12 Ways You Can Use Fitness Gift Cards Immediately
Gift cards are hands down the most powerful marketing strategy available to fitness businesses. Not only are they inexpensive, they are unbelievably powerful, and they can be used in a variety of ways. You are only limited by your own creativity.
There are many different ways to promote Gift Cards. Here are 12 to get you started:
1. Joining Incentive
When you reward a prospect to join, offering the standard first month free or half off enrollment, etc… be sure to sweeten the pot with three VIP Gift Cards they can give to their friends. Working out is a social event and they’ll be more likely to join if they can “Hook up” their friends and family!
2. Members Referrals
I’ll bet you’re still handing your new members a plain old business card guest pass at the point of sale in hopes that they’ll give it to their friend? Imagine how much more perceived value a plastic gift card has. When the new member hands their friend a $100 gift card, the friend is more likely to come in to use it because it has so much perceived value associated with it. (If someone gives you a $100 Gift Card somewhere, won’t you think twice about throwing it away?). And of course if their friend ends up using the gift card, they will receive a gift as well.
3. Fund Raisers
How many people approach you every month asking you for donations to auctions or to donate something to their cause? Gift cards are the perfect solution! Or you can take it one step further. Reach out to one of these groups…perhaps a local boy scout group, a high school band, a local baseball league, etc. Allow them to sell your $50 gift cards for $5 or $10. They can keep all the money they make, and you get hundreds of people with a gift card they will redeem at your business! When the group sells the cards, they’ll collect the contact information from the purchaser. So if they sell 300 of your gift cards, you’ll have 300 people with a gift card in their possession (that they paid money for… so you know they’re not going to throw it away), and you have their contact information so you can now follow up with them!!
4. Early Renewal Incentives
As your members near the end of their membership term, you should consider doing an early renewal campaign. What better way to reward your members than by giving them a special 2-months free gift card to use toward another term membership.
5. Referral Contest Giveaways
We are always on the lookout for things to give out for referral contests. Why not use gift cards for prizes and let the winners redeem them however they want. Members can use the gift cards to redeem for personal training, free time on their membership, to give as gifts to their friends, to apply toward tanning or massage or bootcamps or any other profit centers you might have.
6. Corporate Events and Health Fairs
Are lead boxes dead? Not if you combine them with a Fitness Gift Card giveaway! You can collect names and numbers to win a grand prize of perhaps a one year membership. But for every person who enters the drawing they receive a $100 gift card to apply toward membership. Let’s assume your enrollment fee is $69 and your monthly dues are $30. You won’t lose money because many times the promotion you will run at these events will be “Zero Enrollment and your first month free”… Which comes out to around $100. They feel like they’re getting a great deal and you lose nothing. And remember that you’ll have everyone’s contact information on the sign up forms to be able to follow up with them. “Stop by our booth to receive a complimentary $100 Gift Card to ____ Fitness!”
7. Expired and Cancelled Members
It’s very likely that you have a stack of expired and cancelled members. It’s also very likely that the majority of these members are still in town. Put a gift card in the mail along with a “We want you back so badly that we’re willing to pay you!” letter. A $100 gift card is often enough to get the ex-member back again. Of course, always follow up with a phone call. “Hi Mr. Smith, I just wanted to follow up with you to make sure you received our gift we sent you. What day would be a good day for you to come in and redeem it?”
8. Prizes for Reaching Goals
Gift cards are the perfect way to congratulate and recognize your members for their hard work. You can give a $50 gift card to your “Member of the Month”, or to any member who works hard and reaches their goals. This is a great incentive for them, or perhaps you want to keep the prize unannounced. Everyone loves a surprise!
9. Holiday presents/ Stocking stuffers
Everyone wants to give the gift of health at Christmas time. Sell your $100 gift cards at 90% off. Your members will feel like they’re getting a great deal, you’ll make a little money from the sales, and you’ll have tons of referrals coming in. You could even announce this 90% sale to your community. Non-members will come in to buy for their friends and family (and likely even themselves). These make great stocking stuffers at holiday time. And for those who want to give a champagne gift but only have a beer budget… they’ll look like they spent $100 when actually they only spent $10. Marketing at its finest!
10. Hand out with Guest Passes
Instead of putting a dollar amount on your gift card, try putting a free membership on it. This is a powerful tool to hand out to prospects around your town as well. A 2-week or 30-day membership is a powerful gift that will get people through your doors.
11. Birthday presents, special occasions
Gift cards are very inexpensive, so what you might want to do is order a couple different designs, at varying denominations. For example, you might want to use a $50 for existing member birthdays. But you might want to save the $100 gift cards for non-members (since it could apply to their enrollment fee). If you know someone’s birthday, how powerful would it be for them to receive a nice letter and gift card. Their own mother might forget to buy them anything for their special day, but you won’t!
12. Telemarketing
Yes, business-to-business telemarketing still works… and it works especially well when combined with a gift card promotion. When you call a local business to offer them something special, offer them a $100 gift card just for answering the phone. And if they’re not interested, ask to speak with their manager and arrange a special deal where you’ll provide all the employees a special offer and accompanying gift card. The manager will look like a hero and you will have quite a few local employees redeeming their gift cards.
In a time when the industry is fiercely competitive and it’s harder and harder to attract and close new members and clients, Fitness Gift Cards will revolutionize the way you market your fitness business. However you decide to use these, your goal should be to distribute at least 1,000 of these throughout your community each month. Your return on your investment is huge and you will be able to sell more memberships, more personal training, more bootcamps, more everything immediately.