A strong advertising campaign could be the difference between a full gym and an empty one. Ads help increase your visibility in the digital world, boost membership signups, and engage the crowd you’ve already attracted - something all gyms need, especially after the pandemic.
To get you pumped up about advertising your gym online, we’re going to take a look at the best gym ads out there - starting with some game-changing video gym membership ads.
Why? In case you didn’t already know, video marketing for gyms is quickly taking off as one of the most effective ways to drive traffic to your website and get new customers crowding your fitness centre. So we’ll not only show you some stellar video gym ads but also take you through how to make a gym video super easily using Invideo.
Here’s what we’re going to cover:
- The best examples of gym ads
- Pro-tips on gym advertising
- How do you make a gym ad?
Pro-tip: If you need to create stellar video content but don’t have the time, consider using InVideo to engage and motivate your audience with a video a day! We’ve built an easy-to-use platform that’s perfect for fitness studios and gyms of all sizes. With our 1000+ ready-to-use templates for gyms, you’ll be able to create stunning videos in under 15 mins!
Now, let’s dive right in!
The best examples of gym ads
We’ll take you through some of the most stunning gym advertising campaigns across different mediums and digital channels. Click on a section to navigate directly to the type of gym ad you’d like to see or just start scrolling!
A. Video gym ads
B. YouTube gym ads
C. Instagram gym advertising campaigns
D. Facebook ads for gyms
E. More positive fitness advertisements
A. Video gym ads
Take a look at these great gym ads that you can also use to customize and make your own!
1. Advertise discounts with a cool video
Create a health club ad like this if you want to get users excited about a new gym launch or drum up some publicity with a discount that gets people out of their homes and into your gym. Showcase high quality pictures or videos of your space with animated text telling the information and you’re good to go.
Like this gym membership advertisement? Use this template to get started.
2. Feature video testimonials from customers
User testimonials are one of the best ways to convince new and potential customers to sign up for a new gym or workout class. Ask some of your best customers to do a quick video for your gym to get the most authentic testimonials, or you can use a health club ad template like the one below, to make those written testimonials pop!
Use this template to add your own happy customer videos and written testimonials!
3. Highlight personalized training offers
Offering personalized training sessions is one of the best ways to upsell to existing gym members. You can talk about why personal trainers are better as a newbie instead of figuring out everything on your own, and highlight the results other members have had in the past to get people really interested.
Announce your personal training plans with fitness centre ads like this one.
4. Release video workout plans
While workout videos might not seem like fitness centre ads, they’re a great way to showcase your knowledge and talent - and build your fitness brand. People who see a workout plan that worked for them once are likely to come back - and pay for the next round. You can get creative with this – showcase the plan for a particular muscle group or a particular goal and then add the text alongside clips of someone performing the exercises you’re talking about.
Use this template to make your own gym advertisements.
5. Get new customers pumped about working out
Gym ads that work the best are those that get people super pumped and excited about going to the gym and working out. If you want to keep enthusiasm high (and new memberships flowing in) — create an ad with a motivational undertone. You need to use images and words that appeal to feelings of achievement, resolution, and success tied in with fitness. Take a look at the ad below to get an idea.
Click here to make this health club ad your own.
B. YouTube gym ads
YouTube is one of the biggest platforms to showcase your gym ads and workout routines. The best part about this platform is that it encourages longer video times - so you can share some in-depth content if you like! Let’s take a look at some of the best YouTube gym ads currently out there.
1. Apple’s Fitness+ app will get you seriously inspired
Possibly one of the best fitness ads out there, this Apple ad for their Fitness+ program is super inspirational and up tempo.
Unlike most conventional health club ads, Apple takes a completely different approach. It doesn’t include product info, close-up photos, or a call-to-action. Instead, it features a group of diverse people in a range of different activewear so that there’s someone who will resonate with everyone, whatever their background or interests. Their ‘Welcome to the Club’ tagline makes the audience feel like when they join, they’re not just working out, but becoming part of a larger fitness community that exists across the world.
While technically an ad for an app, rather than a gym, you could use these same principles to get your own potential customers excited about being a part of your gym by highlighting the diversity of experiences and clientele at your own gym.
Create something as motivational using this gym ad template.
2. City Fitness takes their workouts in to the real world
City Fitness is clearly a gym for athletes and sports people who love the outdoors. They made this clear with their gym ads which takes the viewer outside the gym and into the world. The ad doesn't feature or highlight the actual gym spaces (except for a few shots), but instead focuses on how training at their gyms can benefit your outdoor sports activities. The switch between shots of people on the rowing machine and then racing each other in the water sends a clear message that their training will prepare you for the sport you love. Your time on the treadmill is actually about getting better on the field - and that’s a message that will resonate with every serious athlete.
You can implement a similar strategy by focusing on what drives your largest community of members and create your own gym ad that brings them together.
Use this gym membership ad template to do it.
3. PureGym uses a welcome video to excite people using their gym for the first time
PureGym’s welcome video is a great example of gym advertising that doesn’t look like an ad. Since it’s geared towards customers who have just signed up to join the gym - this video includes a quick tour of the gym, talks about the different types of workouts, personal training sessions, and PureGym’s commitment to health and safety. What’s great about this introduction is that it also works as a more in-depth video gym ad for potential customers who have already expressed interest and would like to know more. You can use something like this to target people who have already expressed interest in your gym and would like to know a little bit more before committing to a membership.
Welcome people to your gym (and throw in some exciting offers) using this template
4. CrunchFitness is all about having fun, seriously!
CrunchFitness is one of the largest gyms, with chains all over the world. The idea behind Crunch Fitness’s campaign is to put the fun back into fitness and promote the ‘no judgments’ culture at its gyms. The ad works well because it reiterates the company’s philosophy by using humor as part of their storytelling process. They’re 100% serious about getting fit - but also funny. What’s even cooler is that they manage to talk about their brand, culture and growth in less than 30 seconds - while also featuring a ton of shots of their gyms and workouts. The music in this ad is also sure to get viewers really motivated!
Get your own audiences pumped up about your fitness center with this motivational gym membership advertisement.
5. Soul cycle welcomes everyone to their gyms
One of the most heart-warming gym advertisements out there is Soul Cycle’s ‘All Souls Welcome’ ad campaign which tells the story of some of their LGBT+ and queer personal trainers. By using a storytelling method to highlight the people behind their company, Soul Cycle is making it clear that they are an inclusive brand that aims to welcome everyone to their gyms, regardless of their orientation.
Create your own welcoming gym membership ads here.
C. Instagram gym advertising campaigns
When it comes to building a fitness brand online, Instagram is probably one of the most important social media platforms. And running ads is one of the best ways to do that initially. But here ads aren’t only about paid promotions. As you build your brands, each of your organic posts act as an advertisement in itself – helping you generate leads and get conversions. This is evident when you look at YouTube influencers like Jeff Cavaliere and Faya Nilsson shifting focus to growing on Instagram and gaining massive following pretty quickly for their brands.
So if you want to hop on this bandwagon, start off by taking some inspiration from some of these great gym advertisements and fitness accounts on Instagram.
1. Sell training programs like Michelle Lewin
With over 14 million followers on Instagram, Michelle Lewin, knows how it’s done. Her account is full of great content about her life and fitness regime. She puts out a ton of free workouts or exercises on her Insta - and then asks followers to sign up to work out with her.
Her fitness posts are ads for her personal training program. Take a look at her workout ad below - she features a great workout for arms - giving her followers valuable information for free - but also asks them to sign up to train with her. Once someone has tried the new workout she offers - they’re more likely than ever to sign up for a class - which is a great way to engage people on Instagram.
Build your own brand by showcasing your expertise and then asking for sign ups. Don’t forget to get personal so people feel more connected to you!
To create high energy workout videos like Michelle, you need to film yourself doing the exercises and then you can put them together using an intuitive editor like InVideo. Simply add music and text, and you’re good to go.
2. Get clients like Tracy Anderson
Tracy Anderson has created a whole wellness and health brand out of her Instagram fame. This is a great account for inspiration if you are planning to expand your gym or fitness studio to include more products or broaden it into a health and fitness brand. The account is carefully curated to include images and videos that feel like they’re all part of the brand - whether they’re ads for fitness products or articles about maintaining good mental health.
In between the larger health and lifestyle content, she also features ads very subtly. Take a look at the one below that’s advertising her collaboration with Move Wear. Since people already see value in the overall Instagram blog, they’re much more likely to shop what she recommends.
If you want to promote your fitness wear or gear like Tracy, you can do so using a template like this one from InVideo.
3. Promote your classes like Alomoves
Alomoves, is a sister company to the heavily influencer-marketed Alo Yoga. Unsurprisingly, they’re using Instagram marketing to promote their fitness membership super effectively. Their ads show several instructors moving through various yoga poses in quick 1-2 second cuts which gets a viewer excited and wanting to see more. They then follow this up with a great call-to-action — they ask viewers to see more. Those who click on the Watch more link, are taken to a landing page of longer videos and are then asked to sign up for a class.
Their caption also clearly highlights that membership is for all levels of expertise - so beginners don’t scroll away from the ad.
View their Instagram page here.
Think about how you could structure your own journey with an Instagram ad like this one - start with filming moves that look good on camera and edit them to a high-energy song using an intuitive editor like InVideo. This way you build excitement that leaves viewers wanting more and then you can immediately direct them to a landing page where they can sign up for a free class or join your gym.
4. Sell fitness products directly from Instagram like Rogue Fitness
If you are a gym that also sells weights or fitness products, Instagram has a great feature where you can shop from the post itself. The trick here is to take photos that fit in with the rest of your feed so it doesn’t look too out of place or like an ad - as this might put people off.
Rogue Fitness does this really well with this image of a lifting belt that looks very natural and like it could be part of your friend’s feed. It’s only when you tap on the products that you can see the price and shop for the belt or patch that they’re featuring in their ad.
This is a great idea if you want to get gym members to shop with you. You could also consider selling branded merchandise like t-shirts and caps to existing customers if you aren’t already selling your own products.
5. Get influencers involved like GymShark
GymShark is one of the UK’s rapidly-growing fitness brands. It has a totally unique approach to fitness advertising which prioritizes social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and uses influencers to market their products - which has brought them huge success.
GymShark positioned itself as a brand that supports internal and external wellness and fitness and ties its products to personal stories and fitness journey’s. For one of their hugely successful collections, Gymshark tied up with fitness influencer Whitney Simmons who has taken her followers through her entire journey of fitness and talks about how she finds fulfillment in the gym.
Tying up with influencers is a great idea for brands in the fitness space. Just be very sure that they resonate with your brand and exhibit your brand values before you sign them up!
Looking for even more ideas that will engage users on your Instagram account? Then you should also definitely check out this blog on the best fitness post ideas for Insta.
D. Facebook ads for gyms
Facebook is another popular platform for gyms as their audience is slightly older and more inclined to be committed to working out. What’s really great about Facebook is that it also offers advertisers the ability to select from a variety of ads - whether video ads, carousel or ads that lead directly to app downloads. So let’s take a look at some of these high-converting Facebook ads for gyms and get inspired to make your own!
1. Crossfit 757
Crossfit757’s fitness Facebook ads are super cool. The video below is a cinematograph - which means only one part of the shot is in motion (the fan). It captures a beautiful shot of a lady rope climbing in the gym - which draws interest and includes a clear call-to-action to sign up for a free intro class. Their caption also persuades viewers who may think the gym is only for extremely sporty people that they welcome eldery people as well.
You can easily create your own cinematograph by shooting a video and overlaying this onto an image - so only a section is animated while the rest of the image stays still. You’ll need to shoot a video and an image of the exact same area and make sure that they are seamlessly overlaid. Try creating your own cinematograph using Invideo.
2. Equinox is all about luxurious fitness
Equinox is known for its provocative and compelling ads. They brand themselves as a luxury fitness club - and this is clearly reflected in their marketing materials. One of their gym Facebook ads featured their tagline, ‘It’s not fitness, it’s life’ next to people who have clearly made fitness an integral part of their life. Everything about the ad screams luxury and elite - they don’t even talk about themselves as a gym, but as a club. This makes potential customers feel like they’re getting access to an exclusive club when they join. In order to make the offer even sweeter, they’ve included a generous $100 gift card.
Consider your audience when you’re marketing your gym - this ad won’t work if you’re in a middle-income neighborhood and want to attract the people that live there. But including offers with your ad is always a good idea!
Create your own ad for a gym membership discount or offer using this template.
3. Fhitting Room offers additional digital services
Since many gyms were closed during the pandemic, at-home workouts became the norm. Fhitting Room understood early on that offering at home workouts to existing customers might be a great idea to bring in extra revenue. The ad was targeted at current customers who may want to also have the freedom to work out at home. It uses Facebook’s carousel ad feature to showcase multiple video examples on Fhitting Room’s On Demand video classes and sessions and induces viewers to sign up for a free trial.
Free trials are a great way to get users who are already interested in your gym to take that extra step - once they’ve walked in your door (or signed up for a class online) it’s much easier to convert them into a customer!
Make your own ad about at-home workouts here.
4. ClassPass drives users to download their app
Facebook fitness ads can also lead viewers to seamlessly download your app which is a great feature to help you collect those all-important customers if you own a fitness app! ClassPass, which helps people get access to all kinds of fitness classes, targeted new customers in order to increase their app downloads.
This fitness Facebook ad works so well because it includes the bare minimum of information to capture a new user’s attention. It emphasizes convenience and the access it provides to thousands of fitness classes for one price without mentioning the actual cost - since this will direct those who are more curious to take the next step and find out.
Think about how you will get your customers curious to take the next step in your own gym ads. You could start with a teaser that gets them excited and then once you’ve got their attention, compel them to take action by clicking on your link. Your call-to-action (CTA) must be clear, concise and prime the viewer for what comes next. Learn more about how to write compelling CTAs here.
5. Technogym’s fantastic #LetsMoveForABetterWorld campaign is more than just an ad
Technogym created a campaign that was more than a general Facebook fitness ad. They started a social campaign to get people moving and tied up with around 1,000 wellness and fitness centers to make this happen. It allowed participants to donate their exercise to a good cause and emphasized how staying physically fit not only benefits you, but also encourages future generations to have a better quality of life. The campaign became synonymous with Technogym and their brand was known for its commitment to health while also caring for the wider community. It got a ton of shares and likes - and new Technogym users!
If you want to go that extra mile, move beyond the generic Facebook fitness ads and aim to create a campaign that is part of something larger. Then your ads won’t feel like they’re ads since they also carry an important social message! And, if you want to create some great video ads super quickly - check out Invideo’s video maker which has 300+ fitness templates you can use to get started right away!
E. More positive fitness advertisements
1. Blink does body positivity like no one else
BlinkFitness champions the body positivity movement with its ads that celebrate every body. Instead of the usual ads with impossibly fit bodies never breaking a sweat in elegant clothing - Blink chose to feature real people who work out in their gyms - and celebrate their wins!
Their every body campaign puts the focus back on feeling your best and getting healthy, regardless of the body you have. Positive fitness advertisements like this one, get people excited about their health instead of making them feel intimidated or unwelcome.
Consider using body positivity in your own gym ad using this template for first-time gym goers.
2. Feature workout highs GRIT BXNG
Here’s another one of the many fitness advertisement examples that are now focusing on happiness and positivity to get people to sign up. GRIT BXNG announced the new opening of their New York gym with this ad that was all about excitement and happiness. The casual photo is perfect for a Facebook ad since it looks like a photo someone would just post for fun after trying a new workout class. They also include an enticing offer to get those who paused on the ad to click to get the offer.
If you’re creating ads for social media - it’s a good idea to make it look as natural as possible so it looks embedded in your target audience’s feed.
3. Lane Bryant embraces all shapes and sizes
One of the best positive examples of health and fitness advertisements is Lane Bryant’s Instagram ad campaign that celebrates all bodies. They use the hashtag #ThisBody to highlight all the types of bodies that work out at their gyms and let people know that they’re celebrating every shape. Like Blink Fitness, they want to be more inclusive and encourage everyone to work out - no matter what their shape or size.
4. Weight Watchers’ rebranding campaign is the most inspirational ever!
WW, formerly Weight Watchers, launched a rebranding campaign in 2019 that had a ton of celebrities and influencers join them. The campaign was created to emphasize WW’s new positioning as a wellness brand - rather than a place where people go to lose weight. The campaign ad features a mix of celebrities and real people, being active and moving to send a message that everyone can benefit from living healthier. The campaign also created a hashtag (#MyWhy) to get people to talk about the reasons why they move or work - to get the conversation started around wellness and health.
5. Gold’s gym gets you super pumped
Gold’s Gym is an international brand of gyms that create stellar ads which get everyone motivated and excited. This ad shows some amazing shots of athletes pushing themselves to do more and get better at their workouts. The music goes perfectly with the atmosphere and continues to build the tempo until you feel like getting into a gym now and pushing yourself to do more.
You can easily create a similar health club ad by using this template. Make sure you add in some super high-tempo music to keep the mood elevated and include a couple of shots of your gym equipment and members working out. To get the same effect as the Gold’s Gym ad start with members doing easy exercises and move to shots of the tougher ones as the music increases in tempo - this is sure to get your viewers super pumped!
Now that we’ve had a look at some of the best gym ads out there, you can start thinking about how you want to advertise your own gym or fitness center. But before you begin - we’ll take you through some pro-tips that will help to create the best ads ever!
Pro-tips on Gym Advertising
Before we get into creating your own gym membership advertisement, let’s go through a few things you’ll need to keep in mind to create an ad that will convert!
Tip #1 - Remember ads are a part of your sales funnel
If you think the objective of health club ads is generating sales - you’re not wrong, but you’re not entirely right either. What’s important to remember is that people will rarely see an advert and immediately make a purchase. Especially for something expensive like a gym membership - when they haven’t even seen the place!
With high-value items like fitness programs and gym memberships, people need more time to decide. Attempting to shortcut the decision-making process is a big mistake! You should never drive users to a checkout page, because they’ll immediately drop off.
Instead, once you’ve got their attention, lead them to more information and educate them as to why your gym is perfect. Offering a free class or trial once they’ve learnt a bit more is also a great way to drive physical traffic to your gym.
Companies who successfully use Google Ads and Facebook ads,establish a relationship first before moving directly to the sale.
Use this formula when designing your ad campaign to make sure it converts:
- Awareness: Get them to notice your ad by grabbing attention
- Interest: Now you’ve got their attention; you want them to read the ad
- Desire: Persuade them that they want or need what you’re promoting
- Action: Get a discount or contact you
Failing to use any of these elements will reduce the chances your ad gets traction. For example, if you don’t include an action, viewers won’t know what to do next and simply fall away.
Take a look at this Equinox ad for example - the purpose of this ad is just to grab attention and raise awareness of the brand. It doesn’t include any extra information because Equinox isn’t trying to get customers to sign up at this point - they just want to make people remember the brand.
Pro-tip: Use gym membership ads — that you can create using templates from InVideo — to drive leads to a free opt-in, instead of a checkout page. Then connect with leads, raising awareness and desire - at which point you prompt them to take action. It might take longer, but your conversion rates will soar!
Tip #2 - Target a specific audience
When you take a blanket approach and try to appeal to everyone, chances are you’ll appeal to very few. Although it may not seem like it, getting very specific about your audience is what will drive more members through the doors.
Define your ideal client and select advertising channels that target them. Think about what you’d like these potential new customers to do after they see your gym ad - would they be more interested in a free class or a discounted price? Knowing your audience well can determine all of these decisions and more!
Pro-tip: Once you have an idea of who your ideal client is you can use ads to target them. Google Ads allows you to target specific search phrases that they might use (like fitness or healthy lifestyle.) Facebook allows you to advertise to people based on their demographics and interests.
A specific audience will not only decide the channels you feature your ad in and the actions you want viewers to take - but also the design and creative parts of the ad as well. Take Soul Cycle - they targeted the LGBT+ community with their rainbow ads and stories of queer instructors. While this won’t appeal to everyone, those in the queer community or people who consider themselves allies are much more likely to want to join an inclusive gym like theirs.
Tip #3 - Don’t miss out on important elements in your ad
While the best gym ads are super simple - make sure you don’t miss out on important elements when you plan your creative. No matter where your ad is placed, you’ll only have a few seconds to grab a viewer’s attention - so you gotta make it count!
Take a look at this World Gym ad - there’s very little text and someone can absorb this in seconds!
A good gym ad should include:
- A great image or video that complements the copy you choose
- A headline where you grab attention (if the image is not the main focus of your ad)
- Text that is easy to read and understand
- A call-to-action like your logo, QR code or phone number (for print ads) - digital ads have a ton of options you can choose from!
Tip #4 - Focus On Benefits, Not Just Features
In order to capture attention - focus on benefits instead of features, since that’s what inspires people. Giving potential gym goers a list of facilities and equipment available is useful, but talking about getting them stronger and improving health is what will get you more sign ups.
Yes, you can include a few features, but your focus should always be about communicating the benefits to potential customers.
Take a look at how LA Fitness does this by focusing on how much fun exercise can be - it plays on your sense of nostalgia by talking about your childhood play time and asks you to join their gym because it’s fun! They include a few shots of their gym so you have a sense of the facilities available - but they’re main focus is on the benefit - i.e. fun!
Pro-tip: Ask yourself ‘So what?’ to identify the benefits of your gym to customers. ‘So what if I get a 6 week training program? So what if I lose weight?’ Keep asking yourself this question until you’ve identified the true benefit of your product or service.
Tip #5 - Create a Sense of Community
Use storytelling techniques and discussions on social media to create a sense of community among your gym goers. Everyone wants to feel part of a group and build a social connection - by offering classes, workouts together and other activities you can help people within your gym socialize and build a strong bond with each other - this will not only keep them coming back, but is also a great advertisement for your gym!
Make community a central part of your brand identity by having online discussions about fitness, sharing recipes and highlighting stories from your gym.
Anytime Fitness does this really well by talking about the diverse people they cater to at their gyms and makes you feel like you want to join just to be a part of their community.
Tip #6 - Spread Positivity in your gym ads
Body positivity is an important factor in the fitness industry. More and more gyms are moving away from featuring people with so-called perfect bodies and instead attempting to focus on all kinds of bodies to seem more positive and welcoming. Not all gym goers are going to be superfit. In fact, that’s part of the reason why your gym exists - to help people on their fitness journey - many of whom will never have seen the inside of a gym. To get people who don’t work out regularly sign up for a membership - the value of positive fitness advertisements cannot be ignored.
Tone can also be extremely important — you want to make sure you stay upbeat and optimistic so people will feel your positive energy and be more motivated.
Blink Fitness did this to great effect by featuring real members in their ‘Every Body Happy’ campaign and celebrating their natural shape and size.
Tip #7 - Use video marketing to get even more attention
Video marketing for gyms is quickly taking off as the most effective way to get customers flowing into their establishments and checking out their sites. 9 out of 10 viewers said that they wanted to see more videos from brands and businesses, customers prefer watching videos to learn about new products and services, and videos are almost 50 percent more likely to receive more views across social media channels.
All this means is that you can’t ignore the need for creating high-quality videos to promote your gym. It’s nearly impossible to sell your gym to customers without creating videos of the equipment, the staff and the experience of working out. Images might help, but a video is what will give potential customers a visual experience of your gym that they truly need.
You can also use video to advertise for workout classes, personalized training sessions and more. Creating interesting and engaging content with videos doesn’t just attract viewers, it helps highlight all of the features and benefits of your gym.
So engage and motivate your audience with a video-a-day. If you want to create videos in the least amount of time possible, you should definitely sign up on InVideo to make your gym video creation process easier with the help of over 5,000 video templates, 8M+ stock assets, and an intuitive cloud-based editor.
Tip #8 - Get influencers to spread the word
Influencer marketing delivers 11 times the ROI as traditional digital marketing, and the industry is expected to reach $10 billion in 2022. Working with the right influencer can give your brand a serious boost and get a slew of dedicated followers interested in your gym.
But there are a couple of things to keep in mind before you start working with influencers:
- Understand your target audience really really well - this will help you select influencers who have a large following of your intended audience and reflect the same values as your brand
- Build up a mix of local and more famous influencers to keep your content feeling authentic and connected to your neighborhood. Don’t attempt to only get super famous influencers - there’s little point in working with them if you have a single gym in Detroit
- Consider turning your best clients into micro-influencers by building them up and featuring them in your social media content. They will then be able to build a following of their own and get more people interested in your gym.
Body Project does this super well. They always show workouts with real members and have featured some of them so regularly that they are now really well-known on their own.
Take a look at one of their workout videos which features their own members:
Tip #9 - Test Your Ads
As always, test what works - and more importantly what doesn’t! When you’re marketing your gym make sure you create a range of headlines, copy, CTAs, videos, and images for a campaign and test different combinations. If you can’t do a range - try at least 2 or 3 different combinations to get an idea of what works best. Using Facebook ads manager is a great way to test ads - with little extra expense. You can use paid ads or create posts organically and see what gets a better response. The fitness industry has some of the highest conversion rates with Facebook ads so it’s money well spent.
You should also check out our guide to mastering Facebook ads here!
Tip #10 - Take creative risks
While this may sound like a bad idea - but it may also get the biggest rewards. Take risks with your gym ads and try to do something different that will stand out among the noise and put you ahead of competitors. Sure there’s a risk of failure, but don’t be afraid to try something new - as long as it’s not offensive or makes people feel bad! Focus on the positives of exercise and movement and you’ll be fine. When creating a gym ad try and highlight what makes you different from everyone else so people will take notice.
Here’s a good example of a risk you should absolutely not take - don’t make the reason for joining a feeling of guilt or failure - no one should be made to feel bad about their bodies!
For example, this Weight Watchers ad might make some people feel bad about their bodies as their main goal is clearly to get your body to be able to fit in the small door and doesn’t embrace body positivity at all. Instead it works on shaming people - which you should never do!
Check out a few more ways you can get your gym noticed (in a good way!) with this 4 step formula to video marketing!
How do you make a gym ad? (using InVideo)
Now that you’ve seen some of the best fitness ads out there - it’s time to get started with marking your own.
We’ll show you how to make a health club ad super quickly using Invideo’s online video editor. It’s simple to use and offers a range of exciting features you can use to create stunning videos even if you’ve never edited a video before.
For fitness users that need high variety, high-frequency content to build engagement, InVideo provides (in order of priority) - Wide library of stock footage with iStock/ Getty integrations, Large music library, Ready to use templates for quick, short video creation, Ease/ speed of creation where most users mentioned that they spend <1 hour per week on creation.
Let’s get started!
Step 1: Create an InVideo account or sign in to your existing one. You can click on the Pre-made Templates option to select from over 5000+ video templates or use the Blank Canvas to upload your own shots. For this tutorial, we’re going to use a blank canvas.
Now, select your aspect ratio. If you are going to put your video out on YouTube or Facebook then select the Wide (16:9). Instagram stories require a Vertical (9:16) aspect ratio. Select the option that you require and then click on Make a Video.
Step 2: Once the editor opens, upload your video(s) or images from the Upload Media option on the left panel.
Step 3: Once your files have uploaded, you’ll see the clips on the left panel. From here, drag-and-drop your first clip into the editor.
You’ll see a prompt to trim your video. Click on Use Full Video to use the entire clip, or use the sidebars at both corners to crop a portion of your video.
Step 4: To add the next video/image, click on the + Scene on the right-hand side of your video in the timeline and select Blank Scene.
You can also add a scene from one of InVideo’s gym ad templates to your video to add some visual interest. Click on + Scene and then From Template. Then, browse and pick a template of your choice and add any scene from it.
Step 5: Once you’ve arranged all your clips on the timeline, tap the / icon between two clips to add transitions between them and make the segue between clips smoother.
Step 6: Click on the Text option in the left panel to add text to each accompanying frame. So, for instance, you can add your name and contact details in the opening and closing montages of the video. You can also change the font and style of your text by clicking on the text you’d like to edit. This will open up an editing panel above the preview screen.
Remember, adding text to your video helps to reiterate what you’re saying and enhances the viewing experience, thus building retention.
Step 7: Now it’s time to add some music. Gym ads work best when the music is super upbeat and motivational. Click on the Music tab in the left panel to open up a list of tracks. You can use the search bar above to search by song or mood. Preview your music by clicking on a track and add it to your video.
Music and transitions give your video a flow, and get your audience more emotionally involved with your video. For a more in-depth view on how to add music to your videos, click here.
Step 8: Finally, go to the Stickers tab to add exciting CTAs like “Subscribe” or “Share” at the end of your video. This is especially useful if you’re creating YouTube or Instagram story videos. Select the sticker of your choice, drag it to the place where you want it, and use the sidebars above the timeline to make sure it appears exactly when you want it to.
Step 9: When you’re done editing and are satisfied with the result, hit the Download & Share button on the top right corner and then Export.
Next, download your video or click on one of the social media icons to share it straight to your channel!
InVideo makes editing and enhancing your gym ads a breeze. Plus if you don’t have the budget to shoot and record full-fledged videos of your gym or workouts, it’s not the end of the world. You can use one of InVideo’s gym ad templates to create professional-looking and engaging videos to get users excited about signing up for a gym membership.
Make sure you keep your video short and crisp without any fluff so viewers don’t bounce off and are engaged throughout.
For a deeper understanding of how to edit videos you may also want to check out this even more comprehensive guide.
Wrapping up
Ads are a critical step in the marketing strategy for any fitness business. And with so many fitness bloggers, gyms and workout centers, it’s tough to stand out!
In order to get noticed by fitness users that are constantly looking for new content - you need to create engaging content with a high frequency. That’s what makes InVideo super useful. We’ve built a platform that’s perfect for fitness studios and gyms that need to produce a ton of content - and may not always have the time. Our wide library of stock footage and ready-to-use templates allows you to create stellar videos in under 15 mins!
Get started making your own amazing gym videos and ads using one of our awesome templates.
Questions
1. What are positive examples of health and fitness advertisements?
Here are a few great examples of positive gym advertising campaigns:
- Blink fitness: this ad is so upbeat and uses real Blink members to tell their fitness story which makes it feel very authentic
- Apple Fitness+: this is a super inspiring gym ad that will want to make you start working out now
- This gym commercial gets you really pumped with it’s intense music. It also features some great shots of gym equipment
- Fiit: Another fitness app ad that will get potential customers super excited and in a positive mood, Fiit also has a great tagline - something you should also think about including in your ads.
2. How do I promote my gym on social media?
The best gym advertising campaigns are planned - so make sure you have a clear set of goals and focus on the social media channels that will give you the best outcome for these goals. Use a mix of paid and organic content to keep existing subscribers and followers engaged while getting the word out to potential customers.
Here are a few ideas that you can use to promote your gym on social media:
1. Host a giveaway or contest to get followers to participate and tag their friends
2. Ask gym influencers to talk about your gym or do one of their workouts in it
3. Share your own daily workout in your gym to give people an idea of what to expect
4. Show off your products and advertise discounts and offers on them
5. Share an emotional or transformational story about one of your members
6. Get your customers to share testimonials and feature them on #TransformationTuesday
7. Post recipes for healthy eating or advice about food and nutrition
This post was written by Rachel and edited by Adete from Team InVideo
