How to use fitness videos to increase class numbers in gyms post Covid 19.

How to use fitness videos to increase class numbers in gyms post Covid 19.

Is it possible to use fitness videos to increase class numbers in gyms once lockdown is relaxed after COVID-19?

 

In this post, I’m going to share with you how fitness videos can be used to increase class numbers post COVID-19.

When gyms and health facilities are finally allowed to open their doors again after the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s going to take some time before things return to normal. While digital fitness has boomed online over the last 30 days, it can’t replace the energy and social experience of live classes.

 

Participants can’t wait to socialize again in their communities and instructors are itching to teach and see their members again.

 

Social distancing rules will have to be relaxed and adapted to allow gyms to offer group fitness experiences initially. This will mean that class numbers will have to be limited and access to clubs restricted to avoid overcrowding.

With extra provisions needed to keep facilities clean, timetables will also have to be changed. There will be extra cleaning requirements, meaning less available time to deliver classes.

 

But with some planning and preparation, virtual fitness solutions can be used to:

  • increase the number of live in-person fitness classes per day
  • increase the number of participants who can take part in classes
  • increase access and avoid overcrowding
  • allow your instructors to return to teaching and reach more members faster

 

The solution

 

  1. Create a series of bespoke warm-up, cool down, and stretch videos for your live programs that your members have quick and easy access to.  You can easily host these on easy to find YouTube playlists if you don’t have a digital solution in place.
  2. Instruct your members to use dedicated warmup up spaces 10 minutes before the scheduled start time for each class. Participants can warm-up while other classes are still running or while spaces are being cleaned.
  3. Move your members into the dedicated studio or space for their class for the main session.
  4. Ask your instructors to direct members to use the dedicated videos for the cool down and stretch in the dedicated post-workout area of the club.

 

By having this production-style process in place you can use fitness videos to increase class numbers in your space. It’s possible for studios and facilities can be cleaned while members warm up elsewhere.

This frees up time to put on more classes and moves members around a club in a controlled way to avoid crowding.

And best of all you can start creating the fitness videos you need for warmup and cool downs now!

These videos are short and quick to produce meaning in a day or less your instructors could create a complete series of evergreen videos ready for reopening.

How to film fitness testimonial videos for marketing

How to film fitness testimonial videos for marketing

Do you want to create attention-grabbing, thumb-stopping fitness testimonial videos for your brand, gym or business?

Great! When used at the right point in the customer journey, testimonial videos can help you convert more leads into customers.

The trouble is many people don’t plan testimonials well because they fear that if they do, the videos won’t look ‘authentic’ or ‘natural’.

This means a lot of testimonial videos produced without much thought don’t deliver on expectations and can be a nightmare to create.

So how do you plan testimonial videos if you’ve never done it before?

Easy! Follow this checklist to help you produce great testimonial videos that are quick to edit, look and sound, and serve your business well for years to come!

 

  1. Film in a quiet location with plenty of light.
  2. Turn all background music off
  3. Always use a tripod and a lapel mic.
  4. Put a sign on the door so you don’t get disturbed
  5. Be selective on who you interview for your fitness testimonial videos. Choose a variety of different people who exemplify your ideal customer and have a story to tell.
  6. Give your interviewees space – don’t back them into a wall. Choose a background that looks good, but not distracting.
  7. Create a brief for your video team to explain how you want your videos to look once edited. Work with your video team to choose the best framing to accommodate any on-screen branding, graphics and captions.
  8. Allow plenty of time with your interviewees so they don’t feel rushed. The more they talk, the more relaxed them become and the better answers they give.
  9. Don’t make a point of saying “we’re recording now”. Start the interview with general chit-chat before moving into questions. Arrange with your film crew to start filming discretely as soon as they enter the room.
  10. Provide your interviewees with a copy of the questions in advance so they can prepare their answers.
  11. Ask open ended questions like ‘How did you…” , ‘Explain why….’ and ‘tell me more about…”
  12. Avoid closed questions that can be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
  13. Allow a second or two of silence after each answer before asking the next question. Your editor with thank you for it.
  14. Train yourself to nod in agreement throughout the interview so your voice isn’t heard when your interviewee is talking.
  15. For every question you plan to ask, write a list of ideal answers you’d like to hear and tick them off as you go.
  16. Write a list of words or phrases you don’t want to feature in your testimonial videos and listen out for them.
  17. Prompt your guests to mention the question in the answer.
  18. Ask your guests to mention your product, service or brand by name instead of using ‘they’, ‘you’ or ‘it’
  19. When you hear a great quote or piece of content, write down the time you hear it.
  20. Ask your interviewees to sign a release form. This gives you the permission to use their image audio and words for all your marketing needs.
  21. Provide your video editor with the questions and notes for each interviewee.

 

Filming testimonials can be as easy as sticking a camera in someone’s face, but that’ll only get you average results at best.

It’s easy to film anything nowadays, but if you want to guarantee better results and create effective marketing videos then there’s no substitute for planning your projects properly.

Follow these tips and you’ll create fitness testimonial videos that are authentic, quick to produce and remain useful for years.

 

Musclefood testimonial filmed in 2016 for the lunch of the Do The Unthinkable 12 week fitness filmed over 5 days in Nottingham.