For the rest of the summer, the Go! Agency blog will focus on the social media habits of some of our favorite industries. Every week, our first blog will explain common mistakes made by an industry; followed by a second blog that will explain how to fix them. Think of this series as What Not to Wear for social media marketing!
Fitness studios are booming right now, notably spinning, pilates, Crossfit, and other so-called “boutique fitness” specialities. According to an industry survey by American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal, high intensity training and group training are the two biggest fitness trends in 2018. Unfortunately, many of the smaller studios need help with social media marketing. Here are a few of the biggest mistakes we’ve noticed among fitness studios.
1. Bad Visuals
Every industry makes this mistake, so we cannot stress it enough: level up your visual game. Do not post bad pictures. Poor lighting and composition can make a brand new studio look like the inside of an abandoned warehouse. Speaking of abandoned, don’t post pictures of empty rooms or equipment. Spinning studios are major offenders here: stop using photos of empty bicycles. You may think you’re showing off your state of the art equipment, but viewers will see a studio with no members.
2. Just Too Perfect
Speaking of overused images, too many fitness studios post pictures of perfect people. It’s great to post pics of your staff (more on that below) or other fitness professionals, but you need to connect to your audience. While your audience will undoubtedly have a good number of fitness buffs, it will also include people who want to improve themselves. You need to appeal to customers who don’t look perfect. And what about expanding your client base? With the incoming Silver Tsunami, many fitness pros have found success by appealing to the older demographic. Finally, think of this as an opportunity to prove the value of your services by taking photos of clients throughout their fitness journey. You need to show the “before” if you want the “after” picture to have any impact.
3. Strictly Business
While personal trainers can take a more personal approach with their social media profiles, fitness studios need to be a bit more business-oriented. Unfortunately, a lot of these studios take that to extremes and show no personality whatsoever. Staff is almost anonymous; the brand itself has no personality. As we discussed in our blog on restaurant solutions, you need to mix up your content if you want to keep your audience’s attention.
4. Little to No Engagement
Connecting to your audience is the point of social media. You must respond to each comment and question. You should participate in challenges on social media platforms, or follow fitness-specific hashtags. Finally, consider using your social media accounts for giveaways or promotions that would not be available elsewhere.
5. All or Nothing Approach to Marketing
Far too many fitness studios fall into one of two camps: 24/7 sales pitches or radio silence. As any competent social media marketer will tell you, neither is a winning strategy. Consider the previous entries and vary your content. Don’t bore your followers, and don’t forget to educate them. Your social media channels are an opportunity to give your potential customers a taste of what you have to offer.
Remember: there are no such things as rest days when it comes to your social media marketing strategy! Check out our next blog for solutions to these common problems.
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