5 Tips to Grow your Online Fitness Community

Since the Pandemic turbocharged the shift from onsite classes to online classes, the way people look into fitness also transformed tremendously. It was no longer just about getting a super-toned body or donning a fabulous swimsuit because no one's pretty sure when can we go on an exotic vacation next. Rather what's more important is holistic wellbeing! Today for people, staying fit is about being active, happy and healthy with a strong immune system, no matter whether they are inside the house or out working. Staying fit as a concept hence has evolved from just 'looking good' to 'feeling good'.

And when fitness can now be easily accessed from anywhere, thanks to technology, then why not!

We witnessed the phenomenon of online fitness business rise in such a short span, having the back of the fitness community. So as brick-and-mortar fitness businesses go virtual, what is the ideal next step?

Well, for fitness professionals, the next ideal step is to engage members and enhance member engagement and get better in engaging with the online fitness community. Fitness studios and personal trainers may have moved quickly to train their clients through virtual workouts over the last two years, but now it’s time to upgrade your online training programs for the future, brainstorm on the best marketing strategy and make the most of your online fitness programs for your current members and potential customers. The fitness industry has been evolving at a great speed. What a fitness business owner or a personal trainer could do is hop on to these new and best practices, use the best tools and best service providers to make success stories of their fitness brand.

So, How to Grow your Online Fitness Community?

1. Make your online classes a treat your members can't miss
2. Inclusive Fitness Programs
3. Go ahead with fun fitness challenges
4. Interact with the community through social media groups
5. Create Referral Programs

From setting up comprehensive fitness programs and workout routines to creating trendy challenges, here are 5 tips you could follow to grow your fitness business online in 2022. Keep scrolling down to learn these simple and appealing tips in detail to take your business to the next level!

1. Make your online classes a treat your members can’t miss

Assemble your virtual fitness classes in a way that participants find them the most engaging. Make sure the energy is high. For a start, offer virtual workouts through user-friendly accessibility. Give free consultation every now and then, engage with your members with weekly tips, add more value to your online classes by paying attention to your clients and create high-quality content likewise. You can also do different kinds of classes for different clients. Customize your classes to make online fitness even more interesting and appealing.

Omnify provides Zoom integration and a super-easy setup. Help your members and the local community find an easy-breezy online solution!

Also, lending personalized support to members is core. Learn their basic fitness requirements and provide one-to-one workouts and diet accordingly. So there is no missing working out with their own trainers! Engage in friendly interactions and keep the communication going. Remember your client’s name and address them likewise. In the current time of social distancing, a small gesture like this will go a long way. Focus on not just getting new clients but retaining lifetime members.

2. Inclusive fitness programs

Everyone has fitness goals. To work closely with your community and get new members for your online fitness business, create fitness lessons for as many sections of people you can. As already mentioned, the Pandemic has shifted the focus and attention of people towards a holistic approach. And, online fitness essentially and easily facilitates that. Your ideal clients may be people from different walks of life. Your potential clients might constitute beyond just muscle building or the cardio training.

Widen your clubs’ reach for the target audience and potential clients.  As members find it comfortable to workout from their homes, your studio today has the potential to grab the attention of diverse clients and more clients.

Reduce the age bracket to have younger members under child fitness programs to resume after-school fitness lessons. Look out for older members and introduce programs such as chair-yoga for flexibility and joint strengths. Introduce moderate-intensity workouts that are ideal for women with PCOS. Create special fitness programs that are safe during pregnancy and postpartum. Make your fitness programs all-inclusive and welcoming!

You may divide sessions between yourself and other trainers. Spend time in understanding the fitness needs of your community. There is immense potential to grow your online fitness business if you know how to attract the right people and also address their pain points. For instance- Introduce group classes for some while focus on exclusive personal trainers sessions for someone who needs special attention.

3. Go ahead with fun fitness challenges

Unleash the fun of working out together as you train virtually. Start with fitness challenges and dare your members to do a certain kind of exercise or complete a specific workout a day. Challenge your members to do a particular yoga style or a HIIT session. Challenge them with a hot fitness selfie- that is fun and appealing too! Do not forget to recognize and reward the members who shine out- say a company-designed t-shirt, a sipper, caps, etc with your brand logo. Choose one member as ‘Member of the Month’ or pairs who workout together as ‘Couple of the Month’ for keeping the best fitness track record. Always celebrate member milestones!

It is all about the ability to build better interpersonal relationships with your clients. So that they not only trust you but also recommend you as the best online fitness business there is!

4. Interact with the community through social media groups

Social media platforms are the low hanging fruits in the your efforts to creating a nurturing and engaging online fitness community. Social media channels have actually helped incredibly in glorifying the fitness industry! Check any page related to a fitness business, personal trainers or personal training business, they may or may not have an official website but everyone would have an Instagram page. For newbies in personal training business, social media is the best place to start off. The diversity of social media content that one can put out there is massive today with so many types, forms and filters. '#fitness" is one of the most popular hashtags used in Instagram on fitness-related posts/online videos/reels and this platform is also the best place for fitness professionals to leverage influencers, get paid promotions, brand influence, engage with their members, and the fitness community in general.

Read Instagram Marketing for Fitness Professionals to get a step-by-step guide to build your fitness brand on Instagram.

One great example could be to create social media groups on Facebook and other platforms to increase member engagement and find relevant target audience.

Remember, there are ways to connect with your community, and social media is bang on! Keep interesting conversations on fitness, workout plans, a healthy diet, cooking tips, creative ideas on home workouts, fitness polls, quizzes, surveys, and other relevant information. The interactions could go a little personal too like virtual celebration of member birthdays, sharing a favorite playlist, or any other achievements- say a 10K run!

5. Create Referral programs

Create referral programs for client retention. Identify your loyal members and promote your brand. It increases your total figure of repeating customers and brings new ones as well. And yes, keep rewarding them with discounts and incentives. They are keepers!

The pandemic has surely brought huge changes in traditional forms of running a business. But virtual studios have been vital in re-imagining new ways to connect with the world. Communication is not only core to member engagement, but crucial for building community trust as well.

Read Virtual Studios: The New Normal for Fitness Businesses

If you're a fitness studio owner or trainer who would like to improve their internal operations and deliver a better experience to customers, then Omnify is here to help! Start your FREE TRIAL today.