Leveraging On-Site Fitness Programs to Build Your Brand

Fitness centers are nothing new, with 90% of new communities offering fitness amenities for residents.

But that’s also part of your problem if you’re trying to build your community’s brand.

You're investing time and money into your fitness center only to compete with 90% of surrounding communities.

Instead of calling it a day after adding a few treadmills and a weight center, you can turn it around as a way to build your brand and convert more leads.

But it takes some ingenuity to position your fitness center as more than an amenity and a way to elevate brand awareness.

Here’s how to get started and make your fitness amenities work for the quality leads you’re looking for.

(Source)

Get Creative with Fitness

Before you say, "What if I don't even have a fitness center?"

Stop.

You don't need one.

Sure, it will make everything easier if residents come and see your fabulous state-of-the-art fitness room.

You can update the one you have with new equipment, clean it up, and add some vending machines with healthy snacks and drinks.

Truth 💣: But if you don't have one, it's not an excuse to ignore this coveted amenity.

Instead, you can partner with an area gym, preferably within walking distance of your community, and offer free monthly passes to residents.

If you go the partnership route, you'll need to put in some extra effort to fold fitness into your community brand.

Otherwise, a fitness pass is just a perk. 🤷♂️

Tip 💡: Offer branded workout towels and water bottles upon lease signing. Next, move onto the rest of these ideas to promote a fitness and wellness culture in your community.

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Offer On-Site Fitness Classes

On-site classes can help amplify your on-site fitness center, but you don't need one to leverage this idea.

Group workouts can also dramatically improve your branding by giving prospective residents more of what they want.

Studies show that 81% of Gen Z who currently exercise participate in group workouts.

Workouts can also encourage your residents to stick around and resign their lease—you're offering them a one-stop shop to get fit and socialize with neighbors without leaving your community.

Start by scheduling regular classes and workouts that cater to apartment dwellers, including:

👉 Wall pilates

👉 Yoga

👉 At-home weights

👉 Modified boot camps

👉 HIIT workouts

Just make sure you're making it worth the effort.

Truth 💣: Boring, lackluster classes could have the opposite effect and make your community brand seem a little bland and cringeworthy.

(Source: Barbara Savona from Sprout)

Plan Group Excursions for Residents

If you don't want group classes taking over your shared spaces, you can also blend socializing, engagement, and fitness into active resident excursions.

The excursions can be simple or involve a more complex VIP getaway.

They can also create an additional revenue stream for your community.

Poll your residents and gather zero-party data on what they want to try the most, including:

✅ Urban bike rides

✅ Hikes on the outskirts of town

✅ Whitewater rafting

✅ Overnight camping and hiking trips

✅ Trips to a local archery center

After the excursion, gather feedback on what residents liked and what they didn't; keep refining your offerings and make them the most desirable fitness event in the neighborhood.

But if you're already feeling stretched thin from juggling everything from generating leads to maintenance requests, start with a simple hike.

Tip 💡: Or partner with a business that provides fitness-minded excursions to cover all the details for you.

Incorporate Fitness Tips Into Your Community Blog

Creating dozens of on-site fitness programs could drive resident retention, but you'll need to spread the word to your leads.

Aside from adding information to your marketing funnel and email updates, incorporate fitness tips into your community blog.

Research shows that 67% of content marketers use content marketing to generate leads.

Just remember to keep it community-focused and accessible.

After all, you're a community, not a gym.

For example, fitness tips for bodybuilders only reaches a small audience.

Those tips may only resonate with one person in your entire community.

Instead, keep your tips highly relatable:

• The Best Apartment Workouts on a Rainy Day
• Grab a Neighbor: How Accountability Helps You Reach Your Fitness Goals
• The Best Hikes Near XYZ for a Weekend Workout

The right content serves as a marketing piece for prospective residents, boosts your SEO, and establishes your brand as a fitness-minded community.

Partner with a Wellness Expert

Not everyone in your community will care about your fitness programs, but they all benefit from a wellness-focused approach.

This combined approach can also help boost your community’s brand.

Around 50% of U.S. consumers now report wellness as a top priority in their day-to-day lives, up from 42% in 2020.

Give residents what they want by partnering with a local wellness expert to give workshops or classes on:

👉 Healthy cooking

👉 Meditation

👉 Stretch and tone classes

👉 Brain fitness

👉 Nutrition education

👉 Healthy mocktail creation

When you establish a brand that's focused on the overall health of your residents, you attract leads who want more than a place to sleep but a lifestyle.

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