WE’VE HELPED
GYMS WITH THEIR MARKETING FOR
36 YEARS.
After 36 years, here’s what we know
36 years. Thousands of campaigns. Countless conversations with gym owners, staff and members across Australia and New Zealand.
We’ve seen the fitness industry change more times than we can count. From telemarketing and letterbox drops to Facebook advertising, digital marketing and now AI.
We’ve worked through recessions, a global pandemic, changing consumer habits and an industry that never stops evolving.
We’ve worked alongside some of the industry’s best, had Facebook call our work inspiring, spent countless hours on gym floors and spoken to thousands of prospective members.
But ultimately, what we do has always been about more than memberships.
It’s about helping clubs reach more people and motivating them to make exercise a part of their lifestyle.
Marketing has changed enormously in 36 years. We’ve seen what works. We’ve seen what doesn’t.
1. Sell the feeling, not the facility.
People aren’t buying access to equipment. They’re buying what they believe exercise will do for their lives.
2. Your biggest market might be the people who have never set foot inside a gym.
Stop marketing exclusively to people who already love fitness.
3. Your front desk is one of your most important marketing channels.
The experience someone has when they walk through your doors can make or break a membership.
4. Automate your processes, not your people.
A direct, thoughtful phone call or personalised voice note will outperform an impersonal automated SMS sequence every time. Technology should make relationships easier, not replace them.
5. Hire for attitude. Train for skill.
You can teach someone a process. It’s much harder to teach genuine care and enthusiasm.
6. Your members are your best advertisement.
Happy members talk. Give them something worth talking about.
7. Real people. Real stories. Real results.
Your actual members will connect with your audience better than stock images or AI-generated perfection.
8. The first six weeks matter more than you think.
Getting someone to join is only the beginning. Helping them build a habit is what keeps them.
9. Follow up. Then follow up again.
A lead that doesn’t convert today isn’t necessarily a lost opportunity.
10. Your competition isn’t always another gym.
Sometimes it’s the couch, lack of confidence, a busy schedule or simply the fear of starting.
11. Know your members beyond their membership number.
Know their names, their goals, their families and what brought them through your doors.
12. Don’t confuse being busy with being effective.
Posting every day means very little if you’re not reaching the right people.
13. Marketing doesn’t stop when someone joins.
The experience you deliver determines whether they stay, refer others and become an advocate for your club.
14. Don’t market to everyone and expect to connect with anyone.
Know your target market and speak directly to them.
15. The best marketing isn’t always digital.
15. The best marketing isn’t always digital.
We’ve gone from telemarketing and letterbox drops to sophisticated digital campaigns.
After 36 years, we still know there’s power in combining all marketing methods.
16. Your community is one of your greatest opportunities.
The strongest gyms don’t just operate in their communities. They become part of them.
17. Don’t assume people know what makes your gym different.
You know why your club is special. Does everyone else?
18. A great offer gets attention. A great experience builds loyalty.
Getting people through the door is one thing. Giving them a reason to stay is another.
19.Your staff and members are your brand.
You can spend thousands on marketing, but the experience people have inside your club is what they’ll remember.
20. Never stop testing.
What worked five years ago might not work today. What didn’t work last year might be worth revisiting tomorrow.
21. Don’t underestimate the power of simply asking.
Ask for referrals. Ask for reviews. Ask for feedback. Ask for the sale.
22. Your next 100 members probably aren’t all looking for a gym right now.
Sometimes great marketing creates the desire to start rather than simply capturing people already searching. Prospective gym members are a bit like ducks, sometimes their heads are above the water and they’re ready to act, and sometimes they’re not. Your job is to be there when they are.
23. You can’t improve what you don’t measure.
Know your leads, conversion rates, cost of acquisition, retention and membership growth
24. Every gym is different. Your marketing should be too.
What works in a major city won’t necessarily work in a regional town. Know your market.
25. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
You don’t need to be an expert in everything to run a successful gym.
26. Your existing members deserve just as much attention as your prospective ones.
Growth means very little if you’re losing members out the back door.
27. Make it easy for people to get started.
Every unnecessary hurdle is another opportunity for someone to change their mind.
28. Every campaign teaches you something.
Experiment with your marketing. The wins tell you what to repeat. The misses tell you what to change.
29. Use social media to virtually open your doors.
Give people a glimpse inside your gym. Show them the people, the atmosphere, the experience and what they can expect. Familiarity builds confidence.
30. Show the heart and soul of your club.
Every gym has a personality. Let yours shine through. Share the people, personalities and genuine connections that make your club more than just a place to exercise.
31. Be human. Be authentic. Be relatable.
Ditch robotic, AI-generated captions. Speak like a real person, write with personality and give people a brand they want to interact with.
32. Make fitness feel accessible, not intimidating.
Not everyone scrolling your social media is fit, confident or comfortable in a gym. Show beginners, everyday people and achievable starting points. Help those who feel exercise isn’t for them realise they belong too.
33. Don’t just post for your members. Post for your future members.
Your social media should speak to the entire local community, including the people who have never considered joining a gym. Create content that makes them feel welcome, understood and inspired to take that first step.
34. Don’t just build a following. Build relationships.
Social media isn’t a one-way advertising channel. Start conversations, respond to comments, celebrate your members and engage with your local community. Genuine connection will always be more valuable than vanity metrics.
35. Don’t let automation replace human connection.
Speed matters when responding to leads, but we can’t forget how intimidating our industry can be. A real person calling or sending a human response can help your gym stand out and make taking that first step feel a whole lot easier.
36. Sometimes you have to risk looking silly.
Some of the craziest marketing ideas are worth trying. The highest returning ads we’ve seen have sometimes been the ones people were initially embarrassed to put out there. Sometimes you’ve got to risk the embarrassment and lean in.
DON’T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT.
“It would have taken us about a year to do what you guys achieved in a month, and there is no way that we would have been able to do that.”
Wade Coneybeer, Gym Owner
SO, WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOUR CLUB?
We’ve officially rounded out our 2026 campaign calendar, and bookings are now open for 2027.
Whether you’re looking to grow your membership base, increase brand awareness, reach a new market or promote something exciting happening at your club, Ben & Rach would love to have a chat.
Our campaigns are designed to go beyond generating leads. We put the team on the ground, turn interest into actual memberships and take on the financial risk.
GET IN TOUCH NOW FOR 2027
Written by Rachel Saunders
Senior Business Development Manager at CFM
