Gym Marketing Tips for Summer: Engage Families

9 min read

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Where are all your members? 

On vacation like birds migrating for the season. 

Summer is when family activities take the front seat, and gym attendance tends to dip as members embrace outdoor adventures and family time. 

Don’t worry; harness this season’s energy. 

Take advantage! 

1.  Vacation Workout Contests

Vacation workout contests are a fantastic way to keep your members engaged and active, even when they’re away from the gym. 

Encourage them to stay motivated by participating in a vacation scavenger hunt that integrates fitness into their travel plans. Members can document their activities, such as hiking to a scenic viewpoint, taking a surfing lesson, or logging a certain number of miles running or biking. 

This approach transforms vacations into opportunities for exploration and physical activity. By making fitness fun and incorporating it into their travels, members can maintain their routines and stay focused on their health goals. 

To incentivize participation, offer attractive prizes for the most creative or challenging workout accomplishments. This friendly competition motivates members to stay active and engaged, fostering a sense of community even when they aren’t physically at the gym. Zen Planner’s member management software will easily help track participants’ progress and share updates, enhancing the overall experience.

2. Family Challenges

Get all family members involved. 

With kids out of school, it’s safe to assume there is going to be a lot more family time happening over the summer. Which family can go on the most hikes this summer? Which family can gain the most amount of combined mileage on their running shoes? Encourage friendly competition and support family bonding. 

Use a tracking system like Zen Planner. 

Families can record their progress through the software, with results visible to everyone. This transparency fosters healthy competition and motivates families to outdo each other. Consider challenges such as cutting out sugar, giving up soda, or reducing intake of processed foods. 

By using Zen Planner, you can easily manage these family challenges. It allows you to monitor progress, send reminders, and provide encouragement. Knowing that parents and children are working together towards common goals will not only boost morale but also strengthen your gym’s community ties.

3. Summer Camps and Kids Classes

Implementing kids-only classes for the summer is an excellent way to keep the younger members of your community active and entertained. Whether it’s CrossFit® kids, yoga, sports skills, or self-defense, there’s something to engage every interest and skill level. 

Extra space in your gym? Transform it into fun zones like obstacle courses or game areas. Combining fitness with creativity can make staying active exciting and educational for kids. 

CrossFit Kids

Engaging kids in CrossFit programs builds lifelong habits of health and fitness. Tailored exercises focus on fun while enhancing strength, agility, and confidence among youngsters. 

Family participation in these classes can further tighten community bonds and promote active lifestyles. CrossFit Kids offers a vibrant and energetic environment, perfect for the summer season. 

Exercise increases cognitive development and improves academic performance in school-aged children. 

Flexible scheduling: Host morning or afternoon sessions, allowing parents to choose what works best. By utilizing fitness software like Zen Planner, seamlessly manage classes and track progress, ensuring a smooth, enjoyable experience for all participants. 

Sports Skills 

Summer offers a fantastic chance for kids to learn new sports and enhance existing skills. 

From basketball to soccer, offering sports skills classes at your gym can be a big hit. Ensure that each session is engaging and educational, appealing to a range of age groups and skill levels. 

Qualified instructors can demonstrate proper techniques and foster a supportive environment. This can help children build confidence, teamwork abilities, and a genuine love for physical activity. 

Transform your gym spaces into areas dedicated to different sports. This initiative works particularly well because it allows kids to focus on the sport they love most, enhancing their experience. 

Building sports skills during the summer can have lasting benefits, encouraging a lifetime of healthy habits. 

Yoga for Kids 

Yoga for kids provides a serene and engaging way for them to stay physically active, flex their imaginations, and develop mindfulness. 

Offering kid-friendly yoga sessions with fun themes can captivate their interest. 

Experienced instructors can introduce children to basic poses and breathing exercises, creating a playful yet calming class environment. This encourages physical awareness, flexibility, and concentration, helping them thrive in other activities too. 

To make these sessions even more appealing, consider incorporating storytelling elements into the classes, transforming yoga poses into an adventurous narrative. Additionally, creating a special kid-friendly yoga space in the gym can enhance the overall experience, making these classes a summer highlight. Zen Planner’s member management software can simplify class scheduling and attendance tracking, ensuring seamless operation. 

Obstacle Courses 

Obstacle courses are highly engaging activities. 

They provide an exciting way to keep kids active. Transform underutilized spaces into dynamic obstacle courses, filled with a variety of challenges that test agility, balance, and problem-solving skills. Importantly, obstacle courses offer an excellent opportunity for kids to have fun while also developing physical fitness and teamwork. 

Staff knowledge of obstacle planning is essential. 

Consider incorporating elements that are familiar yet challenging – think ropes to climb, balance beams to navigate, and tunnels to crawl through. This variety keeps kids on their toes and ensures they are constantly engaged. 

For an organized approach, utilize Zen Planner’s innovative member management software. With its efficient tracking capabilities, you can systematically schedule and manage these obstacle course sessions, ensuring maximum participation and enjoyment, thereby taking summer activities at your gym to the next level. 

Educational Relays 

Educational relays provide a fantastic way to combine fitness with learning, keeping kids engaged and active. 

Organize teams and set up different stations with exercise tasks and educational questions. 

Each team must complete the physical activity and answer a corresponding question correctly to move to the next station. Incorporate topics like nutrition, geography, or math to make it more interesting and engaging. 

Educational relays encourage both mental and physical development, making the most of gym time in a playful, yet instructive environment. Using Zen Planner’s scheduling and attendance features, you can manage these events effortlessly, ensuring they integrate smoothly into your summer schedule.

4. Leveraging Zen Planner for Summer Success

Harness the power of Zen Planner to maximize your summer programs and keep your gym buzzing with activity. Efficiently manage classes, track attendance, and seamlessly integrate your operations to provide stellar member experiences. 

Zen Planner’s robust marketing tools allow you to craft engaging campaigns effortlessly. Launch targeted initiatives to attract new members and keep existing ones excited about your summer offerings. 

Member Management 

Zen Planner’s member management features streamline class scheduling and attendance tracking. 

  • Automated Scheduling: Ensure classes are always up-to-date. 
  • Attendance Tracking: Monitor participation easily. 
  • Member Profiles: Keep detailed records of member progress. 
  • Billing Integration: Simplify payment processes. 

Easily manage daily operations, freeing up time to engage with members. 

Use these tools to build stronger community connections and drive member retention. 

Zen Planner Engage 

Zen Planner Engage offers gym owners intuitive tools to elevate their marketing campaigns and attract more members. 

With built-in templates and customizable options, creating stunning campaigns is a breeze. 

Launch targeted email campaigns to announce summer programs, promote family-friendly activities, and highlight special member offers or events. 

By leveraging Zen Planner Engage, fitness businesses can maintain consistent communication with their community, keeping them informed and motivated. Whether it’s promoting new classes, sharing success stories, or offering exclusive discounts, Zen Planner Engage makes it easy to keep your gym top-of-mind all summer long. 

Marketing Automation 

Marketing automation can streamline your gym’s marketing efforts, saving you time and improving your outreach. 

Since 2016, Zen Planner, a leader in fitness management software, has been helping gyms like yours create powerful marketing campaigns that attract new members and retain existing ones. 

Now, it’s easier than ever with Zen Planner’s automation tools to set up a sequence of engaging messages that reach out at the perfect time, making sure your gym stays top-of-mind. 

Launch your campaigns in the background, ensuring that no member goes unnoticed during the busy summer season. From welcoming new members to encouraging lapsed ones to return, automation does the heavy lifting. 

Empower your team to focus on creating unforgettable experiences while Zen Planner handles the repetitive tasks.

5. Supporting Your Community with Zen Planner

Zen Planner empowers gym owners to create a seamless experience for their members year-round. 

By offering mobile workout tracking and collaborative programming, Zen Planner helps enhance member engagement. 

The software’s intuitive design makes it easy to streamline operations and focus on member satisfaction. 

Automated features like class scheduling, membership management, and personalized communication keep everyone connected. 

Zen Planner transforms your gym into a thriving community hub, boosting retention effortlessly. 

 

About the Author: Kelli Sweeting

I'm Coach Kelli, a devoted CrossFit gym owner with 15 years of experience managing my facility, along with owning yoga studios and wellness centers. Beyond the fitness world, I have a passion for cooking, cherish moments with my children and family, and find joy in spending time outside. Having experienced the highs and lows, I'm dedicated to leveraging my expertise to help you grow and succeed on your fitness journey.