Why Gym and Studio Market Segmentation Matters and How to Find Your Target Audience

Defining the target market for gyms and studios involves creating a persona of your ideal customer and client. So where do you start? Consider your target market's demographics, interests, fitness goals, and buying behavior. That will help you create targeted marketing campaigns and develop gym services that appeal to your ideal customer. From there, you can use segmentation to influence your sales strategy and impact revenue and retention.

Here are the top tips for finding your gym and studio target audience—and the benefits of segmenting your market!  

Ten ways to discover who your gym and studio target market truly is:

Conduct market research: Conducting research to identify your local area's demographics, including age, gender, income, and lifestyle, is a crucial first step to finding your gym or studio's target market. You can gather this information by analyzing data from the census bureau or conducting online surveys.

Analyze competition: Analyzing your competition in the market will help you identify gaps in their services that you can fill. Look at what other studios and gyms offer, their target market, and how they sell and share their services.

Identify customer needs: Understanding your customers and new clients' needs and preferences, such as fitness goals, motivations, and workout preferences, is essential to creating programs, services, experiences, and a schedule that will appeal to them and alleviate pain points.

Analyze your existing client base: Looking at your current members and determining their common characteristics, such as age, gender, fitness level, and booking habits, can help you identify your ideal target market.

Determine unique selling points: What makes your gym or studio stand out? Determining your unique selling points, such as specialized programs, equipment, or amenities, can help you differentiate yourself from your competitors and appeal to your target market.

Develop a brand identity: Developing a brand that appeals to your target market, including logo, color scheme, and marketing materials, is essential to building a strong brand and attracting new customers.

Offer a variety of fitness classes: By creating a studio or gym schedule and experience that offers various fitness programs and choices, you’re catering to different fitness levels and goals, such as personal training, cardio, and group fitness classes. This can help you attract a broader range of customers.

Tap into social media: Social media is an effective way to reach potential customers and engage with your existing customer base. Use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to promote your gym or studio and marketing messages, share success stories, interact with customers, and run ads to gain interest.

Partner with local businesses: Partnering with local companies, such as health food stores or boutique studios, and small brands, can help you promote your gym or studio and attract new customers authentically and engagingly. 

Utilize Customer Feedback: Listening to customer feedback and adjusting your services and programs is crucial to meeting your customer's evolving needs and improving customer retention.

Examples of market segmentation in the fitness industry for gyms and studios:

Demographic Segmentation: This type of segmentation divides the market based on demographic factors such as age, gender, income, education, occupation, and marital status.
Example: A gym may target women over 40 with a focus on weight loss or college students with a focus on strength training.

Psychographic Segmentation: This type of segmentation divides the market based on personality, values, lifestyle, and behavior.
Example: A gym or yoga studio may target health-conscious individuals who value sustainability and eco-friendliness.

Geographic Segmentation: This type of segmentation divides the market based on geographic factors such as location, climate, and culture.
Example: A gym may cater to outdoor enthusiasts in mountainous regions by offering classes and equipment for outdoor activities like hiking and climbing.

Behavioral Segmentation: This type of segmentation divides the market based on behavior, usage, and loyalty.
Example: A gym or studio may offer discounts to loyal customers or incentivize members to refer friends.

Fitness Goal Segmentation: This type of segmentation divides the market based on fitness goals such as weight loss, muscle building, or endurance training. 
Example: A gym may offer specialized classes and training programs for marathon runners or bodybuilders.

Technology preference segmentation: This type of segmentation divides the market based on technology preference, such as virtual workouts with an easy-to-use online experience and platform like Walla or in-person training.
Example: A studio may offer virtual classes for those who prefer to work out at home or use wearable technology to track progress.

By following these tips, you can find and target your gym or studio's ideal customer base, increasing customer satisfaction, retention, and revenue.