What is the one thing that every gymnastic center needs? Students! If you’re like most gymnastics centers, you probably have students drop out regularly. Sometimes, they quit coming because of other activities at school.
Other times, it is due to finances or other issues. This means that to keep your classes full, you must continuously work on finding new students. So, how do you do that? Most gymnastics facilities face tough competition so getting new students can be a real challenge.
We are here to help! Here are some of the best ways to increase enrollment at your gymnastics facility.
Create A Solid Brand
Your brand is vital when it comes to bringing in new students. Apple is an example of a company that has done a great job at branding their products, and they are rewarded with unwavering customer loyalty. Apple products are priced way above the competition. However, customers keep buying them — because of the brand. Apple knows their customers and has designed their brand around their customer’s lifestyles. Your gymnastics center should do the same thing.
Gymnastics is a crowded market. Branding will help your gym stand out from the rest. It will provide recognition. Branding also lets people know what to expect when they enroll at your facility. Since your classes are a big part of your brand identity, make sure that they stand out from the competition. Your classes are your brand promise. Potential students should know what to expect when they sign up for classes. Your branding will help with that.
Know Your Audience
It is essential to know your audience. Who are you marketing to? If you said “school-aged kids,” then you would be wrong. You are selling to parents. What do parents of school-aged kids want? How can you convince them that your gymnastics facility is the best place for their child or children? USA Gymnastics surveyed to find out what factors are important for parents when it comes to deciding upon a facility.
- A clean gym
- Convenient location
- A wide variety of classes
- Observation area
- Trampolines
- Accept credit cards
- Safe, adequate parking
Knowing your audience gives you an idea of what things are important to them. So, emphasize these things in your marketing strategies and communications. Convince parents that your gym will meet their needs.
Develop Your Social Media Presence
After you have figured out who your audience is, you can focus your efforts on your social media presence. The first step in developing a killer social media presence is to determine which social media channels you should be posting to. Here is a guide to help you out:
- Facebook – a variety of demographics widely uses Facebook. More than 1 billion people use the social site per day. Marketing on Facebook will help you find and connect with new customers quickly. You can interact with potential clients via Messenger or post your class schedule for anyone who might be interested in classes. Facebook is also an excellent tool for introducing new instructors and classes.
- Instagram – Instagram is another great tool for gymnastics centers. More than a third of the most viewed Instagram stories are from businesses. It is easy and free to start a new Instagram Business Profile.
- Snapchat -Snapchat is one of the best ways for gymnastics centers to bring in new students. Teenagers and young adults widely use Snapchat. Snapchat allows you to gear ads towards targeted audiences. There are more than 200 different audiences to choose from, or you can enable Snapchat to do an “Audience Match” to find the perfect audience for your product. You can also specifically target certain ages, locations and even things like parental status.
- Twitter – People widely use Twitter to find out what is happening or new. You can quickly engage with students and parents using Twitter. Its free to start a business profile. Once you have your Twitter profile set up, you can use the site to search for conversations that are relevant to your gym. Then, you can jump in and add value to existing discussions. Becoming visible on Twitter will help potential students become more aware of your brand and what you offer.
- YouTube – Every gymnastics center should have an active YouTube Channel. YouTube reaches more people in the United States than any television network. It is where the world comes to watch videos and entertainment. You can post conditioning exercise videos, highlight new classes or recognize star gymnasts at your facility.
Here are some general tips for social media posts:
- Keep posts short and exciting. Make sure the content is relevant and entertaining to your audience.
- Post on a regular basis. It is helpful to use a content calendar to create a schedule for posting to each platform.
- Show off your gym’s personality. Make sure your branding is consistent across your channels.
- Try to use visuals or videos. Using images and videos will make your posts more interesting.
- Customize the content that you share across each platform. Do not share the same posts on every platform.
- Show off your customer service skills. Make sure you respond politely to posts.
Consider Connecting With Influencers
Don’t underestimate the power of social media influencers. An influencer generally has a large social media following. Most are not famous in the traditional sense. However, they can influence behaviors and decisions. An example of a well-known Instagram influencer whose posts are centered on gymnastics is Alexandra Raisman. She currently has more than 2.3 million followers on the site. Her followers look to her for inspiration, tips, recommendations, and guidance.
You don’t have to recruit someone with as many followers as Alexandra. Just, look for a blogger or Instagrammer with a medium social media following who regularly posts about gymnastics. If you can find someone in your area to work with, consider offering free classes if they will share their experiences online.
Design An Amazing Website
Your website is probably the first thing that potential customers will find when they search for your gymnastics facility online. It is an extension of your gymnastics studio and therefore, one of the most important marketing tools that you have at your disposal. Your site should represent your brand. Make sure you let your gym’s personality shine through on it.
You can use your website to display your current class schedule, disclose fees and rates, get booked online, sell merchandise and more. Useful tools like a blog or how-to videos will encourage students to hang around longer and explore your site. Make sure you remember to include buttons for all of your social media sites on your website.
Using the above strategies will help you increase your enrollment numbers. The best part is that most of these ideas take minimal effort and money but net great results.