Here at the Gym Owner’s Forum, we are taking a modern look at a perennial topic, branding.
Specifically, online branding and what independent gym owners and management teams can do to stand out in our ever competitive and constantly evolving fitness industry.
We often talk of the unique challenges and opportunities facing independent gyms and fitness clubs and branding very much falls into both categories.
The unique challenges? Standing out and building a loyal membership base, often without any existing brand recognition or innate legitimacy.
The unique opportunities? Cultivating a reputation and identity in your local area and community that some brands can only dream of.
And we aren’t just talking about bringing in new memberships. While attracting new members is vital, retaining them is just as crucial. So in this article we will be taking a deep dive into how independent gym owners and managers can continue to craft a compelling online brand that reflects their gym’s identity all while growing and reinforcing membership engagement.
So without further ado, let’s get into some proven strategies, tips and tricks for creating an online presence that not only attracts members but keeps them coming back for more.
What will we cover in this article?
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The Crucial First Impression: Turning a Health Kick into a Habit
We talk about first impressions a lot here at the Gym Owner’s Forum and that is because they really make all the difference.
Building an online brand that supports in-facility member retention
The first two months of a new member’s journey are a critical window for creating not only lasting habits, but a sense of belonging and positive association. During this period, your gym’s online and offline engagement strategies should focus on welcoming new members, making them feel at home as well as encouraging regular participation.
It is important to put your best foot forward. If an independent gym is trying to appear sleek and professional, the website and social media content should reflect this. If it is all about pumping iron and motivation, it should reflect that.
Branding is a chance to set the tone before the member has even stepped through the door. If the website they used to sign-up with looked tired, outdated and maybe even poorly maintained, that will colour their perception moving forward. It is an up-hill battle before they have even entered the facility.
Luckily, the opposite is also true. If an independent gym had a sleek and dynamic website, and upon signing up the members received a series of positive e-mails introducing them to the facility, the ethos and the staff. The tone has been set in a very positive way.
Even if a member isn’t overly endeared to some of these concepts, everyone notices the effort. It doesn’t take much to make a member feel appreciated and recognised right from the word go, already forming a positive association with an Independent gym and their brand.
Being proactive can be an important piece of brand identity. Think about successful restaurants or stores, one key feature is proactivity. It doesn’t take a lot to nurture this trait into an independent gym’s brand, both online and off.
Why the First 60 Days Matter: Branding and ‘Forging a habit’
30 days, 50 days, 60 days? There are all sorts of conflicting stories about how long it takes to form a habit. While it would be interesting to verify exactly how many, the important thing for independent gym owners and management to remember is that the first few months are invaluable for retention.
Any attention that a gym can give to new members in their initial weeks might be instrumental in determining their dedication to their fitness project, and, as importantly, the gym itself.
Key Actions List for the First 60 Days:
- Avoid gating essential resources behind paywalls.
- Train/Brief staff to ensure new members feel supported and valued.
- Prioritise their comfort and progress during this introductory phase.
- Prioritise engagement through personal trainers and staff
- Events focused/tailored around new members
Online Check-Ins:
Create a system where staff or trainers provide virtual progress updates and encouragement to members
This approach can reduce ‘gymtimidation’ and establish a sense of community early on. Prioritising accessibility and support can have a significant impact on members. It can be slow going, with many members unwilling to participate initially. However, if a genuine and positive momentum can be established by members seeing other members participating in these systems, it can lead to a powerful community building effect for the independent gym’s brand.
Many gym owners and management have spoken to agree that friendly and consistent communication is a vital way to start building trust and reducing that feeling of isolation for new members. It may take some persistence, but the benefit to retention more than outweighs the effort if done correctly.
The Power of a strong Brand Identity
An independent gym’s online brand is more than just a logo or a landing page, it is a culmination of everything available to a member or prospective member. Whether it is reviews, the infrastructure for signing up, the choice of colours or the type of content.
Each piece builds on top of one another. And it is important to build a brand that resonates with the audience an independent gym is targeting.
Brand Identity List:
- Selecting distinct colors and themes that set you apart from competitors.
- Communicating your gym’s mission through website content, social media, and member interactions.
- High quality website design, reflective/supportive of the tone and branding
- Easy to locate all pertinent information
- GoogleBusinessProfile and other key business profiles are up to date, fully detailed and functional.
- Payment/Joining infrastructure is sleek, secure and functional
- Use uniform branding for staff profiles and communications.
- Branding and messaging across social media is unified. Colour schemes are all aligned. Logos are all the same size, shape and colour. Tone across social media platforms and websites is unified.
Building an independent gym’s brand based on Expertise
Members and prospective members value expertise. We have always advocated that independent gyms and fitness clubs turn themselves into bastions of expertise and by pushing this approach into online branding, a gym can really stand out from their competitors.
It is important that an independent gym is more than just somewhere members can go and lift weights. In the 2020s, members and prospective members are after knowledge as much as equipment. Luckily, independent gyms are often overflowing with expertise already, it is just about how to show it.
Ways to build Expertise into online branding
- Showcase your qualifications and certifications prominently online to establish your gym as a center of excellence.
- Create a dedicated webpage for staff bios and certifications.
- Post about ongoing staff training and achievements on social media.
These may sound like small steps, but it is all about building authenticity. Luckily independent gyms are the authentic real deal already, it is just about showcasing that knowledge and expertise in a way that will reassure members and prospective members that they are getting a service worth paying for. That they aren’t just paying for a membership to a facility, but to access talented men and women who can help them in their fitness goals.
Conclusion - building loyalty through your Online Brand
As with many things, creating an online brand isn’t a one-time endeavour. It will require consistency and a conscious, on-going effort.
But the benefits can be massive, not only to membership uptake, but also retention. A brand can feel a little nebulous, but it is well-worth investing in. A brand is only as powerful as the amount of faith put into it by staff, management and the membership, it can be hard-fought to create and easily damaged by neglect but with the right team and the right approach, it can make all the difference.
And speaking of making all the difference. Here at the Gym Owner’s Forum we have been reaching out to not only owners but management and staff to understand the latest ideas making all the difference.
If you are in the fitness industry and want to contribute to this growing network, please don’t hesitate to drop us a message or book a consultation. We have been talking to people across the UK, Ireland, Europe and beyond, learning what independent gyms are doing to not only survive but thrive in this challenging and fascinating industry.
We’re bringing together the expertise of hundreds of gyms from across the UK and Europe, to help gym owners grow their business.
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