In short
The five most valuable activities for a small to mid-size fitness center: Google Business Profile optimization, local Facebook ads, referral program, partnerships with local businesses, and email to existing members. Together they can deliver 5-15 new members/mo for under 5,000 DKK in budget.
Which marketing activities work best for fitness centers?
The five most valuable for SMB fitness:
Google Business Profile (free, local SEO)
Facebook ads targeting local radius (3-5 km)
Referral program for existing members
B2B partnerships with local businesses
Email to existing members (reactivation)
1. Google Business Profile (free, but underrated)
When someone searches "fitness center [city name]" on Google, they see Google Maps results first. If you do not have an optimized Business Profile, you lose to competitors who do.
Setup (1 hour): Create or claim the profile, add photos of the center, opening hours, contact, description with your most important keywords. Do it once, update every 3 months with new photos.
Reviews: Ask existing members for a review. 20+ reviews with 4.5+ stars is worth gold.
Cost: 0 DKK. Expected impact: 3-8 new leads/mo from organic local search.
2. Facebook ads targeting local radius
Facebook (Meta) is still the most effective paid channel for local fitness, because you can target precisely by age, location and interests.
Setup (3-5 hours): Create Meta Business account, make 2-3 ads with a concrete offer (e.g. "first month 199 DKK"), target ages 25-55, women/men separately, radius 3-5 km.
Cost: 1,500-3,000 DKK/mo. Expected impact: 5-15 leads/mo with good setup. Cost per lead typically 100-300 DKK.
3. Referral program (existing members as salespeople)
Referrals are the cheapest lead source you have, because it leverages the trust existing members already have with their friends.
Setup (1 hour): Create a simple landing page with form: "Refer a friend, get 1 month free if they stay for 3 months". Add link to contracts and newsletters.
Cost: 0 DKK (the discount is a cost, not an expense). Expected impact: 2-5 new members/mo once the program is established.
4. B2B partnerships with local businesses
Local businesses are looking for health benefits for employees. You have a fitness center they can offer to staff at a discount.
Setup (5-10 hours): Identify 10-20 businesses within 5 km radius. Write a short pitch: "20% discount for employees, no commitment, I will come by and tell you about it". Ask for 10 minutes.
Cost: Time + gas. Expected impact: 1-2 partnerships typically yield 5-15 new members over 6 months.
5. Email to existing members (reactivation)
It is 5x cheaper to get an existing member back than to acquire a new one. Email is the simplest tool.
Setup (2-4 hours): Identify members who have not been in 14+ days. Send a personal "we look forward to seeing you soon" email with a direct booking link. Automate it via your booking system if possible.
Cost: 0 DKK. Expected impact: 10-20% of inactive members return within 7 days.
Total budget and impact
If you implement all five activities, you can expect:
Total budget: 1,500-3,500 DKK/mo (only Facebook ads costs real money)
Expected leads: 15-40/mo
Converted members: 5-15/mo (at 30-40% lead-to-member rate)
That is a CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) of 100-700 DKK per member, which is healthy compared to industry standards (1,000-2,000 DKK).
Next steps
Read our foundational DIY marketing guide or guide to measuring if your marketing works.
Or see how FitnessBooking tracks leads and UTM automatically in a 20-minute demo.
Track your leads automatically
FitnessBooking logs UTM, sources and conversion directly in member management. No more spreadsheets.
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