How to Write a Facebook Ad for Your Gym
Getting Started
Do you have a love/hate relationship with advertising on Facebook? Or is it really more of a hate/hate kind of thing? You know you have a great gym that could change the lives of the people in your community, but you can’t figure out how to reach them.
We can help. We’ve created a guide just for gym owners that will teach you how to invest a fraction of what you typically spend to get the same or better return on your investment.
Have you avoided running ads because you don’t know where to start? Maybe your Facebook ads used to perform well, but you just aren’t seeing the response you once did. Or maybe you’re placing ads and not getting the leads you want. You may have even thrown up your hands and said, “Maybe Facebook advertising doesn’t work for me.”
It’s time to try again.
One of the fastest ways to get more members in your gym is advertising. However, you can’t just throw money at social media and hope to see ROI. You need to write ads in a way that brings in leads and doesn’t cost all your money.
The secret to running paid ads is creating an ad targeted to your desired audience and then building predictable growth. To get started, you need to understand three elements that should be in every ad you write.
Attention, Connection, And Conversion
If you understand your customer’s intent and give them what they want, magic happens. The principles of “attention, connection, and conversion” will ensure people go from seeing your ad to clicking on your link and then coming into your gym.
Let’s dig in a bit more.
Attention: Remember, people don’t check Facebook to see your business. They come to engage with friends, family, and acquaintances. When your ad shows up in someone’s feed, you’re interrupting their day, so your content must be worthy of their attention, or they’ll keep scrolling. The best way to get someone’s attention is to solve a frustration or problem in their life.
Connection: Once you get someone’s attention, you need to make a connection. Without a connection, they’ll only stop for a minute and then move on. To create a connection, you must make sure your image relates to your product, and then you can establish credibility in a believable way. Throwing a photo of a cute puppy in an ad for your gym alongside outlandish claims is not the way to make a connection!
Conversion: The biggest mistake people make advertising on Facebook is treating the ad the same way they do Google Ads. People don’t find your ad because they are specifically looking for gyms in their area, it just appears in their feed without them specifically looking for a gym. This means you must take the person on a journey with you — show how you can solve a problem, establish credibility, then give them a reason to click on your link.
The Ad
Now we’re going to get into the different parts of a Facebook ad. While you might create variations on this theme, stick to one strategy first. You don’t need to have ten different ads trying ten different tactics. Focus on one ad that speaks to one person, solves one problem, and delivers on a promise.
Section One: Attention
The first thing your ad needs to do is draw in the right people and get them to stop scrolling. You don’t want everyone responding to your ad—just the right people. Some people will never join a gym, no matter how good your ad is. You want those people to keep scrolling.
One way to lead off the ad is with that word: Attention.
It might be something like: “Attention: Women/Men of Anytown, New York! We’re looking for 10 people to kickstart the new year.”
Change the city and town to your location. And if it’s not the beginning of the year, you could say: “We’re looking for 10 people who want to kickstart their fitness journey.”
⚠️ Remember: Facebook prohibits certain content, so avoid direct or indirect assertions about a person’s physical or mental health. Read Facebook’s advertising policies carefully. To get the attention of the right people, act like you’re talking to just one person. Imagine your ideal member, and write the headline aimed at them.
Section Two: Question
Next you need to insert yourself into the moment your customer needs you the most. Maybe they just woke up and are tired of starting the day with no energy. Maybe they went on a hike with friends and couldn’t keep up, or maybe they saw a photo of themselves and didn’t like the way they looked. Turn this moment into a question.
So, it could be: “Do you wish you started the day full of energy?” or “Are you tired of feeling out of shape?”
(You can schedule your ad to run at a certain time of day to make your question even more relevant!)
Phrase this part as a question, because humans can’t ignore questions – we all feel compelled to mentally provide an answer. When coming up with your question, think about the frustrations of your ideal member, and write the question around those frustrations. If most of your members get tired of the lack of personal attention at most gyms, you could start with “Do you want a gym with a personalized approach to fitness and nutrition, where you’re not just a member, you’re a friend?”
Connections happen around the conversations people have regarding the frustrations in their lives. Figure out what those are and you’ll reach your desired audience.
Section Three: Credibility
Now that you’ve got the attention of the right person, it’s time to address your credibility. Here’s where you can throw in some details about your gym.
It might be something like, “After helping more than 200 members reach their goals, we found many were paying monthly membership fees at other gyms for years without seeing results.”
If you don’t want to attach a number to this statement, you can say: “Our members tell us they joined our gym because they were tired of paying money to gyms where they got little attention and no results.”
You want the potential member thinking, “How did they know I felt this?”
Section Four: A Better Future
You’ve addressed their frustration and built credibility, now it’s time to show them how you can help them create a better version of themselves.
After your credibility statement, start the next sentence with a word like “once,” “then,” “soon,” or “after” to show the progression.
“Once they joined Zen Planner Gym they began burning fat, building muscle, and meeting their goals. Our members say it’s the best hour of their day!” After this sentence, you start showing your leads what they’ll get with their membership.
Section Five: Logistics
The next section of the ad is all about logistics, showing how you can solve the problem introduced in the beginning. You can start this section with “Here’s how it works” and explain a bit more about your gym and how you help members achieve results. Adding the words “so you can” transition the feature into a benefit.
“Here’s how it works – come in for our no-sweat intro, then get started on our 90-day program so you can take your health and fitness journey to the next level.”
Finally, you want to add some urgency (even if it’s an offer that’s always available) and include your call to action. “This week, we are offering a week of unlimited classes for free to experience our gym for yourself. Click here to schedule your no-sweat intro and start working toward your goals today.”
Remember to keep the focus on the results, not on the gym, and answer these three questions: Why buy anything? Why buy from you? Why buy now?
Section Six: Image Selection
When selecting an image, pick something that shows the lead what they are going to get. This might be a photo of a group class with a variety of different people happily working out, or people smiling in a gym setting.
Don’t forget the image caption! You can repeat your offer here and try using the word “discover” – a powerful word. Many gyms make the mistake of showing only super muscular, fit people in their ads. Show everyday people doing amazing things so you don’t intimidate your leads!
“Free week of unlimited small group fitness classes. Discover how you can get in the best shape of your life.”
Close the ad with one more link to your call to action – “Click here to schedule your no-sweat intro” and you’re done!
What Happens When You Use the Wrong Image
Notice how the copy of the ad is in conflict with the image, and how that immediately damages your credibility. When choosing an image, you want to make sure it clearly depicts what you offer your audiences. If you have a wide range of people working out in your gym, show that! If you only offer group classes show that!
The second thing to remember is you need to be purposeful with the images you include. Every image you use should show the service you offer while communicating its value. Keep the images simple and straightforward so your audience isn’t distracted. And of course, make sure the image is high quality and in focus.
Here is an example of a great completed ad
Facebook Ad Builder Template
Section One: Attention
This is where you get the attention of your desired audience. You want the people who aren’t interested in joining a gym to keep moving, but you need to catch the eye of the people in your ideal demographic.
Section Two: Question
Here you address your audience’s problems or struggles. Phrasing it in the form of a question encourages a response in the mind of the person reading the ad.
Section Three: Credibility
This is the social proof section of your ad. Here you’ll include details about your gym or your members’ results.
Section Four: A Better Future
This is where you show your audience how their life will improve after joining your gym.
Section Five: Logistics
Answer the question: “How do I get started?” This will help your audience become more comfortable with the idea of coming to your gym.
Section Six: Image Selection
Keep it simple and purposeful. Show them exactly what they can expect to see at your gym.
Section Seven: Image Caption
Some people will only read the caption! Include your offer here and get to the point.
Next Steps: Attract The Right Leads
Facebook advertising works — when done correctly. Our guide to writing Facebook ads will help you create compelling copy that attracts your target demographic. It’s a great start to building your business and growing your membership.
Ads are important but remember they’re only part of the process. Once someone responds to your ad you need to get them through the door and convert them into a member. Then, to really grow your business, you want them to stick around for years, bringing friends and family to your gym along the way. Something that involved and long-term sounds overwhelming – and exhausting – but the key to converting leads and retaining members comes down to one simple strategy: consistent messaging and regular, targeted communication.
How Can Zen Planner Help
Knowing the information is one thing, but finding the time and resources to implement it is another, and it’s here that many business owners falter. We’ve found very few gym owners have the time it takes to maximize the value of their leads while also building loyal relationships with their members and winning back former members.
That’s where Zen Planner comes in!
Zen Planner can help you save time and build your business with bulletproof marketing strategies backed by world-class software, training, and support. To learn more about how Zen Planner can grow your gym, book a free demo to see if we’re a good fit.
About the Author: Zen Planner
