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Health club marketing opportunities are everywhere and are only limited by your own creativity. Your small club is definitely newsworthy, whether you believe it or not. Your health club will always is rewarded when doing something to help others
1. Establish a food drive
Promote an offer of something like, "Bring in 3 canned goods and pay no enrollment". Not only are you driving traffic, you're also helping those less fortunate. Local media such as news stations and newspapers love writing about positive things. Let them know that you're working with a local homeless shelter and donating all canned goods to them.
2. Submit articles to your local newspaper
If your town's newspaper doesn't have a weekly fitness write up, volunteer to write for them. Try to find other types of print media, smaller papers, community newsletters, etc that you can contribute to. There might also be local websites that are specific to your area that you could contribute to. If by chance you are not much of a writer, pay a staff member or use a service like Elance to find someone who will write for cheap.
3. Partner with your local radio station
You can run a contest among the listeners of the radio station to see who can lose the most weight. The contest can run for 8-12 weeks. Give the DJ's free memberships to your health club and have them promote the contest, get lots of people to apply to be in the contest, and provide you contact information for all applicants. If there are two DJ's it can be a lot of fun for them to form two separate teams and compete. It makes for an exciting contest for listeners of the radio station and great free marketing for your health club.
4. Host a charitable event
Get members to have friends and family pledge an amount per mile you spend on the treadmill or for every step you climb on the stairmaster. Even if you only get 2 people to participate, it doesnt matter. Tell the radio station about it and they will do a story on it. Its different, its interesting, and its not negative news...which seems to be all there is on the news these days.
5. Conduct Seminars
At your local community center or chamber of commerce you will find a listing of presentations put on by local experts and hobbyists. From soccer skills to business planning, you will find a little bit of everything. They will be presented by experts and those who simply avid enthusiasts. Keep in mind that if someone is already on the schedule to promote fitness, find out specifically what their topic is and choose a different fitness related topic. There are so many different things you could present. And their organization does all of the promotional campaigning for the presentations, but it would be a good idea to do a little marketing for your fitness business as well.
6. Promote one of your members as local hero
Media loves success stories, especially ones that involve someone overcoming incredible odds. You probably know someone like this in your club, but why not allow members to submit applications to be SmithTown Fitness Hero. Have everyone submit a 300 word article on how they have overcome the odds and how your club has helped them. Once you select a winner, send a press release to the newspaper, Local SmithTown citizen wins Hero award. Of course, give something to everyone who submits an application. Perhaps frame and post all of the success stories and create a SmithTown Fitness Wall of Heroes at your club to let all of your members be inspired. Think of how powerful this would be to show a prospect as youre touring them!
Of course, these 7 strategies only scratch the surface of how you can get free publicity in your fitness facility. Be creative and you will see your club become more popular the more proactive you are in your PR efforts.
1. Establish a food drive
Promote an offer of something like, "Bring in 3 canned goods and pay no enrollment". Not only are you driving traffic, you're also helping those less fortunate. Local media such as news stations and newspapers love writing about positive things. Let them know that you're working with a local homeless shelter and donating all canned goods to them.
2. Submit articles to your local newspaper
If your town's newspaper doesn't have a weekly fitness write up, volunteer to write for them. Try to find other types of print media, smaller papers, community newsletters, etc that you can contribute to. There might also be local websites that are specific to your area that you could contribute to. If by chance you are not much of a writer, pay a staff member or use a service like Elance to find someone who will write for cheap.
3. Partner with your local radio station
You can run a contest among the listeners of the radio station to see who can lose the most weight. The contest can run for 8-12 weeks. Give the DJ's free memberships to your health club and have them promote the contest, get lots of people to apply to be in the contest, and provide you contact information for all applicants. If there are two DJ's it can be a lot of fun for them to form two separate teams and compete. It makes for an exciting contest for listeners of the radio station and great free marketing for your health club.
4. Host a charitable event
Get members to have friends and family pledge an amount per mile you spend on the treadmill or for every step you climb on the stairmaster. Even if you only get 2 people to participate, it doesnt matter. Tell the radio station about it and they will do a story on it. Its different, its interesting, and its not negative news...which seems to be all there is on the news these days.
5. Conduct Seminars
At your local community center or chamber of commerce you will find a listing of presentations put on by local experts and hobbyists. From soccer skills to business planning, you will find a little bit of everything. They will be presented by experts and those who simply avid enthusiasts. Keep in mind that if someone is already on the schedule to promote fitness, find out specifically what their topic is and choose a different fitness related topic. There are so many different things you could present. And their organization does all of the promotional campaigning for the presentations, but it would be a good idea to do a little marketing for your fitness business as well.
6. Promote one of your members as local hero
Media loves success stories, especially ones that involve someone overcoming incredible odds. You probably know someone like this in your club, but why not allow members to submit applications to be SmithTown Fitness Hero. Have everyone submit a 300 word article on how they have overcome the odds and how your club has helped them. Once you select a winner, send a press release to the newspaper, Local SmithTown citizen wins Hero award. Of course, give something to everyone who submits an application. Perhaps frame and post all of the success stories and create a SmithTown Fitness Wall of Heroes at your club to let all of your members be inspired. Think of how powerful this would be to show a prospect as youre touring them!
Of course, these 7 strategies only scratch the surface of how you can get free publicity in your fitness facility. Be creative and you will see your club become more popular the more proactive you are in your PR efforts.
About the Author:
Curtis Mock has quickly become the go to person for gym marketing advice. You can sign up for his gym marketing tip of the week and be sure to take advantage of your trial membership to the powerful gym marketing resource site created specifically for health club operators.
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