Health Club Marketing Idea

If you've ever shopped in a grocery store that has those Catalina coupon machines at the checkout stands, then maybe you've received a coupon like the one pictured here.

The other day I was shopping in Albertsons, a local grocery store, and the Catalina machine issued me this coupon for the local Fashion Bug clothing store.

That got me thinking about health club marketing ideas and the owners of small circuit training health clubs can copy the marketing ideas of the "big boys".

Here's a revealing question for any small business owner: How many local businesses will distribute a coupon or brochure for YOU today?

If your answer was "none", then you have a problem.

In this economy, you simply cannot afford to sit and wait for new gym members to come to you. It's not enough to hope for the best. To achieve success (or even survival) you MUST actively seek out health club marketing ideas and promote your health club every day.

Getting back to the Catalina coupon I received at Albertsons, can you see the power of that marketing idea working? Fashion Bug is being promoted to the Albertsons customer. Maybe they paid for Albertsons to distribute their coupons (they probably did) but you can copy this concept without spending a dime!

What you need to do is exchange coupon promotion with another business in town. You'll pass out their coupons or brochures, and in exchange they'll do the same for you. Just think of how many potential NEW gym members will be exposed to your message this way! This health club marketing idea is a win for the other business, too, because they're of course interested in marketing to your existing clients.

The maximize the returns off this marketing idea you should choose a partner business that serves the same customer you do. If you're a health club for women only, then exchange coupons with another local company that serves women. A clothing store would be a good example. Since you're promoting health and fitness, you may also want to approach a health food store or vitamin shop.

Next you'll need to have the actual coupons printed. Keep them simple. Few people will take the time to read an entire brochure! We recommend using the ever-popular and low-cost business card, but instead of just putting your contact information on it you should turn it into a coupon. Check out this picture for an example, and on the "Courtesy Of" line you'll print the name of the business that is passing out these coupons for you. The best price we've found is VistaPrint where you can get FREE Business Cards

Now, do you REALLY want to kick this health club marketing idea up a notch? To take things to the next level, what you can do is give value to the other business. In other words, create a special offer just for them. This is particularly useful if you're having trouble getting a local company to partner with you.

For example, when ABC Health Foods is distributing your coupons to their customers you could give a discount to anyone who brings in their receipt from ABC Health Foods. This adds value to ABC Health Foods, and makes them look like the "good guy" who is going the extra mile for their customer.

The sky really is the limit with what this health club marketing idea can do for you! We've seen gyms run contests with massage therapists. We've seen fitness centers teach a class in a health food store, and we've seen coffee shops bring free healthy smoothies into a health club to give out samples.

Health club marketing doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg, and it doesn't have to take up every moment of your spare time. The key is to get other people and other businesses to distribute coupons for you.

So, how many local businesses will distribute a coupon or brochure for YOU today?

Health Club Marketing Campaigns For October

In case you missed it, we've written an original and FREE article with almost fifty (yes, 50!) health club marketing ideas for you to use in October. If you haven't read it yet, click here to do so NOW.

Ready for another great idea for a health club marketing campaign in October?

Sponsor a costume contest! This is the one time of the year where you can have a lot of fun dressing up without people thinking you're weird.

What, you thought every health club marketing campaign had to be about health and fitness? Of course not! Some of the best campaigns for gyms and health clubs have absolutely nothing to do with exercise! What's important is that they're FUN, they GENERATE EXCITEMENT, and they BRING PEOPLE INTO THE FITNESS CENTER.

Here are the simple steps to hosting a Halloween costume contest as a health club marketing campaign this month:

1) Decide on the rules. We highly recommend that you have at least two categories, one for adults and another for children. While the kids probably won't be members of your gym, who cares? It's fun for them, and besides mom and/or dad will have to bring them into the health club to enter! You'll also need to decide if you're going to allow any costume, just homemade costumes, etc.

2) Decide on the prizes. You can award the winners cash, a free month gym membership, free tanning sessions, or whatever. You may even want to consider awarding some real engraved trophies to add some class and professionalism to the event! If you choose to go this route, then we recommend Trophies, Plaques, Medals, and More by Dinn Trophy

3) Announce the contest within the fitness center, and make sure everyone knows about it. Send it out via your regular newsletter, put it up on your website, post signs, etc. Of course, since this costume contest is a health club MARKETING campaign you'll also want to have members invite their friends and family to participate. The goal isn't just to help your existing membership base have fun (and thus remain loyal customers), but also to bring in new members.

4) On Halloween, have everyone come to the health club to show off their costume. You'll be ready with a camera, of course! Take a picture of everyone, and immediately print and post their photo on the wall of the gym. Make this an event! Have healthy snacks available, play spooky music, have some decorations up, and just basically have a good time! You may want to consider playing our Creepy Halloween cue CD this day for added fun! You can order one here.

5) Pick a winner. You can either have everyone vote for their favorite, you can have a celebrity judge decide a winner for you, or you can simply select the winner yourself. Award the prizes at the end of the business day, and be sure to get some photos of the winners accepting their trophies!

6) Okay, you're not done yet! Remember that this costume contest isn't just for fun. It's a health club marketing campaign designed to boost revenue! On Halloween night, or early the next day, take the photos of the winners down to the local newspaper along with a short paragraph you've written explaining the contest. Everyone loves a winner, and local news like this often makes it onto the community page. It's free advertising for you, and the winners love to see themselves in the paper!

Doing some marketing for your health club doesn't have to be boring. With just a little effort you can host a costume contest that people will be talking about for years to come!

To help you get started with your costume contest, we've researched the web to find you the best deals on Halloween costumes and Halloween party decorations. Check the links below to get started. Enjoy!

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MOST AFFORDABLE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES from Extreme Halloween Network:

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By the way, where else do you get FREE health club marketing ideas like this? Only www.cuecd.com gives circuit training health club owners FREE health club marketing campaign ideas! Wouldn't this be a good time to refer us to another gym owner?

How To Sell Gym Memberships Back To School Ideas

Most kids in the United States have recently started school, and as a result we're happy to report that we have some new back to school ideas to help you sell more gym memberships!

Let's begin stating the obvious:
1) Your health club is first and foremost a LOCAL health club. The only members you're going to get are LOCAL members.
2) The schools around your gym are LOCAL schools. In other words, the kids who attend the local schools live nearby.
3) Each child that attends a local school, and thus who lives nearby, has a family.

Our point here is that back to school ideas should be popping in your brain right now. The kids in the local schools are a great way to reach local families, if you approach it the right way.

One of the best ways to advertise and market using the schools is to send home some marketing materials with the kids. When something is sent home from school, most parents pay attention! They read anything and everything that comes home with Junior.

So why not get something sent home with the local school kids? This is a POWERFUL way to advertise to only local households, without spending a dime on postage!

This marketing idea is so amazing that some of the biggest companies in the nation are using it, including Nestle. Many (if not most) school districts in the United States recently sent home a Nestle booklet titled "Happy New School Year" (see picture above). This booklet contains coupons for Nestle products, information on a sweepstakes, and a lot of promotional information about Nestle!

Consider the opening paragraph from the Nestle booklet: "Dear Parent, Your commitment to your family's well-being may start with good food, but it also includes a solid educational foundation. At Nestle, we share the same values." Now if that's not pure marketing, we don't know what is!

So how do you get the local school(s) to send some of your marketing materials home with the kids? That's the million dollar question!

First and foremost, you have to make it valuable to the school. One idea is to create a promotion where you will donate all the registration fees to ABC Elementary during a specific week. In other words, for an entire week you'll donate 100% (or 50%) of the registration fees you collect. You can call this "ABC Elementary Week" and create a send-home handout with this information. Be sure to require that, in order for the donation to be made, the parent(s) must bring the form with them when they join.

The school will be willing to send home this marketing material because it's a fundraiser for them. The families will read it because it came from the school. You win because it's a no-cost promotion for you: if nobody joins during that week, you don't make a donation. You have zero downside risk and unlimited upside potential!

That's how to sell gym memberships during these back to school months!

Of course, this idea is just one of many. Need more ideas? You'll find them by clicking here.

Earn Money Online Surveys

Okay, here's the deal. We all know that this is a time of MAJOR CHANGE for the health club industry. The economy is in a recession, and businesses are closing faster than contestants lose pounds on the Biggest Loser television show.

As part of our continuing efforts to study the health and fitness industry, we need to know your opinion on the economy and other topics!

Not only do we NEED to hear your opinion, but it's so important to us that WE'LL ACTUALLY PAY YOU to give us your thoughts on certain topics!

We need to know what gym and fitness center owners are thinking right now, and you can help us by taking a survey. In return for your time, WE WILL PAY YOU CASH.

Interested? Just click on the link below to get started!

Complete online surveys and earn cash from GlobalTestMarket

Hydroxycut Reviews and Side Effects

Just in case you haven't seen the news lately, Hydroxycut reviews and side effects are on every newspaper page and on every channel. Hydroxycut is a popular line of weight loss and energy enhancement products. In addition to holding a vast share of the consumer weight loss market, Hydroxycut supplements are also popular among athletes, particularly bodybuilders looking to sharpen the appearance of their muscles.

Turns out that Hydroxycut isn't as safe as we were led to believe, and it has been recalled by the USFDA. The Food and Drug Administration is urging consumers to discontinue the use of Hydroxycut products as they have been associated with a number of serious liver injuries. The FDA said it has received 23 reports of serious liver injuries linked to Hydroxycut products, which are also used as energy enhancers and as fat burners.

NOTE: For a safe energy enhancer, we recommend FRS® Healthy Energy™


What does the Hydroxycut recall have to do with us as gym owners?

It's simple, really.

This recent news event just provides us with even MORE proof that there is no 'magic' weight loss pill. There is no fountain of youth!

This recent news event also proves (once again) that the ONLY safe way to achieve weight loss goals for life is through regular and consistent exercise!

How do you turn this knowledge into action? How do you use this news story about Hydroxycut to generate more sales and more clients?

First of all, you need to create an ORIGINAL article detailing exactly why there is no shortcut to true fitness. YOU know the facts, but you will generate zero sales if you don't pass those facts out to the public. Write a great article, and make sure you specify exactly why the so-called 'magic' weight loss pills only lead to failure. Then, in the same article, detail exactly why EXERCISE is the only way to SAFELY and PERMANENTLY lose weight.

NOTE: For a great example of how to write an article like this, click here.

After you've written a great article, then you need to get that article published in the local newspaper. If you're a real publicity genius, you'll also get some exposure on the local television stations as well as on the local radio stations!

Just think of all the FREE advertising and publicity you can gain from this Hydroxycut reviews and side effects story! By writing an original article about a big national news story, you'll be setting yourself up as a local expert. Even better, because Hydroxycut is a hot topic right now, you're almost sure to get the local media to run your article!

NOTE: If you have no idea how to get FREE publicity like we're talking about here, then you NEED to order our Gym Sales Manual. Click here for more information. Here you'll learn the step-by-step approach you can use to get FREE publicity from the local news media!

Taking a national story, like this one about Hydroxycut, and using it to gain new clients is just good business sense. It's also a great way to really help people find the true answer to the weight loss puzzle.

In other words, health club owners can use this Hydroxycut story to boost sales and profits, while at the same time helping people SAFELY achieve their weight loss goals.

The opportunity is there. Will you take it?

Want to Boost your Physical, Emotional, and Mental Health? Try FRS Free*.

Competing With YMCA Locations

Are you a private health club owner that is competing with a YMCA?

Do you find it frustrating that most YMCA organizations receive DONATIONS and offer SUBSIDIZED MEMBERSHIPS?

Do you find it IMPOSSIBLE TO BELIEVE that many city councils, Chambers of Commerce, and other quasi-governmental organizations actually work hard to create and then support a YMCA when that exact same YMCA not only competes with but financially HARMS legitimate business in the area?

There's a YMCA in Warwick, Rhode Island. Of the incoming members about half are provided with financial assistance. Last year the Y subsidized memberships to the tune of $200,000 and with even harder times this year [they] expect it could be more.

At a YMCA in Norwich, CT money from memberships supported the Y's subsidized services. Now that memberships are down, it really is going to be a matter of finding partners in the community who can step up and help put together a proposed solution.

The YMCA of Southeastern Connecticut could receive the city's $269,000 federal community development block grant stimulus grant if the agency can prove soon that it has the means to stay open. FEDERAL GRANT = TAXPAYER DOLLARS.

Examples like this are all too common in the United States.

All too often, donations and/or taxpayer dollars are used to build, establish, or support existing YMCA health clubs.

IS THIS FAIR?

While I'm sure that all gym owners would agree that making Americans healthier is an admirable goal, it's also true that legitimate PRIVATELY OWNED health clubs have a tough time competing with a YMCA.

After all, how can a health club entrepreneur compete with an organization that is running on donations and taxpayer dollars?!?!?!?

Do you compete with a YMCA?

Is it fair?

Please leave a comment and share your thoughts with other gym owners!

Circuit Training Ideas On A Budget

In case you haven't seen them yet, the cuecd.com team is PROUD to announce our new series of articles for circuit training health club owners! This series is titled Circuit Training Ideas On A Budget and the first two articles are THEME WEEK and BIGGEST LOSER.

Just like all of our original articles for circuit training gym owners, these two new resources are completely 100% FREE to you!

If you haven't checked out our growing library of FREE resources for circuit training fitness centers, then you need to go here today!