Marketing Strategies For The Fitness Studio Owner By Mikki Williams, CSP

"Advertising is paid for, promotion is prayed for". It doesn't have to be if you create strategies that promote new members, high visibility and excitement among current clientele, in an ongoing marketing effort. Under the umbrella of marketing we have such variables as advertising, research, sales and public relations. In the11 years that I owned my fitness club and in the 20 years that I have been in the field, I can attribute many of my successes to creative, low-cost promotional vehicles.

One principle of promotion to be emphasized is finding your differential advantage. Remember, the more your competition does what you do, the more you have to make sure your client understands how you are different. When I first opened my club, it was a unique design and featured in many publications. We utilized that in our brochures, in advertising and public relations. Feature the credentials of your staff or their certification, pick a name or logo that stands out, offer classes for special populations that no one else does and then market the uniqueness of it.

Penetrate your existing clientele. Get referrals from within, find out what you can do to build equity in your clients by building value into all you do. Transcend your services by giving out articles weekly, follow up on suggestion box input, invite several members to a round table discussion to share their comments, and then distribute these to the appropriate managers. Offer Corporate Challenge events to develop club awareness in your community. Get involved in local pageants by offering discounts to contestants, sponsorship awards or prizes.

Serve on community boards, charity events, get involved in social activities and then write a press release announcing your appointment or participation. Host a job fair to increase traffic in your club, provide special senior programs for community service and to help build your non prime time hours. Offer scholarships for local sports teams or cheerleaders or sponsor local sports events, such as runs, rallies, tournaments and then host a party or awards presentation.

Do not misposition yourself. When I first opened my studio, the name "a dance class" became very limiting when I wanted to attract men and offer more fitness services. Hence, The Body Firm evolved. Name your club and classes with thought to gender and abilities. Some people would prefer an introductory class rather than a beginner class. Develop an image. We won so many awards, people began to think you had to be a pro to join. We had to really learn the concept of positioning. The Courthouse One Club opened their doors to the community during non prime time hours when a hurricane knocked out utilities. The opportunity to shower and get warm was a much appreciated community service, and therefore, helped create a positive image.

Write a program for a pilot TV show for your local cable network. It doesn't have to be just a workout, it can be a program where you interview local fitness professionals. If there is enough exposure you can apply to a national product distributor for sponsorship. There are many ways to expand upon this if you incorporate all aspects of your business. Consider giving your staff recognition by affording them the opportunity to give input or participate in the program structure. Expand to all people in the mind, body, spirit professions to make the show diversified. When I started my television show, Mikki Williams' Spotlight on Entrepreneurs, I looked for a different angle, as there are already so many workout shows on television. I wanted to follow the hot topic of the times and create a niche program.

Seek out interviews with local publications and then get permission to copy and distribute the printed article to promote your business and garner more interviews. Also, approach radio interviewers to let them know of your credibility and availability, tape the interview and use it to apply to other stations for continuous exposure.

Mikki Williams' Mental Workout, my local radio show, started out as a phone call interview show and then branched into other areas of interest and on-air guests, as well as call ins, fit tips and promotional give aways, with the end result being sponsorship and payment for each program.

Promoting your business is the key to success. There are a myriad of options to choose from with little or no dollar investment - just time, creativity and persistence. Promotion has a snowball effect, so continue to plow ahead, push forward and promote the heck out of it. The most important aspect of promotion is understanding the concept. In it's simplest form, it means getting as much exposure for your business or you as you possibly can. In essence, remember the 9 P's, "The Process of Promoting is the Power to Persuade Plenty of Prospects to Purchase your Product at a Profit". There are many creative ways to exploit the media and tap into many local resources.

Use the word "PROMOTION" as a guideline for knocking on opportunity's door.

If you work with the three promotional abilities as your objectives, it will insure your success-Credibility, Visibility and Profitability. Always ask yourself which one do you want, which one will the promotional result give you and will it be a match of goals.

Write down the answers to the five W's. Who are you trying to reach - who is your market? It can't be just everyone - you have to break down everyone into groupings such as the de-conditioned, teenagers, the overweight, over 50. What is your objective? Visibility, credibility and profitability, or is it all three? Where do you plan to do your promotions? Do you plan to do them within your club for individual programs that you're running? Do you want to do it in your local community, across the country, internationally? Know what your goals are. When is the best time for your promotion? Is it ongoing, is it heavily utilized during the summer months to get ready for a kick off in September? Is the best time in January when everybody makes their New Year's resolutions? Why are you special? In other words, what makes you unique. To say it's because you have a clean facility or the most enthusiastic instructors will put you in the same category with most other clubs. Think about your uniquenesses as an individual and as a fitness professional. Think about the club's design, its membership, its location, its offerings and answer the question "why are you special?" "To market to market to get a bigger piece of the pie!"

The fitness profession is always evolving and changing; therefore, your marketing strategies must be revamped, updated and compatible with these emerging trends and member needs. "You can build a better mouse trap, but in the real world, if people don't know about it, they will never beat a path to your door." Be enthusiastic about your marketing strategies, don't vacillate - go with it and enjoy the end result.