13 solid Black Friday ideas for gyms

Black Friday 2024 takes place on Friday 29 November. It’s set to be busy for gyms and fitness clubs with gymgoers on the lookout for great value deals. Learn more about Black Friday and get 13 ideas to make the most of it.

Traditionally an American sales event, it’s fair to say that Black Friday is well and truly a ‘thing’ in the UK now! It’s a time when prospective and existing members are on the hunt for fitness deals.

Take advantage of one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Run a campaign that grabs the attention of your target audience.

Preparation and planning is key to cutting through the noise. And with a careful approach you’ll make this Black Friday a profitable one of your business.

Read on to:

Let’s get stuck in!

Black Friday: The origin story

The term Black Friday emerged in the 1950s. In Philadelphia, the Friday after Thanksgiving was notoriously busy with shoppers and tourists.

Police in the city weren’t allowed to take time off on this day. So, they sarcastically called it ‘Black Friday’. The name adopted by shopkeepers and spread across the US. By the 1980s it was widely used.

This American shopping event spread to the UK in the 2010s. In 2010, Amazon launched Black Friday sales for UK shoppers. And it was a very successful move with items selling out in seconds.

Over the 10+ years since, Black Friday has really taken off in the UK. Businesses of all shapes and sizes now run Black Friday promotions. And that includes fitness businesses. Many promotions run for the full weekend and even into the weeks surrounding this day.

In 2023, UK consumers spent an estimated £13.3 billion – up 7.3% on 2022.

When is Black Friday?

In 2024, Black Friday is happening on Friday 29 November 2024.

Black Friday falls the day after the US Thanksgiving celebration. Thanksgiving takes place on the fourth Thursday in November. So, Black Friday always falls on the fourth Friday in November.

Black Friday 2025 will take place on 28 November 2025. And Black Friday 2026 will take place on 27 November 2026.

Preparing your gym for Black Friday

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” This quote is attributed to US president Benjamin Franklin and it’s true for Black Friday. Prepare to succeed with these three steps to follow!

Step 1: Decide what you want to achieve

First up, think about what you want to achieve with your Black Friday campaign.

Do you want to attract new members? Build a pipeline of sales leads? Bring in extra revenue from existing members? Or engage members?

This will guide you in choosing the right Black Friday gym marketing campaign. For inspiration, check out the 13 ideas below. Make sure your Black Friday campaign is engaging. And focus on enticing your target audience to take action.

Whatever you decide to do for Black Friday, think about profitability. While Black Friday is synonymous for many with discounts, it’s not the only option. And if you do run a discount it doesn’t have to be big.

If you do decide to offer a discount (or discounts), work out economically what you can afford to offer. And know the target you need to reach to break even.

Link your Black Friday goal or goals to your bigger marketing plan. Make goals specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely (SMART).

Consider running promotions that are available for a limited time only. Or in limited quantity. So, you’ll create urgency, build a sense of exclusivity, and encourage action.

Step 2: Set everything up

Next, use your gym management software to set up any offer codes for your Black Friday campaign. Make sure the codes you create are easy for prospects and/or members to note down and use.

Think about how you’re going to market your Black Friday campaign. Exactly what you do here will depend on the marketing channels you typically use. And the type of promotion you’re running. Ideas include:

You’ll need to create graphics and copy for each channel you choose to use. And you may want to use different assets in the lead up to and time following Black Friday.

Set up email (and SMS) campaigns using the gym marketing automation functionality within your gym software. Create target lists so the right message goes to the right audience. And make use of scheduling to automatically send your messages at the optimal time.

Step 3: Go live

You’ve set everything up. And created promotional materials for your Black Friday gym marketing campaign. So, it’s time to go live!

Build up excitement in the weeks and days leading up to the big day with a teaser. Let everyone know there’s something big coming. And when you’ll announce details. Then run a big launch push across your key marketing channels to make some noise.

Think about the length of your campaign. Many businesses now run Black Friday campaigns that last a couple of weeks. Shorter, limited time campaigns create urgency, but can be easily missed.

13 Black Friday ideas for gyms

Want some inspiration for your Black Friday campaign? Look no further! Here are 13 Black Friday promotion ideas for gyms and fitness clubs:

1. First month for free

An ever popular offer, give new members a free month to kickstart their membership with you. Covering the first full month, create a catchy offer code that new members can use during the online joining process.

2. No joining/admin fees

This is another offer that new members will appreciate. And one that alleviates a common barrier to joining – cost. Create an offer code for a set amount that new members can use when joining to remove the joining fee.

23% say cost is a motivator when choosing a gym

Fact

ukactive’s Consumer Engagement research shows that almost a quarter of gym members were motivated by cost when choosing a club.

Get more insights – download the Gym Membership Sales Report

3. £10 off personal training bolt-ons

Do you offer personal training bolt-ons for regular personal training sessions? These are a great way to help members commit to sessions. And pay on a recurring basis just like they do with their membership.

For Black Friday, encourage members to get ahead of their new year goals and sign up to a personal training bolt-on. Incentivise them with a specific amount off.

For example, £10 off a 12-week personal training bolt-on with you use the code 10OFFPT.

4. £5 off specialist class/class pass bolt-ons

Perhaps you offer bolt-ons for specialist classes or a general class bolt-on. Encourage members (and prospects) to take this up with a money off offer.

For example, £5 off a 6-month strength training masterclass bolt-on with the code 5OFFSTRONG.

5. Limited availability new year small group training programme sign up

January is the biggest month for gym membership sales. Focus your Black Friday campaign on something that’ll help members beat the crowds. And crush their fitness goals!

Training in small groups with people who’ve got similar goals can help motivate members. And the social element to these sessions can help you build community at your club.

Plan a 1-3 small group training sessions for members with similar fitness levels and goals starting in January. Have these last for a set period of time (e.g. 3-months) with 1 or 2 sessions a week at a specific time.

Use your gym management software to set up recurring classes for these sessions. So, you make it easy for members to pay on a subscription basis. When members sign up for the sessions, automatically book them onto all sessions covered by their subscription.

Promote this as your Black Friday offer for members. Emphasise the limited availability to drive action and sign ups.

6. Personal training bundle offer – buy one session, get one free

Another Black Friday promotion idea for your gym is a personal training bundle offer. With a lower commitment than a full PT bolt-on, run a ‘buy one session, get one free’ offer.

This is a great way to encourage members to try a couple of sessions with one of your personal trainers. Or, they could get ahead of the Christmas rush and buy the bundle as a gift for someone else.

Promote the benefits of working with a personal trainer – even for experienced members. Make the offer available for a short time only and/or in a small quantity to inspire action.

Get a ready-written email template

Free

The Ultimate Guide: Festive Gym Email Campaigns To Boost Business contains a free email template you can use for this Black Friday gym promotion.

Download now

7. Black Friday themed class

Think of Black Friday. You probably think of shoppers queuing up waiting for a shop to open. Eager to bag a bargain on the must-have toy of the year or the latest tech. Right?!

Recreate this with a Black Friday themed class.

Pitch it as a chance for members to train for the big retail rush (even if in reality the bargains are mainly to be found online these days)! Set up an assault course style circuits class with members competing against each other to come out on top.

You could offer a prize to the winner or winners. Think a free PT session, voucher for a local restaurant, or an extra month added to their membership.

8. Black Friday celebration event

Alternatively, you could run a Black Friday celebration event at your club. It marks the start of the festive season for many. So, kick the celebrations off with an exclusive event.

You could create a party workout experience for those visiting on Black Friday. Think a DJ, tasty treats, and the opportunity to mingle with other members.

Or perhaps something more laid back would appeal to your members. Like a wellbeing focused evening. Put on specialist classes, like meditation or breath work. And give attendees the chance to hear from experts on topics like nutrition.

Decide whether you want your event to be ticketed or open to all. And if you’ll charge members (and non-members) to attend.

9. Black Friday fitness challenge

Gym challenges are a simple, yet effective, way to motivate and engage members at any time of year. That includes Black Friday! And like one-off classes and celebration events, they can be the perfect alternative to a discount too.

Make sure your challenge:

From the AMRAP challenge to the burpee challenge, if you need inspiration for your Black Friday fitness challenge, check out 31 gym challenges to engage members.

10. Refer-a-friend special offer

Word of mouth marketing can be a highly effective way to increase gym membership sales. So, a special Black Friday refer-a-friend campaign that rewards members for introducing family and friends to your club is an ideal way to boost your membership numbers.

Give members an extra month on their membership when they successfully refer-a-friend who signs up for a new membership by a certain date. Make it clear how members can take part in the promotion.

Get the ready-to-adapt email template

Free

The Ultimate Guide: Festive Gym Email Campaigns To Boost Business contains a free email template you can use for this Black Friday gym promotion.

Download now

11. Discounted merchandise

Do you sell branded items like water bottles or hoodies? Or perhaps other useful items like socks, padlocks for lockers, or shower gel?

Consider offering a special discount on specific items for Black Friday. You could focus on:

12. Food & drink offer

Protein shakes and other nutritional supplements. Hot drinks. Healthy snacks. If you sell food and drink, you could make this the focus of your Black Friday offer.

Need inspiration for your marketing email? Check out template 2 in the Ultimate Guide: Festive Gym Email Campaigns To Boost Business.

13. Freebies in club

Last but not least, encourage your members to take a break from bargain hunting. And get them to pay you a visit on Black Friday. How? By offering freebies throughout the day for visitors.

You could partner up with a supplier to offer sports drinks or protein bars for visitors. Other freebie ideas for the big day include technique tutorials with your trainers, free classes, and free merch.

The wrap up…

Since the early 2010s, Black Friday has become increasingly popular in the UK. It always takes place on the fourth Friday of November. And is a time when consumers are on the lookout for a special deal.

Gyms and fitness clubs can also take advantage of this big retail day. Attract new members. Bring in extra revenue from existing ones. Engage and motivate members to workout. There’s loads you can do to celebrate Black Friday.

You could offer some sort of discount. Or alternatively, make Black Friday less about money and more about an exclusive experience.

Either way, make sure you know what you want to achieve. Plan a timely campaign to promote what you’ll be doing/offering. And create a sense of urgency to inspire action.

Black Friday ideas for gyms include:

The right gym management software can help you prepare for Black Friday. And run effective promotions. Software like Xplor Gym.

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