You have some goals for the year, but don’t yet have a marketing plan for the year set. Look no further.
We all know how important having a marketing plan is for your gym, but where the heck do you start?
Most gym owners never write one down, mostly out of fear or wondering if they will get it right. By writing a plan down means commitment and accountability. On the flip side, it also means peace of mind and clarity for you and your coaches. All heading in the same direction.
How satisfying would it be to have your year planned out so all you needed to do was execute on your plan?
NOTE: Join us for a free webinar on “Creating a Simple Marketing Plan for the Year”. Signup below.
Your marketing plan for the year doesn’t have to be rocket science, it just needs to be pulled out of your head and written down on paper.
Here are 3 things you can do today to turn your goals into a written plan.
We are going to go in more detail with the execution part of your plan in our upcoming free webinar, so join us.
1. Assess
Start with the customer. They are the champion. Build your plans around your customer’s needs and goals – not around your product and tactics.
What does your target customer look like? Who is the best member fit in your gym? Who makes up your current members? Families, young professionals, soccer moms, corporate peeps. Maybe you want to increase the amount of guys in your gym? Maybe you would like to get more older peeps in your gym?
Understanding who comes in your gym will help direct your marketing efforts.
2. Identify
What are your goals for the year? My guess is you already have some goals in place you would like to see accomplished. Are they written down somewhere? If you don’t have any goals set yet, this is a VERY important step.
You would never say, let’s go on vacation out west and start driving. You’ve got a destination in mind. These are your goals. Write them down and share them with your team. Showing others helps make you more accountable. We all need accountability in our life.
So create a short bulleted list and make them measurable. Also, make them realistic – “more members” often = more net revenues. More leads equals more members, better retention.
Here’s an example:
- Hold 1 offline retention-based event monthly comprised of 75% members & 25% future members
- Hold 2 local fundraisers – minimum 60 attendees
- Generate 50 new Personal Training leads
- Create 2 new co-branded partnerships
- Run 2 Automated Lead Nurturing Campaigns with 10% conversion
- Sell out 6 internal programs (nutrition, endurance, and women’s weightlifting) – 2 tracks each
3. Plan
Now it’s time to create the marketing plan and tactics around your goals.
What campaigns/events during the year can you run to help you achieve your goals? Try to break them out into categories.
By planning out your year, peace of mind will come.
Click on the graphic example of a planned out Marketing Event Calendar from CrossFit Turbine. On our upcoming webinar, Stefan, from Turbine, will discuss how he created this example and his mindset behind it.
TIP: Keep it flexible. Plans change, so ensure plans are usable by a clear vision for the year and keeping detail to a shorter term 90 day focus.
This is why STRATEGY/Having a Plan will always trump one-off tactics. Tactics are the vehicle, strategy is the map.