Gym marketing built around what happens after January.
Every gym in Ireland gets a January. The ones that grow are the ones that still have those members in April, and that is a retention problem rather than a marketing one — but it is shaped by how the member was acquired in the first place. A member won on a heavy discount behaves like a discount member and leaves when it ends.
The other mistake is advertising the facility. Nobody joins a gym because it has equipment. They join because of what they want to be different in six months, and the advertising that works speaks to that rather than to square footage.
Everything, from the ad to the booked call.
Trial and intro-offer campaigns
Structured so the offer attracts people who intend to stay, rather than the cheapest possible membership.
Off-peak acquisition
Advertising in the months when everyone else stops. Cheaper, less contested, and the members acquired tend to stay longer than January joiners.
Class and PT campaigns
Higher-value, higher-retention services advertised separately from general membership.
Retention campaigns to existing members
The cheapest revenue a gym has, and the thing most owners never advertise to at all.
The weekly report
Enquiries, trials booked, joins and cost per join.
The form asks first, so your phone rings second.
Every campaign sends the click to a lead form that asks the qualifying questions before the enquiry reaches you. For gyms & fitness, that means:
- 01What are you hoping to achieve?
- 02Have you been a member somewhere before?
- 03Are you interested in classes, gym floor or personal training?
- 04When would you want to start?
Then one number every Friday: spend, leads, cost per lead and what we are changing next week.
cost per lead on a live trades campaign
leads in the first month of a live trades campaign
Every figure comes from a client we can put you in touch with. We do not name clients in ads or on this page. See more on the results page.
January is the most expensive month to buy a member
Every gym advertises in January, which means everyone bids against everyone and cost per join peaks exactly when the discounts are deepest. Worse, members acquired on heavy discount churn fastest, so you pay the most for the members least likely to stay.
Advertising in the months everyone else goes quiet costs considerably less per join and produces members who joined because they decided to rather than because it was cheap.
Nobody joins for the equipment
Gym advertising defaults to the facility — square footage, machines, classes, opening hours. Almost none of it is why anybody joins.
People join because something is bothering them: how they feel, how clothes fit, a health scare, a milestone birthday. Advertising that speaks to the reason rather than the room converts several times better, and it is uncomfortable enough that most competitors will not copy it.
€1,500 a month. Everything included.
Meta advertising fully managed, lead forms that qualify, social media fully run, all creative every month and the Friday report. Google Ads managed on top: €2,000 a month. No setup fee, no contract, month to month. Advertising spend is paid directly to the platforms and stays in your control.
Every county in Ireland.
Campaigns are built around the towns you actually cover, not a county name. Counties where we see the most demand for gyms & fitness:
Straight answers.
Should we discount in January?
Less than you think. January members acquired on heavy discount churn fastest, and the month is the most expensive of the year to advertise in. A modest offer aimed at commitment beats a large one aimed at price.
When is the best time to advertise?
The months everyone else goes quiet — late spring and autumn. Cheaper, less crowded, and the members tend to last.
Is social better than search for a gym?
Usually, because joining is a discretionary decision rather than an urgent search. Search still matters for people who have already decided and are choosing between two local gyms.
What about retention?
It is where the money is, and it is mostly not a marketing problem — but campaigns to your existing members cost very little and work well.
What does it cost?
€1,500 a month with everything included, or €2,000 with Google Ads managed on top.
Find out what you're missing.
A free growth audit of your Google map results, reviews, website and the ads running in your county. Sent as a PDF within 24 hours. No call needed.