It’s easy to get people excited about the idea of climbing, but getting those excited people in the door of your gym is another story. How do you take someone who might be interested and actually convince them to come in? How do you get the person who came in for a group outing or party to return?

Social media is a key of course to getting the word out about your gym. Definitely have an active presence online. An active presence doesn’t just involve posting those great photos of your climbing walls. It’s important to respond to people who reference your business. Be sure to comment on location-tagged pictures and thank people for coming in. Interacting with customers can go a long way towards loyalty by showing that there are people behind your business, people who truly appreciate loyal customers. Your responses can also include special offers if they choose to come back. A response to a great photo tagged at your gym might read: “Great pic! Thanks so much for coming in today! Here’s a link to a coupon for $5 off your next visit!”
Online contests are a fun way to take people’s competitive nature and turn that into a marketing opportunity. A photo contest will not only bring customers into the gym to take the necessary photo, but a great prize for the winner will encourage lots of entries.

It’s also a great idea to reward repeat and return guests. Advertise blocks of passes at a reduced rate. These blocks guarantee a number of paid visits and the customer gets a discount, so it’s a great situation for all involved. Consider also automatically entering climbers in a monthly drawing for a free private lesson. Repeat visits would give them a greater chance of winning, and if they do win that private lesson they’ll definitely be back to practice their new skills.

For more ideas on building your customer base contact us or check out our blog.