The old saying goes like this: March comes in like a lion but goes out like a lamb. Of course, this old adage refers to the weather, but unfortunately for health club owners it also encompasses new gym membership sales. March is the month where New Year Resolutions are all but forgotten and the threat of summer swimming suit season is still too far off to prompt any serious gym influx. In short, March is the month where far too many gym owners find themselves with an empty fitness center and a shortage of bank deposits.
But it doesn’t have to be that way! It is possible to do more in March than just dust the commercial gym equipment and wonder how the Curves gym down the street is doing. With some effort and planning, your health club can be a gym powerhouse this month!
Whether you own a women’s gym, a Gold’s Gym or just a little gym you can take advantage of these health club marketing opportunities in March:
American Diabetes Alert Day (4th Tuesday) - www.diabetes.org
American Red Cross Month - www.redcross.org
Brain Awareness Week (Monday of 2nd full week) - www.dana.org
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Month - www.ncfsfa.org
Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month - www.preventcancer.org
Kick Butts Day (last day of the month) - www.kickbuttsday.org
Nutrition Month, National - www.eatright.org
Sleep Awareness Week (last Monday week) - www.sleepfoundation.org
Doctor's Day (last Tuesday) - Website Unknown
Judging by this list, the opportunities for gym marketing are virtually unlimited!
American Diabetes Alert Day (4th Tuesday) - www.diabetes.org
As health and fitness professionals, we already know that regular exercise helps to prevent diabetes. “…..high-fit women [are] 70 percent less likely to develop diabetes than low-fit women…..Physicians need to be prescribing physical activity to their female patients to help prevent the development of diabetes” (source: NEW YORK (Reuters Health; Wed Nov 19). Women’s fitness centers in particular should be educating the public this month about the dangers of diabetes, and how consistent exercise can minimize the risk of diabetes. A great way to do this is to write an article on this topic and submit it to the local newspaper. Education can be a powerful selling tool! Besides the fact that you’ll be educating (convincing) the local public that exercise will help prevent diabetes, the article will include a “tag line” for your health club.
American Red Cross Month - www.redcross.org
American Red Cross month brings a whole new set of possibilities for fitness center marketing. How about inviting the local Red Cross to do a blood drive in your gym? They provide all the equipment, the staffing, and they’ll even do some advertising for you! It’s a win-win situation! You get increased traffic into your health and fitness center while at the same time you’re also providing a much needed service for the Red Cross!
Another option would be to host a fund-raiser for the Red Cross this month. However you choose to support the Red Cross in March, don’t forget to issue a press release so you pick up some FREE publicity!
Brain Awareness Week (Monday of 2nd full week) - www.dana.org
Brain Awareness Week may seem like a stretch for a women’s health club event at first, but don’t forget that there’s reputable research proving a direct link between increased exercise and a diminished risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. “Losing weight, eating more fruits and vegetables and exercising your brain and body sounds like a formula to prevent heart disease, but it is also a way to prevent Alzheimer's” (source: PHILADELPHIA (Reuters Health); Mon Jul 19, by Jon Hurdle). Use this information to educate the public and your members. You may even want to consider targeting the senior population with this information, along with a special limited time offer for gym membership.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Month - www.ncfsfa.org
March is also Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Month. Commonly referred to as fibromyalgia, this is yet another condition that can be helped with routine exercise. Does the general public know that you and your gym can help fight fibromyalgia? Do the doctors in your area know that regular exercise can help alleviate the symptoms of fibromyalgia? If not, start thinking about ways you can get this message out.
Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month - www.preventcancer.org
Furthermore, March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Research has shown that colorectal cancer may be prevented by working out regularly: “Maintaining a healthy weight is important to reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of several cancers, including cancers of the breast (among women after age 50), and colon, endometrium, esophagus, and kidney cancers” (source: American Cancer Society ; Dr. Tim Byers and Colleen Doyle, MS, RD).
Every health club from the biggest World Gym to the smallest exclusively women’s fitness center should be educating the public about these conditions, coupled with information about how regular exercise is a recognized preventative method.
Kick Butts Day (last day of the month) - www.kickbuttsday.org
March is home to Kick Butts Day, where the goal is to help men, women and (unfortunately) teens stop smoking. The tie-in with exercise and better health is obvious, and there’s even research out there proving that the odds of successfully quitting smoking are increased when combined with an exercise program. How about offering FREE gym exercise sessions throughout March for anyone and everyone who is trying to quit smoking? Not only will you pick up some new members with this strategy, but you’ll also be helping people live longer!
Nutrition Month, National - www.eatright.org
National Nutrition Month should be a slam-dunk for every athletic club owner out there. Nutrition and exercise go hand-in-hand, and March presents a wonderful opportunity to get out there and promote your fitness center and nutrition at the same time. One option is to visit your local school(s) and be a guest speaker in their gym class or physical education class. This approach would allow you to talk about the benefits of a good gym workout and sound nutrition. Again, don’t forget to send a press release to the media and also prepare a letter or note for the students to take home to their parents – there’s nothing wrong with doing a little marketing while you’re performing a community service!
Sleep Awareness Week (last Monday week) - www.sleepfoundation.org
Sleep Awareness Week also falls during the month of March, and fortunately for health clubs research exists showing that consistent exercise helps people sleep better at night. How about placing a sign in front of your gym that says something like this:
Trouble Sleeping?
Insomnia?
Tired Of Counting Sheep?
Stop in today to discover the
100% ALL NATURAL
way to
SLEEP BETTER AT NIGHT!
Once you have them in the door with the sign, be prepared with research showing that regular exercise leads to a good night of sleep. Using education-based selling like this can target an entirely new customer base for you!
Doctor's Day (last Tuesday) - Website Unknown
Finally, National Doctor's Day is also in March. This is a fantastic opening for you to communicate with the physicians in your area and do some networking. As you know, doctors are highly valued in the health and fitness industry because (among other reasons) they have the ability to refer their patients to you. Ideally, a gym owner would work in conjunction with physicians to promote better health and preventative care for all patients. To further this cause, why not host a FREE lunch or dinner for the doctors in your town? Let them know that you recognize Doctor’s Day and that you appreciate their efforts! This event should be held in your health club, and everyone attending should be encouraged to try out your fitness center equipment and amenities (at no charge, of course).
The odds are good that there are a lot of gyms in the health club directory for your town, and competition is fierce. Take the advantage by refusing to accept slow sales in March! Get out there and promote! Educate! Set some sales records this month!
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