Gym customer demographics: A guide for gym owners

To develop a better understanding of the business, owners need to identify the target market. Researching the target market not only aids the owners in understanding what the target audience wants from them but also paves the way for business success. Whether they own a shoe brand or offer IT solutions to customers, they need to understand to whom they are going to provide a product or service.

Otherwise, if they fail to understand the target audience, their business may end up as a failure, giving a competitive edge to their competition. 

Similarly, the same concept is implemented in a fitness business. If you want to make your fitness business successful, it is essential for you to understand the target audience. Whether you offer high-strength training, Yoga, Pilates, or cardio training in your studio, you have to make sure that you know your audience and offer them the best services that they deserve.

As per the HubSpot survey, 82% of the businesses state understanding the target audience aids them in achieving the results that they expect. So, it is essential for you, as a gym owner, to understand the target audience. 

However, you might have a question about what fitness statistics I have to consider before making the smart move. Fitness stats are all about identifying your potential members’ specific demographics, interests, and needs, which is not as easy as it seems.

Thus, to aid you in developing a better understanding of your target audience, we are going to discuss how you can understand the demographics of your ideal members so you can make data-driven decisions for long-term success. 

Importance of understanding demographics

Understanding the demographics of your audience aids you in making data-driven decisions to offer the services they deserve. According to a Zendesk report, 68% of customers prefer to use the product or service of a business that provides a more personalized experience.

So, if you want your gym to attract 68% new members, you need to ensure a more personalized experience in your gym. Otherwise, your competition takes the edge and becomes the market leader. Understanding your ideal customer’s demographics aids you in: 

Personalized marketing

Whether you run social media campaigns or outbound marketing strategies to attract new members to your gym, understanding your target audience demographics is essential. So you can craft your campaigns to attract the target audience. 

Let’s suppose people in your town love to perform cardio exercises. However, if the marketing campaigns you run to attract them promote high-strength training, you will not be able to attract the audience to your gym to achieve their fitness goals. Thus, to ensure more personalized marketing of your gym, you have to make sure that you have researched your audience demographics. 

Member retention 

To ensure the long-term success of your business, it is essential for you to ensure that your gym has a higher member retention rate. As per Forbes research, a 5% increase in members retention rate boosts profitability by 95%.  You can enhance the retention rate by understanding the demographics of your studio members. 

Understanding the demographics aids you in offering the services that your members need, adding a remarkable fitness experience for them. Moreover, you can also foster a sense of belonging among your members by offering the required services, enabling them to attract new members to your gym for long-term success. 

Increased revenue potential

Understanding your audience demographics aids you in boosting the revenue of your gym by offering the service they like. Thus, it aids you in allocating your gym resources efficiently, increasing revenue. You can offer them merchandise or virtual classes to your members if they prefer that. 

Thus, knowing your audience demographics helps you to make data-driven decisions, enabling you to generate revenue by offering multiple services. 

Standard demographics of gym members 

As a gym owner, you have to understand the demographics of the target audience to increase the chance of lead conversion. Thus, it enables you to ensure the financial stability of your business by establishing your gym as a brand.

Here are the typical demographics that you have to consider before making a data-driven decision for your business. 

Age group

Before offering a specific service to your gym, you have to make sure that you have conducted complete market research about the age group that you are going to target. Understanding different age brackets aids you in offering age-appropriate classes and equipment. 

For example, at your place, most people live under the age bracket of 35–40. The audience of this age bracket wants to strengthen their heart and prefers exercises such as cardio, burpees, situps, push-ups, etc. However, without research, you offer HIIT training and purchase equipment accordingly. 

Thus, offering HIIT training to an audience who wants cardio training can’t help you attract them to your gym to start their fitness journey. As a fitness studio owner, it is essential for you to consider the age group before offering services to your target audience. 

Gender preferences

Apart from considering the age group, you also have to consider the gender preferences of your target audience. Understanding the gender preferences of your audience aids you in offering specific class types and gym layouts. 

Let’s suppose that the town where you are going to offer fitness services has a gender ratio of 72% women and 28% men. In this scenario, you have to design all the fitness workouts according to the ratio, like women usually prefer cardio exercise, while men prefer physical training.

Then, you have to make sure to tailor your gym layout and class schedule in a way that meets your member’s gender preferences. Otherwise, your competition takes the edge and attracts the audience to their gym. 

Fitness goals 

Another important demographic to consider before making any decision about the target audience is their fitness goals. Whether your audience prefers muscle gain, weight loss, stamina, or general physique, you have to consider what they want before finalizing the workout plans. 

Thus, it enables you to ensure a remarkable experience for your members that they deserve. Moreover, understanding the fitness goals of your audience allows you to become the market leader and aids you in boosting member retention rates. 

How demographics help me to understand the target audience 

Understanding demographics related to your ideal members aid you in planning services and packages. So, they feel a strong connection between your gym vision and their fitness goals. You can initiate special discounts and classes depending on the age group of your target audience.

Here are the following ways to use demographic insights to strengthen your gym financially. 

Membership packages 

To attract more members to your gym, you can initiate special membership packages and discounts based on the audience demographics. This enables you to foster a sense of belonging among the target audience and motivates them to start their fitness journey in your gym.

If your target market mainly comprises senior citizens, you can plan special classes that suit them, like wellness sessions or aerobics. 

Similarly, if demographics show that your target market includes more families or students, you should plan memberships specifically for them. Thus, offering special discounts and membership packages boosts gym sales and ensures your business’s long-term success. 

Personalized workout programs 

Demographics such as age group, gender preferences and fitness goals aid you in crafting a more personalized fitness experience for your members. You can offer your members customized workout programs based on their preferences, enabling you to deliver the remarkable fitness experience that your members deserve. 

Whether your audience prefers HIIT or Cardio training or belongs to any age bracket, you can design special fitness assessments and suggest diet plans to support their workout. Thus, it enables you to attract more members to your gym and ensure the financial success of your studio. 

Facility and equipment choices 

You can also make facility and equipment choices based on your audience demographics. So, the equipment you choose for your gym aids you in ensuring a remarkable experience for your members.

Otherwise, if your facility and equipment choices don’t align with your target audience preference, you are not able to attract them to your gym, leading to the downfall of your business. 

For example, in your place, people love to perform HIIT training. However, if you order the equipment of cardio, you cannot attract the preferred audience to your gym.

So, you have to make sure that your audience preferences and your studio equipment always align with each other. 

Crafting a community atmosphere 

Understanding your member demographics and ensuring the facility as per the requirement aids you in creating a community atmosphere where your members believe in you. 

Ensuring a remarkable fitness experience for your members fosters a sense of belonging among them, enabling you to gain their trust and loyalty. Moreover, it also aids you in attracting new members to your gym via word-of-mouth marketing, ensuring the financial success of your business. 

Bottom line 

The demographics of your target audience are more than just numbers and statistics. They give you insights into your audience’s needs and preferences related to fitness. So, it is essential for you to understand these demographics. 

By harnessing this understanding, you can foster a more engaging and effective fitness environment for your members.

Thus, it enables you to attract a new audience to your gym and also aids you in establishing your business as a brand among your competition.