Top Five Holiday Promotions to Run This Fall

1. TIME CHANGE PROMOTION

The next Daylight Savings Time in the U.S. happens on Sunday, November 7th. Consider turning this event into a unique promotional idea. You could give current and lapsed members a chance to temporarily “turn back to their introductory pricing” and encourage prospective members that “it’s time to make a change toward a healthier lifestyle.” Consider other cute ideas like offering a free session for the extra hour in the day.

2. FEAST-FOCUSED PROMOTIONS

It’s hard to avoid feasting this time of year, between Thanksgiving, holiday dinners and extra treats everywhere. Create a promotion based on helping members navigate these situations. You might want to try tactics like:

• Holding special holiday coaching sessions based on handling the temptation, creating healthier versions of holiday dishes and maintaining weight
• Offering prizes for members who hold their weight steady throughout the holidays
• Giving free guides or classes on getting through the holidays as a bonus with new or renewed memberships

Also, consider a twist on this idea by incorporating a charitable component. As your gym members avoid feasting, they could consider the people without enough to eat during this holiday season. Perhaps your members or people in the community could get a reward for bringing food donations or volunteering for a local food bank.

3. GIFT-GIVING SALES

Help your members and people in the community see that the gift of health is a wonderful holiday gift to give. Here are gift-based promotion ideas:

• Promote special rates on gym memberships
• Offer attractive gift certificates or gift cards that are nice to hand to someone, and give the option of e-certificates that are perfect as long-distance or last-minute gifts
• Offer holiday sales on items your gym sells, such as gym bags or fitness equipment
• Consider reaching out to businesses who may be looking for holiday gifts for employees

4. VETERAN’S DAY SALES

Don’t forget Veteran’s Day, which comes up on November 11th this year. This is a day when many retailers are holding sales, causing the public to check for deals. Why shouldn’t your gym get in on the game and offer your own Veteran’s Day sale? You could put membership prices or trainer sessions on sale, or consider creating a special boot camp or other program to fit the theme of the holiday.

5. BLACK FRIDAY DEALS

Create a Black Friday deal to target the people who are ready to shop on this day. Or, if your gym is a small-to-medium-sized business, you may decide to promote it for Small Business Saturday instead. You could also consider Cyber Monday. The idea is to offer deep discounts for one or more of these days during Thanksgiving weekend. Here are examples of offerings befitting this time of year:

• Offer a doorbuster discount that gives a certain price on memberships for the first people who show up
• Throw in a freebie with each gym membership signup
• Have a sale on gym merchandise
• Offer a membership payment plan for those who can’t justify an extra expense during this season
• Hold an event or special program focused on burning off the Thanksgiving feast

Use lead management software to track your holiday promotions and see how they did. This information can guide you for next year.