Fast-Track Your Gym’s Growth with Our Top 7 Lead Nurture Strategies

If you’re set on growing your gym, remember that getting more leads is just the start. The real work begins when you start nurturing these leads. This part takes time and effort, and it’s often where things fall through.

Here’s the problem: A lot of gyms don’t focus nearly enough on lead nurture. In fact, 8 out of 10 leads go cold because they’re nurtured poorly.

💡 Think about it — investing in lead generation and working hard to attract leads, only to let them slip away, doesn't make much sense, right?

Nurturing leads is as active a process as generating them. Good lead nurture often involves understanding your leads’ needs, showing them how your gym meets those needs, and highlighting the benefits of joining.

While not every gym does this, those that do tend to gain a competitive edge. Consistent and effective lead nurture not only builds trust but also likability.

And then what happens?

You significantly increase your chances of converting leads to paying clients.

So, let’s take a closer look at 7 lead nurture strategies that you can start applying right away to boost your gym’s sales:

1. Humanize Your Approach

Adding a personal touch to your messages can really help them stand out. It’s easy for people to overlook plain messages, especially when they receive hundreds that look the same each week. But a message with a bit of personality? That’s hard to ignore.

Here is an example from Mark Fisher Fitness. In 2015, the gym used a lead magnet that, upon opting in, sent a unique email with a catchy headline:

Another simple yet effective way to make your messages more personal is to use the lead’s first name. Whether it’s a phone call, an email, or a DM, saying ‘Hey [first name]!’ makes your message feel more like a friendly chat and creates a sense of familiarity. This approach makes you seem more approachable and helps build a trusting relationship with your gym.

💡 With any interaction, the goal is to make your leads feel like they’re talking to a real person. Find out why they’re interested in your gym and show genuine enthusiasm about working with them to achieve their goals. People can tell when you’re not being sincere.

2. Respond Quickly

It takes an average of 47 hours for most businesses to respond to leads. That’s a long time for someone to lose interest, and the longer you take to reply, the lower your chances of making a sale.

But here’s something interesting: if you respond to leads in five minutes or less, you’re 100 times more likely to connect with them and have much better odds of converting. Here is a closer look at the impact of lead response time:

Source: Revenue.io

Realistically, a five-minute response time might not always be feasible for busy gym owners. So, try to start with a more manageable window, like responding within 30 minutes to an hour. Leads appreciate quick responses, and by doing so, you’ll be more likely to engage them than if you were to respond much later.

💡 If you don’t have time to nurture all day, Gym Lead Machine can automate it for you.

3. Maintain Consistent Contact

One common mistake many gym owners make is not reaching out to leads enough. Often, they’ll try once and then give up right away. However, persistence is key in lead nurturing. It’s a proven fact that the more attempts you make to connect with a lead, the better your chances of getting a response.

Source: LeadSimple

At Kilo, we recommend reaching out to each new lead at least six times during their first week in your funnel.

💡 Remember, regular reminders are often necessary. People are busy and may need several prompts before they take action.

4. Make Time for Leads

Once you’ve established contact with a lead, it’s extremely important to make yourself available for potential sales conversations. This means making sure your calendar has open slots for next-day sales calls as well as for various times throughout each day of the week, so a lead can choose a day and time that fits their schedule.

Data from the industry shows that the best times to talk to leads are weekdays, especially around lunchtime or during your gym’s busiest evening classes. Most sales happen during these peak hours.

💡 By being available when leads are most likely to be free, you increase your chances of making a sale.

5. DM New Instagram Followers

Consider new social media followers as warm leads. They’ve already shown interest in your gym by following you, but often need an extra nudge to engage further. This is a perfect opportunity for you to reach out to them quickly with personalized messages, special offers, or invitations to gym events.

One gym owner boosted their monthly recurring revenue by up to $15,000 simply by sending a series of four straightforward messages to every new follower. Here’s what they said:

💡 Must-watch: The Instagram strategy that makes this gym owner $15k/mo

6. DM People That Engage with Content

A ton of potential clients spend time on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, so maintaining an active presence there is a quick and effective way to connect with leads. Just like new followers, people who like or comment on your posts are also considered warm leads. Again, be sure to reach out to them. Here is a simple way to do that:

This follow-up is even more important for your ads. Anyone who likes or comments on your ads is a hot lead, indicating a high level of interest in what you’re offering and ready to take action. You don’t want to miss these key opportunities.

💡 Have you heard of the ‘Sell by Chat’ strategy? Our free guide explains how you can effectively use it to increase your gym’s membership numbers. Learn more about it here.

7. Revive Old Conversations

Studies found that 63% of leads who aren’t ready to buy initially might convert later if engaged with an effective lead nurturing strategy. That’s why it’s absolutely critical to nurture leads you’ve previously interacted with on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

Since this process is a bit more challenging to automate, it’s a good idea to carve out some time each week to follow up with older leads. You could also set a reminder in your calendar to touch base with these older leads every 60 days or so. When you do, consider saying something like:

💡 Remember, not everyone is ready to say ‘yes’ to your offer after the first message. It’s normal for people to change their minds with time, and that’s just part of business.

Lead Nurturing Strategies That Deliver Results for Gyms

There you have it—our top 7 strategies for nurturing leads and boosting your gym’s sales. Let’s review:

1. Humanize your approach
2. Respond quickly
3. Maintain consistent contact
4. Make time for leads
5. DM new Instagram followers
6. DM people that engage with content
7. Revive old conversations

Keep in mind, effective lead nurture isn’t a walk in the park. It demands consistent effort and time, resources that are often scarce for busy gym owners.

But there’s good news. A lot of these strategies can be automated for efficiency, and that’s where we at Kilo can help you.

With Gym Lead Machine (GLM), you can automate a whole year’s worth of lead nurturing. This lets you focus on running your gym while still boosting your sales. GLM also alerts you right away when a new lead comes in, so you can respond faster. And that’s just a couple of its many helpful features…

Just like our client, you too can streamline your lead nurturing process and see real growth in your business. Why not book a free call with us to get started?