What does content marketing have to do with your fitness business? Everything, as it turns out.  If your health center, gym, or other fitness business hasn’t yet dived into content marketing  -- or if you took the plunge but have simply been treading water since -- you’re likely missing out on major opportunities. Read on for an introduction to content marketing for fitness businesses, along with tips for what you need to know to maximize your content marketing strategies.

Content Marketing and Your Fitness Business

Before we can address what content marketing can do for your fitness business, we should first define what it is. According to the Content Marketing Institute, “Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.” 

In the case of fitness businesses, we’re talking about members and potential members. By delivering the right content at the right time via the right channels, content marketing can help your members reach their fitness goals and feel more connected to your community. Its worth as a vital 21st-century recruitment and retention tool cannot be overstated. 

Making the Most of Your Content Marketing

Today’s consumers are smarter than ever before. The takeaway for businesses trying to get in on the content marketing action? Throwing any old content up willy-nilly and expecting it to hit the mark is not only misguided but downright dangerous when it comes to building and nurturing relationships with your members. In order to gain the loyalty and trust of your members, a consistent, cohesive and compelling content marketing plan is a must. The good news? Successful content marketing has a lot in common with successful fitness training. 

For starters, consistency is everything. Says Athletic Business, “No matter how effective a workout is, you won’t see meaningful results after just one – you have to make it part of your routine. Content marketing is exactly the same. A single message is unlikely to convert – it has to be part of a larger strategy that includes a steady cadence of brand or product.”

And just like all fitness experts know that relying on a single type of exercise to build holistic fitness is going to fall short, so are content marketing schemes which fail to integrate a mix of types of content. Think of it as cross-training! From photos and videos to educational emails to blogs featuring bios of members and staff, there are near-endless ways to engage members and potential members through content marketing. 

On a similar note, relying on only one channel through which to deliver your content risks missing major segments of the population. Proposes Gideon Kimbrell for Entrepreneur, “Businesses earn trust by letting customers engage on their terms, and the same goes for marketing.” Making your content accessible via your website, email and social media channels ensures that members and potential members will be able to quickly and easily find you. (Because given the competition out there, if they don’t find you, they’ll move on to someone else.)

Building Your Brand with Content Marketing

Content marketing is also a powerful tool when it comes to building both your brand and your community. Before beginning a fitness marketing campaign, think about the overall message you want to deliver about your business. How can you use content marketing to convey this message in order to attract and engage members -- in the most authentic way? 

Consumers won't fall for a hard sell in disguise. Rather,  the best content marketing is driven by adding value. 

LinkedIn content strategy and acquisitions leader Jolie Miller told CCO, “What I love about content is it has the power to change people’s lives for a second or for a day or forever. Great content creates space for people to pause and reflect, and that space is where transformation happens.”

 Viewed through this lens, content marketing and the fitness business are keenly aligned. After all, gyms are also spaces which facilitate transformation. In this sense, content marketing and the fitness industry are a perfect marriage. There’s no better way to amplify your gym’s potential impact than by embracing the power of content marketing. Another great way to grow your fitness business in the digital age? Wearable technology. Learn more about the Accurofit System today.