Four Marketing Principles That Apply To Group Fitness Classes

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Last weekend I attended Spinning Instructor Training. During the class you learn things like bike set-up, safety precautions, proper technique, etc. What I was surprised was included in this class was how to structure your own class. Below are the steps, and why now I can’t go to a class without thinking through the instructors prep work.

Define your audience. In my case it was mothers attending a morning spin session after dropping the kids off at school.

Identify their need, objective, goal. Looking at my audience, I see them as a group that wants to be efficient with their work out regimen. They have busy schedules and are making time for your class, so they better get their money’s worth.

Leverage your tools to help your audience achieve the above. Based on my audience and their need, I am looking at a high-calorie burn regimen with maybe the option for abs at the end, since they want a one-stop shop. (In marketing, this translates to looking at all your paid, earned, owned, and shared assets.)

Communicate with your audience. Your audience isn’t going to understand the technical steps you are using in the last step, so make it user-friendly. For spinning, we say things like, “we’re going up a mountain so you will want to stay seated with heavy resistance.”

In the end, if your audience feels like they are getting what they need from your class, that audience will turn into repeat attendees. The principles of marketing and providing value apply across the board, whether it’s a gym class or digital campaign.