Offline marketing for fitness/wellness studios: 2-part ideation exercise

Since I wrote how underestimated offline marketing is today, I’ve been on a roll ruminating about this day in and day out.

It’s also a change of pace from doing strategies for SaaS (or any other virtual product or service, for that matter) all day.

While many business models exist that cater to their customers in real life, I’ve decided to focus on fitness/wellness – judging by just how hands-on the entire sector is.

Whether you are a fitness centre owner, or a manager who has been tasked with promotional duties, these ideation exercises are for you. Here, we break down how you can get the ball rolling on building suitable marketing ideas from 2 perspectives: by location/proximity and ICP, and by thought leadership/expertise.

So let’s get right into it!

Offline marketing for fitness/wellness: by location/proximity and ICP

At this point, your only focus should be location. While your brainstorm will begin based on your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile), it won’t stay fixated on this alone (unlike how we’re trained to think when doing digital marketing).

So in other words, your ICP will give your team a sense of direction. But that’s about it. The final result will be experienced by plenty outside your demographic – which is totally okay.

Let’s start the exercise by asking a simple question:

Where are most of my prospective customers bound to be?

Now this is a bit too broad. But it definitely needs to be answered so we can move on to the next step. So let’s break this question into something more bite-sized, to help ourselves wrap our heads around it:

Considering what I specialise in and the price range, who’d be most in need of my product, and be willing to pay for it?

• For a spa, it may be a) tired office goers or b) tourists who have just concluded a gruelling 15-hour excursion,
• For gyms, it may be office goers (again) or those with chronic conditions,
• For yoga studios – those with anxiety issues and chronic illnesses.

Now, where are these people best found?

Depending on the location, a nearby hoarding may be your best bet. But let’s brainstorm deeper:

• Collaborations with select hotels, restaurants and wellness clubs, for general awareness or membership discounts,
• QR codes at select airports and railways stations that are frequented by your ICPs, for more info + discounts,
• Pop-up studios with complimentary sessions, to spread word + give prospects a feel for what you offer.

These are just some suggestions – and the sky’s the limit when it comes to where you can advertise, and how.

Also read: Not everything needs to be ‘data-driven’

Offline marketing for fitness/wellness: by thought leadership/expertise

You are an expert at what you do, so why not spread your knowledge to the world? Reach out to magazines and shows for discussing the topics you know matter to your clients – and that you are familiar with.

A column on a magazine, or an interview on the radio: yes, people still exist who keep tabs on these things, and you may be surprised at how well your brand name sticks in the minds of such prospects, as time passes by.

You may also be pleasantly surprised at the calibre of prospect you attract this way. In other words, high spenders that keep coming back (provided you offer stellar service).

This is a progression, after all. Don’t expect mighty results overnight! At first, lift may be negligible. But with repetitive action, you and your fellow experts will be known for their tips and recommendations – a great example of thought leadership that will make prospects seek you out themselves. What more could you ask for?

So don’t rule out offline marketing. It’s bound to reap better in terms of the calibre of prospect you attract as well as sticky brand awareness, more than you’d have expected – albeit slower than digital.

If you would like to share your opinions regarding the content on our blog, please email us on media@sunshinestrategic.com.

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