What systems drive new clients to your gym?
If you don’t know, your marketing efforts are going to be inconsistent and ineffective.
We teach gym owners to build and operate four funnels at all times, and each funnel leads to a free consultation where gym owners can sell high-value services to clients who will stay for years.
Today, I’ll lay out the social media funnel.
Free Samples!
Think of social media as the “free sample” stands at the grocery store.
The free, snack-sized samples exist to get you interested. If you like the sample, you buy the lasagna and consume the whole tray. Then, hopefully, you make the lasagna part of the weekly rotation in your house.
Social media isn’t enough to replace “real content,” but it can serve as a “sample tray” to get people to consume that real content.
Start by getting good on one platform.
Which one? The one your clients use. If your clients are 30-55, that’s probably Facebook. If they’re a bit younger, that’s probably Instagram. If you’re not sure where your clients consume social content, ask them and then learn about that platform.
Take your larger, more valuable content—I talked about this in the previous post in this series—chop it up into little samples, and put these tidbits on social media. Or you can create separate social posts that lead to your real content.
Remember: Your objective isn’t to win Instagram. Your goal is to get people off Instagram and onto your platform.
Funnel Anatomy
Top of funnel: a social media channel (like Instagram). Post every day and always include a call to action. For example, “DM me for details!” or “click the link to read the whole article!” Even better: Create a lead magnet and use it to start conversations: “Want all 30 keto recipes? Comment below this post and I’ll send it to you!”
Mid-funnel: Start chats with prospective clients to deliver your promise. Pretend you’re standing in front of the person in a line to buy coffee. “Hey! How’s it going? I saw your comment. Thanks for that. How are your workouts going?” Then just carry on the conversation.
Bottom of funnel: Invite them to chat with you in person. This last step is where most gym owners get really shy. But they shouldn’t—you’re not asking the person for a date. The “ask” doesn’t have to feel awkward. Imagine you just met someone who wants to find the local library and you’re headed there tomorrow. “Hey, I’m going there myself—want to meet here and I’ll walk over with you?” For a gym owner: “Hey, I get it—sometimes I fall off the fitness wagon, and I own the damn gym! Want to meet me there tomorrow and I’ll show you around? I’ll bring the coffee!”
The social media funnel should amplify the other funnels you already have in place by creating excitement and curiosity. Remember, if you own a business, social media is your stage—but it isn’t your pulpit. You can turn clients away from your business just as easily as you can turn them toward it.
Key advice: Post daily, and don’t try to be perfect. If you’re in Two-Brain, you can swipe graphics, photos, sample posts, calendars, AI prompts and everything else you need from our Content Vault.
Other Media in This Series
“The Referral Funnel”
“The Content Funnel”
“The Paid Ads Funnel”
