Get lead generation gains with inbound marketing for leisure clubs

Inbound marketing for leisure clubs might seem like a bit of a departure from the norm. Why not get your personal trainers standing out on the street in comedy costumes handing out leaflets? Well, because it’s not the best use of their time, and frankly, it can be a bit embarrassing.

As an experienced inbound marketing agency, we’ve worked with brands from all backgrounds to deliver bespoke inbound strategies across a variety of channels to help them better identify and attract the people who matter most to their growth ambitions. Want more information? Check out our blog “Lessons from an inbound marketing agency”.

Why try inbound marketing for leisure clubs

 The B2B community embraced the inbound marketing strategy long ago, but many B2C companies can benefit from this approach too, including premium leisure clubs. Below, we’ve detailed some of the reasons why: 

• Education: Many people want to lead a healthier lifestyle, but need to learn more about their options
• Research: Buyers often prefer to research online, rather than speak with sales-driven staff at their local leisure club
• Differentiation: Leisure clubs exist in a heavily competitive industry, so it’s crucial to show potential customers what you do better than the rest, and prove your value
• Commitment: Leisure clubs offer long-term memberships, so customers are making a practical and financial commitment
• Long sales cycle: Club membership is therefore a considered purchase, and buyers want to choose wisely, often going through a lengthy decision-making process

So, now we’ve explained why inbound marketing for leisure clubs does make sense after all. Next, we want to share a few tips to help get your inbound campaign up and running.

1. Perfect your website

Inbound marketing for leisure clubs should always start with your website. Many of your potential clients will find you online, whether through Google or on social media. It’s essential your website creates a strong first impression, offers genuinely useful information, and is simple to navigate.

When we consider that many club memberships are sold on commission, it’s not surprising that staff can lay on the sales pitch a little heavy. However, this isn’t what most prospective customers want to hear. They want the facts, clear and simple, and they’ll probably want to go home and digest them over time too.

Today’s consumers tend to research significant purchases online, and begin browsing well before they decide to sign on the dotted line. If someone is thinking of joining a premium leisure club, it’s likely they will start looking at locations, prices, facilities and staff online – so make sure all these key details are up to date and easily accessible on your website.

Website content also needs to be SEO optimised, giving you the best chance of being found in a relevant lead’s search engine results. Want to be found by individuals searching for boxing classes in Leicester, or saunas in Nottingham? Make sure you write about it.

2. Curate your blog

Your blog is an incredibly powerful tool for lead generation. The fitness industry is full of Instagram stars, fitspo bloggers and recognised industry experts. Luckily, inbound marketing for leisure clubs can help you to establish your brand as a fitness thought leader too.

Produce regular content which is informative, engaging and enticing to share on social media. This could include interviews with happy clients, features on resident personal trainers and reviews of new classes on offer. 

AS you probably know already, blogging regularly helps to boost your SEO ranking for relevant industry terms, making it easier for new leads to find you through searching online.

More importantly though, your blog acts as a place where you can really get stuck in discussing all the ins and outs of your offering. While your website needs to be clear and concise, a blog post can give a comprehensive look at just one tiny aspect – for instance, why your spin class offers the best workout in the North West, or which of your personal trainers would best suit an aspiring marathon runner. 

Similarly to leads in the B2B world, gymgoers are often looking for a brand they understand and trust. They don’t want to be bamboozled with science talk, or overwhelmed by endless photos of chiselled abs. Be genuinely helpful, and people will remember you for it.

The more specific your blog posts are, the more likely they will resonate with a specific lead. Remember, all content should be written with a buyer persona in mind – so make sure you’ve drawn these up, and really thought about what these individuals want to know.

3. Reach out on social media

Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are powerful tools when it comes to inbound marketing for leisure clubs. You can build your audience, broadcast blog content and analyse your following to learn more about their interests.

4. Amplify with biddable media

All of the above strategies can be considered ‘organic,’ as they don’t require you to pay in order to broadcast your message. However, organic lead generation takes a lot of time and effort, so biddable media can offer some instant gratification to companies eager for leads.

We tend to encourage clients to accelerate inbound marketing strategies with biddable media, as this kick starts their lead generation campaign and allows us to start analysing and learning from their lead interactions.

Paid search and social campaigns should be built around detailed buyer personas, and ads must be carefully created to attract the right attention from the right people.

5. Entice leads to convert

Blog posts and paid advertising should include a call-to-action (CTA) which offers your website visitor something tempting. This could be a free exercise guide, nutrition plan, gym brochure or even an introductory PT session. They’ll then arrive on your landing page, where they will be asked to share their contact details in exchange for said tempting offer. 

Ideally, you should have different offers for different blog topics – for instance, a nutrition plan CTA would be best suited to a healthy eating blog, while an exercise guide CTA could be used on a workout blog. The more you tailor the offering to an individual’s interests, the more likely they will be willing to share their contact details in exchange.

6. Nurture your leads to customers

Once someone has given you their contact information, they become a bona fide lead.

However, most leads aren’t ready to become a customer right away. Email can therefore be a great way to nurture them across the line.

With the right marketing automation platform (like HubSpot) you can set up a series of automated emails to provide helpful content, build trust and keep leads warm until they’re ready to buy.

However, mass emailing everyone the same content isn’t the best idea. Set up workflows which identify the kind of lead being generated, and distribute tailored content depending on interests. For example, you could set up a fitness lead nurturing workflow, weight loss workflow and lifestyle workflow, each sharing content suited to different persona needs.

You can also structure content according to a lead’s place in the buyer’s journey. New leads should receive informative and helpful content, while leads who have shown clear intent to purchase can be addressed with a more direct, sales-orientated approach.

7. Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Inbound marketing for leisure clubs can probably seem a bit overwhelming if you’re new to the inbound game, but not to worry. Six & Flow is an inbound marketing agency based in Manchester, but working with clients based all around the UK. Get in touch if you have any questions.

As an experienced inbound marketing agency, we’ve worked with brands from all backgrounds to deliver bespoke inbound strategies across a variety of channels to help them better identify and attract the people who matter most to their growth ambitions. Want more information? Check out our blog “Lessons from an inbound marketing agency”.