Fitness Club Marketing Idea: Incorporate Video — Part 1

The fitness industry is huge and continues to grow. One of the biggest challenges facing individual business owners in such a growing and competitive industry is attracting a steady stream of new clients. One of the best ways to do that is incorporating video into your marketing strategy. Consider the following statistics on user interaction with video:

• 90 percent of users say product videos are helpful in the decision process.
• 75 percent of online video viewers have interacted with an online video ad this month.
• 36 percent of online consumers trust video ads.
• 33 percent of all online activity is spent watching video.
• Video ads increase purchase intent by 97 percent and brand association by 139 percent.

In this two-part series we’ll discuss 4 ways you can use video to effectively market your fitness business. The first two tips are covered here in Part 1; the last two will be covered in Part 2.

1. Demonstrate various pieces of fitness equipment using “real” people.

A staple of fitness industry TV commercials and online videos is footage of people using a facility and a voice-over extolling the features and benefits of that particular establishment. But these videos typically feature people (probably actors) who are already in pretty good shape. If you really want to attract new clients, you’d be better served showing people who are more like the typical new client in terms of their physical makeup and condition. When out-of-shape people see other out-of-shape people using fitness equipment, it gives them a sense that they can use it too, and they’ll be more inclined to try it.

2. Conduct a video tour of your facility, including interviews with staff.

Most marketing videos target B2B (Business To Business) or B2C (Business To Consumer) prospects. By creating a video tour of your facility, including interviews with members of the staff, you’re creating a H2H (Human To Human) relationship before the prospective client ever sets foot in your gym. When that new customer enters your facility for the first time, they’ll feel less intimidated and more at home, and the H2H relationship grows.

Stay tuned to our blog for Part 2 of this series on using video to market your fitness business. Meanwhile, we invite you tocontact us today for more ideas and help with your fitness club marketing strategy.

Statistical reference: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/video-marketing-statistics#sm.001m9si451di3dudue22jbuxgrgdh

Jim Thomas is the founder and president of Fitness Management USA Inc., a management consulting, turnaround and brokerage firm specializing in the fitness and health club industry. With more than 25 years of experience owning, operating and managing clubs of all sizes, Thomas lectures and delivers seminars, webinars and workshops across the globe on the practical skills required to successfully to overcome obscurity, improve sales, build teamwork and market fitness programs and products. Visit his Web site at:www.fmconsulting.net orwww.jimthomasondemand.com.