Ep 2: What Does it Mean When You Say You Need Better Marketing?
What does it mean when you say you need better marketing? Marketing is pretty broad (and often overwhelming!) term. In this episode, I’m breaking it down and talking about some fitness marketing strategies.
Do you have a business to-do list a mile long—and don’t know where to start? If you’re like every other studio owner I’ve talked to, “marketing” is on that list somewhere. Usually hovering somewhere near the top.
The problem is that confusing terms like “cost per click” and “conversion tracking” make many of us want to give up before we even begin.
If that’s you, you’re not alone!
The good news is that in reality, marketing isn’t a technical chore. At its foundation, marketing is all about creating a thoughtful customer journey. Your business is about people, and your marketing isn’t any different. There are potential customers out there who have a lot to gain from your services. If you can find them — AND have the right conversation — everyone wins.
By understanding some common fitness marketing strategies, you’re setting yourself up for success.
The BFS Fall 2022 Studio Owner Survey found that the top business challenge facing studios today is client acquisition, with a whopping 67% of studios listing this as their number one.
What most people mean when they say ‘marketing’ is specifically lead generation, so let’s start there.
Step 1 in the Customer Journey = Attract
The need to attract new clients is a fact of life for any business, but boutique fitness and wellness studios are particularly in tune with this need. Client retention rates in this industry average around 30% year to year, so studios need to always be on the lookout for ways to replace lapsed or lost customers. It’s just the name of the game — and that’s without having growth goals.
There are lots of ways to get visibility and draw new clients to your business (and many don’t require the use of paid ads, despite what all those spammy emails in your inbox may say).
Visibility tactics can be loosely grouped into three buckets: search, social, and signage.
Search is the one we all want because it’s people already looking for what you offer. Website SEO, Google Business profile, and paid Google ads are the focus areas here, but there are many other search directories, and Instagram is a searchable index.
Social is leveraging the fact that we all have IRL relationships. Referral programs, community events, and, yes, social media are all different ways you can generate buzz around your studio.
Signage is a classic but can’t be overlooked. In addition to traditional signage, you now have things like QR codes, water bottle stickers, and Instagrammable photo walls to consider.
My point in all of this is that paid Facebook/Google ads are not the only lead-generation activities you have available to you… Far from it! I’m sure we’ll discuss this more in future episodes, but it's something to consider if you’re not seeing results from paid ads alone.
Important note! White attraction marketing IS the first step in the customer’s journey, but it may not be the first thing YOU want to focus on as the business owner.
You’re ready to focus on attracting new prospects when, and only when:
Your website communicates what you do and the value of your offer well.
Your website checkout is as streamlined as possible.
You have a sales plan once someone makes that first purchase (intentional touch points to make a second sale).
If that’s not you yet, try focusing on one of these subsequent two phases as part of your fitness marketing strategy FIRST!
Which brings us to…
Step 2 in the Customer Journey = Convert
This comes down to the fact that your website matters— how it looks, what it says, AND how it works. If a customer visits your website, they’re already interested in your services. But if they can’t find an easy path to purchase, that interest will dwindle quickly, they’ll look for another option (i.e., your competitor), and you’ve lost a valuable opportunity to connect with that person.
Your website, generally, is your best chance of converting visitors into customers; even if someone drives past your sign or hears about you from a friend, the next thing they’re probably going to do is visit your website. Just think about how YOU research local businesses you may want to check out.
With that in mind, here are some specific things you can do to better convert website visitors to paid clients:
1. Let people know immediately that they’re in the right place and they can trust you.
This means having your location clearly displayed on your home page without having to scroll and search for it—this is especially important in these post-pandemic days with plenty of virtual studio options in the world. And using actual photos of real people in your real location. Nothing makes people feel like something is off, like stock photos used by a business that actually has their own space!
2. Make an obvious, easy first step by featuring your intro offer.
Whether you do a free first class, consultation, or paid trial, be very clear throughout your site how someone should get started at your studio. You may feel like you’re repeating yourself, but new people should never be more than one click away from finding your intro offer. It’s like their home base - what they’re contemplating as they browse to learn more about your business. Keep it front and center.
Wondering what’s going on with intro offers these days? Join us for an upcoming episode all about intro offers!
3. Reduce required checkout fields to the absolute minimum.
Studies show that the longer the form (i.e. the more information you ask), the less likely someone is to complete it. It’s just human nature. We get distracted, we get uncomfortable putting so much personal info online, or maybe we’re just feeling lazy that day.
Whatever the case may be, if someone is buying an intro package, you probably only need their name, email, and (maybe) credit card info. You can collect everything else in the studio when they come for the first class or session. Make it as easy as possible for them to make that initial purchase.
4. Sprinkle in social proof.
Just like photos of real clients can be a big trust builder, their words can also go a long way to show that you deliver the results you say you can. Don’t tuck client reviews away on their own dedicated page (those pages are rarely visited). Instead, sprinkle relevant reviews throughout your site.
5. Have an FAQ page or section.
Buyers have hesitations. Always. By anticipating those questions and meeting them head-on, you can not only provide help, but you can help people overcome the thing that’s holding them back from booking their first class. And it doubles to help people feel seen and understood. :)
Now, on to step three of our boutique fitness marketing strategies.
Step 3 in the Customer Journey = Retain
Earlier, we talked about the need to attract new clients to your business to make up for lost or lapsed customers. But here’s the flip side to that: it’s arguably easier and cheaper to keep customers than it is to find new ones.
While the industry average is just around 30% retention rate year to year, many profitable studios have a much better rate than that, and it’s one of the unsexy aspects of marketing that leads to longevity and profitability. Imagine what it would do for the boutique fitness industry if we gave as much attention to retention marketing as we do to generating new leads.
Think about it—these are people who want your services, know about your business, and have shown they’re willing to pay for your packages. All you have to do is keep them happy and engaged.
Yes, this is easier said than done, and if this is a goal you have and this is one of the things I’m really excited to dive deeper into through this season of the podcast, so be sure to keep listening.
This season, in their own episodes, we’ll be talking about crafting excellent client experiences, building and cultivating community, and what’s new in email marketing and texting communications—all things that are critical to retention.
So, now that you’ve got some ideas on fitness marketing strategies that may work for your business, what’s your next step?
Putting it into action!
Which Fitness Marketing Strategies Will You Employ?
Here’s your tough love for the day. Two things I want you to think about as you go about the rest of your day today:
Most marketing doesn’t work because it doesn’t get done.
Your biggest marketing challenge may actually be a sales or retention challenge—not a lack of leads.
Here’s what you’re going to do:
Start by taking stock of your business as it is right now. What’s working well for your business already? Give yourself a little credit here…celebrate what you’re doing well! Once someone tries a class, do they love it and stay for more? Do your customers stay for years?
Now, look at the area that you feel is your biggest weakness. That is the area you want to focus on first. Don’t be distracted by other areas, at least for now. Fitness studio marketing is a never-ending process—you can come back to the others!
So, what’s your next marketing move? What fitness marketing strategies can you employ? Is it lead generation, conversion optimization, or retention? Write it down, add it as a topic for your next team meeting, and budget for it if needed. Make it a priority for the next quarter.
I hope you now have a clearer picture of what marketing means for your boutique fitness studio. I’ll be back next week with another episode, so stay tuned.
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