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Posted by on July 14, 2023 — Updated on December 22, 2023
Use this big list of lead generation ideas for gyms to find creative ways to get more gym leads. If you want to learn how to get fitness leads then here’s how to build a gym lead machine.
Get some practical gym lead generation advice with these lead generation strategies for gyms that you can put into use in your gym today. Learn how to get more leads for a gym so you can enhance your gym’s online visibility, attract targeted gym leads, increase your gym membership numbers, and ultimately increase gym revenue and profit. Read on to find the best gym lead generation ideas you can put into action immediately.
The success of a gym heavily relies on its ability to consistently generate high-quality gym leads that can be nurtured into paying customers. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore a wide range of gym marketing ideas to make your gym stand out and have a successful gym business, and the way to do that specifically, is all about lead generation strategies for gyms.
Discover effective lead generation strategies for gyms (be sure to also read our personal training lead generation ideas too) that will help you attract and convert more gym leads into gym members that stick around, because learning how to increase gym membership retention is key as well so that every new gym member you sign up coming through the front door isn’t offset by other gym members churning out the back door.
Then be sure to find the tools you need to grow your gym. From the best software for gym management to the best software for personal training, the Exercise.com platform is the professional’s choice to run a gym effectively.
Manage, message, and market to your gym leads and gym members with the best gym email software and the best gym SMS software.
Create and sell gym memberships, packages, sessions, and digital products to maximize the value of your gym leads with the best gym payment processing software and the best gym ecommerce software.
Book and schedule appointments easily online and in-person.
Chain link together custom gym marketing automation sequences with the best gym marketing software.
Monitor and track your gym lead generation campaigns with the best gym reporting software.
All from your very own custom branded fitness apps.
The fitness industry is a competitive market, and to make your gym stand out, you need to continuously attract new members to your gym. Lead generation is an essential part of growing your business and maintaining a healthy membership base. With a good understanding of your target audience and a mix of both digital and traditional marketing strategies, you can effectively generate quality leads for your gym. Here are the best gym lead generation ideas to consider:
Remember, the best strategy often involves a combination of several tactics. Keep testing different gym lead generation ideas, measure their effectiveness, and adapt your strategy based on what works best for your specific business and target audience.
Read More:
Generating leads for a gym requires innovative and engaging strategies to attract potential members. Here are some of the most creative gym lead generation ideas:
Leveraging a platform like Exercise.com can enhance these lead generation strategies by offering a comprehensive solution for managing gym memberships, tracking member engagement, and providing a platform for online training and wellness resources. These creative ideas can help in attracting new members and building a strong community around your gym.
Generating new gym membership leads is one of the most important aspects of your gym business. Here are a variety of ways to bring potential gym members to you.
If you’re the owner of a gym, you know that generating new gym membership leads is one of the most important aspects of your business. New leads turn into new clients and new clients turn into increased gym revenue. Recurring monthly revenue is the life-blood of any fitness business, and the more leads you generate, the better. While we wish we could provide you with a secret gym lead generator, there is simply none out there.
Instead, lead generating takes work, practice, and time. We will help guide you to learn about different lead generation ideas that you could utilize for your gym (or the gym you manage). We’ve broken these ideas into two categories: (1) Gym Lead Generation Online and (2) Gym Lead Generation In-House.
Something that is essential for a gym owner to grow their business is a business management software platform that will allow them to manage their clients and run their training business effectively.
Whether you own a gym, manage a gym, or you have an online-based training business, generating fitness leads online will turn out to be very resourceful. We live in a social media world and even if you see your customers daily, finding potential clients can be done online. The following ideas will help you entice potential leads to either (a) provide you with information that you can then use in your future marketing tasks and/or (b) actually come into the gym or purchase your services online.
Fitness lead generation online will focus on reaching clients through creating gym lead magnets (use our big list of fitness quiz ideas to get inspiration and then compare the best gym landing page templates), through social media, through content creation, and paid advertising. One factor that can be seen among all of these outlets is the building of your email list.
Email lists are important because email marketing is often the best way to connect with customers vs. social media. In fact, you are six times more likely to get higher click-through rates through emails as opposed to tweets.
Also, email is 40 times more effective at acquiring new customers than Facebook or Twitter. See the video below for more reasons why email marketing is a must:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T24cSl3IJeE
A lead magnet is something of value that your site visitor receives in exchange for lead information. When someone arrives on your landing page, they’ll be asked for something like their email or phone number and receive something in return — a “magnet” for your leads. According to Philip VanDusen, CEO of Verhaal Brand Design, for every lead magnet that you create, you’ll want to ensure that you have the following four items along with it:
Now that we understand what lead magnets are (generally speaking), it’s important to make sure that your lead magnet is effective enough to draw people into it. After all, if no one is interested in your “magnet” then you won’t be very successful at generating leads.
To create a valuable lead magnet, you must think about what potential clients you are hoping to reach. Since you own (or manage) a gym, you know that these “magnets” should be centered around the health and wellness industry. Therefore, some helpful magnets could be:
Following the idea of creating a landing page with a lead magnet is the thought that to get people to your website in the first place, you must be creating quality content. OptinMonster.com says
“Great content attracts an audience. With an audience, you can generate leads. And once you’ve captured those leads, you can market your products and services to make sales.”
Using different styles of content marketing will add value to your brand and reputation, as well as generate interest in what else you have to offer. Focus on your gym target market and their interests and you’ll gain leads authentically.
While social media is a place to establish your business and build your overall brand, it’s also a great place to generate leads. According to SocialSprout.com, when done correctly, you can use sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram to generate real leads for your business. The cherry on top is that social media lead generation is cost-effective and produces results:
To start generating leads on social media, you need to do the following:
Read More: Gym Social Media Marketing
Even with all of the content marketing and social media marketing that we do today, paid advertising is still an important part of a comprehensive lead generation strategy, particularly online. Today, online advertising offers a variety of options when it comes to how your ads will look and where they will appear. There are many forms of online paid advertising and the mechanics of how they operate can vary. Two of the most common forms are:
KickoffLabs explains that to be efficient with paid advertising you must:
Many marketing companies will take over this style of advertising for small companies since it can oftentimes be pretty complex. If you’re wanting to tackle some of the paid advertising on your own, many recommend the following places to start: Google AdWords and Facebook Ads. Both of these seem to be the most user-friendly, however, you should do your research to ensure that you’re making good decisions since money is on the line.
In addition to all of the outlets you may use online to gather potential clients, you also have the opportunity to generate leads within your gym walls. There are a variety of ways to use your already loyal clients to help gather leads for your business. Below, we included quite a few ways you can generate leads by putting together in-house activities.
However, for this to work seamlessly, you need to ensure that inside your gym, you have a way to gather each potential client’s information. Perhaps you have a sign-in sheet for them to fill out when they arrive or maybe you focus on scheduling a consultation with them right then. Since you have them face-to-face, you’ll want to capitalize on that right away.
Leading charity workouts is a great way to introduce your business to new people while helping a great cause (see video below). The charity itself will oftentimes help to promote your free workout and your current clients will have a blast working out alongside new potential clients. During these charity events, you could hold raffles or giveaways to help bring more people in to show up and participate.
What better way to bring new people to your gym than through your current members? To encourage your members to tell their friends about your gym, offer them some kind of incentive (like a raffle prize for those who bring in the most friends, etc).
This is a benefit for a few different ways, the new potential clients are coming in with someone they know so they are already more comfortable and they can use your already loyal client as an accountability partner in the case that the potential client decides to buy a membership.
Read More: How to Create a Gym Referral Program
Workshops help you earn more revenue and boost your retention at the same time. (The more knowledge and tools a gym member has, the more successful they will be, and that success correlates with greater retention.) Furthermore, it will entice potential clients if they are interested in the topic being offered (see video above).
The goal is always to bring more people to your gym space. Also, industry professionals will lead a workshop (for free) in exchange for access to your gym members. For example, a massage therapist could host a workshop on foam and trigger point rollers for mobility, and a competition prep coach could give an overview of the fitness competition space.
Read More: Fitness Workshop Ideas
If you want to revive the motivation in your members, as well as appeal to potential clients, holding a challenge or contest can get your members revved up in no time. A friendly, motivating challenge is a great way to build a sense of community leading to increased memberships.
Be sure to design various competitions based on the fitness levels and the types of services that you are offering. You can also hold contests based on certain fitness criteria such as most miles covered, maximum weight loss, most calories burned, etc. If there is a prize involved, it may even encourage more people to sign up. Be creative and try different challenge ideas from time to time.
Exercise.com’s custom-brand apps has helped fitness pros take challenges to the next level. For instance, many fitness businesses runs quarterly challenges as well as daily workout challenges. These challenges are a great way to engage clients and get them into your programs.
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It’s time to bond with your members beyond the walls of your gym center. Consider inviting your members to dinner after a Friday evening session or entertain them with a night out once per month. The idea is to strengthen your social bonds on a personal level so that your members view you as more than a mere mentor.
This type of bonding would increase the likelihood that your clients will want to stay with you for the long haul. Also, many potential clients may look at their current gym membership community and realize that they would love that gym-life relationship their friends have. A welcoming open culture is bound to get you soaring membership rates.
Getting a few marketing stunts done right within your local community is a great way to build trust and retention among your existing clients while reaching out to more people. You can run a seminar on some popular fitness topics or address health conditions that are prevalent in your community. A half an hour session on health family meals or reverse aging workouts can get the residents interested in your seminar. Make the entry free for everyone and encourage your visitors to bring along friends and family.
By joining hands with other local businesses, you can easily run large-scale events. This way you will not be able to reach out to a wider audience but also connect to your partner’s target audience. While this might be true for your partner too, opt to partner with a business that would complement your product and services without being in direct competition with your brand. You can form partnerships with massage centers, physiotherapists, healthy food outlets, etc.
Generating your leads and diversifying your income is important and it’s just one way Exercise.com can help you. Our custom-branded all-in-one software can save you time and increase revenue.
It can open up the possibilities of upselling and downselling clients. Engaging them in ways that are professional and advanced via your own custom apps.
You can also selling your works in a variety of ways — in a gym settings, online, via challenges, subscriptions, groups, individuals. You name it our software can do it.
Lead generation is the process of identifying and cultivating potential customers who have expressed an interest in your gym’s services. For gyms, generating leads is not just about increasing membership numbers; it is also about building a community of individuals who are interested in improving their fitness and well-being. By focusing on lead generation, gyms can create a pipeline of potential members who are more likely to join and engage with their fitness programs. Moreover, effective lead generation enables gyms to maximize their marketing efforts and allocate resources more efficiently.
Before diving into lead generation strategies, it is essential to define your gym’s target audience. Different gyms cater to different demographics and fitness goals. By understanding your target audience’s preferences, motivations, and pain points, you can tailor your lead generation efforts to resonate with potential members. Start by conducting market research and analyzing your current member base to identify patterns and trends. Use this information to create buyer personas that represent your ideal gym members, which will inform your lead generation strategy going forward.
Once you have defined your target audience, it’s time to create an irresistible offer that will attract potential gym leads. This offer should provide value to prospects and entice them to take action. Consider offering a free trial membership, a discounted introductory package, or a complimentary fitness assessment. By showcasing the unique benefits and value your gym provides, you can capture the attention of potential members and encourage them to take the first step towards joining your facility.
Social media platforms have become powerful tools for lead generation, and gyms can leverage these platforms to their advantage. Develop a strong gym social media presence by regularly posting engaging content related to fitness, health, and wellness. Utilize targeted advertising campaigns on platforms like Facebook and Instagram to reach potential leads who match your buyer personas. Create captivating visuals, share success stories from your existing members, and encourage user-generated content to establish social proof and attract more leads to your gym. Get more gym social media post ideas in our free guide.
Your gym’s website is a crucial element of your lead generation strategy. Optimize your website by incorporating lead capture forms, compelling call-to-actions, and attractive landing pages. Provide valuable content through a blog or resources section to establish your gym’s authority and credibility. Implement search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to improve your website’s visibility on search engine result pages, making it easier for potential leads to find and engage with your gym online.
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Email marketing is a highly effective tool for nurturing leads and converting them into paying gym members. Develop a gym email marketing strategy that includes personalized messages, informative newsletters, and exclusive offers for your leads. With Exercise.com, you have the best gym email software that can segment your email list based on the interests and actions of your leads to deliver targeted content that resonates with them. Additionally, use automation tools to streamline your email marketing campaigns and track the effectiveness of your efforts.
Paid advertising can be a valuable investment for gyms looking to generate quality leads. Consider running targeted ads on platforms like Google Ads or social media platforms to reach potential members who match your buyer personas. Utilize retargeting techniques to reconnect with prospects who have shown an interest in your gym but have not yet converted. Experiment with different ad formats, copy, and visuals to optimize your campaigns and maximize your return on investment (ROI).
Influencer marketing can be a powerful tactic for gyms to generate leads and build brand awareness. Partnering with fitness influencers or local celebrities who align with your gym’s values and target audience can expose your brand to a wider audience. Collaborate with influencers to create engaging content, promote exclusive offers, or host joint events. Their endorsement and credibility can significantly impact the perception of your gym and increase the likelihood of converting their followers into potential leads.
Events and workshops provide an excellent opportunity for gyms to showcase their expertise and attract potential leads. Consider hosting fitness-related events, workshops, or challenges to engage with your community and generate qualified leads. Offer educational sessions, group workouts, or cooking classes to provide value to attendees, establish your gym’s authority, and foster meaningful connections with potential members. Use these events as a platform to collect contact information and follow up with leads after the event.
Read More: Gym Event Ideas
Referral programs are a powerful lead generation strategy that can exponentially increase your gym’s reach. Encourage your existing members to refer their friends, family, or colleagues to your gym by offering incentives such as discounts, freebies, or exclusive access. Leverage the power of word-of-mouth marketing to expand your gym’s network and attract leads who already have a level of trust and familiarity with your brand. Implement a referral tracking system to reward both the referrers and the referred leads when they convert into paying members.
Read More: How to Create a Gym Referral Program
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a crucial aspect of any gym’s lead generation strategy. By optimizing your website and content for relevant keywords, you can improve your gym’s visibility in search engine results and attract organic traffic. Conduct keyword research to identify the terms and phrases potential leads are searching for, and create high-quality content that addresses their needs. Focus on local SEO strategies for a gym, such as optimizing your gym’s Google My Business profile, to target leads in your area and increase foot traffic to your gym.
Landing pages play a pivotal role in converting website visitors into gym leads. Develop dedicated landing pages that align with different marketing campaigns or offers. Optimize these landing pages by removing distractions, utilizing compelling visuals, and crafting persuasive copy that clearly communicates the benefits of your gym. Incorporate lead capture forms and call-to-actions that encourage visitors to provide their contact information in exchange for valuable content or offers. Regularly test and refine your landing pages to maximize their conversion rates.
Read More: Best Gym Landing Page Software
Compelling call-to-actions (CTAs) are crucial in guiding potential leads through your gym’s conversion funnel. Make sure your CTAs are strategically placed throughout your website, landing pages, and promotional materials. Clearly communicate the value proposition of your gym and use actionable language to encourage visitors to take the desired action. Experiment with different CTA designs, colors, and messaging to optimize their effectiveness and drive higher lead conversion rates.
Tracking and analyzing lead generation metrics are essential for continuously optimizing your gym’s lead generation efforts. Implement tracking tools like Google Analytics to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as website traffic, lead conversion rates, and the sources of your leads. Use this data to identify areas of improvement, evaluate the effectiveness of different strategies, and make data-driven decisions. Regularly analyze your metrics and adjust your lead generation tactics based on the insights gained.
Effective lead generation extends beyond capturing contact information; it also involves nurturing and engaging with leads to build a relationship and increase the chances of conversion. Develop personalized communication strategies, such as automated email sequences or personalized follow-ups, to provide valuable content and address the specific needs of your leads. Utilize marketing automation tools to streamline these processes and provide a consistent brand experience to your leads at every stage of their buyer’s journey.
Content marketing is a powerful strategy for building brand awareness, establishing your gym’s authority, and attracting potential leads. Create valuable content, such as blog posts, videos, podcasts, or downloadable guides, that educates, entertains, and inspires your target audience. Optimize your content for relevant keywords to improve its visibility in search engine results and attract organic traffic. Share your content on social media channels, collaborate with other fitness influencers or industry experts, and consider guest blogging to expand your reach and attract more leads to your gym.
Strategic partnerships can be a game-changer for gym lead generation. Collaborate with local businesses in complementary industries, such as nutritionists, wellness centers, or sports apparel stores, to cross-promote each other’s services. Host joint events, offer exclusive discounts or bundle deals, and contribute guest content to each other’s platforms to tap into each other’s existing customer bases. By leveraging strategic partnerships, you can expand your reach, tap into new audiences, and generate a continuous stream of high-quality leads. Read our gym strategic partnership marketing guide for more info.
Video marketing is a highly engaging and persuasive medium that can significantly impact your gym’s lead generation efforts. Utilize videos to showcase your gym’s facilities, introduce your trainers, share client success stories, and provide educational content. Post videos on your website, social media channels, and video-sharing platforms like YouTube to increase your gym’s online visibility and attract potential leads. Leverage techniques such as storytelling, testimonials, and inspiring visuals to connect with your audience on an emotional level and encourage them to take action.
Read More: Gym Video Marketing Guide
The success of your gym’s lead generation efforts relies on your ability to convert warm leads into paying members. Implement effective follow-up strategies that keep your gym top-of-mind and encourage leads to take the next step. Utilize email drip campaigns that deliver relevant content and incentives to nurture leads and gently push them towards joining your gym. Offer limited-time promotions or exclusive discounts to create a sense of urgency. Personalize your follow-up communication and tailor your offerings to match each lead’s specific interests and goals.
Choosing the best gym customer relationship management (CRM) system can be a valuable asset in streamlining and automating your gym’s lead generation process. Invest in a CRM platform that allows you to effectively capture and manage lead data, track interactions, and automate communication. By centralizing your lead management, you can efficiently nurture leads, track their progress through the online fitness sales funnel, and ensure timely follow-ups. Leverage the data and insights provided by your CRM to optimize your lead generation strategy and improve your gym’s overall customer experience.
Guerrilla marketing tactics can be a unique and attention-grabbing way to generate buzz around your gym and attract new leads. Think outside the box and explore unconventional marketing strategies that surprise and engage your target audience. Consider organizing flash mobs, staging fitness challenges in public spaces, or partnering with local events or festivals to showcase your brand. By creating memorable experiences and capturing the curiosity of passersby, you can generate excitement, increase brand awareness, and generate a buzz that leads to an influx of new leads for your gym.
A blog can be a powerful tool for establishing your gym’s authority in the fitness industry and attracting potential members. Create an engaging and informative blog that covers topics relevant to your target audience’s fitness goals, challenges, and interests. Regularly publish high-quality content that provides value, educates, and inspires your readers. Use your blog to share workout tips, nutrition advice, success stories from your members, and latest fitness trends. Optimize your blog for SEO to improve its visibility and attract organic traffic to your gym’s website.
A/B testing is crucial for optimizing your gym’s lead generation campaigns and maximizing their effectiveness. Test different elements of your campaigns such as headlines, visuals, call-to-actions, landing page designs, and content offers to identify the best-performing variations. Split your leads into test groups and compare the performance of different versions of your campaigns. Analyze the data and insights gathered from A/B testing to make data-driven decisions and continuously improve your lead generation tactics.
These fitness lead generation strategies provide a comprehensive roadmap for gyms looking to attract and convert potential members. By implementing a well-rounded lead generation approach that combines digital marketing tactics, targeted messaging, and personalized communication, gyms can position themselves as the go-to fitness destination for their target audience. Remember, lead generation is an ongoing process that requires continuous refinement and adaptation. Stay knowledgeable about emerging trends, technologies, and consumer preferences, and be willing to test and refine your strategies to achieve optimal results.
Gym leads are potential customers who have shown interest in your gym services but haven’t yet become members. These can come from a variety of sources, including your website, social media platforms, marketing campaigns, or referrals from current members. A lead might have filled out a form on your website, interacted with a social media post, or expressed interest at a promotional event.
Generating leads in a gym involves several strategies. These can include offering free trials or guest passes, running promotional campaigns on social media, hosting events, and encouraging referrals from current members. Networking within your community and forming partnerships with local businesses can also help. Providing engaging, high-quality services will naturally attract attention and bring in potential new members.
The big factors in getting high-quality gym leads are targeted marketing, reputation, and the value you offer. Your marketing efforts should focus on reaching your target demographic and clearly communicating the benefits of your services. A positive reputation, built on good reviews and positive gym word-of-mouth referrals, can greatly enhance the quality of your leads. Lastly, the value you offer in terms of equipment, classes, personal training, and other services will directly impact the interest level of potential members.
Finding fitness leads can involve a mix of both online and offline strategies. Online, you can use social media advertising, email marketing, search engine optimization, and your gym’s website to attract and capture leads. Offline, you can use traditional marketing methods like flyers, posters, and networking at local events. Referrals from existing members can also be a great source of leads.
Exercise.com can help your gym market to leads through its comprehensive gym management software. It allows you to manage and track leads, schedule follow-ups, and run targeted email marketing campaigns. Additionally, the platform can provide analytics to help you understand what marketing strategies are working best. With its seamless integration of payment processing, member management, and workout software, Exercise.com also enhances the value you can offer to potential members, making your gym more attractive to leads.
To get more leads for your gym, focus on strategies like social media marketing, offering referral incentives, hosting open house events, and partnering with local businesses. Utilizing digital marketing, such as targeted ads and email campaigns, can also be effective in increasing gym leads.
Increasing the number of gym leads without spending a lot can be achieved through organic social media campaigns, word-of-mouth referrals, community engagement activities, and collaborations with local influencers or businesses. Offering free trial classes or workshops can also attract potential members.
Attract clients to your gym by creating compelling marketing content that highlights your unique services, maintaining an active and engaging social media presence, offering competitive pricing and promotions, and providing excellent customer service to encourage word-of-mouth referrals.
To increase gym customers quickly, implement targeted promotional offers, enhance your online presence, leverage social media marketing, and engage in local community events. Consider partnering with nearby businesses for cross-promotion opportunities.
The average cost per lead for gyms can vary, but typically ranges from $10 to $50. This cost can fluctuate based on the marketing channels used, the gym’s location, and the competitiveness of the fitness market.
Creative ways to generate gym leads include hosting fitness challenges or contests, creating engaging online content like workout videos or fitness blogs, collaborating with health and wellness influencers, and offering unique, specialized classes or services.
The number of gym leads you should aim to get per day can vary based on your gym’s capacity and growth goals. Generally, aiming for 5 to 10 leads per day is a healthy target for small to medium-sized gyms.
Get gym leads without paying by leveraging free social media platforms, encouraging word-of-mouth referrals through existing members, offering complimentary guest passes, and engaging in community events or local partnerships.
Working with a gym lead generation agency can be beneficial if you lack the time or expertise in marketing. They can provide specialized services and insights to effectively target and attract potential gym members.
Read More: Gym Marketing Agency Reviews
Buying gym membership sales leads can be a quick way to get potential customer contacts, but it’s important to ensure the leads are high-quality and relevant to your target audience. Organic lead generation methods often yield better long-term results.
The amount to pay someone for generating leads for gym memberships can vary. Consider setting a budget based on a cost-per-lead model or a commission structure, ensuring it aligns with your overall marketing budget and expected ROI.
People are attracted to gyms that offer a welcoming atmosphere, a variety of quality equipment and classes, knowledgeable and friendly staff, clean and well-maintained facilities, and a strong sense of community.
Using software for gym sales lead management, like gym sales lead management software, can significantly streamline the process, providing valuable gym lead data insights and enhancing efficiency in tracking and nurturing leads.
Read More: Best Gym CRM Software
Personal trainers can get more leads by building a strong online presence, offering free initial consultations or workshops, networking with other fitness professionals, and asking clients for referrals and testimonials.
Read More: Personal Trainer Lead Generation Ideas
The best fitness center lead nurturing programs involve regular follow-ups through personalized emails, offering valuable content like fitness tips or nutritional advice, and creating targeted offers based on individual interests and needs.
The fastest way to generate leads for a gym is through targeted social media advertising, promotional offers, and partnership marketing. Hosting special events or challenges that encourage current members to bring friends can also quickly boost lead generation.
Exercise.com can help you run a successful gym business by providing comprehensive software solutions for managing memberships, scheduling, tracking workouts, and member progress, and streamlining billing processes. Its platform also offers tools for marketing, lead generation, and customer engagement, making it easier to attract and retain gym members effectively.
Tyler Spraul