Online Marketing Strategies to Increase Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy Member Growth and Retention

Running a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) academy and looking for marketing ideas to spur rapid member growth? Employing online marketing tactics is a key strategy for expanding memberships and having an active online presence plays a crucial role in visibility. In this article, we’ll delve into effective strategies and tactics to enhance your BJJ academy using the power of social media, website creation, email marketing, Google Business solutions, and Zen Planner — a leading BJJ software.   

Leveraging Social Media 

Social media remains a potent tool for boosting lead retention. To promote your BJJ academy effectively, create engaging, short-form BJJ training videos for platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Tailor your approach to each social media platform’s specific marketing strategies.  

Here are eleven ways to build your school’s community with social media.   

Facebook Marketing 

Among social media platforms, Facebook stands out as an extremely powerful tool. According to a survey from G/O Digital, 62% of respondents said Facebook is the most useful social network for researching a small business. With 2.9 billion active monthly users, lasting popularity, and great features for small businesses, we recommend you start your social strategy with Facebook. 

Leverage its vast user base and targeted advertising capabilities for tailored solutions to grow your BJJ academy. Establish a consistent brand voice on your Facebook page, balancing professionalism, conversational tone, and inclusivity. 

Create a Facebook business page with the following components:    

• Short Description. This section has a 255-character limit, so be brief. Share the basics about your gym like the style of classes you offer, where you’re located, and a promotional offer, like try your first week free! 
• Long Description. Use this space to tell your prospects how amazing your gym is. Gush about your facility, equipment, programs, culture, certifications, and any other pertinent information. 
• Hours. Include accurate hours of operation, including an updated weekly class schedule. 
• Email. Add a valid email address that’s checked regularly so prospects can reach you. 
• Business Category. Underneath the name of your business, you’ll see the option to add a business category. Select gym. 

Facebook groups set a wonderful stage for you to build community around your brand. With it, you can bring together gym members, prospects, and like-minded individuals who share an interest in health and wellness. Facebook groups help to foster a sense of belonging and engagement that will strengthen relationships within your community and create a loyal customer base.  

Building a Brand Voice 

Your Facebook page serves as one of the primary platforms for announcements, promotions, and branding, in addition to your website, of course. Develop a brand voice that is simple, professional, conversational, motivating, inclusive, credible, and authentic. Balance professionalism with approachability, ensuring your brand resonates with potential members. 

Promoting Your Academy   

You don’t have to post daily to be effective on Facebook. Posting three to four times a week will suffice for audience building. Utilize diverse content types, including gym-related materials, prices, instructor profiles, and upcoming events. Leverage Facebook ads strategically by targeting specific audiences based on location, age, gender, interests, and behaviors. 

 Keep these elements in mind as you post on Facebook and other platforms:  

• Maintain consistent branding 
• Target your audience 
• Use applicable, high-quality images 
• Incorporate value-driven content 
• Inspire community engagement 
• Post regularly 

Crafting Ads  

Optimize Facebook ads for specific niches within the martial arts community. Craft engaging ads with conversational headlines, compelling images, and targeted audience segmentation. Utilize BJJ software tools like Zen Planner for detailed audience insights, ensuring your ads reach the right demographic. 

Click here to learn four tips to optimize your martial arts Facebook ads. 

Utilizing TikTok  

Tap into TikTok’s popularity to market your BJJ gym effectively. Create diverse content, including tutorials, challenges, backstage glimpses, success stories, and entertaining skits. Then, repurpose TikTok content for wider reach on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube shorts. 

Growing Your Instagram Reach  

Instagram is a valuable platform for BJJ academy promotion. Showcase your facility, training areas, and equipment through high-quality photos and short-form videos. Utilize relevant hashtags, engage with followers, collaborate with others in the community, and sync content between Instagram and Facebook for extended reach.  

Creating a Website  

While social media is impactful, having a dedicated website is essential for generating leads. Simplify the process using Zen Planner’s mobile-friendly website services. Ensure your website includes key elements like a domain name, web hosting, CMS, high-quality photos and videos, SEO, informative content, online registration, contact information, and testimonials.   

Email Marketing and Two-way Texting 

Email marketing and texting provides a personalized touch. Build and segment email and phone lists, implement welcome and onboarding series, promote classes and events, share student success stories, and gather feedback. Simplify email and text management with Zen Planner automations for reminders, payments, attendance, events, and more. 

Google Business Profile and Maps 

To have a truly effective online presence, you also need a digital business profile, so motivated potential customers — especially those in close proximity — can find you. Optimize your BJJ academy’s presence on Google Maps to secure a position in the “three-pack.” If your academy doesn’t have an optimized business profile on search engines, like Google, and crowd-sourced review sites, like Yelp — you’re missing out on the possibility of ranking high on search engine results pages (SERPs), which are the webpages served to people after they search for something online. For every search query, the search engine creates a list of results based on factors like the user’s physical location, browsing history, and the search query itself. That’s why it’s important to ensure your academy’s information is accurate and up-to-date. 

Add appealing photos and videos, encourage positive reviews, optimize descriptions with relevant keywords, showcase schedules and events, enable messaging, and consider Google Maps advertisements for enhanced visibility. 

How Zen Planner Can Boost Member Retention 

Zen Planner is a leading BJJ software founded by a martial arts enthusiast to fill a gap in the fitness industry. That means you’ll have access to nearly any feature you could possibly want to run your BJJ academy. The software can assist in helping your academy grow while you simultaneously retain existing students. 

Download this guide that breaks down four essential strategies for martial arts student retention. The tools and insights shared in it are backed by industry leaders, successful school owners, and research from top retention experts.