Opening your own gym can be a dream come true, but it can be hard to make a living if you cannot get students through your doors.
That’s why marketing and promotion are two of the most important aspects of owning an MMA facility, yet it’s something that many gym owners and facility managers struggle with. You may be a great instructor – you may even be a great business owner – but even great business owners struggle with marketing.
If you are new to marketing your gym, or just can’t seem to get it right, fear not, here’s a list of things you can do to get more student in through your doors.
Understand Your Target Market
You can’t advertise to a group of people if you don’t identify them, first. Get to know and understand your target customers and how they think. Where do they do for information? How do they have fun? What are their wants and needs?
Find the answers to these questions and more.
Build a Place Where People Want to Be
We’ve written before about building a great gym culture, creating a strong team environment and keeping up with the latest products in the industry. If you build a gym that people will want to go to, complete with great trainers and products (MMA mats, walls pads, etc.), your gym will begin to sell itself.
Offer Incentives
When it comes to incentivize students to come to your gym, you have many options:
- Membership programs
- Referral rewards
- Discounts for long-term and returning members
- Free trial memberships
Network
There’s a saying: always be marketing (ABM). This doesn’t mean that you should sell your business to every person you meet, but your should always be prepared to market your gym, if the opportunity arises. Carry business cards and leave them/hand them out where you can.
Most importantly, cross market with other businesses. The more you branch out to other local business owners, the more you will be able to help each other expand your reach.
Be True To Yourself
An MMA gym is a home away from home for a lot of people, which is why building a community is important. Your brand is your promise to your students. If you make your facility a place where people can feel comfortable, challenged and accepted, your business will flourish.
Looking to Upgrade Your Equipment?
It never hurts to give your gym a fresh, new look.