4 Ways to Promote Your Gym This Season and Keep Members Engaged

Fitness brands and gyms face a unique challenge during the holidays. During a time of fast-paced excitement and festivities, gym attendance and memberships may suffer as other things start to grab the attention of your customers —but this shouldn’t discourage you. The back end of the year is the perfect opportunity to attract new members and revitalize existing ones. 

Let’s explore our fitness marketing strategies that will put you ahead of the curve before the holidays are in full swing:

1. Holiday Discounts

Give the gift that keeps on giving. Everyone loves a good holiday deal, and discounted memberships can be a highly effective way to draw in new clients. Here are some examples of well-crafted campaigns to steal as a starting point:

• Free membership through January with any holiday sign-up.
• Holiday flash membership sale: 50% off the first three months.
• Get a free gym bag with any new membership.
• Enroll now and get unlimited classes through the holidays.
• Get 20% off all personal training packages this December.

Consider a multi-faceted approach to get the word out about these offers.

• Start with direct mail—there’s something nostalgic and exciting about receiving a beautifully designed postcard in the mail, and it’s compelling in fitness marketing.

• Next, use mobile geofencing and virtual ads to target those who have already received your mailer, or whenever they near your gym or competitor’s location.

• Follow this up with social media engagement on platforms like Instagram and Facebook to remind them of the deal as the holidays approach.

2. Seasonal Classes to Keep Workouts Fresh and Fun

Holidays can easily disrupt gym routines, but you can counter this by positioning your fitness classes as a way to escape the holiday madness —an opportunity for self-reflection, self-care, and a chance to indulge in the much-needed “me” time. Emphasizing mental and physical wellness, fitness will resonate with those looking for a break from holiday stress.

3. Social Media Advertising

Social media platforms, particularly Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, are great places to promote your gym. Each platform, however, serves a different purpose in connecting with your audience:

• Facebook:  As one of the top platforms for targeting fitness enthusiasts, especially those over 30, it’s ideal for sharing long-form content, client testimonials, and promoting community events.

• TikTok: Offers a fresh opportunity to join in on viral fitness challenges, especially for younger, trend-focused demographics.

• Instagram: Perfect for visually appealing content like workout videos, transformation photos, and success stories, this platform offers a dynamic way to showcase your gym.

Paid ads on these platforms can be highly targeted, ensuring your promotions reach the right audience, at the right time.

4. Show You Care with Personalized Communication

Personalization in marketing isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore—it’s an expectation, and doing the bare minimum won’t help you stand out from your competitors already doing this. Your members want to feel like more than just another name on your list. Whether it’s addressing them by name in emails or sending personalized offers based on their activity levels, it all counts.

Revive Your Gym This Holiday Season

The holiday season is an opportunity to re-energize gym-goers. With creative promotions, community-building events, and personalized outreach, you can turn the end of the year into a period of growth.

Contact the experts at UpSwell to help you earn new members and build lasting connections to grow your business.