Trends To Hit The Fitness Industry In 2021

Hygiene above all else

This one may seem obvious, but in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic hygiene is front of mind for everyone. This is especially true for public spaces where people are coming into close proximity and making contact with the same equipment – meaning this is highly important for gyms and fitness clubs.

Showcasing to your members that you are implementing the highest levels of hygiene through rigorous cleaning and in-gym rules for members is important in creating an environment that feels safe and inviting for those training. This may mean stepping up the frequency and depth of your cleaning and communicating this to members through verbal and visual cues. It is equally important to make the effort as it is to make sure that members know about it, to give a sense of assurance that their workout venue is up to par.

Further, gym managers and personal trainers on the floor should remain extra vigilant about making sure members use towels, wipe down the equipment after use, and maintain social distancing where required. This ensures the safety of members and staff whilst displaying to prospects and existing members that hygiene is a top priority.

 

Virtual Training Offerings

There is no doubt that we all spent a lot of time at home throughout 2020, and many businesses (especially gyms) had to adapt to be able to continue providing their services. For many fitness businesses this mean moving to a virtual platform, in order to reach their members from the safety of their homes.

This came in many different formats including websites, zoom training sessions, full-service apps, and many other adaptations. However, the general vision was clear, and that was to provide training resources and advice to clients wherever they may be, removing the requirement to be physically present at a gym or studio.

Despite fitness-based businesses opening their doors once again, for many people the appeal of being able to access workout plans and training advice anytime remains. Creating and maintaining a virtual training presence will be a popular mission among gyms and studios in 2021 as business owners look to keep up with the changing desires of consumers.

 

Outdoor Adventure

With many fitness based businesses closed or operating under restricted trading, many of those looking to move their body explored the outdoors as their workout of choice. Hiking, rock-climbing, running, cycling, and many other outdoor activities rose in popularity throughout 2020 and this shift towards outdoor fitness will likely stick around.

Whilst it may not be the same type of adventure activities, gym owners can look to incorporate outdoor training into their class schedule. This could be as simple as moving a circuit class outside, incorporating runs around the block into a PT session, or even hosting hiking trips on the weekend for local members!

This might not be feasible for all gym and studio owners, but those who can should consider offering members more variety by switching up their class locations.

 

Fuel Through Nutrition

Last but not least, we look at the role nutrition will play in the 2021 fitness landscape. Whilst the concept of nutrition and the use of supplements in commonplace within the industry, the way this is incorporated into the offering of fitness businesses is changing.

Previously PT’s and studio owners may give personal advice to members on how they can adjust and supplement their diet to help achieve their fitness goals, but now members want to see a more holistic approach to health and fitness. This means that many gyms and studios are incorporating nutrition classes into their offering, which may include meal plans, recipe advice, and even selling certain products on-site.

This is a great way to provide added value to members and help them adapt their lifestyle beyond just physical movement. Selling products on-site also offers another level of convenience and can act as an addition revenue stream for business owners.

new post Trends To Hit The Fitness Industry In 2021 originally was published here

How To Start Facebook Marketing For Gyms

For gyms, the best way to gain new members is to make a connection with your target audience, and Facebook provides a way for you to do this. Facebook is a powerful platform for growing fitness businesses and its user-friendly interface makes getting started a breeze.

The social media platform allows users to build a business profile and fill it with free organic content for its followers. There is also the option to use the paid marketing features to generate new leads, this can come in the form of post ‘Boosting’ and the Ads Manager feature through which businesses can launch paid campaigns.

 

Setting Up Your Gym’s Page

Step one is to make sure you create a comprehensive business page for your gym, providing followers with all the key information they might be seeking as well as a little extra. The first important distinction is to ensure that you are setting up a Facebook Business Page and not a personal profile, there is a few key differences, mainly that a personal profile requires people to send you a friend request. Rather, you should start with a Business Page where users can openly view your content and choose to Like/Follow.

When setting up your page, try to be thorough and provide all the information you have available. Begin with the key visual elements such as your Profile Picture and Cover Photo, make sure that they feature your logo and are recognisable as your brand. Complete the ‘About’ section and include your business address, website, company story and any other important information such as pricing. Finally, set up the ‘Call to Action’ button that appears front and centre on your page – depending on where you want to drive potential members you can direct this to a phone number, email address or website.

Next, you will want to focus on filling out your Business Page with some content. When doing this, try to make sure that the content is thought out and delivered with purpose, this will aid in boosting engagement and ensure that each item you publish adds value to your customers. Mix it up with a combination of text, photo, and video posts and over time you will learn what your audience prefers. You will also gain an indication of when your audience are online the most and can publish your content accordingly to provide the optimal chance for engagement.

If you have important content that you want to be easily accessible, you can use Facebook’s ‘Pin’ feature to pin a particular post to the top of your page. This could be a class timetable, a promotion for a current 8-week challenge, or anything else you want to highlight!

The great thing about Facebook is that it offers a platform where businesses can engage in a conversation with their audience, instead of a one-way communication strategy. This means that your gym can utilise features like Facebook Messenger to enable their following to reach out directly. This is nice and easy to set-up: you simply have to enable the feature under the ‘General’ settings on your Business page. But make sure that you have the manpower to monitor and respond to incoming messages, otherwise this could damage your customer service levels. You can also set-up auto replies for frequently asked questions, this can include things such as your opening hours and address.

 

Promoting Your Gym’s Page

Now that you have everything set-up, the next step is to think about how you want to proceed in promoting your Business Page. This can be done using Organic (free) methods or Paid features. A combination of both is a great way to feed content to your existing followers whilst still growing your audience.

Organic promotion methods involve publishing content to your page and encouraging members engagement through Likes, Comments and Shares. The more engagement on your posts, the more likely they are to reach a bigger audience, which means more exposure for your business. As well as original content you can also share third-party posts such as blog articles and photos of your members.

Paid promotion is done through the Facebook Ads Manager platform, where business owners to build campaigns tailored to specific audience segments and create ads to be displayed. There is also the option to ‘Boost’ content published to your Business Page, however this is not as targeted or impactful as the campaigns you can build through Ads Manager and we recommend the latter. The Ads Manager platform is highly intuitive and helps create campaigns designed to meet the goals of your business. The first step is the identify your marketing objective: awareness, consideration, and conversion – based upon this you will be able to choose appropriate ad formats.

Next up, you define your target audience. This can be based upon a broad range of factors including demographic, geographic, psychographic, and behavioural traits. Spend some time at this stage and explore all of your targeting options to find the best fit for you, however don’t make an audience that is to narrow and specific as this can impact on your campaigns reach.

Once you have decided on your audience, you can build the actual ads you want to display. This involves creating a headline, copy, selecting what images or videos you want to use, and choosing a call-to-action. All of this can be tailored to your gym’s promotional needs, however there is a trend towards video content on Facebook, so we suggest trying to include this in your campaign. Studies show that video content gets much higher engagement and has better recall rates among consumers, meaning they are more likely to watch and remember your ad if it is a video.

Finally, you can launch your campaign and monitor its performance. You may select to run your campaign for a specific time frame, on a particular budget, or just ongoing until you decide to switch it off. It is important to monitor your campaign as you may want to alter poorly performing ads or boost the budget if it is not reaching as many people as you hoped.

 

What To Do Next

Once you have set up your gym’s page and created your first ad campaign, you may be asking what to do next? Well, continue to use that platform and take note of what is working for your business and what is not. As you run campaigns you will become better and better at defining your audience, picking the right photos and videos, and nailing the engaging copy that will draw new members in.

We recommend planning a content calendar and even scheduling organic posts and paid campaigns to save you time down the line. This also provide you with a holistic view of your Facebook marketing efforts, so you can ensure that your content is varied and not repetitive.

This post called How To Start Facebook Marketing For Gyms was first seen on

8 Gym Promotion Ideas You Can Do Right Now

Host a live Q&A over Social Media

A great way to get exposure for your fitness business it to utilise the power of social media as an outreach and engagement platform. Whilst your gym likely has its own social media pages that are filled with photos and videos, take a break from your regular content and host a live Q&A session! This option is available on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok, and allows you to talk to your followers in real time. Whether you leave it as an open forum or set a particular topic, this is a great opportunity to boost engagement whilst showcasing the knowledge base of your team.

 

Collaborate with Local Businesses

Whether your gym is part of a larger national franchise, or an independently operated business, your target audience is within your immediate geographic area. If you are looking for a way to reach out to new customers, collaborating with other local businesses is a great way to connect with new people. This could be a joint promotional offer, where members get a discount on their meal at the coffee shop next door, or new members get a reduced joining fee if they spend $50 at the bookstore down the road. Talking with other small business owners to see what would be most beneficial is a great first step!

 

Refer a Friend Promotion

Create a refer a friend promotion for members that is worthwhile and encourage them to bring along a new workout buddy. Whether it is a cash reward, a complimentary membership month, or even free merch – any kind of incentive can work! In addition to this, you could offer a free trial period for prospective members where they can come in along with an existing member for a week at no cost. This ‘try before you buy’ method can often increase the chance of purchase and is simple to manage.

 

Host a Fitness Challenge

Hosting a fitness challenge at your gym is a great way to entice new members and retain existing members. Setting a structured challenge gives people an incentive to join, and creates a friendly competitive environment where members often thrive and achieve results. Whilst this requires a fair bit of planning by the team at the fitness club, it is a highly effective strategy and a worthwhile investment. This is also not a one-off promotional idea and can be repeated throughout the year for the benefit of new and existing members.

 

Share Success Stories

Social proof is an important part of marketing, and sharing reviews, testimonials and success stories of your members is a great way to get potential members across the line. Whilst people have varying motivations for joining the gym, ranging from fitness and lifestyle to strength and physique goals, sharing a broad range of success stories is a great way to showcase what people can achieve at your gym. Pairing these with before and after photos also increases the element of social proof and can help build a positive reputation for your fitness business.

 

Open your Doors

People often want to get an idea of what your gym offers before committing to a membership. Whilst offering gym tours to potential members is a great tool, you can take this one step further and host an open day for prospective clients. Throughout the day you can run free classes hosted by your team, invite in suppliers and other local businesses to showcase their products, and let the public get to know the existing gym community.

 

Investigate Corporate Partnerships

Corporate wellness programs are a great way to increase membership numbers and create another stream of revenue for your fitness-based business. Whether this is running one-off events for corporate groups or offering a discounted/bulk membership rate to organisations who want to include a gym membership as part of their employment package – there are plenty of opportunities in this space!

 

Revamp your Digital Presence

Finally, take a look at your gym’s digital presence. This includes not only social media, but websites and apps as well. A poor user experience on your website, or a forgotten Instagram page can be damaging to your overall brand image and may be creating a barrier for potential members. Ensure that everything is up to date, easy to use, and showcasing your business in its best light.

This post titled 8 Gym Promotion Ideas You Can Do Right Now appeared first on

Our Conclusive List of The Best Fitness Wearables

Ensure your website is comprehensive

First and foremost, ensure that your website is an easy to use and informative platform for both existing and potential members. The number one reason that consumers are likely visiting your website is to find information, so ensuring that they can find what they are looking for will make for a positive user experience and be more likely to lead to a membership sign up or enquiry.

Important elements to have on your website include things like membership prices and inclusions, available amenities, class timetables, FAQ’s and contact information. If you offer the ability to join or book classes online, ensure that this process is user friendly and simple to understand. Complex forms or unreliable systems can lead to frustration and high abandonment rates, and potentially a lost membership.

 

Make sure you are mobile responsive

On the topic of websites, the vast majority of consumers engage with business websites via a mobile device. For this reason, it is more important than ever that your website is mobile responsible and easy to use on screens of varying sizes. Including mobile friendly features such as adapting font sizes, sticky menu’s and search bars, and click-to-call phone numbers will ensure that website is accessible no matter how the consumer chooses to view it.

 

Know your audience like the back of your hand

What type of people are your existing members, and what type of people do you want to attract to your gym? Your fitness club might have a niche specialising in something such as Yoga, Pilates, or Cross-fit. In this case you want to get to know this audience segment thoroughly so that you can effectively market your offering towards them.

The best place to start is by defining a primary, secondary, and tertiary target audience, and then building out a profile for each of these segments. These profiles should include characteristics such as demographics, geographics, psychographics and behavioural traits to provide a wholistic picture of exactly who your ideal members are.

 

Be driven by data

Making data driven decisions will generate the best results in your digital marketing and ensure that you are investing your time and money in the right areas. Audience segmenting is a great example of how to utilise data to enhance your marketing. Different groups of consumers will have different motivations and obstacles to joining your gym, and it is important that you tailor your marketing campaigns to address these specific drivers and barriers.

Utilising analytics platforms such as Google Analytics for your website, and the back-of-house insights tools for Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn can provide a wealth of information that you can use to better your marketing efforts. Do some research about which key metrics you should be tracking to help you achieve your goals, as it can be easy to start over-analysing and tracking too many things.

 

Create a community

One of the great things within the fitness industry is gym-goers propensity to build connected and meaningful communities. Many of your most loyal members will be going to the gym multiple times and week, maybe even every day, and as a result they can create strong bonds with their fellow members.

As a gym owner, you should lean into this community and encourage these relationships. Showcasing the community you have built within your gym can be a powerful digital marketing tool, acting as a retention strategy for existing members and an incentive for potential members to join. Do so by sharing photo’s, video’s and highlights to your social media accounts and other digital assets – and encourage your community to share and be active online as well!

 

User generated content is your best friend

This relates closely to our last point about creating a community within your gym. Your members are likely sharing their personal bests and posting workout selfies to their own personal social media accounts. Leverage this content by encouraging your members to use your brands hashtags and re-sharing the photos and video’s to your own brands social media accounts.

This strategy allows you to pump out new and relevant content to your account without having to invest the time creating it yourself. Further, it shows your members that you are celebrating their achievements and encouraging them to engage with your brand not only in person but online.

 

Reviews, reviews, reviews

Once you have built a community of happy and healthy members, you need to share this with the world! Reviews are the cornerstone of digital marketing and provide an important element of social proof to potential customers. Collecting and publishing reviews across all your digital assets is a must and can help guide people through the decision-making process through to conversion.

 

Video is vital

Video is quickly becoming the most popular form of content across digital platforms and for a good reason. Research shows that when someone sees something 20% retain the information, whereas when they see and hear it this increases to 80%. Further, if you website has video content it is 53 times more likely to appear on the first page of search engine results, meaning that investing in video content is not only an excellent engagement strategy but can fuel your SEO efforts.

 

Think about the big picture

Finally, we want to highlight the importance of looking at your marketing strategy as a large integrated operation. Ensuring that you adopt an integrated marketing communications approach means that you present a consistent brand image across all your marketing channels, and that customers are more likely to recognise and retain your brand image.

This doesn’t just apply to digital marketing, but also across traditional marketing platforms such as print, outdoor and television. Ensuring that all of your campaigns flow together and utilise the same call-to-actions to drive consumers towards one core conversion point makes your marketing investment more impactful.

 

The post Our Conclusive List of The Best Fitness Wearables was first seen on

Our Conclusive List of The Best Fitness Wearables

There are plenty of things to take into consideration when purchasing a fitness wearable. The best option for you will be based on what type of workouts you do, what metrics you want to track, and how much you want to spend. However, we have compiled a list of what we think are the best fitness wearables on the market right now!

1. Garmin Vivosmart 4

The Garmin Vivosmart 4 is one of the best devices available for the everyday athlete. Offering an appealing slim design, the tracker will measure your heart rate and activity. It is waterproof so can be used for a range of activities and provides a lengthy battery life, as well as smartphone connectivity. In addition to fitness tracking, the Vivosmart 4 offers sleep monitoring and measures the stress levels of its wearer. One of its most unique features is their ‘Body Battery’ which helps you find the best time to exercise based on your daily habits.

2. Apple Watch Series 5

The Apple Watch Series 5 is a great choice for those who want to combine the key features of a smart watch with a stellar fitness tracker. With GPS, Bluetooth, heart rate monitoring and an excellent fitness tracking app this wearable is a great all-rounder. The Apple Watch Series 5 gives its user easy access to their key metrics during workouts with the new always-on display and can operate without a phone nearby due to its great device connectivity. The workout app allows users to select from a wide range of pre-chosen workouts, and it swim-proof for tracking in the pool.

3. Fitbit Inspire HR

This recent release from Fitbit promises to provide motivation at your fingertips with a wealth of useful features packed into a sleek device. The Fitbit Inspire HR offers all-day activity tracking as well as sleep tracking, giving a 24/7 overview of the wearer’s health backed by a 5 day battery life. Unlike other devices, the automatic exercise recognition means you don’t have to set-up your workout before hand in order to track it. As well as heart rate, calorie and distance tracking the Fitbit Inspire HR offers some smartwatch functionality such as on-screen notifications and app alerts.

4. Samsung Galaxy Fit

Promising smarter fitness tracking, the Galaxy Fit from Samsung is a lightweight tracker with waterproof capabilities. With a 24/7 heart rate monitor, gyro sensor and accelerometer this wearable offers top-level information about the users’ daily activity. Connecting to the Samsung Health app, users can pick from over 90 workouts as well as having a comprehensive sleep pattern tracker. Finally, the Galaxy Fit offers message previews with pre-set replies so you can continue with your workout.

5. Garmin Vivoactive 4

Another wearable from Garmin, the Vivoactive 4 is a GPS smartwatch designed for those who lead an active lifestyle. With a full suite of health stats available, and more than 20 pre-loaded apps available the Vivoactive is the ultimate fitness resource. With a whopping 8 days of battery life, the wearer can stay connected with the ability to store their favorite playlist and virtual wallet on their wrist. The larger screen makes this wearable more of a smartwatch, but with more viewing space comes more capability. Animated on-screen workouts and the Garmin coach feature ensures that you keep on track during your workout. When you’re not exercising, the Vivoactive 4 also offers stress tracking, menstrual cycle tracking, sleep monitoring and even hydration tracking.

This post called Our Conclusive List of The Best Fitness Wearables was first published on

Wearable Technology: A Training Tool

Despite the face-to-face approach usually adopted by personal trainers, as social distancing and business restrictions continue to impact areas of Australia the industry is looking for ways to adapt. While online or virtual personal trainers have been around for some time, those who usually run ‘in person’ sessions need to seek alternative ways to engage with their clients and accurately track their progress without being able to see it for themselves.

 

Wearable fitness technology is booming, with personal tracking devices become more and more popular among consumers and being integrated into a wide range of devices. From the classics such a Fitbit, through to more versatile devices such as the Apple Watch, and even Garmin’s wide selection of interconnecting products – there is something out there for everyone.

 

Such devices monitor all the key metrics needed to evaluate workout performance including heartrate, calories burned, distance covered, pace and much more. Some products even allow clients to take body measurements like fat percentage and muscle mass, meaning they can get a meaningful idea of how their workouts are transforming their body.

 

So, with all of this data easily accessible, how can personal trainers’ benefit? Well, with some trainer’s not being able to see their clients face-to-face, connecting with their smart devices is a great way to get a holistic picture of how their training regime is going.

 

With many devices providing live data, trainers can provide real-time feedback over voice or video calls as their clients complete the program. If you have provided your clients with a program to complete in their own time, you can look back at how they handled each workout and adapt future workouts accordingly.

 

If you are a group trainer, wearable fitness technology is a great way to keep your community connected and engaged. Not only can you see the performance of each individual during group classes, but the sharing of performance data among participants is a great motivator. A little friendly competition can help client’s bond and encourage them to go the extra mile to keep up with their classmates.

 

In fact, simply wearing a fitness tracker can encourage people to be more physically active. The ability to track live results and the desire to meet daily targets is motivation within itself. Trainers can set unique targets based on each client’s fitness goals, this helps them keep on track without going overboard.

 

Integrating wearable technology into your personal training methods is a great way to stay connected even if you can’t meet with clients face-to-face, and ensure that your program is delivering the best results based on individual needs and fitness levels.

This post called Wearable Technology: A Training Tool was first seen on

Virtual Training In A Post-Pandemic Landscape

As COVID-19 shut down gym across the country, digital fitness programs are having their time to shine. Whether this be existing online only programs, or new online offerings from major clubs and chains, consumers are taking full advantage of the boom in virtual training platforms. So, what do fitness clubs that invested in such platforms do in a post-pandemic landscape? There is a choice to be made as to whether they continue to invest in this digital offering or shift back to their core studio-based program.

 

During self-isolation home workouts have seen a peak in popularity, and even those who were not gymgoers before are opting to fill their time with some form of fitness. Classes such as yoga, barre and Pilates have been particularly popular due to their minimal equipment requirements and easy to follow formats. However with home workout becoming an integral part of many Australian’s routines, will this impact their desire to return to the gym once restrictions ease?

 

For many people working out from home helps overcome some of the barriers that deterred them from joining a gym or studio, whether it be family care commitments, feelings of nervousness or intimidation towards working out in public or simply convenience. For women, who have less leisure time and disposable income to invest in fitness, virtual training programs may be especially appealing. This is part of the reason that historically, many online training programs have been targeted towards women.

 

The increasing popularity of these virtual training offerings suggests that gym and studio owners should consider continuing to invest in their digital platforms post-pandemic. For some, the option to access resources online is a value-add to their membership, and for others it will be their main form of engagement with the business. Clubs could deliver resources to their members in a variety of ways including live streamed classes, pre-recorded workout guides, programs for specific goals (e.g. flexibility, strength) and even unique challenges.

 

Going forward, it is important for gym owners who choose to pursue their virtual programs to consider how to differentiate themselves from the free content available in the marketplace. With a wealth of free training guides and workouts on platforms such as YouTube, what can gyms and studios offer to paying members to make it worth the money. This additional benefit could come in the form of one-on-one training advice, tailored nutritional guides or even a free wearable fitness tracker upon joining to help them track their progress.

 

The bottom line is business owners within the fitness space need to acknowledge that self-isolation has made significant changes to the industry landscape. It is important that clubs and studios re-evaluate what is important to their members and adapt their offering to cater to these new needs. For many, this will likely mean an increased digital presence so that members can continue to engage on their own terms.

This post called Virtual Training In A Post-Pandemic Landscape first appeared on

Overcoming Social Distancing Through Technology

With COVID-19 restrictions being eased across Australia, many gyms and fitness clubs are once again opening their doors to eager members. However, it is not business as usual with strict social distancing measures still in place. Clubs must adapt their current operations to ensure that they comply with limitations around the number of people in the space, as well as how far apart they must be. Technology presents an opportunity for gyms to function efficiently and cater to the need’s members in this new landscape.

 

The fitness industry encompasses a broad range of businesses, all of which are taking a different approach to social distancing. For smaller boutique gyms or studios who run on a class schedule, following these restrictions may be fairly simple; cutting back class sizes and moving equipment stations further apart allows such operators to return to something close to full capacity. However, for big box and 24/7 gyms, being limited to 10 or 20 people in each section will severely restrict their capacity and fundamentally change their ‘workout anytime’ model.

 

In order to manage these changes, many clubs and studio owners are looking towards apps as a means to help manage member communications and bookings. Many large gyms are utilising reservation systems to manage the number of members in the club at any one time, and avoid disappointed members turning up when the facility is at capacity. Such systems also allow gym staff to undertake a thorough clean in between each group of people to ensure hygiene standards are being maintained.

 

Further, apps are an excellent platform to distribute virtual training videos and offer workout tracking tools to members. The virtual training market has been booming throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as people are looking for ways to maintain their health and fitness whilst stuck at home. For businesses that have been forced to close their doors, digital content is an excellent way to keep their customer base engaged and eager to return when restrictions are lifted.

 

A benefit of virtual training programs is their ability to be tailored towards the goals of individual members, offering different workouts for those looking to build strength or increase flexibility. This characteristic has made them a hit among gym-goers who find they deliver added value to their membership, and because of their popularity many business owners are looking to maintain their virtual training library even when they are able to have members in their studio again.

 

12RND is one operator that is fully invested in implementing technology throughout their franchises, with the COVID-19 pandemic moving forward the launch of their Train: At Home app. Owner, Tim West, says that the new addition to their offering has been a hit with members at more than 10,000 downloads. The team sees it as an opportunity to add value to their members and provide support even when they are away from the club.

 

We expect to see these technological integrations to remain long after social distancing standards are eased.

The post Overcoming Social Distancing Through Technology first appeared on

Key Considerations for Reopening Your Gym

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the landscape of the fitness industry, global closures and restrictions of fitness-based businesses have had a significant impact on many small business owners. However, as Australia begins to see the light at the end of the tunnel, club and studio owners have been encouraged to begin planning to open their doors once again. So, what are the key considerations to help you prepare for when the time comes?

 

The first step is to create a plan of action, beginning with back of house activities all the way through to member communications. We suggest breaking your plan down into four broad categories: staffing, gym floor preparation, existing members, and new members.

 

Staffing is undoubtedly the first issue to be addressed. During the pandemic many club owners may have had to reduce staff hours, stand down employees or even let go of their team members. As the business begins to transition back to normal operations, you will need the support of your team to prepare your space and manage the influx of returning members. This transition may involve a slow re-introduction of staff back to their previous hours and duties in the lead up to the full lifting of social distancing restrictions.

 

The second matter is gym floor preparations. Despite being given the green light to open your doors, this does not mean business as usual. Social distancing and strict hygiene controls will need to be taken into consideration, and this could mean some changes to your equipment layout. Spacing equipment further apart and increasing the number of hand sanitiser / disinfectant wipe stations throughout the club is important to maintain clients health. Additionally, sectioning open plan spaces using tape or cones can help ensure that each member has their own space to conduct floor workouts and stretching.

 

Further restrictions based on the size of your gym may mean limiting the number of members who can be working out at one time. For clubs and studio’s that run a class schedule, this could mean reducing the number of participants in each class, however for 24/7 gyms this can be more difficult to manage. A great way to handle this is to break the day into hour blocks and create an online tool where members can register to attend at a particular time. This helps mitigate inconveniences to members, by avoiding having to turn away eager gym-goers at the door if your facility has reached capacity. It also ensures that social distancing rules are followed and allows gym staff to do a clean of equipment and bathroom/shower facilities between each session to reduce the spread of germs.

 

The third consideration is re-engaging with your existing membership base. Due to the uncertainty around the re-opening of fitness-based businesses, it is important to let your members know that you are adhering to social distancing and hygiene guidelines and keeping their safety front of mind. After a period of closure it is normal to experience a slight drop in membership numbers, however having an effective communications strategy can help mitigate the impact on your business. The use of email marketing and SMS tools are an effective way to communicate with members about when and how they can visit your business again.

 

Finally, it is important to be thinking ahead and develop a marketing strategy to help onboard new members. Whilst we understand that business growth is not your current focus, it is essential that as things return to normal you have a plan that can be quickly and effectively implemented, whether this be a national marketing initiative created by your franchisor or a local area marketing plan unique to your business. This will help secure the long-term success of your business and assist in returning your fitness club to its previous growth trajectory.

This post titled Key Considerations for Reopening Your Gym appeared first on

Prevention and Protection: COVID-19 and Gym Hygiene

With COVID-19 being declared an international pandemic by the World Health Organisation, members of the public are becoming increasingly aware of how their everyday activities may put them at threat of contracting the virus. After being warned to maintain the upmost hygiene practices and avoid contact in public spaces, many people may be second guessing including the gym in their daily routine.

As a gym owner, the thought of member attendance dropping off or even membership rates declining is scary. So what can be done to minimise the impact that COVID-19 has on your fitness business? Prevention and protection are key and making a public display of your efforts to protect members will help give peace of mind.

 

First and foremost, it is important that any actions you take are logical and sensible, without fuelling hysteria. Being proactive in regards to club hygiene is the first step, as it is during any flu season. It is vital that gym owners step up their efforts to keep their club clean and germ free to reduce the likelihood of spreading the virus from member to member. Some basic steps to improve club hygiene are:

 

• Increasing the number of antibacterial wipe dispensers around the gym
• Making hand sanitiser available to all members (this may be fixed dispensers or individual travel size bottles)
• Put up additional reminders around the club about the importance of wiping down equipment both before and after use

 

As well as these measures, you may also consider increasing the frequency that the club gets cleaned. Undertaking multiple cleans throughout the day is an excellent way combat spread of the virus in communal spaces such as lobby’s, change rooms and bathrooms.

 

Additionally, to keep member attendance rates healthy it is vital that gym goers feel your business is a safe place to attend. This could mean sending a communication to your member base advising them of the additional precautions you are taking. Further, gym and studio owners may wish to utilise temperate monitoring as an extra level of security to ensure no one is stepping foot into the gym or studio is showing any signs of potential infection. Temperate guns can be purchases as a non-invasive way to quickly clock incoming members body temperatures.

 

Whilst the COVID-19 pandemic has placed added stress on many business owners, who may be experiencing high staff absenteeism and reduced foot traffic, through adversity comes opportunity. Gym and studio owners may look to sell full finger grip gloves to their members, as a way to provide an additional safety measure whilst increase revenue through ancillary spend.

 

No matter what actions you decide to take within your fitness business to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect your members, it is important that you give your members reassurance and minimise fear.

new post Prevention and Protection: COVID-19 and Gym Hygiene appeared first on

Secondary Spend, A New Revenue Stream

As a fitness-based business owner, you are likely focused on memberships as your main stream of income. However, secondary spend is a way to increase your potential revenue and reduce your reliance on new members by activating your current client base.

 

In the fitness business, there are only a handful of ways to increase revenue: increase members, reduce costs or drive higher spend from existing members. The third option is appealing as it can be difficult to drive membership levels in a well-established location and reducing costs may not be a realistic option. Whilst increasing membership fees is often the first thought that comes to mind, the concept of secondary spend is an even better way to bolster business whilst expanding your offering to members.

 

An important first step in introducing secondary products to your fitness club or studio is to ensure that they are a good fit for your business. Make sure that the products or services you are making available to members align with your current offering and have the potential to add value to their overall experience. You may opt to introduce products such as nutrition, supplements and sports drinks, a range of activewear or workout gear, or even services such as cryotherapy and massage. There is a wealth of options available to fitness business owners which can all act as an additional stream of revenue.

 

Activating and retaining your current membership base is key in order to drive long-term success and sustainability. Not only do secondary spend offerings encourage repeat purchase behaviour among members but can also be an important aspect of developing a culture and community around your brand and business. These secondary offerings can become a unique selling point that set you aside from consumers, reinforcing existing members decision to train with you, and attracting new customers.

 

So, whether you are a budget provider looking to boost income, or a boutique business looking to define your culture, introducing ancillary offerings to drive secondary spend could take your business to the next level.

This new post Secondary Spend, A New Revenue Stream first appeared on

Catering To Wellness Tourists

Wellness tourism is a fast-growing trend cross the globe and is a $639 billion dollar industry as of 2018. As holistic living becomes more popular and tourism continues to grow, this sector of the market is become more important. Wellness tourism is defined as travel experiences that involve activities relating to personal well-being and health. This could range from yoga retreats and hiking trips to health spas and detox retreats.

 

As a result, there are more opportunities than ever for fitness-based businesses to become involved in the tourism sector. Whilst there are many ways that fitness brands can crossover into this space, regardless of which route is taken it is vital that the brands market themselves to the wellness traveler.

 

Many boutique clubs are beginning to offer wellness retreats, whether that be in house accommodation or through a partnership with a local provider. This is a great way to create a holistic wellness travel experience, often all inclusive, these styles of retreats are a great way to build brand exposure, diversify and generate an additional revenue stream.

 

Although the average gym or studio may not have the capacity to operate wellness retreats or specialist activities, there are things that can be done to ensure they capture their share of the market. Health conscious travelers, regardless of their holiday itinerary, are likely looking for a local spot to maintain their workout routine. With the rise of homestay style accommodation many travelers are branching out from the CBD and may not be staying in a traditional hotel which offers gym facilities.

 

This is a prime opportunity for gym and studio owners to offer class or membership structures which cater to a short-term member. Whether they are in the area for only a couple of days or a few weeks, having options available to meet their needs expands your potential customer base. For such visitors gym and studio owners may consider waving set-up fees such as swipe passes or joining charges, to minimise barriers to purchase.

 

No matter in which way, the ability to tap into the wellness tourism industry is a great opportunity to reach new consumers groups, build meaningful partnerships with other local businesses, and bring in additional income.

This post titled Catering To Wellness Tourists first appeared on

Helping Your Clients Achieve Their Resolutions

As a gym or studio owner, there is no doubt that when January 1^st rolls around each year you experience an influx of new members, and higher attendance among existing members. This can largely be attributed to New Year’s resolutions and is a great time to help new clients establish a routine that will help them achieve their goals, whilst re-engaging with existing members who may have been M.I.A for a few weeks.

 

One of the most important aspects of providing a positive experience is making sure that clients expectations are managed from the outset. For our ‘New Year, New Me’ members, this means spending the first sessions going over what their goals are and how soon they want to achieve them. What they had in mind may not be realistic depending on their current fitness level, time commitment or skillset.

 

An excellent strategy is to get a long-term goal and then a series of smaller goals to help them get there.  This gives your clients small wins, which help maintain motivation and keep them engaged at your club.  Additionally, it stops them from feeling like they aren’t achieving any progress if their goal is a big transformation.

 

Whether someone has been a member of years or is stepping foot in the gym for the first time, it doesn’t take long for things to become a little routine. Failing to mix it up can leave members feeling a little like they are going through the motions which can lead to poor attendance, ultimately placing them further from achieving their goals. Changing things up is an important part of helping your clients make the transition to a healthy lifestyle, not just implementing a workout routine. Opting to do outdoor workouts such as hikes or bike rides, group classes or even switching things up with a workout style that varies from their usual can help.

 

Speaking of group classes, building up a community within your gym is a great way to keep members committed and accountable. Having a gym buddy, or a group of people who will notice if they don’t show up is a great driver for members and creates a network of support for when they are feeling unmotivated.

 

Finally, nothing keeps clients committed like results. Being able to show your members that they are chipping away at their goals on a regular basis is key. This leads to more engaged members who attend regularly, meaning that they are more likely to achieve their long-term goals. This can be achieved through progress pictures, challenges to track their progress or body scanners which provide in-depth metrics.

 

Turn your January 1^st members into long-term and loyal clients by setting them on a path to success.

new post Helping Your Clients Achieve Their Resolutions originally was published on

Future Proof Your Fitness Club

As developments in automation technologies continue to rapidly advance, many industries are investigating how automation can help improve their business. Whether this be from an operations, marketing or customer service perspective, automation has the capability to cut down manual work, increase efficiency, and eliminate errors.

 

With automation being heavily integrated into many consumers day to day activities, the experience that consumers expect has adapted. This means that in order to future proof your business and meet customers evolving expectations, fitness club owners must learn how to embrace automation within their club.

 

There is no doubt that fitness club owners are generally open to the idea of adopting new technology and digital trends. Many gym and studio owners have fully embraced other technological trends such as social media, centring their marketing strategies around building their online presence. However, as the industry becomes more aware of their need to automate, it becomes clearer that finding the balance between automation and human touch points may be difficult.

 

Within an industry that struggles to create differentiation through their offering, clubs have often used brand personality and in-gym experiences to stand out in the crowd. Introducing automation may mean reducing the number of opportunities that clubs have to make this in-person impression, but failing to evolve could also threaten long-term success.

 

In implementing any new automations that will be member-facing, it is important to consider whether they are for the benefit of the consumer. If the automation will offer a new level of convenience, personalisation or help your members in achieving their fitness goals, it is good start. Many fitness clubs already offer automated 24/7 access through membership cards or biometric scanners, and there is a heavy shift towards branded apps which offer workout plans and tutorials.

 

Additionally, automation can help with back-of-house processes as well. Marketing automation platforms create more opportunities for member engagement and allow club owners to deliver tailored content. However, if it is purely to benefit back-of-house operations it is important to make sure that it doesn’t negatively impact the consumers experience.

 

Many gyms and studios have faced criticism for poorly managed email marketing, or the sending of irrelevant information to members. It is important to ensure that frequency of communication is managed and that the messaging is relevant, otherwise the positive impact that automation can have on the customer experience may be lost.

 

Future proofing is important for any business owner, and the Australia’s fitness industry is more competitive than ever. It is vital that gym owners and manager stay abreast of the latest technologies and consider how they might be able to integrate them into their business operation.

new post Future Proof Your Fitness Club was originally published on

Gamification and Fitness, A World of Potential

Gamification is the process of taking something that already exists, and adding in gaming elements to motivate, improve engagement and increase loyalty, in simple terms its turning something into a game. So how does this apply to fitness?

 

Gamification has emerged as a popular strategy as a means of influencing behaviors and expert Yu-Kai Chou says “Games have spent years decades learning how to master motivation and engagement, we are now learning from games, and that is why we call it gamification.” The underlying concept of gamification is motivation, in fitness, one of the main hindrances is lack of motivation. Gamification is used in the fitness industry to motivate consumers to participate in fitness and to achieve their goals.

 

It is found is most apps we use today, there are currently over 31,000 health and medical apps, and it is estimated that 60% of health initiatives in workplaces now include gamification elements.  Over 64% of apps involve gamification elements.

 

Gamification has become immensely popular due to the overall rise in health consciousness among Australians. Advancements in wearable technologies allows consumers to have personalised bio-metric statistics delivered straight to their smart phones. Through Fitbits and smart watches, this technology has become even more affordable and accessible. Changes in lifestyles have led to the digitisation and increase in growth of gamification in the healthcare industry globally.

 

Chronic disease has increased the demand for medical technology, resulting in the adoption of gamified models across various healthcare systems. Most consumers have a mobile phone, and access to this technology. The potential for tech based health services is unlimited, and its ability to impact population. There have been apps developed to help people monitor their chronic diseases. For example mySugr an Australian app designed for people with diabetes encourages kids to measure their blood level, and rewards them with points and a leader board.

 

Health insurance companies are also taking advantage of gamification. They have come to the realisation that healthy people cost less money, therefore they are encouraging people to become healthier. Health insurance companies encourage people to look after their health, healthy people are less of a burden to health care professionals. They are also able to track data and learn more about the health of the broader population through this model.

 

Gamification motivates people to achieve their fitness goals, games have mastered engagement and motivation, so transferring this across to fitness.  Many fitness apps motivate users by tracking their progress, offering rewards and creating competitions. So how will you use gamification to build your fitness based business?

This post called Gamification and Fitness, A World of Potential originally was published on

5 Tips On Buying Fitness Equipment

One question I get asked all the time is: “How do I find a good piece of fitness equipment?” To quote Einstein — ‘It’s all relative.’ People often associate value with total cost, but value can be defined in many more ways. For example, an $80,000 car doesn’t mean you’ll automatically get every feature you really need. In fact, it may mean you get a lot of stuff you don’t. Conversely, a flashy ad for a $2500 economy car may make your wallet feel better, but in the long run, it probably won’t be very good at getting you from point A to point B. Fitness equipment is no different! So here are a few things you need to know.

Know your Budget and Stick To It

Knowing your budget is like knowing the rules to a game: You have to fully understand them to give you the best chance at winning. The amount of money you want to spend is no different, and setting a budget should be rule #1. Decide on what you are willing to spend, then can play to win at a price that works for you. You will be surprised at how much money you can spend on fitness equipment, but just because you can doesn’t mean you should. There’s nothing stopping you from finding exactly what you need for less than what you spent on your first car.


Know Your Fitness Goals

Walking in the door of a fitness equipment retailer with only a price in mind can really hinder you. Knowing your goals will be a big part of what helps you decide on the best product. Figuring out how you’re going to use something can have a dramatic effect on your final decision. Looking for a treadmill? Then you should consider upgrades like cushion system, deck length, frame rigidity, and motor size. However, if you plan on always walking at 3.0 MPH with a 6% incline, then you can probably consider something a little smaller. Doing research on the equipment you want, such as checking out what tests treadmills are put through in the factory, can also help give you a clearer idea of what you really need.

Don’t Assume You’ll Upgrade Your Equipment

A lot of people justify buying something cheap by saying “well, I’ll see if I use it first and if I do, then I’ll buy something more expensive later.” This may seem logical at first, but in reality, it sets you up for failure right from the start. Aside from committing to throwing away money no matter what the outcome, buying cheap equipment will most likely give you a poor experience. You may end up thinking you simply dislike working out when the truth is that you don’t like working out on a poorly-made product.

Cheap gym equipment typically has poor suspension systems that can feel unnatural and cause DOMS or general aches and pains. A cheap treadmill motor, for instance, won’t give you a smooth consistent speed when walking or running, and a product that doesn’t come with solid workout programs built into the UI means you’ll be less likely to stay motivated to power through periods of fatigue. If you seriously want to commit to fitness, then buy as though your new machine will be part of your daily life for years to come.

Article Source: 5 Tips On Buying Fitness Equipment