The festive period is the perfect excuse for gym owners to give their marketing strategy a boost by implementing some holiday-themed ideas. Marketing your gym at Christmas time could help you to gain new memberships (did you know that 12% of all gym members sign up in January?), and can encourage your current members to get a head start on their New Year fitness goals.
Level up your marketing with LOCALiQ
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter
10 festive marketing ideas for gyms
1. Decorate your gym
As we edge closer to Christmas, you may want to think about giving your gym a festive makeover. Bring some holiday cheer to your gym by hanging up the decorations; it’s up to you how far you take, it, but adding a little bit of Christmas spirit to your fitness space is sure to boost the atmosphere! Take some photos or a video for some festival social media content.
2. Social media giveaway
Consider running a Christmas themed giveaway to give one of your lucky members a treat whilst gaining some positive exposure and reach on social media. Offer a prize that will create a buzz, e.g., free membership for three months, free gym equipment, or a protein bundle, and ask your followers to share and comment and tag friends as a means of entry. Remember that your post may be seen by people who are not already familiar with your business, so make sure you include links to your website or offers on your social media.
3. Workout calendar
Use the month of December to maximise opportunities to get the word out about your business. Create a workout calendar that your members can share on social media and get involved with, e.g., a 12 days of Christmas programme where you encourage members to try a new exercise every day.
Furthermore, you can make content for your social media pages for every day in December by sharing videos of your trainers getting stuck in with the exercises.
4. Holiday events
Bring Christmas to your gym by organising festive events or classes. Here are some examples:
- A members Christmas party
- A fitness goal competition, e.g., a prize for the member that can run the most miles in December
- Incorporate festive music into your gym classes. Nothing will get your members in the festive mood like a Christmas themed spin class. You could even take it a step further and invite members to dress up!
- A Black Friday event, such as a discount for new sign-ups if they commit to a longer contract, or discounts on your merchandise
5. Referral programme
Give back to your current members whilst encouraging new sign-ups by creating a referral programme. Incentivise your members to bring a friend to the gym by giving them each a free month, or a similar promotion.
6. Give the gift of fitness
If your gym sells clothing, gym equipment, or nutrition products, you could create a bundle of items that your members can purchase and gift to their loved ones. Offer gift wrapping for a special touch and include a business card so the receiver can discover your gym.
Don’t forget to promote your festive gifts on social media – you could even use paid advertisements to boost your business and attract your target customers.
7. Charity drive
Christmas is a time for giving. A great way to give back to your local community whilst spreading positive word-of-mouth about your business is by getting involved with a charity. Encourage your members to join you in supporting a cause; you could open a clothing donation station or propose a sponsored fitness challenge.
8. January promotions
Did you know that 12% of all gym members sign up in January?
Running a January promotion can help keep the Christmas momentum going. With many people setting themselves a fitness-related New Year’s resolution, gyms often see an influx of new members in January.
Here are some ideas you can use:
- Offer a free day pass to be used within the month of January, so potential new members can try your gym without feeling pressured to sign a lengthy contract.
- Put on free workout classes to encourage members to try something new.
- Offer members the opportunity to bring a friend to the gym for free in January.
- No joining fee discount for January new sign-ups.
9. Give your website homepage a Christmas makeover
Give your website homepage a Christmas makeover. Create a festive landing page or add Christmas-themed imagery to your website.
Make sure you update your website and let members and potential customers know of any seasonal offers and ensure that you have updated your Christmas and New Year’s opening hours.
10. Create seasonal content
Sharing content online is a great way to improve web traffic. Create festive posts or blogs that you can share throughout December, such as:
- Easy workouts you can do with no equipment
- How to stay active if you’re travelling for Christmas
- Christmas-themed meal prep recipes
- Interviews with personal trainers
- Gym motivation tips
- Christmas workout challenges
- How to achieve your New Year fitness goals
- New Year fitness plan
Maximise your holiday marketing
Once the holiday has passed, keep up the momentum of your marketing campaigns. You could try an email re-targeting campaign or contacting previous members and incentivising them to re-activate their membership. Don’t abandon your social media calendar; look ahead to other holidays and begin planning your future digital marketing campaigns.
If you need any help with your digital marketing, LOCALiQ have proven experience in helping business from different industries reach their target audience. Get in touch today to see how we can help you.
Level up your marketing with LOCALiQ
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter
