Everyone wants to get in shape, which is why the fitness industry is exploding in the U.S. According to market research, the fitness industry is expected to grow by an incredible 172% in the next five years!
Of course, you already knew that because you’re opening your fitness studio. But to compete with everyone else in the industry, you must get members immediately. Here are five tips to help promote your fitness studio’s grand opening and start your operation on the right foot.
Create an email campaign.
Even in this digital, social media-fed world, email hasn’t gone out of style. It’s one of the most profitable forms of digital marketing, with an average $36 return for every $1 spent! But if you want that kind of return, you must do it right.
The key to a successful email campaign is having the right contacts and creating on-brand email messages. Since you haven’t opened your fitness studio yet, collecting email addresses can be difficult.
Before the big day, swap business cards with everyone you meet, put a signup form on your website (and create a website!), and promote your signup form on social media.
Once you have many email addresses, send emails promoting your opening day. You don’t want people to forget, so send regular emails at least two or three times per week leading up to the event.
And since your emails represent your brand, they need to look good! Pick the template that best fits your brand, input your fitness studio’s information, and you’re ready to send! You can find many coming soon email templates online to give you a design head start.
Did you know there are more than 300 million social media users in the United States alone? That’s a lot of potential members for your new fitness studio if you can get their attention. A great social media marketing campaign has the potential to flood your new fitness studio with members and boost your grand opening turnout.
Before you open, make accounts for your fitness studio on the social media platforms your ideal members use the most. For example, TikTok and Instagram are best for younger audiences, while Facebook is better for older people. Of course, it’s more in-depth than that, so make sure you do your research to find your ideal marketing audience.
With your accounts all setup, make regular posts to keep your brand top of mind. Interacting with others on social media is also a good idea to extend your marketing reach. Reply to comments, respond to direct messages, and leave comments on others’ posts. The whole point of “social” media is to be social! So don’t forget to interact with other users.
Hang flyers around town.
Social media is great for getting your fitness studio’s information in front of many people, but they’re not all in your town. What are the odds that someone from another state or country will trek to your grand opening celebration? That is not very likely… To get more local attention, go old-school and hang flyers around town.
Flyers might be low-tech, but they’re a great way to share information with a local audience. Just make sure your brochures are well-designed and can catch people’s eyes. Just like your emails, they’re a representation of your brand. If you hang a handwritten sheet of looseleaf paper, it won’t look very good for your fitness studio — and probably won’t encourage many people to come to your grand opening.
Before hanging your flyers around town, ensure you have permission from the property owner or manager.
Host an opening event.
You’re about to open your fitness studio. That’s cause for celebration! Make your grand opening an event that people won’t soon forget to attract new members.
The more people you can get to your grand opening, the more new members you’ll get for your fitness studio. Plus, it’s just plain fun! It never hurts to decorate, cover the property with balloons, bring in a few food vendors, and throw a party.
Provide a special introductory offer for members.
Your grand opening celebration is more than just a party. It’s supposed to get new members for your new fitness studio. Provide a special introductory membership offer to encourage more people to sign up.
For example, tell grand opening attendees if they sign up for a three-month membership, they can get one of the months for free. Nobody can resist a good deal, and your grand opening is the perfect place to promote your enticing introductory offer.
Make your fitness studio grand opening one to remember
Opening your new fitness studio is a big deal! You want many people to show up, so you can start your new business venture on the right (and profitable) foot.
Before the big day arrives, create an email campaign, get social on social media, and hang plenty of flyers around town. Make your grand opening a real celebration with vendors and decorations, and don’t forget an irresistible introductory offer for potential members! When all your marketing efforts work together, you’ll have more members than you know what to do with as soon as you open the doors to your fitness studio for the first time.
