The gym marketing funnel is dead: build a playground instead

How the funnel was meant to work

The classic marketing funnel is a corridor. Someone sees an ad, lands on a page, swaps their details for an offer, and gets followed up until they buy.

Anyone who drops out is chased: retargeting ads, a run of emails, more calls. The whole thing assumes people move in a straight line, at your pace.

That isn't how most people choose a gym now. And pushing harder on a funnel tends to put off exactly the people you want.

What changed

People research far more before they get in touch, and they do it everywhere: Google, Maps, Instagram, YouTube, friends, and now AI assistants.

Google's research on how people decide what to buy (opens in a new tab) calls this the "messy middle". Between first noticing they need something and actually buying, people loop between exploring their options and narrowing them down, again and again, until they're ready.

For a gym, that loop might take a week or a year. Someone might follow you for months, read your reviews twice, watch three of your videos and come to an open day before booking a trial.

You can't push them through that. You can make sure that wherever they look, they find something useful, and a clear way in.

The marketing playground

Daniel Priestley, the entrepreneur and author, puts it simply (opens in a new tab): stop thinking of a corridor and start thinking of a playground.

In a playground, people run around. They try the rides they like, in whatever order they like, and come back to their favourites. Your job is to build plenty of good rides, and to make the way to the checkout obvious.

The funnel

One corridor, at your pace. Anyone who drops out gets chased.

The playground

Lots of free rides, in any order, at their pace. Every ride leads to booking.

• Each ride stands on its own. A video, a free tool or a workshop should be worth someone's time even if they never buy.
• Every ride connects to others. A video points to an article, an article to a free tool, a tool to a call.
• Trust does the selling. By the time someone gets in touch, they already feel they know you.

Meet people where they are

People arrive at different points. It helps to have something for each of them:

• They know they have a problem. They're unfit, sore or fed up, but don't know what to do yet. Don't sell. Help them understand it: an article, a short video, a free check-up.
• They're comparing ways to fix it. A gym, a studio, a personal trainer, an app? Show how your way works, who it suits and what a first week looks like.
• They're ready to choose. They want proof and an easy next step: reviews, member stories, clear prices or a clear way to ask about them, and a simple way to book.

Most gyms only build for the last group. That's why so much marketing feels like shouting "join now" at people who aren't ready yet.

Rides a gym can build

You don't need all of these. For most gyms and studios, the first five do the most work:

• Your Google Business Profile and reviews, which most people check more than once. Here's how to get it right.
• Your website, with your timetable, what a first session is like, who it's for, and prices or a clear way to ask about them.
• Referrals and a bring-a-friend session, so members do the inviting for you. A friend's recommendation is still the strongest ride of all.
• Instagram and short videos: a coach's tip, a class warm-up, a member's story. Real people, not stock footage.
• Open days, workshops and charity sessions, where people can meet you and try a session without committing.
• Local partners, such as physios, osteopaths, running clubs and workplaces, who can point the right people your way.
• A free guide, challenge or quiz that gets people a small result fast, such as "Which program suits you?"
• An email newsletter that keeps you in touch with everyone who isn't ready yet.
• Helpful articles, a podcast or a local community group, if you enjoy them.

Start with what you can keep up. A few good rides, looked after, beat a dozen that go stale.

Make the checkout easy to find

A playground isn't an excuse to stop asking. It means asking in the right way, at the right time.

• Every ride has one clear next step: book a trial, book a call, or get the free guide.
• Booking takes a minute, on a phone, without phoning during opening hours.
• When someone raises their hand, reply fast, and personally. A playground brings warmer enquiries; don't leave them waiting. Here's how to follow up enquiries.
• Helpful follow-up, not chasing. If someone starts signing up and stops, a friendly "did you get stuck?" call beats ten retargeting ads.

Where to start

1. Fix the rides people already use most: your Google profile, your website's home and booking pages, and your Instagram bio.
2. Add one ride for people who aren't ready yet, such as a free guide or a monthly workshop.
3. Connect them, so each one leads to the next and to booking.
4. Add a new ride every month or two, and keep the old ones fresh.

What to measure

Playgrounds are messier to track than funnels, because people take different routes. So ask.

• On every enquiry form and every first call: "How did you first hear about us?" and "What else did you look at before getting in touch?"
• Which rides people mention most. Do more of those.
• How long people take from first contact to joining. A longer gap isn't a problem if the rides keep them warm.

Then check what each new member is worth, and what you can afford to win one, with the free cost to win a member calculator.

Questions owners ask