7 Tips To Improve Your Pilates Studio Marketing

Owning a Pilates studio means stepping into the shoes of a marketer as much as those of an instructor. Attracting new clients and maintaining a strong client base are crucial elements of your business. The more you can do to build your studio's reputation, showcase your events, and spread the word about classes and services, the better. Don't just rely on word-of-mouth and your website; instead, add these seven tactics to your marketing efforts.

1. Create a Referral Program

Chances are that your students will be positive about their classes or experiences—when they're asked about them. Referral programs can help happy students and practitioners be more proactive about telling people they know about your studio. You can give a discount for successful referrals or even give your return customers guest passes so they can easily bring a friend. Social proof and positive comments are strong drivers for prospective customers already looking for a studio, so this is a quick and efficient way to stand out. 

2. Hold an Open House or Event

If your studio is still relatively new, hold an open house; if it's been a while, hold an event tied to a holiday or business anniversary. Widely publicize the event and use it as an opportunity to get people in the door. During the event, you can organize tours of your studio, demonstrate how certain equipment works, or have brief seminars over common Pilates questions. While this is a great opportunity to secure memberships, the primary goal here is to build the community and become known as a trusted authority in Pilates.

3. Provide New Member Offers

New prospects are where a lot of marketing dollars go. You might be spending money on digital ads, physical ads, Class Pass, or other third-party signups. The last thing you want to do is lose them at the door if they're still noncommittal. Instead, offer them a discounted rate or a free trial. For example, you might hold a free beginner's class, or you can offer a one-time free pass for attending your open house. If you have a monthly subscription plan, offer a discount or give them a free one-week trial. Then, use the data on who stays and who leaves to target your marketing.

4. Leverage Social Media

Social media is a great tool for establishing your brand online. With consent from your students, take pictures of classes and activities. Alternatively, consider showcasing your studio with appealing images or sharing snippets of your classes through engaging video content. These posts can help convey the vibrant atmosphere of your studio and attract new participants.

5. Start an Email Newsletter

Email newsletters are less about securing new members and more about retaining your current students and practitioners. Post a monthly newsletter with a calendar, fun updates from the group, discounts (if you're offering any that month), and helpful tips for getting more out of Pilates. Sometimes, members may lose touch after not being able to attend class for a few weeks, and this helps bring them back in.

6. Create Specialty Classes

Differentiate your brand by catering to specific markets. Consider holding specialty classes for rehabilitation, pregnant participants, different types of athletes, seniors, and so on. If you find success with one, you can make it a recurring class—depending on the group and your location, you might be the only one serving that market.

7. Offer a Reward System for Repeat Class Members

Finally, invest in your return customers. Many businesses focus too much on growth instead of retention, and their regulars don't feel valued. So, give great rewards to the people you know who are invested in Pilates and your studios. This can include punch cards, benefits for long-term members, and perks.

Bonus Tip: Have Great Equipment That Spreads the Word

Of course, one of the best marketing tactics is high-quality experiences. Combine your expertise and teaching style with high-quality equipment from BASI Systems. Explore our collections of Pilates studio equipment and reach out to learn more about having the right tools and supplies in your studio.