The Fit Club
How We Ran a Successful Multi-channel Campaign in our Gym
Anyone who has worked in the fitness industry knows it can sometimes feel like you are spinning plates. Something always needs attention, whether it is online, in the back office or on the gym floor itself.
It can make ongoing projects that require sustained effort and coordination hard to pull off. After a while, you start taking the path of least resistance and we had a lot of success by marketing purely via social media, word of mouth and e-mail.
So for a long time, that was us. And to be honest, we got away with it. Social media naturally did well as our main focus and word of mouth did some heavy lifting but we could tell that the initial momentum was running out and that these channels were becoming less effective over time. More importantly, members kept saying the same thing: “I didn’t know you did that,” or “I wish I’d heard about that sooner.”
So we knew we needed to change things up.
While our main priority had to be running The Fit Club, we realised we weren’t giving our new products and services the best chance to succeed. We had to find a way to utilise more channels using roughly the same amount of time, so we knew it was time to get more organised.
Anyone who has worked in the fitness industry knows it can sometimes feel like you are spinning plates. Something always needs attention, whether it is online, in the back office or on the gym floor itself.
It can make ongoing projects that require sustained effort and coordination hard to pull off. After a while, you start taking the path of least resistance and we had a lot of success by marketing purely via social media, word of mouth and e-mail.
So for a long time, that was us. And to be honest, we got away with it. Social media naturally did well as our main focus and word of mouth did some heavy lifting but we could tell that the initial momentum was running out and that these channels were becoming less effective over time. More importantly, members kept saying the same thing: “I didn’t know you did that,” or “I wish I’d heard about that sooner.”
So we knew we needed to change things up.
While our main priority had to be running The Fit Club, we realised we weren’t giving our new products and services the best chance to succeed. We had to find a way to utilise more channels using roughly the same amount of time, so we knew it was time to get more organised.
The Plan
As with a lot of things, the first step was admitting (as we did above) that our ‘strategy’ of just posting when we remembered wasn’t really a strategy. It was just a short-term solution that had become long-term.
So as we entered the final quarter of the year, we decided to implement two campaigns, both across multiple channels, one focused on increasing our sign-up rate during our weaker months of November and December and the other promoting events within the Gym. Our goal was to unify our marketing efforts under either of these two campaigns, not just random efforts throughout the month.
We needed to see each month in front of us. We needed to know what we were saying, where we were saying it, as well as when we were saying it.
We built a simple spreadsheet (we have included a link at the end of the blog!). It didn’t need to be a masterwork, it just had to work.
While you can take a look below at what we did, a simple breakdown of the information we needed to capture to make this work was as follows:
- Our primary column was the channel. E-mail, Social Media (divided by platform), SMS, Paid Ads, Partnerships, Blog Posts, Local Press, Livestreams, Podcasts, Mailout, App Updates and even Facebook Group Messages all got a colour-coded category.
It was a lot but we knew if we wanted to do a truly multi-channel marketing campaign for our gym, we needed eyes on all of it. - This was followed by the action that needed to be taken, the details, hyperlinks and the goal of the communication, whether it was to get sign-ups, engagement or information.
- After that came the logistics. A colour-coded tick column, the e-mail list (if relevant), and, of course, the date.
- Finally the last columns of the sheet were dedicated to recording the results. We included a success metric system and a place to record the results. Often these results were powered by Ashbourne’s affiliate link system, to determine how effective each of these channels were.
As you saw above, we tried a lot of methods during this multi-channel campaign to promote the gym and we were keen to understand what was landing and what wasn’t.
These last columns allowed our content planner to not only control deliver, but make sure the outcomes were being recorded as well.
As with a lot of things, the first step was admitting (as we did above) that our ‘strategy’ of just posting when we remembered wasn’t really a strategy. It was just a short-term solution that had become long-term.
So as we entered the final quarter of the year, we decided to implement two campaigns, both across multiple channels, one focused on increasing our sign-up rate during our weaker months of November and December and the other promoting events within the Gym. Our goal was to unify our marketing efforts under either of these two campaigns, not just random efforts throughout the month.
We needed to see each month in front of us. We needed to know what we were saying, where we were saying it, as well as when we were saying it.
We built a simple spreadsheet (we have included a link at the end of the blog!). It didn’t need to be a masterwork, it just had to work.
While you can take a look below at what we did, a simple breakdown of the information we needed to capture to make this work was as follows:
- Our primary column was the channel. E-mail, Social Media (divided by platform), SMS, Paid Ads, Partnerships, Blog Posts, Local Press, Livestreams, Podcasts, Mailout, App Updates and even Facebook Group Messages all got a colour-coded category.
It was a lot but we knew if we wanted to do a truly multi-channel marketing campaign for our gym, we needed eyes on all of it. - This was followed by the action that needed to be taken, the details, hyperlinks and the goal of the communication, whether it was to get sign-ups, engagement or information.
- After that came the logistics. A colour-coded tick column, the e-mail list (if relevant), and, of course, the date.
- Finally the last columns of the sheet were dedicated to recording the results. We included a success metric system and a place to record the results. Often these results were powered by Ashbourne’s affiliate link system, to determine how effective each of these channels were.
As you saw above, we tried a lot of methods during this multi-channel campaign to promote the gym and we were keen to understand what was landing and what wasn’t.
These last columns allowed our content planner to not only control deliver, but make sure the outcomes were being recorded as well.
A Word of Advice
While we tried to cover a lot of channels, our advice is to plan two main campaigns a month. That’s it. Just two. It sounds obvious, but trying to commit to six major projects at once means nothing will get done properly, even with a spreadsheet.
Getting ahead of both of the month’s campaigns also meant we were able to plan the creation of digital assets in advance. Instead of hastily trying to put something together the day before the post was due, we were able to start designing our artwork and assets well ahead of time on Canva.
This consistency helped the campaign feel like a unified effort rather than a series of cobbled together posts with the same theme. It also goes without saying that it saves us a lot of time and stress having everything in the same place in the same style.
We have also found this leaves enough space in the calendar for us to react to anything that pops up. A month can be a long time in marketing.
While we tried to cover a lot of channels, our advice is to plan two main campaigns a month. That’s it. Just two. It sounds obvious, but trying to commit to six major projects at once means nothing will get done properly, even with a spreadsheet.
Getting ahead of both of the month’s campaigns also meant we were able to plan the creation of digital assets in advance. Instead of hastily trying to put something together the day before the post was due, we were able to start designing our artwork and assets well ahead of time on Canva.
This consistency helped the campaign feel like a unified effort rather than a series of cobbled together posts with the same theme. It also goes without saying that it saves us a lot of time and stress having everything in the same place in the same style.
We have also found this leaves enough space in the calendar for us to react to anything that pops up. A month can be a long time in marketing.
What Happened As We Saw It Through
At time of writing we have been using this system for the last few months. Not long after implementing the content planner, we had a very positive sign in November. For the first time since we opened the doors, our net total member numbers in November didn’t go down. November and December have traditionally been poor performing months for us so this was notable and proof to us that the campaign was making an impact.
Now, I’m not saying a content planner is a silver bullet for retention woes, but suddenly we were talking to people on a much more regular basis and it was making a difference. We were reminding them why they joined. We weren’t just a direct debit leaving their bank account, our members could now clearly see we were an active club with a steady roster of events.
Then came December, where we organised and launched a charity event. Thanks to our multi-channel marketing system it was a roaring success.
Other than ensuring that we maximised the amount of exposure the event received across various channels, the biggest benefit we have enjoyed overall has been the lack of chaos.
It has taken the scramble out of marketing. Now everyone on the team has a central resource they can refer to with pre-determined content and actions. Structure has ever allowed us to
At time of writing we have been using this system for the last few months. Not long after implementing the content planner, we had a very positive sign in November. For the first time since we opened the doors, our net total member numbers in November didn’t go down. November and December have traditionally been poor performing months for us so this was notable and proof to us that the campaign was making an impact.
Now, I’m not saying a content planner is a silver bullet for retention woes, but suddenly we were talking to people on a much more regular basis and it was making a difference. We were reminding them why they joined. We weren’t just a direct debit leaving their bank account, our members could now clearly see we were an active club with a steady roster of events.
Then came December, where we organised and launched a charity event. Thanks to our multi-channel marketing system it was a roaring success.
Other than ensuring that we maximised the amount of exposure the event received across various channels, the biggest benefit we have enjoyed overall has been the lack of chaos.
It has taken the scramble out of marketing. Now everyone on the team has a central resource they can refer to with pre-determined content and actions. Structure has ever allowed us to
What Worked and What We Used
For both the charity campaign and our day-to-day marketing efforts, we needed to know what was actually working. What was landing with our members and prospects? What were they actually clicking on?
Luckily Ashbourne had us covered.
We used unique voucher codes and affiliate links in our emails and on our social media posts. When people signed up for the event, we could see exactly which channel brought them in. When we were mainly using social media, this wouldn’t have had much of an impact. But when trying a variety of different methods across multiple communication channels, it was invaluable to be able to see where traffic was actually coming from.
Not only that, we were able to run both our SMS and e-mail campaigns through Ashbourne’s systems. Everything being in the same space and directly integrated into our membership management system made life much easier for the team.
For both the charity campaign and our day-to-day marketing efforts, we needed to know what was actually working. What was landing with our members and prospects? What were they actually clicking on?
Luckily Ashbourne had us covered.
We used unique voucher codes and affiliate links in our emails and on our social media posts. When people signed up for the event, we could see exactly which channel brought them in. When we were mainly using social media, this wouldn’t have had much of an impact. But when trying a variety of different methods across multiple communication channels, it was invaluable to be able to see where traffic was actually coming from.
Not only that, we were able to run both our SMS and e-mail campaigns through Ashbourne’s systems. Everything being in the same space and directly integrated into our membership management system made life much easier for the team.
My Advice? Keep It Simple
If you are a gym owner or manager and want to give this a shot, the link to our file template is below. My advice is start small and don’t overcomplicate it. Like I said above, two campaigns a month is plenty. One bigger one, one smaller one. Map out your campaigns and the channels they will be using.
If you have got a gym management system that can do SMS, email, and track affiliate links or vouchers, use it. That data is a guiding light and trying to understand what is working without it is like stumbling in the dark.
Knowing what has landed has helped us shape our marketing efforts. It feels like we have gone from shouting into the wind to having proper conversations with our members and that has made all the difference.
You can grab a copy of our Content Planner Template here. It’s the exact one we use at The Fit Club Redditch. Feel free to tweak it, break it, and make it work for your club.
If you are a gym owner or manager and want to give this a shot, the link to our file template is below. My advice is start small and don’t overcomplicate it. Like I said above, two campaigns a month is plenty. One bigger one, one smaller one. Map out your campaigns and the channels they will be using.
If you have got a gym management system that can do SMS, email, and track affiliate links or vouchers, use it. That data is a guiding light and trying to understand what is working without it is like stumbling in the dark.
Knowing what has landed has helped us shape our marketing efforts. It feels like we have gone from shouting into the wind to having proper conversations with our members and that has made all the difference.
You can grab a copy of our Content Planner Template here. It’s the exact one we use at The Fit Club Redditch. Feel free to tweak it, break it, and make it work for your club.
