How to Create a Spin Studio Brand Experience that Drives Peer-Referrals and Retention
Owning a spin studio involves more than just maintaining equipment and instructing classes. Successful spin studio brand experiences are what will eventually bring your customers back to your club. Start visualizing your favorite spin studio brands. They are the ones that have heart, a personality, and a recognizable brand. When you create a brand for your spin studio what you’re creating is an experience for your members. You’re creating a community for them to be part of and a way for them to connect with your studio and with other spinners. With a skillfully crafted brand, your spin studio can easily grow through peer-referrals and high retention rates. There are several different aspects involved in creating a brand, from designing a logo to blogging inspiring content. Below are ways you can start creating a brand experience for your spin studio.
What is a "Brand Experience"?
Making your customers feel something every time they walk through your door has everything to do with brand experience. Bill Colbert, Founder of Treetop Growth Strategy, encourages spin studio owners to view their spin studio brand as something totally separate from the bikes."Start to think of the brand as something physically tangible and separate from how it makes its money," Colbert said. Colbert recommended testing your ideas before committing to single concepts. Distilling the opportunities into brand concepts tests your brand experience before spending dollars to support it. According to Colbert, this means getting together focus groups can essentially save you big."Just because you think your idea is good doesn't mean your customers will."Marketing your spin studio isn't enough, either. Consider creating a brand identity that revolves around a belief. Colbert deems this important because customers are more interested in the "Why" factor than the "What" factor. What drove you to create a spin studio? When did you fall in love with spinning? And why do you want to share the exercise with others?
It’s all in the Design
In today’s highly visual world, the design of a business is more important than ever. Your logo is going to be one of your central tools in creating a spin studio brand identity. It’s what people will see when they think of your business, it’s the thing that people will be interacting with the most, and it will act as the face of your studio. When designing a logo it’s important to consider things like color, shape, and font. Remember that whatever design you choose for your logo will become a part of every other aspect of your business.Your spin studio will need to have awesome interior design as well. Colbert encourages new spin studio owners to embrace technology, but with tact."If you rely too much on tech, that becomes outdated. If you rely on a pure delivery system like analog bikes or something less flashy, we think you're more likely to stand the test of time," Colbert said. "Fitness trends come and go and consequently so do fitness businesses."A studio that has a consistent and eye-catching design is more likely to attract new customers and retain old ones. With a professional design, you are showing customers your personality and brand. Having a fun and welcoming brand is key when thinking about retaining customers. If your design and brand are lackluster or unappealing, this pertains to everything from your logo to the design of your studio, then members are less likely to refer their friends and stay on themselves.When it comes to design, think about your motivations for opening a spin studio and what you want your members to get out of the experience.
Hire People Who Love What They Do
While a logo is an essential part of a successful spin brand experience, so is creating a space with people who represent your brand. When hiring people to work in your studio, whether it’s instructors or receptionists, make sure that they love what they do. Hiring passionate people who are motivated and dedicated is one of the best ways to keep your members coming back for more. Your staff is the first real interaction people will have with your studio, and it can either make a great impression or a mediocre one. Hiring staff who reflect your ideas will ensure success and have people telling their friends about the awesome experience they had at your studio.
Get On Social Media
Social media is one of the most powerful tools you can use for retaining customers and driving peer-referrals. With social media, you can communicate with current members with ease. Start sharing news about classes and discounts, and make it easy for members to share your page with their friends or tag them in a post. You can also use incentives as a tool to encourage your current followers to share your posts, invite friends, and give your page a rating. By utilizing social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter you can create a more personalized brand experience and interact with your members even when they’re not in the studio. Social media is also a great place to host giveaways, photo contests, and really show off your studio’s personality.
Have Your Own Fitness Swag
Drive customer loyalty and retention rates while raising your profits is is by selling your own fitness swag. This could be anything from t-shirts to workout leggings, shorts, water bottles, headbands, notebooks, bags, stickers, etc. Make sure to keep your target customer in mind and have the products be related to fitness and spinning. Branding the fitness swag with your logo will help create a sense of belonging and loyalty amongst your members. It creates an opportunity for a family or tribe to form. When members see each other wearing your swag outside of the studio, friendships are formed and peer-referrals start rolling in.Creating a spin studio brand experience is more than just about picking a color scheme. It’s about crafting a lifestyle that resonates with your members and follows them outside of the studio."Really understand how you want to be different. What is the main problem customers have with current competitors, and what will you supply or deliver that your competitors aren't?" Colbert said.Create an awesome spin studio brand experience by testing your options, figuring out your niche, and market more than you anticipate necessary. This is how to create a lasting experience clients will return to week after week.If you’re a Spin Studio owner tired of old studio management software that’s constantly raising prices without increasing value, then talk to OneFitStop, where their modern spin studio software platform is constantly evolving to meet the needs of growing studio businesses.