The internet is a powerful tool for promoting any business. If you don’t have an online presence, most people won’t even know you exist. But an online presence is even more important for fitness classes like Zumba.
During the pandemic, in-person classes had to shut down for months at a time. Savvy instructors switched to online classes, and a lot of clients liked it. Now that lockdown is over, many Zumba instructors continue to offer classes online.
If you’re going to promote an online class, you need to do it online. But how do you do it?
Here are six proven ways to promote your Zumba classes online.
Table of Contents
1. Use the Power of Word of Mouth
Start with the people who already love your classes: your current clients. The easiest way to do this is to offer a referral discount. Referral programs provide a double benefit. Not only do they attract new clients, but they’re a nice perk for current clients.
You can also set up a WhatsApp, Snapchat, or Telegram account. Send out small virtual coupons to people who sign up. Then, you can use those channels to send out updates and announcements. Make sure not to abuse this. You want to keep your clients informed, not bombard them with incessant messages.
2. Make Your Business Searchable
Type your business name into Google and see what pops up. If you can’t find it, that’s bad news. Most people never even go past the first page of search results.
To rank well in Google searches, you need to have a website. Even if it’s just a home page with basic information, it’s still an online presence. The key is to optimize your site.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is an art in and of itself. Look at the best-ranking sites and see what keywords they’re using. Try to create similar content using the same keywords. Make sure not to plagiarize anything, though. Not only is plagiarism wrong, but it will also hurt your Google search ranking.
If you have a brick-and-mortar location, search for your address on Google Maps. Does your business show up, or is the Business Profile blank? If it’s blank, click the link that says “Add your business,” and follow the instructions to create your business profile.
After you add your business, it can take a few days to appear. But once it does, you’ll show up in local Google search results. Since your brick-and-mortar customers are all local, local searches are key to your business’ growth.
3. Promote Your Classes on Social Media
By now, everybody knows you need to have a social media presence. But are you using social media to its full potential? Look at your follower counts, and compare them to last year’s. If you aren’t seeing growth, your social media accounts aren’t pulling their weight.
The key to gaining followers on social media is to provide great content. Put out some short videos to show off your best work. If you’re offering a new service, shout it out! Most importantly, engage with your followers. If someone leaves a comment, give them a response! And always encourage your followers to share your content.
Social media is also suitable for more traditional advertising. If you haven’t already, make some digital flyers to promote your classes. Poster My Wall offers customizable fitness flyer templates to create your own advertising. I’ve used them in the past, and they’re easy to work with.
4. Run Challenges and Offer Rewards
The best online promotions aren’t static; they’re interactive. The internet is interactive by its very nature. There are a couple of things you can do to drive this engagement.
First, you can run challenges. For example, you could ask people to share their fitness tracker stats. Let your followers compare their accomplishments. People love these kinds of competitive challenges, and they can be a lot of fun.
Second, you can offer rewards. In most cases, instructors will tie these rewards to a challenge. For our previous example, you could offer bonus perks to whoever walks the most steps in a week.
You don’t have to spend a fortune on a reward. It can be a small discount, a special one-on-one session, or pre-recorded fitness videos. A good reward will encourage existing customers to stick around and also attract new ones.
5. Set a Clear Schedule
When you hold in-person classes, keeping a schedule is a given. Everybody needs to be there!
With the transition to online classes, it’s tempting to get lazy. After all, anyone who missed the class can just catch it later. But people want to take a live class for a reason. They can ask questions, which is impossible with a pre-recorded video. They can also experience a sense of camaraderie with fellow students who are participating in real time.
6. Provide Added Value
Focus on providing a consistent supply of online content that your clients will enjoy. The key word here is “consistent.” Do you have a blog? Update it at least once a week. Do you post videos? Good job! Now keep posting more.
Also, recognize that Zumba classes are an investment. People want to know what they’re paying for before they sign up. If you’re savvy, you can put out free samples on YouTube and Instagram. A quick, 10-minute routine can showcase what you have to offer, attracting new customers.
Video content is even better if you’re promoting a brick-and-mortar gym. You can use it as an opportunity to showcase your facilities. Give non-members an “inside” view of your gym, and they’ll be more likely to sign up!
Audio podcasts can also be an effective way of promoting your classes. Podcasting is a popular medium with a fast-growing audience. If you’ve got fitness advice to share, record a few episodes. Then start releasing them as you continue to record new content.
If recording your own podcast sounds like a bit much, you can still take advantage of this medium. There are plenty of fitness podcasts out there that are looking for guests. A guest appearance takes an hour or less of your time and introduces you to a brand new audience.