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How your local community can support your fitness studio
Covid-19 and the Pandemic phase brought bumpy roads and whirlwinds for all. We took each day as it came, going through the ups and downs along the way. As much as we were affected by this constant uncertainty, local businesses had a lot more to contend with. Unlike the larger brands and businesses who found ways to keep the ship steady, local businesses had to evolve drastically to save themselves.
Gyms, Fitness Studios, and personal trainers, in particular, were among the hardest to be hit by the pandemic, with the decline across the fitness industry last year expected to be about 13.2%. With traditional in-person classes running the risk of spreading the virus, it was only logical for local fitness businesses and the personal trainer communities to move online. This might have solved the problem then, if only they weren't competing with larger brands already acing virtual fitness classes.
A year on, small fitness studios are gradually finding their way back with caution. Whether they're holding outdoor classes, managing lower capacities, or conducting classes online, personal trainers and local studios have found a number of ways to raise money, host new members, keep themselves going. But the one thing that keeps these studios and trainers running is their community. How well their community of current members, new participants, employees support and participate makes a huge difference.
Today, local businesses need the numbers. They need the community to come together and keep them going. After all, when fitness trainers and studios do their bit for the community, it's only fair to give back in kind. This means every member of the community has a role to play, however small it may be. Here are a few ways in which local fitness businesses can be supported today.
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So, How can a local community support a fitness studio?
- Sharing is caring
- The power of testimonials
- Members are family
- The gift of wellness
- Virtual workouts, Real relationships
Let's understand how with these few ideas a local community can promote wellness to a fitness business easily.
1. Sharing is caring
A good place to start would be recommending fitness classes to immediate family and friends. It's always hard to find a studio that understands personal needs and knows what works for friends and family. It shouldn’t be too difficult for anyone to recommend your friend or partner a good local fitness studio or trainer. More people get to know about a fitness studio, more the business benefits with an increased number of participants.
Social platforms are another way to spread the word about local businesses. Whether it’s a quick story on Instagram during class, a fitness selfie on Facebook, or a workout ‘boomerang’, it’s bound to tempt a few viewers to join in, adding to a studio's customers base eventually.
Another way studios can encourage this is by offering some of their most loyal clients a referral code that can get their friends and family a small discount on their 'first' class or any special programs. This would motivate them to share more about the business and bring people in!
2. The power of testimonials
Testimonials can add significant value and success to any business. This is because an honest testimonial gives people a view of the studio or trainer that doesn’t come from the source. They make relatively unbiased sources of information and can easily attract more clients from the community.
Balanced customer testimonials bridge the gap between what studios promise and a customer’s practical account of the service. With a first-hand perspective open to them, people will know what they're getting into. Anyone who finds the studio to be a good fit would sooner be willing to get involved and accept the place as it is than be let down by expectations later.
Testimonials, where people speak on how a certain training program improved their lifestyle or why others need to try specific programs, would build trust in the studio and its classes. People within a local community will generally choose to be inspired by their own first, so these testimonials could attract a wide local audience. Hence, writing testimonials could be measured as a worthy cause and help support a fitness and wellness studio.
3. Members are family
Most fitness studios today are largely dependent on membership fees to maintain their revenues. In fact, membership fees currently make up 60.4% of the total health and fitness industry revenues.
Members keep the studio running and at the same time, every fitness studio listens to its members before making any serious changes to their classes or training styles. To an extent, the workout routines preferred by members would be prioritized by the trainers.
As the studio's first priority, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to accept the role that members play in building the studio's identity. Besides, with a membership, clients are making more than just a financial commitment to their local gym. They're buying into the brand and placing trust in the trainers to help them with their long-term fitness goals!
4. The gift of wellness
Another great way to generate business for local studios and support them is to create and sell gift cards for fitness services or classes. This creates an excellent opportunity to make an impression within the community and give those who are interested in fitness, a glimpse into the studio and its trainers.
Another option that would help local fitness studios is buying their workout wear or other branded items they may have on sale. It's a great fit for family and friends who would prefer a home workout, while also driving sales for the studio.
5. Virtual workouts, real relationships
It served studios quite well to go virtual with their classes during the pandemic. In fact, virtual streaming shot up 25 spots from last year to top the American College of Sports Medicine's annual survey of fitness trends for 2021.
Our own clients used Omnify's Zoom integration feature to train their customers virtually. The worst of the pandemic might be behind us, but it looks like the option of virtual workouts could be here to stay.
So, for those who would like to keep their home workouts going, signing up for virtual fitness classes and events at a local studio would be the best thing to do.
Ultimately, it's best for your fitness studio to foster a symbiotic relationship with your community and continue to find ways to grow stronger, together.
If you run a fitness studio looking to simplify your business and devote your efforts to improving your customer experience instead, take a peek at what Omnify has to offer you. Reach out to us or Start Your FREE TRIAL today!
Today, your fitness studio needs the numbers, which means everyone in your community has a role to play. Here are a few things they can do to support you!
