Way back in 2011, when I was selling FitnessTexter on the streets of Miami, I signed up a client, 5th Street Gym. Little did I know then the history of this storied place. Fitness boxing gyms have become a very popular workout trend as of late. I’m not even sure I’d call it a trend though. A trend signifies something that has arrived and is sure to leave relatively soon. I don’t think fitness boxing is going anywhere, and neither do the business owners making a ton of money off it. Be it Jake Gyllenhaal or supermodels, everyone is boxing these days. It makes sense though; the physical exertion is much higher than something like a spin class, and it’s also a heck of a lot more fun than riding on a stationary bicycle for 45 minutes. 🙂

We here at FitnessTexter have worked with quite a few fitness boxing and even kickboxing studios to increase their monthly membership volume; be it a Title Boxing Club or a 9Round Kickboxing franchisee. Below are four surefire ways to increase the membership of your fitness boxing studio. We’ve also included some information on FitnessTexter in case you’re interested in giving that a try.

Start Using FitnessTexter to Convert Website/Facebook Traffic

One of the easiest things you can do to start getting more boxing members is to start using FitnessTexter. Once you get your text message keyword, you can start promoting it on your Facebook, Instagram, website, you name it. FitnessTexter gives you an easy way to convert website traffic and Facebook fans into new members. We’ve had business owners put their texting code on business cards, car wraps, yard signs, billboard, you name it. When someone texts your special text message keyword to 95577, they’ll receive a text message coupon to your business and you’ll receive an email notification with the person’s contact info. Sign up for a 10-day free trial and give it a try today.

Set up a Refer-a-Friend Program & Follow Through

Refer-a-friend programs are a great, low-cost, way to increase your membership. You know that your current members are already talking about fitness boxing with their friends; why not take advantage of that word-of-mouth advertising and get more members out of it. Setting up a referral program isn’t difficult, but if you need help, you can always use something like ReferralCandy or Ambassador. When I say ‘Follow Through’ I mean actually pay your members who bring in their friends. If you’re offering a free month for every friend they refer, make it a point to hand over a stack of money to the member. Other members will see this, ask what you’re doing, and you can explain the referral program and show them that you’re serious about it.

Create Partnerships with Local Businesses Owners

After a good boxing workout, there’s nothing better than a hot yoga session to loosen the muscles up and help relax the joints. Wah-lah! You just found yourself the perfect business partnership. Reach out to a local yoga studio and offer their members a discount at your boxing studio in exchange for your members getting a discount at the yoga studio. The yoga studio owner will get an influx of boxing students with sore muscles, and you(the boxing studio owner) will get a boost in membership from yoga students who are looking to put on some muscle and get ripped. It’s a win-win situation for both businesses.

Hold a Weekly Outdoor Workout in a City Park

There’s nothing better than free promotion and that’s exactly what an outdoor workout session is. Bring out your heavy bags and hang them from trees/stands in a local park. Get a handful of students who want to do a Saturday morning workout and then get out there. You’ll surely draw a lot of attention; great for building word-of-mouth advertisement. Make sure you have some business cards on hand so that you can give them out to people who come up and ask questions about your business. Have you ever noticed how almost every CrossFit box does an outdoor workout at least once per week? Well, now you know why. 🙂 Make sure you get all the necessary permits from the city before you endeavor into holding outdoor fitness classes. The last thing you want to deal with is an overzealous city worker or police officer shutting you down because you don’t have the paperwork you need.

Offer College & Service-Worker Discounts to Increase Revenue

Advertising your business to college students is a great way to boost your revenue. College students are body-obsessed and are always looking for ways to get in shape. Put up some FitnessTexter signs promoting your deal around the local college campus and let them know that they’ll get a 25% discount with their college ID. You’ll get an added boost in membership. You should also think about giving discounts to public servants like firefighters, police officers and the like. It’s unfortunate that these employees aren’t paid more by their employers(the city). That said, give a helping hand and lower the rates for service workers. If you need help getting started in the service-industry discount world, check out IndiCard. They seem to know what they’re doing when it comes to discounts.