Online Gym Membership Tips To Make 2012 Your Best Membership Year Ever

With the turn of the New Year, the opportunities for health clubs to collect new members abound. 58% of Americans under 45 and 34% of Americans older than 45 make resolutions with one of the top being to get fit and/or lose weight (USC School of Social Work Infographic).

So, it’s obvious there’s no time like the present to create an online gym membership program to find those people primed and ready to join your club. Here are 4 ways to start:

1. Make Your Social Presence 2012 Cool
One of the cultural trends of 2012 identified by trend forecast firm WGSN is that consumers want to be more emotionally connected to retailers. Tap into that trend by creating a Facebook page that doesn’t just look like a business directory but creatively invites audiences to try out your club.

For example, if prospects like, follow or answer your survey questions, they receive a discount coupon for a smoothie when they join.

Or, create a “secret” Twitter campaign where prospects who retweet your latest fitness advice can get 1 month free through your online gym membership program.

2. Use Your Health Club Muscle To Draw Members In
Remember all those well-meaning Americans determined to get fit and lose weight? Show them your team has the expertise they need by producing YouTube videos that explain the newest equipment, nutritional advice and fitness classes.

Post those videos on your website on your “Why Choose Us To Be Your Workout Partner” and Facebook pages.

3. Promote Healthy Causes With Your Online Marketing
Another way to create emotional connection with audiences is to participate in the causes they find important. If a potential member can’t decide between your health club and another to join, your sponsorship of a local philanthropy may be the magic element that draws them to you.

Minnesota-based Lifetime Fitness used this idea beautifully to get the word out about their clubs. They co-sponsored a “Bikes For Kids” campaign that provided 4,000 refurbished, donated bikes to needy kids and boosted their presence in the local market at the same time.

4. Make Online Sign-Ups Easy
There’s nothing worse than attracting potential health club members and then losing them because your website isn’t friendly. Be sure that your website is easily navigated for optimal online gym membership programs.

Browse your competitor’s site to see if they are doing a better job moving prospects through the sign-up process.

The opportunities to boost your online gym membership are only as limited as your own marketing inspiration.

Don’t just go through the motions, evaluate every tactic to see if it effectively attracts audiences to your health club. Then, be sure you’ve got the best health club management software to serve them when they join.