in my commercials?
You can’t make medical or health claims unless you have accurate, trustworthy evidence to back them up. You can’t make any false claims, and you can’t sell anything that contains unlawful or prohibited substances.
How can I measure the effectiveness of my fitness marketing campaigns?
Use measurement tools like Google Analytics to monitor your fitness marketing efforts. Concentrate on KPIs like as impressions, reach, CTR, and engagement. The specific metrics you should monitor will be determined by the kind of advertisements you run and your marketing objectives.
Conclusion on Fitness Promotion
Because the health and fitness business is so competitive, you’ll need a well-thought-out marketing strategy to thrive. Determine your fitness advertising objectives, then choose a few ad techniques that are most likely to appeal to your target market. Keep a close eye on your metrics and be ready to change tactics once you’ve discovered what works.
Above all, remember to emphasize the customer experience in this consumer-focused business. This is enough to set you out from the crowd!
Have you used any of the fitness marketing methods mentioned above?
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If you’re running a fitness club or a gym or a fitness website, then you’re probably aware that you need to advertise to get people to sign up for your membership. But how do you advertise? What do you say? And are you spending the right amount of money?. Read more about gym marketing campaigns and let us know what you think.
