Word-of-Mouth Marketing: 7 Powerful Referral Strategies for Fitness Studios
Last Updated on 7 April, 2025
One of the most powerful forms of marketing is word-of-mouth. Think about it. Humans buy from humans. Wouldn’t you rather listen to someone you actually know than a random ad on the radio? According to Nielsen, 92% of consumers trust recommendations from family and friends over any other type of marketing channel.
This makes a lot of sense, especially when it comes to gyms and fitness studios. You already know that your services provide results for your clients. For instance, if Bill loses 15 pounds on your weight loss program, with word-of-mouth marketing, he becomes your best salesperson. First he tells his brother, then best friend, and next thing you know you’ve got two more people in the door.
However, it’s not that simple. Just 6% of marketers have mastered the art of word of mouth. Fortunately, there are all sorts of ways to maximize this marketing strategy. You can get more of your clients talking with events, partnerships, customer case studies, and more. On average, word-of-mouth drives $6 trillion in annual global spending and 13% of all sales. Read on as we explore how to improve your word-of-mouth marketing strategy.
1. Schedule social events
There’s nothing like a friendly, social event to get potential customers interested in your business. Throughout the year, host events at your gym or studio. This gives your current clients an opportunity to bring their friends and family members. This no-pressure atmosphere gives potential customers a chance to see the space, get a feel for the environment, learn about your services, and ask questions.
2. Create a guest pass offer
Nearly every fitness studio has an introductory offer, like a free class or discounted membership, to get more clients through the door. These offers bring in new leads, with the potential to convert them into long-term members once they try your services.
So, get your free-pass/guest coupons working for you. Let your loyal clients distribute guest passes to friends and family. The goal here is to get leads in the door, then you can take them on the client journey by pitching them on your one-month, discounted trial and other membership options.
Sometimes you have to give a little, but the payoff could be huge. If you’re converting 40-50% of those guest passes into paying packages, this word-of-mouth marketing strategy can pay off and be very impactful in the end.
3. Ramp up your customer success stories
Customer success stories are among the most popular and effective ways to nurture leads and build word-of-mouth marketing around your fitness studio or gym.
Approximately 70% of consumers believe the opinions of other consumers, so highlighting customer success stories in your marketing can be a great way to spread the word about your gym or fitness studio.
How? With your client’s consent, take before-and-after images of clients who have had success with your business, then create a strategy around that. Utilize them in your marketing with blogs/case studies, emails, and social media posts.
4. Set up a rewards system for referrals
According to Get Ambassador, a whopping 88% of Americans would be interested in incentivization for referring a product or service to others. Additionally, researchers at Yale have found that incentives can reduce reluctance among potential referees. So what does this mean?
The answer is simple: referrals and incentives go hand in hand. As a result, a rewards referral system needs to be part of your word-of-mouth marketing plan for your fitness studio or gym. Period.
How does this all work?
Whenever a client refers a friend (each successful referral), writes a review, or shares their experience on social media, they can earn reward points that they can redeem for discounts on your services or branded merch. This not only incentivizes them to share their experience, but it also encourages more people to come and check out your studio.
Another great way to generate word-of-mouth is to highlight a client at your business every month. This puts them in the spotlight and creates a sense of community while creating word-of-mouth marketing at the same time. By recognizing clients for their hard work and dedication, it can help to motivate them while encouraging their friends to come try your services as well.
5. Team up with similar businesses
Partnering with similar businesses in your area can be an effective way to increase your reach and get your services in front of a larger audience. If you’re a gym, look for local spin studios, yoga studios, Pilates studios, and functional fitness studios to team up with. This way, when fitness enthusiasts are looking for a gym to add to their current studio routine, they will already be familiar with your gym and may be more likely to choose it.
You can partner with local businesses in a variety of ways, such as offering discounts and promotions to their customers, or even hosting joint events and activities. Additionally, you can collaborate on marketing efforts, such as featuring each other’s services on social media and in other marketing materials.
6. Remind clients to spread the word
Remember, you need to create a buzz to encourage your clients to spread the word about your business and services. Sending clients an email, SMS, or push notification with details on the benefits of referring and how to refer can help nudge them to start talking.
Don’t forget to encourage your clients to share their success story with their social network. An amazing 71% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase based on social media referrals, and 81% of social media users say that their purchases are impacted by their friends’ social media posts.
7. Start tracking your word-of-mouth marketing
Surveying your new clients can be a great way to track your word-of-mouth marketing and determine if it’s still working. Whenever a new lead or client signs up, send them a short survey to ask how they found your business. This way, you can reward the person who made the referral, measure your exposure, and determine if your word-of-mouth strategies are still effective.
Alternatively, you can set up a system in which clients provide a code to their friends when they make a referral. That way, you will know exactly who made the referral. You can also send clients a postcard to thank them when they refer someone to your business, which can be a great way to show your appreciation.
Your clients love you. It’s time to get them talking.
There is no question word-of-mouth marketing is a powerful strategy, but remember this one thing. For it to be effective, your fitness services and products need to be top of the line. Otherwise, no one will be talking about you.
Once you get results with clients and they start referring, you’ll need a plan to streamline this process. Whether it’s social events, sharing customer success stories, or partnering with similar businesses to spread the word, there are many ways you can maximize the effectiveness of your word-of-mouth marketing strategy to get more leads through the door. Your clients will be talking in no time, and just like that, your business grows.
Speaking of business growth, WellnessLiving is the perfect all-in-one solution to get your word-of-mouth marketing working for you. Add a built-in reward system to incentivize client referrals, implement an automated marketing suite to remind clients to refer, and encourage referrals with our customer review feature.
These are just some of the ways WellnessLiving can help grow your business. Book a free, no-commitment demo to learn more.
