All gym owners want leads, new clients, and long-term retention to keep revenue from monthly dues high and growing, right?
That’s the lifeblood of your business, after all, revenue.
But you don’t have to rely just on that. In fact, profitable businesses draw from multiple streams of revenue, rather than only one. For gyms and fitness studios, there are several proven ways to bring in supplemental income that many business owners don’t know about or haven’t yet tried.
One in particular is increasingly popular and doesn’t take much effort to set up or maintain over time.
It also is a great way to demonstrate your company values and to bring additional value to your clients and prospects.
We’re talking about fitness affiliate marketing. You might have heard about affiliate marketing and wondered what the phrase means. Well, It’s the contemporary equivalent of businesses paying each other for referrals.
And it’s one of the top ways gyms and studios are bringing in extra income to add to their coffers.
What is fitness affiliate marketing?
Basically, when you become an affiliate marketer, you agree to promote brands or products to your audience. In exchange, you get a small commission when someone buys the product through your referral.
You can also flip it around and have another company promote your business.
Fitness affiliate marketing is ideal for gyms that have blogs with high-quality content, email newsletters, and other ways to reach their trusted audience with the recommendations. And you can benefit, too, from being recommended by other brands, big and small.
All kinds of businesses participate in affiliate marketing, from local shops to global brands.
In the context of fitness, this could include endorsing gym equipment, nutritional supplements, and workout apparel.
Just think about all those social media “influencers” encouraging huge audiences to try various consumer brands.
Well, that’s just an extreme example. Thankfully for all of us, you don’t have to be a global brand, or have superstar-level followings, to make fitness affiliate marketing work for your business.
Affiliate marketing is simple and easy to scale with your business. You already have an audience of followers who trust your opinion and want your guidance and recommendations. By strategically aligning with relevant brands and products – which you also believe in — you can monetize your influence while providing value to your clients or followers.
That last part is important, so don’t overlook it. You want to connect with brands you use or at least sincerely recommend. No affiliate marketing is worth the trust you have established with prospects and clients!
How One Gym Does It
In addition to commissions from sales, you can benefit in other ways, too, according to Rocky Snyder, a gym owner in California whose affiliation with a large fitness company drives traffic to his site and nurtures his relationship with the company.
Rocky sells some of the company’s line of products on his website, and the company has invited him to present in rehab and conditioning courses, and they combine mailing lists to generate interest. The company also shares his podcast in their emails, reaching its larger audience.
“It is more about them helping me get the message out there (their reach is much wider than little old me),” Rocky says. “My ultimate goal is to change how we approach rehab, strength & conditioning and they are an amazing vehicle to ride toward that goal.
“The advice I would give to other gym owners is that it is all about building community and your network,” he says. “It doesn’t matter if you are just a little boutique studio in a small town. If you have something to offer don’t shrink around others, go big. Provide value to others so they can see the value in you.”
Here are more details about Rocky’s fitness affiliate marketing efforts with smaller, local companies.
“We have some ‘strategic partners’ in the community,” he said. “We have done some events with and have combined our mailing lists and other contacts to turn them into successful events.”
How to Get Started in Fitness Affiliate Marketing
You can start locally, like Rocky did, with another company that also serves your niche. For instance, if you primarily train new, young mothers, you should try to align with, say, a baby boutique or a store that specializes in maternity wear.
If you want to approach a bigger brand, say a maker of famous shoes or supplements, then think of a brand or company you like, go to their website, and find information about their affiliate program.
Many of them actively want you to participate and have affiliate programs set up to make it easy for you – and for them. Don’t worry if you’re too small or not the right fit. You might have to explore to find the right collaborators, and that’s OK.
Gym owners, personal trainers, and fitness influencers leverage these platforms to recommend supplements, gear, apparel and more, earning commissions for each sale.
Whether through social media shoutouts, product reviews, or exclusive discounts, affiliates leverage their authority within the community to foster brand loyalty and drive conversions.
You can, too.
Here are some further tips
Be transparent about the relationship. Your audience won’t mind that you’re receiving a little profit from sales as long as you’re up-front about it. This is an increasingly common practice in the digital age. Just be sure to let customers know they’re not being charged extra.
And your partners can advise you of any specific language you need to share, but generally, just say something like, “Full disclosure: We receive a small share of any sales from this link.”
Know your niche. Do you specialize in strength training for young men who want big muscles? Yoga for Baby Boomers? HIIT for everyone?
Identifying your niche audience helps you tailor your affiliate promotions to meet their specific needs and desires.
Sharing good fitness affiliate marketing helps you cultivate a loyal following that sees you as a powerful resource for information; aren’t you always glad when someone recommends a good product or service?
Be sure to choose reputable brands. When selecting affiliate partners, prioritize reputable brands with high-quality products and a strong track record of customer satisfaction.
By aligning yourself with trusted brands, you enhance your credibility and foster trust with your audience, increasing the likelihood of conversions.
Research potential partners, considering factors such as product quality, commission rates, and affiliate support resources.
How much will you get? What do they expect you to do? What are the details of the agreement?
Create compelling content. Here’s another reason why content is king. You can use blog posts, social media updates, video tutorials, and more forums to engage your audience and provide valuable insights and recommendations.
Relevant and useful content keeps the referrals organic, not salesy. They become something you just mention in conversation, like you would to a friend. The key is to avoid “pushing” anything.
Let’s say you like to send a holiday gift guide each year to everyone on your email list. This is compelling content your audience likes and comes to expect. So, why wouldn’t you include affiliate links to make it easier for them to buy, and you to profit?
By steadily sharing good content, you’re growing your audience – and that makes you even more attractive to other brands a potential partner in fitness affiliate marketing.
Maintain Realistic Expectations
You’ll be disappointed if you begin a fitness affiliate marketing program with visions of cash pouring into your coffers that will revolutionize your business overnight.
Think of it as a potential secondary revenue stream; strong businesses make a point of having several revenue streams, so they don’t have to always rely merely on membership sales and renewals.
Affiliate marketing can take a while to develop, just like your content audience. So, over time, be sure to respond and engage with followers, keep your social media accounts active and relevant, have fun with experimenting – and never pay for followers.
Try to align with companies that:
· Align with your brand’s values
· Sell products and services you actually use or at least recommend
· Are within your niche (age, gender, etc.)
· Don’t court needless controversy
· Make their fitness affiliate marketing programs clear and easy to understand
In conclusion, it’s easy to see why fitness affiliate marketing is an increasingly popular way for gyms and studios to bring in extra money. It can be a little slow to get started, but there’s no real downside – as long as you choose your affiliate partners thoughtfully and remain transparent about your relationship.
Yes, you’re making a little money from the promotion, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Just remember that you’re providing a service for your audience, as well, by sharing your expertise and recommendations.Learn more about how to grow your business at Naamly Online University.