Why Build a Gym Community

As a gym owner, the potential gains for creating a community-focused gym go far beyond just making your members happy.

Heading a gym with a strong community can contribute to significantly higher profits, and a even attract a member base that will be loyal to your club for years to come.

As the owner of a business in an oversaturated market that is notorious for low retention rates, focusing on member experience and nurturing a sense of belonging among your members can be the difference between your business surviving and thriving.

Keep reading to learn about the invaluable benefits that building a gym community can offer, as well as for more information about exactly how you can start creating it.

4 Reasons for You to Focus On Building Your Gym Community

Building a community isn’t something that can be done overnight. It is a process that will take place from the time you open the doors of your club until the day they close.

Although having a thriving community isn’t an essential part of owning a business, it can make a significant difference in the success of your business and have a surprisingly large impact on the experience of the members of your club.

1. Encourages a sense of belonging

You can’t put a price tag on feeling like you belong somewhere. Humans crave community and connection, and creating a space where someone feels included is invaluable for you as a gym owner.

The fitness industry is well-known for its low retention rates, with up to 50% of new members quitting within the first 6 months of joining a new gym.

This means that finding new ways of keeping members around beyond just slashing membership prices is a must, and focusing on creating a strong sense of community within the four walls of your facility is a great way to do so.

When you’ve done a thorough job of making your members feel included, you can rest assured that your members will continue showing up to your facility for years to come.

2. Members are more likely to show up

Finding the inspiration to go to the gym at the end of a long day can be made easier when you know that you have friends waiting for you when you get there.

Working out with people you consider your friends can encourage accountability.

Not only because you are excited to connect with your friends when you go to work out, but also because committing to a gym session with a friend makes it that much easier to follow through — especially on the days that you’d rather sit on the couch and watch TV.

By encouraging your members to create a more tightknit community, you actually contribute to their success. And anyone who is able to see the results of their hard work is more likely to stick around long term.

3. Creates more opportunity to generate revenue

Anyone who comes to your facility with friends will be more likely to make use of multiple amenities.

Whether these friends decide to go for a collective sweat in your sauna, a post-workout tan, or stop and catch up over a cup of coffee — or protein shake — the chances of them sticking around are higher than anyone who comes in to bust out a solo workout session and head home.

Getting your members using multiple amenities is one of the best ways for you as a gym owner to increase the revenue you are able to generate off each member. Getting more members using everything your gym has to offer can help you increase your profits with greater ease.

4. Better for word of mouth marketing

As a gym owner, you’re probably well aware of the effectiveness of word of mouth marketing.

Word of mouth marketing is proven to be one of the most powerful ways for you to spread word about your business, and the best part is, you don’t have to waste money on expensive paid ads.

Up to 64% of professional marketing agents agree that word of mouth is the effective way for you to market your business.

Most of these experts also agree that providing above average customer service and focusing on member experience is the best way to get more people recommending your business to their friends and family.

Nurturing a community that feels warm and welcoming, and that also supports members in creating noticeable results is one way to increase the likelihood of your members bringing their friends to your facility.

Bottom Line

Hopefully, after reading this article you feel inspired to start implementing new tools and techniques that nurture a sense of community in your facility.

The benefits of a well-established community on your gym floor will be felt not only by you and your staff, but also your members.

It is a way for you to lend a helping hand to your members so that they’re able to see the results they’re looking for — which is more or less the goal of every gym owner.

If you’re looking for some tried and true ways for you to increase the feeling of community on your gym floor be sure to check out this article for more information.