Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

Health Club Membership Marketing

Posted by Anonymous on 10/2/2008 at 7:58 PM ET 125 Points
We have a beautiful new health club in a community of approximately 500,000. It is an upscale club, but not too pricey. Our climate offers extended outdoor activities. Any suggestions to encourage new members to join before winter sets in?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Gail@PUBLISIDE on 10/2/2008 at 9:14 PM Accepted
    Collaborate with neighboring businesses and conduct lunch-and-learn type programs in their workplace (make them fun and let attendees know that they may continue the effort at your facility); establish a relationship with your city - create a healthy-living program and publicize your involvement; have members who have enjoyed healthier lives/lost inches speak out -- pitch stories t area media when appropriate.

    Most health clubs provide specials after January 1. Beat the rush, grab the publicity thunder and provide incentives to join today instead of waiting. (Offer people who join now a complementary meeting with a nutritionist that can guide them toward healthy holiday eating.)

    That leads to engaging your current members in a referral process. Award them for bringing in new members with a free month on their membership, discounts on retail items or services.

    Once you get members, you want to keep them. Make the atmosphere fun as well as productive. Hire staff that are well credentialed, but also enjoy engaging personalities. People will go back time and again to an atmosphere that they enjoy and from which they benefit.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 10/3/2008 at 8:39 AM Accepted
    Have a (series of) open houses - where people can experience your club w/o pressure.

    Donate some memberships to needy families in your area - or even have an essay contest for free memberships. Both can generate some great PR, but will take time to get the word out.

    Adopt-a-family for the holidays. For every N people that join, you'll donate 1 membership to a family in need. This could be a great co-promotional activity with a service organization in your area.

    Also - join now for free, and only start paying after Jan 1. That will give the taster and build your numbers quickly.
  • Posted on 10/3/2008 at 11:57 AM Member
    Start with a one hour "walk for health" for example in an outdoor area like a big park inviting key people in your community (business leaders, media leaders, church leaders, university leaders, political leaders -why not-, housewives organizations and of course medical doctors well know for their encouragement to exercise). Invite personally and leave a letter supporting your visit, follow with phone calls, get a press interview about this walk for health and of course make sure you have enough brochures of your company to distribute during the event. If possible I would add a coupon to the first 1,000 brochures distributed to those people that get earlier to the park and make them valid for say 30 days for a special discount for let's say the first year of membership to your club. Additionally, I would give a special membership let say a gold membership to those leaders you invite personally with a special discount. Good luck!!
  • Posted by michael on 10/3/2008 at 6:26 PM Member
    I'd start by joining with the local hotel to provide your services for their guests. that'll keep the doors open while you begin your membership campaign.

    Next, get to the HR person in local companies and they are often looking for ways to reduce healthcare costs...and regular exercise is a great way to do it.

    The rest is basically what's already been said.

    Michael
  • Posted by darcy.moen on 10/4/2008 at 5:14 PM Accepted
    One of the most obvious connections to health in non-competing markets hasn't been mentioned yet. Why not partner up with every doctor possible in the market place. Medical professionals meet all kinds of folks who either should or need physical exercise and can act as a decent flow of referrals to your club.

    Also partnering up with physical therapists, old folks homes and Human resource officers would be additonal streams of referrals for your business.

    Offering a referral discount to every existing member who brings in a new paying member is a way to use your existing customer base to clone your current customer base.

    Darcy Moen
    Customer Loyalty Network
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