How to Create Buyer Personas for Your Fitness Business
Last fall we introduced how creating customer personas can help your fitness business improve its marketing efforts by better understanding the wants and needs of your idealized members. This begs the question: how do you go about creating buyer personas that hit the mark? Here’s a closer look at best practices and tips for crafting buyer personas for the fitness industry.Read more
Five Tips for Dealing with the Summer Slowdown
While interest in going to the gym may ramp up in anticipation of summer, once the season arrives along with its glorious weather and longer days, many fitness industry businesses see a lull in attendance. This doesn’t mean fitness business owners have to resign themselves to the phenomenon, however. Instead, try adopting these five tips to keep members engaged when the weather turns warm. Read more
Social Responsibility: A New Mandate for Fitness Businesses
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is one of the biggest trends in the business world right now. More and more fitness businesses are getting in on the accountability action. Here’s a closer look at what corporate social responsibility is, why it matters so much, and how today’s gyms, health clubs, and other fitness businesses can use it to their advantage.Read more
Do Your Fitness Business Staff Members Have This Critical Soft Skill?
“Emotional intelligence may be your staff’s greatest client-retention tool,” proclaims Club Industry.
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A Must-Read for Rural Fitness Business Owners
While the entire country is facing an obesity epidemic, rural America is struggling the most with the problem, according to the findings of a recent Club Industry report. The takeaway for fitness business owners in these regions? Reaching out to these groups can not only help them, but can also be a major business opportunity. Here’s a closer look at the issue and how fitness businesses can come out ahead.Read more
Should Your Gym Employ More Certified Fitness Professionals?
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recently announced its “Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2019.” Earning a top 10 spot on the list? Employing certified fitness professionals. Why is this a new imperative, and should your fitness business be stepping up its efforts in this area? Here’s a closer look.Read more
Fitness Business Success Stories: CEOs and Owners Weigh In
Running a fitness business in today’s competitive fitness industry landscape is a challenging endeavor. Uniquely positioned with first-hand experience and relevant experiences to share? Fitness business owners and CEOs. Read on for a roundup of tips shared by fitness business experts who have been there and done that with the results to show for it. Read more
Is Bone Strength the Next Big Thing in the Fitness Business?
A Sioux Falls area fitness business focused on promoting bone strength just announced that it will add two new locations within the next year and a half. OsteoStrong representative Dr. Becky Bear told Argus Leader of the business’s expansion, “OsteoStrong is growing much faster than we have anticipated. Reception in Sioux Falls has been phenomenal.” Read more
Five Must-Have Features for all Fitness Business Websites
With so much attention focused on social media today, many fitness businesses are neglecting something equally important: their websites. Unfortunately, this can hurt both your business and your bottom line. Read more
Is Your Fitness Business Transparent Enough?
Transparency is one of the biggest buzzwords in business today, and the fitness industry is not exempt. In fact, IDEA has declared it to be “the new standard for business success.” Here’s a closer look at what transparency is, why it matters, and how fitness businesses can improve their transparency initiatives.Read more
Is Your Health Club Offering this Popular Programming?
Today’s fitness businesses are always looking for new ways to boost member retention and recruitment initiatives. One type of program picking up in popularity is structured basketball leagues. Here’s a closer look at the phenomenon, along with whether starting a structured basketball league is right for your fitness business and top tips aimed at helping launch and maintain a successful program. Read more
What Are the Biggest Factors Changing the Fitness Industry?
The fitness industry has been undergoing a major boom over the past decade. Growing at a rate of three to four percent annually, the $30 billion industry appears to be unstoppable at the moment. In fact, 20 percent of American adults currently have memberships, and this figure could double in the imminent future, proposes Crunch Franchise CEO Ben Midgley in a recent Forbes article. This begs the question: what’s fueling this growth?
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Tips for Addressing Awkward Situations with Members
A gym in Michigan recently made news when a member was asked not to wear a shirt that expressed his political views while working out. Another gym received negative press after asking a member to change her clothes because her chest was too big for the shirt she was wearing. While these stories are very different, one thing is clear. Uncomfortable issues are bound to arise within the fitness industry. How you deal with the problem not only impacts its resolution but can also have lingering effects in terms of your fitness business’s relationships and reputation.
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Why Your Fitness Business Needs an Internal Social Media Policy
Social media is an invaluable tool for fitness business marketing. However, if your staff members aren't using it correctly, they may be doing more harm than good. Here's a closer look at why your fitness business needs a social media policy, along with what it should include.Read more
Are You Using This Key Marketing Resource for Your Fitness Business?
Keeping your members happy isn't just about member retention; it’s also about recruitment. When it comes to spreading the word about your fitness business, your members may be one of your greatest -- and most underutilized -- tools. Here’s a closer look at why your members are a key marketing resource, along with tips for maximizing their potential. Read more
Mental Health Matters to Your Members
Losing weight, eating better and exercising more are among the most common New Year’s resolutions. However, they’re not the top-most aspiration, according to a recent survey conducted by healthy lifestyle brand Life Time. So what is? Improving overall well-being and mental health. Here’s a closer look at the finding, along with how gyms can help support their members toward this goal.Read more
How Your Gym Can Help Tackle the Obesity Epidemic
Adult obesity rates in the US now exceed 35 percent in seven US states, according to the annual report, The State of Obesity. Even in states with the lowest obesity rates, however, the numbers are approaching 25 percent. The takeaway? As the country’s collective weight increases, so do the problems associated with an obese population. But there is good news, however: Health clubs are uniquely positioned to help reverse the trend. Read more
Member Appreciation: Are Your Members Feeling the Love?
Building member loyalty is a big part of succeeding in today's intensely competitive fitness industry. One way to boost how they feel about your gym or health club is to show them some love. Here’s a closer look at the member appreciation mandate, along with tips for making the most of your member appreciation initiatives.Read more
Fitness Business Locker Rooms: A Key to the Member Experience
When you talk about the member experience, you often talk about equipment, programs, services, and people. But there’s one aspect of cultivating a positive member experience that often goes overlooked: the locker room. Here’s a closer look at why your fitness business locker room matters, and what you can do to make yours a selling point for member retention and recruitment. Read more
What Workouts Do Members Want in 2019?
Fitness trends come and go. If you’re a fitness business owner looking to position your gym for ongoing success despite the dynamics of the industry, understanding what your members are looking for at any given moment can make or break you. The good news? There’s plenty of intelligence out there offering actionable insights into how people will be working out around the country in the year ahead. Read more