It’s been over a month since Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced that certain Atlanta businesses were allowed to reopen their doors in the midst of COVID-19. Alongside salons, restaurants, and other small businesses, gyms were permitted to get back in the action (with new safety guidelines and restrictions, of course).
Though several loyal gym members have returned to pump iron, many people are still preferring to workout at home as the virus continues to spread.
If your Atlanta gym is struggling to engage with and bring in members, you may want to consider bulking up your marketing strategy. Here are some ideas.
Try Virtual Group Classes
Online classes aren’t just for school! If your gym was holding group fitness classes before the pandemic, who says you should stop now? Have your fitness instructors host webinars so members who are uncertain about coming back into the gym can sign in and join their friends virtually for a group sweat sesh from home.
Not only will this help keep your members engaged with your gym in a time when many people are struggling to find the motivation to workout at home, but you could also run ads promoting your class webinars to people in your area to increase brand awareness and potentially bring in a wave of new members!
Communicate Your New Safety Measures
One of the best ways to put your members’ minds at ease during this time is to tell them, better yet show them, how you are ensuring your gym is clean, sanitized, and safe for them to return. If you haven’t done so already, you should write up a detailed safety protocol about how your staff is taking every precaution during the pandemic to make sure all equipment and points of member access are being kept clean throughout the day, as well as facilitating social distancing among members. To take it a step further, consider filming a video so members can see for themselves how your gym is operating safely during this time.
Once you have the messaging and/or video complete, make sure they are optimized to reach your current and potential members. This is where having a strong marketing strategy and digital presence comes in.
Educate and Encourage Members
To keep your gym at the forefront of your members’ minds, you must find ways to engage with them on a regular basis.
A lot of people are scared right now — scared of contracting the virus, and scared of seeing their bodies change after having to give up their gym routine. This is the perfect time for you to step in and encourage them! You should be looking for ways to give people hope and remind them that they’re not alone during this time.
Being intentional about uplifting your audience through your content can build a positive association for people when they think about your gym. We know you fitness trainers are full of words of motivation — it’s time to share them online!
Do you need help realigning your marketing strategy with the new environment?
At KWSM, we can help you develop a customized marketing strategy to match your business’ changing needs.
CLICK HERE to learn about developing an effective digital marketing strategy.
