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Nov 30
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Pilates tops the list of the most in-demand exercise

By Fitness industry archives and news, Pilates

Top wellness and fitness trend

Pilates is the exercise discipline that showed the most resilience throughout the ups and downs of the Covid pandemic. Our research shows that the public stuck with, or turned to, Pilates when other exercise disciplines were experiencing tougher trading conditions.

Formed by Joseph and Clara Pilates in the 1920’s when they opened Body Conditioning Gym in New York City, Pilates has evolved through the years while sticking to its original philosophy and principles.

Today over 12 million people enjoy the benefits of Pilates, establishing itself as the top wellness and fitness trend in the UK throughout the pandemic, performing even more robustly than Yoga.

“We have seen a surge for low impact classes. People are increasingly focused on wellness and Pilates offers a great blend of flexibility and strength training,” says Ollie Bailey, CEO at Gymcatch.

The popularity of Pilates

When assessing the popularity of Pilates the main factor was consumer attitudes to the discipline. Pilates enthusiasts, more than in other areas of fitness and wellness, considered Pilates to be an essential part of their routines, rather than a hobby.

Moreover, in a period where people were particularly keen to avoid using health services, we saw consistent feedback that the low-impact, low injury risk reputation of the discipline saw consumers turn to Pilates rather than disciplines that they perceived as riskier.

Finally, Pilates has proved to be a more convenient form of exercise during the past year, as lower intensity and simpler forms of Pilates were perfectly suited to participation at home.

“Pilates has evolved, and demand has increased due to the pandemic with more people looking for mind-body health and overall wellbeing. Thirty minutes a day can be enough to get real results, so it fits into the workday well,” says Joanne Cobbe from JPilates.

Pilates in numbers

Lower impact exercise saw a 2556% increase in bookings between January and July 2021 on Gymcatch. Pilates alone has seen a 25% increase from 2020 to 2021, despite the incredibly challenging backdrop. In the UK Pilates is a truly national discipline with participation levels slightly higher in London and southern counties but distributed throughout the country with almost half of English counties searching for a Pilates exercise class.

Fitness map display

 

Virtual Pilates classes are here to stay

Many consumers have fully adjusted to online classes and are now seeking the perfect blend of face- to-face and virtual sessions. But this does not mean that face-to-face delivery is going anywhere. The majority of consumers have returned to in-person delivery and in most cases virtual sessions appear to be supplementing, rather than replacing the in person experience.

Following the end of the national lockdown in the UK in April 2021 we’ve seen a steady recovery of in person delivery. In May 25% of classes were still online only. During June and July 2021 85% of classes were delivered in-personGymcatch expects about 10% of pilates participation to permanently switch to virtual.

“People still want access to On-Demand content or have the option to attend a live-streamed class. By doing both, Pilates instructors can offer more value and more convenience for their clients while adding revenue, new streams and resilience to their businesses,” says Ollie Bailey, CEO at Gymcatch.

For more information on Gymcatch yoga studio software and how it can help with your yoga or pilates business, get in contact to book a demo or start a free trial.

 

 

Oct 25
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How to get your fitness brand to stand out

By Fitness marketing and social archives and news

How to get your fitness brand to stand out from the crowd using social media

 

Social media has become the hub for fitness and wellness-related content. It is the place to be for all fitness professionals who use social channels to effectively broadcast their brand. However, with social media becoming ever so crowded, how are some fitness professionals able to grab people’s attention and stand out from the crowd?

In this article, entrepreneur and fitness professional, Anna Martin, shares her top 5 strategies to stand out from the crowd and get your fitness brand noticed online.

‘My biggest reach on any post is always if I have shared something about myself. It goes deeper than a couple of photos of a night out and a three-word caption with a couple of emojis.’

Anna Martin
Owner AMF and Anna Martin Fitness

We all know the feeling of staring at the phone thinking “what the hell am I going to write this time”. The world of social media has become overwhelming in the last few years. Gone are the times of sharing a grainy screenshot of a logo and seeing the class bookings roll in. Social media has become a whole business of its own, and one that it can feel difficult to keep up with. It doesn’t have to be quite the labour-intensive production that it first seems, however.

Here I share my top tips to make social media work for you and your fitness business. 

1. Bring your quirk and tell your story

It’s easy to spot a copy and paste caption or status a mile off. It sounds nothing like that person’s usual posts and will do nothing to improve their reach or status. The best and easiest thing to do is to first understand who you are as a fitness professional and why your clients come to you.

Ask your clients, find out what it is about you that is appealing. If you’ve been through a difficult journey, then share some of it. It doesn’t have to be a warts and all diary entry to connect with people. In fact, sharing your story and becoming unique in that way will attract your ideal clients. 

2. Understand the algorithms

Social media companies didn’t create their platforms to be nice. They created them to make money. We get to use them for free, in return of our data. They then use the data for businesses to run well-targeted adverts. The more adverts placed, the better it is for the social platform.

Spending time in the platform contributing and engaging is key too. If your content makes people spend longer time on social media, the algorithm will see us as a positive contributor. Facebook and Instagram measure engagement using things like DMs, comments, likes, saves, and shares. They even zoom in on pictures, or rewatching the same videos.

The more interesting your content is to your target market, the more people you will reach. It sounds so robotic, but that’s what is in it for them. We don’t need to create content specifically with this in mind, but it’s good to know when it comes to evaluating why our ‘Come to My Class’ graphic didn’t get great reach. 

3. Get personal about your fitness journey

My biggest reach on any post is always if I have shared something about myself. It goes deeper than a couple of photos of a night out and a three-word caption with a couple of emojis. If I write about my journey with scoliosis for example or my journey with teaching group fitness, those interactions are much higher. It’s easy to forget that social media is a relationship-building platform. It’s like chatting to someone on the gym floor, or someone coming up to you on the high street. If we think about it like that, then it’s easier to decide what kind of content you want to put out there. 

4. Be consistent

It’s about showing up. It might not be every day but if it’s regularly rather than sporadically. Once you set your frequency your followers/friends will start to become excited about your posts. Gradually it’ll feel less like an effort and more like a conversation which is the ultimate goal!

You’ll be told things like ‘post 6 times a week’, ‘post 3 times a day’ but the truth is, it needs to be a schedule/routine that you can stick to and build from. Don’t let yourself be pushed into something that is too hard for you to maintain. We are all different and so are our clients, that’s why we will gradually work out how much is too much for them!

5. Use unique visuals

Use your logo and brand colours to make sure you are easily recognisable from your social media posts. It can be as simple as overlaying a transparent png of your logo onto a video, especially if it’s not of you. Once you have your brand colours nailed down, use something simple like Canva to give your social media posts that personalised look. Once you have templates set up, the time is taken to get the content made will rapidly reduce, leaving you more time to do what you do best – flex in front of large roomfuls of people. 

There are times when we all feel like we are shouting at an empty room, but going back to basics will help you get in touch with who you are talking to and what they want to hear from you. Although the latest trend might work for some people, for other’s it’s not the way to go and it’s far better to understand who is listening to you and how best to help them achieve their goals. 

Build your own community using Gymcatch! Alternatively check out Gymcatch gym booking software for more information.

Sep 14
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Fitness trends in 2021: Group fitness helped Brits through the pandemic

By Fitness industry archives and news

In March 2020 our everyday lives changed drastically, with most Brits being stripped of their favourite fitness routines. The pandemic made us homebound, but how did the fitness industry adapt to this new way of living, and where do we stand now? We’ve analysed the bookings made through our app and search volumes to help you understand how the pandemic changed the fitness landscape.

 

LOW IMPACT TRAINING GAINED THE MOST POPULARITY


Low Impact Training (LIT) for older adults was the highest relative gainer during the pandemic. LIT classes saw a 2556% relative increase in bookings between January and July 2021 compared to the number of bookings from the same period of time the year before, reaching the highest number of bookings in March 2021 with exercises such as Active Aging and Paracise to the fore.

Besides LIT, gymnastics, and martial arts classes also saw big increases in bookings in 2021, with classes being held virtually from January till April, and then in person after the easing of the lockdown measures.

Perhaps surprisingly, the gymnastics lovers were eager to carry on exercising during the pandemic as the sport had the second highest relative increase with bookings for classes going up by 308% during the first half of the 2021 when compared to 2020. Martial arts also bounced back strongly in 2021, with Karate, Jiu Jitsu, and Kung Fu bookings seeing a 203% like-for-like increase on the Gymcatch platform between January and July 2021, placing martial arts classes in third place.

DANCE AND RHYTHM: THE MOST POPULAR WORKOUT CATEGORY OVERALL


Fun dance and rhythm related exercise classes such as Zumba, Pole, Clubbercise, and Boogie Bounce accounted for a third of all exercise classes booked through the Gymcatch apps in 2021, dubbing the category the most popular form of exercise for the third year running.

The classes gained even more relative popularity over the pandemic as 20% of all our booked classes in 2019 were dance and rhythm related, whereas during the pandemic the category saw a 10% increase and accounted for 30% of all classes in 2021.

Being one of the Brits’s all time favourite exercises, boxing has remained as the second most popular exercise for the past 3 years. Between 2020 and 2021 the third most popular exercise has changed from Aerobics to now highly popular Low Impact Training.

MENTAL HEALTH VALUED MORE IN LOCKDOWN


Lockdown periods have taken their toll on mental health, with feelings of uncertainty increasing anxiety. Therefore it comes as no surprise that 5% of all classes booked through Gymcatch in 2021 accounted for emerging wellness classes.

To help manage negative emotions, Brits have been actively looking to book online Meditation classes and Thrive Approach which promotes children’s positive mental health by helping parents to understand their child’s mental state also gained popularity.

The highest number of these type of wellness class bookings were recorded between March and July 2020, and January and April 2021 when the UK was still under national lockdown. Like-for-like, they were 50% more popular in April 2021 than there were in April 2020, indicating that people had looked for ways to maintain and improve their mental health to get through the uncertain times.

Lockdown undoubtedly caused a rise in virtual workouts and socially distanced outdoor activities, and following the end of the national lockdown in April 2021, this trend continued, with people still hesitant to attend in-person classes. In May 25% of classes were still online only, reducing to 15% in June and July 2021.

PERSONAL TRAINER DEMAND IN 2021


Personal trainers were in demand after the UK’s gyms reopened in April 2021. The number of personal training sessions booked through the Gymcatch app saw a 70% spike in April compared to the demand just a month earlier in March. All in all there were 10% more personal training sessions booked between January and July 2021 than there were during the same months in 2020.

PRE AND POST NATAL CLASSES: 2021 SAW A RISE IN BOOKINGS


In 2020, Pre and Post Natal classes accounted for a smaller share of the overall class bookings than they did pre-pandemic in 2019. However, in 2021 the number of bookings saw an uptrend and the classes made up 3% of all places booked using the Gymcatch apps. The number of Pre and Post Natal class bookings increased by 135% between January and July 2021 compared to the same period of time the year before in 2020.

THE MOST SEARCHED FOR EXERCISES IN THE UK


The Brits seem to disagree on their favourite exercises, as most of the English were looking up for local Pilates classes with the Scottish showing more interest in yoga and core workouts over the past 3 years. Like the Scottish, the Welsh were on a journey of a balanced lifestyle with yoga being the most searched for exercise. In Northern Ireland people were keen to work on their abs with most searches being for core exercises.

Even the English were divided over their favourite exercise; the South preferring Pilates, whereas the North preferred Yoga and Gymnastics. Overall, the most searched for exercises were Pilates, Yoga, and Martial Arts.

Things might not be as they used to be quite yet, but for what it’s worth at least gyms are open now, and most exercise classes are running as they were before the pandemic, providing many with a much needed sense of routine and community.

For more information on Gymcatch personal training booking software and how it can help your business get in touch to book a demo or start a free trial. 

 

 

Jun 22
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How to price your fitness classes online

By Fitness business management archives and news, Fitness marketing and social archives and news

The global pandemic has changed the way most of us do everyday things. People have been introduced to Zoom meetings, podcasts and grocery delivery slots, and online exercise classes have become part of the norm. Virtual exercise has welcomed a different group of people into the fitness community – those seriously pushed for time, folks with caring obligations, the self-conscious and the gym curious.

For fitness providers, now is the perfect time for offering online tuition of all kinds. But if you’ve never held a virtual class before, or you’re adding to your repertoire, you’ll need to know how to price your service.

Here are 5 things to consider when you are working out what to charge for your fitness classes online.

Class size

Think about how many participants you want to teach. If you offer one-to-one classes then the costs will be passed onto a single client, but smaller group classes would lower the cost per person and potentially give you more income.

How does that work? Well, for a personal 1-2-1 class you could charge £40 as an example, but if you offer small group sessions for just 4 people at a time and ask £12 each, each client pays less and you earn and extra £8 a time.

Large classes with limitless participants can be offered at a lower cost per head, but think about how many you’ll need to make your target income? You could think that being cheap will encourage larger numbers, but is it really worth it to you? If you have 20 people logging in at £4 each, it’s the same to you as 16 logging in for £5 per head but you need 4 fewer clients each session which might be easier to achieve. So you need to consider if you’ll be able to fill the class at your selected price to get the profit margins you want.

Check your competitor prices

Sounds like a basic thing to do but checking out your competitors is key. Make sure you understand what others charge for the same service. Make a comprehensive list so you can make a good comparison, don’t just stop once you find one. There are no set rules when it comes to online classes – you will probably find a wide range of prices but you’ll notice a trend to give you a ball-park figure to work with. Take note of what others offer for their price such as the length of class, frequency, number of sessions a week and if there is a cap on the number of participants.

Block booking and packages

Consider whether you want to offer courses or block bookings at a discount. To get clients to pay upfront for a package of 5, 6 or 10 classes will help you with your finances but be aware that this comes with some complications.

Will your customers have to use their sessions for the same class each week or can they log in for your full programme of sessions? How much of a discount will you offer for booking multiple classes at a time and will this still give you the income you need? Clients will want to have the option to miss a session due to sickness or have a refund if they cancel.

Your cancellation policy must be clearly displayed and carefully thought out before you choose this option. There is no reason that discounts like this won’t work well, they simply require some planning.

Uniqueness and popularity

Be aware of the uniqueness of your classes. Straightforward HIIT sessions are more commonly found online so, without an unusual hook, you can’t charge much more than your competitors. But if you specialise in Kundalini Yoga, for example, then you are offering a niche product and can charge a premium rate.

Setting the price

The last thing to be aware of is that people will make an opinion of your classes based on the price. Offer your services too cheap and it will be considered an inferior product. Set your fees too high and clients will expect much more from you, and the extra cost will put off a large group of clients. There is a sweet spot – you just need to find it.

Luckily, you don’t need to think of everything by yourself. Gymcatch has made life easier for online fitness class providers with software that is simple to use. Take class bookings, manage waiting lists and collect payments with ease. If you’ve decided to use promo codes, passes and bundles to get things off the ground, then you can set all of these too – you have complete control. Get in touch for a free demo.

Apr 07
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How to start a fitness Instagram

By Fitness marketing and social archives and news

Instagram is considered as one of the major marketing platforms in social media. It can be a vital strategy for boosting your fitness business. Starting a fitness Instagram can be an excellent way to establish your brand. Whether you run a personal training business, gym facility, or sell your products online, Instagram marketing channel is most likely to be an effective platform. But the question is, where do you start?


First of all, let’s look at how to start a successful fitness Instagram. Here are the tips you need to look at:

  • Remember, fitness covers a broad topic. Those people who would be interested to follow a bodybuilding fitness account may not be the same people who have the interest to follow an Instagram yoga blogger.
  • Do you want to increase the number of cross-fit followers, bodybuilding followers, or yoga followers?
  • You need to select your target market guided by your niche carefully.
  • To have authority over a specific area, choose your niche, and strictly stick to it.

When starting a fitness Instagram, picking a specific area and focusing on it can be much easier to capture more audience than generalising the approach. In this article, we share how to start a fitness Instagram.

Get clear on your goal and objectives

Just like any other marketing activity, you must have clear goals and objectives. This is crucial because it will influence the kind of content you will post. For example, Are you trying to get new PT clients or gym members? Are you interested in promoting fitness programs regarding post-pregnancy or promoting active ageing classes? Or will you want your website to drive more traffic to where you sell fitness products? Once you get a clear idea of why you want to create your Instagram account, you can now go ahead and tailor your content and profile accordingly. Before you set your intentions on Instagram, the first step is to determine what achievement and success mean to your business. These key questions will help you to answer how to start a fitness business on Instagram.

  • In the end, what do you intend to achieve through your Instagram marketing?
  • Are you creating brand awareness to reach out to your target customer base?
  • Do you want to use the platform to display your services and products?
  • Are you using Instagram to acquire new clients or to educate your followers?
  • Are you trying to engage your community?

Instagram account for business can be of use in various ways to assist meets your overall goals. That is why it is crucial to set realistic objectives, and this will further help you match your strategies with the objectives. For instance, if you want to use Instagram to endorse a new instructor or trainer, then you should target an audience that will generate excitement and buzz in the lead. To find the right audience, you can use a tool like Instagram insights.

Create an amazing business profile


To create an Instagram that magnetises followers, a high business profile is essential. To appear in search web results, you need a strong business profile. The first item people see is your profile, so it must make a positive impression. Three most vital elements must appear in your business profile:

  • Profile Photo – use a headshot picture with a professional logo.
  • Bio – to make any potential business prospects find your online content, you must include the keyword in your bio.
  • Link – this will not only take followers to your homepage but also your lead page.

There is a lot more to be included in the business profile, but these three things are fundamental. The business profile feature gives you a way to other online tools such as Instagram adverts, contact information, Instagram insights, and many more.

  • Instagram adverts – it allows you to advertise on the platform and promote your posts. These help your business to grow both your engagement and your reach.
  • Contact information – the contact button is indispensable and allows your users to contact you very quickly. The button can be set in a way that people can call or email you. Also, you can set your location through a map.
  • Instagram insights – this allows your users to see what content works best for them. It gives your business all the crucial data concerning the account as well as how posts perform. Insights provide weekly performance data on clicks, reach, followers, impressions, the website, etc. Additionally, it gives comprehensive data on your follower’s demographics, such as times they are most active and location.

Develop quality content for your target audience


Here we are talking about starting your Instagram content and including things like hashtags, captions, and images. Also, inspirational quotes such as ‘mouth-watering healthy meals’ as well as aspirational fitness activities such as ‘beach yoga’ work very well. However, you must come up with the right content that will appeal to your specific target audience and is authentic to your brand. You can use consistent filters and colours to give your theme a cohesive mood. Include relevant fitness, yoga, and health hashtags. Several captions can be used according to what you see best fits your needs. Keep the captions short and snappy. People will absorb the message more efficiently. Blog posts must be longer, and a lot more detailed, and emoticons should be used to break up the text. Create a clear call to action such as ‘follow our bio link’ etc. For high-quality Instagram content:

  • Create different posts by using varying formats – play around with different inspirational quotes and formats. Instagram has a variety of different formats, and you can use a mix-up. Use video to provide demonstrations and tutorials. Create posts that allow you to share several photos at a time. Play around with different inspirational quotes and photo formats.
  • Use ready-to-use templates – many online tools can help you create engaging content for your ideal clients. The templates are amazingly useful, and you don’t need a top-notch designer. You can create Instagram stories and insights using the tools.
  • Use high-quality pictures – people want to see beautiful thought out content. If you use fuzz photos slightly, it may not draw attention.

Follow and interact

Creating a fitness Instagram is not just about quality content, but should be interactive too. Many people tend to look at who follows you, and a few will follow you back. The key to having a fitness Instagram is to interact with your followers genuinely. To achieve this, like and comment on their content, and that way, you will start building relationships. Avoid unfollowing those people you follow. At last, this will develop fans that might finally purchase what you offer.

Instagram can build a community and a perfect place to interact with people. You can repost customer photos, use call-to-actions, and host competitions just to keep followers engaged.
• Utilise call-to-actions – you can ask followers for suggestions or feedback. You can ask for an answer to a question. You can as well reward your followers after entering into a competition and many more
• Regram – this allows you to share the content of other people. By doing so, you can create further connections.
• Tag people – when you post content from customers, tag them. If you are working with influential people, share their posts, and tag them.
• Engage other accounts – do virtual networking. Ask questions, comment on photos, and suggest tips.

Reach your ideal clientele with ads


Instagram, just like other significant channels, has a dominant ads platform. Facebook powers the ads, and you can post the same ads across both Instagram and Facebook. The ads have a stunning visual design layout that helps to create ads to be simple. Popularity with Instagram is growing and causing it to become an essential part of the general marketing strategic options.

  • Use A/B Test to your ads until you configure which combination gets the best result for you.
  • Create a promotion ad that gives value like free introductory classes.
  • Use quality videos and images.
  • Create a dedicated landing page on the website. Provide a direct ‘call to action’ when the person gets there.

Rinse, repeat and scale what’s working


Identify what is most effective and double down on the efforts to achieve that. After a particular milestone, review your Instagram posts and profile. Evaluate what needs to change, what can be improved, and what worked well.

  • Were there particular hashtags and themes that worked well?
  • Which of your accounts followed you back the most?
  • What content was the most popular?

After you have identified the most popular elements, then focus on them for the next like 30 days. This ensures you don’t hit a plateau in your fitness program. Instead, it helps you to continue to grow.

Make a content calendar


To maximise your reach, ensure you create a variety of useful content and a content calendar. Schedule different types of posts and share them on different days. For example:

  • Monday – share a workout tip.
  • Tuesday – share a motivational quote.
  • Wednesday – make it a transformational day by posting a photo of ‘before and after.’
  • Thursday – share a healthy meal recipe.
  • Friday – let it be your networking day. You can promote a company to push existing partnerships.
  • Saturday – make it an interacting day by asking a question.
  • Sunday – make it a light sharing day by posting a health and fitness meme or a funny Gif.

Summarising, by following the above steps, now you are aware of how you can start a fitness Instagram for your business. For a long term success, use this information to create and set up your account in a strong foundation. Having a clear goal and well set up objectives will ensure your focus on social efforts align well with your business goals. Great creative content and a strong profile will help your services and products appeal to your target audience. Following others will enable you to develop a lasting relationship with people who might get interested in what you are offering. Evaluating your social efforts can help you to quickly scale up and build your fitness program to be an amazingly effective marketing platform.

Once you’ve got your fitness Instagram set up and the enquires start to flowing through. You’ll need to invest in fitness management software to organise all your clients. That’s where Gymcatch gym booking software comes in! Get in contact with us today to see how we can help you.

Apr 07
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Social media marketing tips for fitness professionals

By Fitness marketing and social archives and news

Social media is an essential tool for fitness professionals looking to grow their fitness businesses. As things stand, social media users already have a massive appetite for all content related to fitness routines and general well-being.

As a business owner, you can’t, therefore, afford to ignore this particular channel when creating your marketing, advertising, and branding strategy. The following is a look at some of the social media marketing tips that you can use to enable you to market your fitness business.

1. Inspire, entertain, and inform

One of the leading reasons why individuals sign up to social media platforms is to get entertained. Other reasons include to be informed about global happenings and to interact with their friends. You have to realize that social media users don’t register to these platforms so that businesses can sell to them.

As such, businesses that are always posting content that has too much “salesy” language will often end-up being bypassed. The key to attracting a sizeable following on social media is to make certain that your content is based around the following three (3) main principles:


I. Inspire: Use social media to share motivation content sourced from other pages or use your pages to showcase the transformation undergone by your members.
II. Inform: Try to educate your audience using valuable details related to nutrition and fitness. You should aim to provide them with advice clearly and concisely so that it becomes easier for them to implement some of these routines at home.
III. Entertain: At times, social media users just want to enjoy themselves. You can provide some entertainment by infusing some of your personality into the content. Aim to distinguish your brand from the serious nature demonstrated by other brands in the fitness industry.

2. Focus on mobile

In your quest to learn how to get popular on social media, you will have no option but to focus on mobile. For many industries today, the main channel of communicating with their target clients is through the use of mobile phones.

According to a recent study commissioned by Smart Insights, tablets and mobile phones were the main devices used by people in the hours outside their normal working days. Business owners need to engage with their target clients during these particular hours. The study also established that a majority of users spent a large chunk of their time on different phone applications.

Your brand needs to be active on Instagram and Facebook. The two social networking platforms have been seen to be the most efficient when it comes to advertising a fitness business. In addition to this, you can also consult with your web developer to ensure that the brand’s website is properly optimized for mobile. You also need to look into how you can integrate a fitness business booking and management system. Integrating this type of system will help you save time by reducing the overall amount of time you spend on repetitive tasks. You also get to boost your revenue stream, enhance customer experience, and communicate much more easily with your audience.

3. Exercise patience and post frequently

A common reason why many fitness business owners don’t succeed in digital marketing is that they lose hope easily. Many business owners start to give up after only having tried marketing their business online for a couple of weeks. The reason for losing hope is because the brand owners expect to start seeing results as soon as they have launched an advertising campaign.

However, what you need to understand is that the process of growing your online presence isn’t a sprint, but is more similar to running a sprint race. What’s even worse is that some brands opt to purchase fake followers on platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. Anyone who has ever tried this will tell you that it doesn’t end well for the brand.

Buying fake followers means that in theory, you will have hundreds or even thousands of people viewing your posts; but not all will engage with the posts you make. This is because the audience isn’t organic. Your posts will, therefore, end up with very few clicks and shares. There’s also the possibility that you could get into trouble with the platform administrators
Instagram and Twitter have been actively cracking down on individuals, influencers, and fitness brands that have resorted to purchasing fake followers. So instead of choosing the ‘easier’ route, you should aim to at least post 3-5 times each week on all the platforms your brand has an active presence.

The following is a quick guide on what your brand should post online:
• Post nutrition advice which can be in the form of an image, blog post, or video
• Share an article or newsletter that is relevant to the fitness industry
• Post a workout tutorial that can again be in the form of an image, blog post, or video
• Post two pictures or videos of your weekly classes
• Share your timetable for the week

4. Don’t underestimate the power of an advertisement

Instagram and Facebook Ads are the most recommended marketing and advertising option for small fitness studios looking to advertise via the internet. The two methods are highly recommended because they are affordable compared to other forms of traditional and online advertising.
Also, a large percentage of the population today spends most of their free time on the two platforms. Look at it this way, Instagram has more than 800 million active monthly users, while Facebook has more than 2.2 billion active monthly users. A major benefit of using the two platforms is that you can create custom ads targeted to a specific audience.

If you would like to target different market demographics, you could also choose to run a wider selection of advertisements. Ensure that you have a separate creative copy as well as a copy that is customized to your specific demographics. Doing this provides you with a considerable advantage as opposed to relying on the one-size-fits-all criteria.

Whenever you are creating ads for use on Instagram and Facebook, make sure to keep the following in mind:
• Only use high-quality images and video: Digital marketers have predicted that video content will make up around 80% of all internet traffic by the year 2021. It is, therefore, important that you start looking into how you can implement video advertisements into your online digital marketing strategy.
• A/B Test all your social media Ads: A/B testing should continue until you have fully determined which combination of creative and copy provides the best results. It’s possible to do this using the official Facebook Ad Manager. The manager has also provided users with an easy-to-follow guide on how to go about the testing.
• Create a dedicated landing page: This is probably the most important aspect of running any social media campaign. You need to provide your audience with somewhere to go once they are done clicking through the fitness advert that you have provided. Your landing page should also have a clear CTA (Call to Action) inviting users to sign up for that particular promotion.
• Come up with a promo for your advertisement campaign that provides value: A good example of this could be something like ‘Sign up by 4 pm on Tuesday to get 3 Free Introductory Classes.’
Remember that lead generation is an important factor in achieving success for any business in the fitness industry.

5. Good images and high-quality video is key

Whether you’re creating content for use in paid adverts or to help you generate organic content, you will need to make use of high-quality images and videos. Below is a look at what you have to do:

Images

Make sure that all your images are as visual as possible. Any text used with the image should be kept at a minimum. When it comes to paid adverts, platforms such as Facebook often implement a 20 percent rule. This is because it favors ad images that don’t have a lot of text. The aim here is to ensure that the users have a high-quality experience.

When the ad image has too much text on it, Facebook will typically show the image to as few people as possible. In the long run, this means that your ad will not be as efficient as you would have liked. The Facebook Text Overlay Tool will help you ensure that the text you have used in the ad doesn’t surpass the 20% rule.

Video

All your fitness videos have to be short and straight to the point. Research from Facebook suggests that when it comes to paid advertising, forty-seven percent of the true value of a Facebook Ad is seen in the first three seconds of a video. The same research goes ahead to note that 74% of its value is seen in the first ten seconds.

When it comes to the audio aspect, you are encouraged to assume that many users (85% to be precise) will opt to watch the video with no sound. What this means is that your fitness brand has to look for ways to help it pass its message along without necessarily having to use audio. You can think about using captions in the place of audio.

6. Build online fitness communities

When it comes to social media marketing, your fitness business should aim to create a fitness community. It’s possible to achieve this by implementing two simple, but highly efficient strategies:

I. Create Groups: Facebook comes in handy for fitness businesses looking to create closed groups for their gym or studio members. You can then proceed to create a page where members can interact with one another and get to build relationships that extend beyond the gym.
II. Using a Hashtag: Hashtags are quite effective when used on Instagram. You can come up with a hashtag that is specific to your fitness gym or studio and which will assist you to spread the word about your fitness routines and brand. Often, people share social media pictures of them attending a specific gym in a bid to show off to their followers and friends on these platforms.

Hashtags assist in increasing the visibility of your content. Any person interested in that particular topic will be able to view it with ease. The most popular types of hashtags used by fitness businesses are the brand-specific hashtags, trending hashtags, and content hashtags.

Once you’ve got all the client enquires coming through, you’ll want to make sure you have a good fitness management software. That’s where Gymcatch can help you, get in contact with us today.

Mar 30
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How to grow your fitness business

By Fitness marketing and social archives and news

The fitness industry has changed over the past years as it gains popularity and global expansion. Competition is also increasing at an alarming rate; thus, the possibility of acquiring new and retaining regular clients is higher. However, you can learn how to grow your fitness business if you follow the guidelines below.

Provide high-quality fitness content

Are you so concerned about how to grow your fitness business? Start by offering your clients things that they didn’t expect when they signed up. It’s time to market yourself by delivering exceptional value. Offer them free and relevant fitness educational content through social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook. You can also create instructional YouTube videos and avail the links to your clients or include health and fitness blogs on your webpage. Be as creative as possible, to over-deliver and surprise your clients; it will help you market your expertise.

Create excellent service with better experiences

You need to create transformations in your client’s lives who come to your fitness enterprise seeking change. If you sell a positive outcome, you will get more loyal clients, revenue up and total transformation for your firm. You must offer excellent personal training services by dedicating your time to creating the best possible solutions which offer great value to your clients.
To acquire and retain customers, you need to find out their wants and needs, then use your expertise and knowledge to deliver. You can opt for semi-private training sessions to meet your client’s requirements since their transformation is a clear representation of your work and can market you effectively.

Build networks

If you focus on building excellent relationships, by striving to change lives, your business will grow naturally. You need to reach out to others both on and off social media since building networks and supporting other fitness personnel can amount to substantial success. Also, attend fitness conferences locally and interact with other trainers in the industry.
Be smart and committed since the more you interact, the more you reach more potential clients. Outsource as many things as you can from others by joining the online fitness networking groups to link with many experienced and like-minded personnel.

Opt for social media marketing

The most frequently asked question by many well-being trainers is how to improve fitness business. Today, people spend most time logged into their social media accounts; thus, this is the key to your business’ growth. Establish your presence as an excellent fitness trainer using great tools to maximize your linkage through Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Build loyal followers base on these platforms with robust actions and high-quality photos. You need to remain extra active on your social media accounts by participating in relevant discussions, providing training tips, and following up on recommendations from existing clients.

Advance your knowledge

Take care of yourself first by advancing your skills as a professional fitness trainer and get certification from your local organisations. It will help you offer better services and boost your brand, since investing in your education will record tremendous growth. Be consistent in seeking knowledge; today, you can learn too much from other fitness websites and YouTube channels to obtain significant value. Remember that you must remain constant in seeking fitness skills and the moment you stop learning, your business stops growing.

Show off your results

Come up with strategies to ensure that other people know of your great results, by selling out what you can do for a client. You can use testimonials; for instance, show your clients an example of a person similar to them who has obtained success from your firm to gain credibility and trust. Word of mouth campaigns remains to be the best way your fitness business can increase brand reputation. Come up with a program, which will entice your happy clients to give referrals to their friends and colleagues. You can give them incentives or reward them when they refer a new client.

Come up with a clear website

If you didn’t develop a website when starting your business, come up with one now. Ensure that it is easy to manoeuvre with precise details of your services, contact information, price packages, customer reviews, and fitness images where possible. Make sure that your logo and any industrial affiliations are well displayed to make it memorable and to build trust. Also, utilise search engine optimisation techniques to increase the visibility of your website to generate more traffic. If new clients use Google to look for fitness places, then your business will come on top, and they will also enjoy the user experience as they browse on your site.

If you don’t have the time to create a site, Gymcatch can also provide you with a web page which you can use to promote your business on various platforms.

Build a strong brand

You probably have a logo, colours, and brand identity to your business, but that is not enough to stand out among your competitors. Think about what your customers are saying about the services as this is the authentic branding of your venture. Ensure that your clients receive value for the money and time they have invested, and they will remain loyal. You can try and personalise training plans by catching up with them on some sessions, and this will make a difference compared to other ventures elsewhere.

Put your clients’ needs first

Every business looks at its profits at the end of the day, well, for a fitness venture, you have to make your clients’ health and happiness the priority to achieve that goal. Make your customers experience the core of your business, and your clients will spread the word. You may have vast experience as a trainer, but through excellent service of making your customers healthier and fit, they will see the impact in their lives. Your clients will see the advantage of choosing your services, and they will end up marketing your business on your behalf.

Track your progress and make adjustments

Keeping in mind that you had a well laid out plan before you ventured into the fitness business, check if there are any noticeable improvements. It helps you to ensure that you are hitting the numbers to accomplish your goal before it’s too late to recover. It is, therefore, vital to come up with an excellent plan and do a weekly recap instead of waiting till the end month. Whenever you find gaps, implement a contingency plan early enough and avoid more errors.

Conclusion

It will be helpful if you implement the above tips to increase your customer base and achieve high retention levels which will result in business growth. It’s good to note that the success of your enterprise doesn’t entirely depend on generating more leads you need a combination of the above factors to create realistic strategies and to create a powerful growth system.

To help push your business to the next level don’t forget to check out Gymcatch fitness management software.

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