Tips to kickstart your kickboxing advertisement

Kickboxing has evolved over many centuries. The earliest form of the sport, known as Muay Boran, was first practiced by Siamese soldiers in Thailand during the 13th and 14th centuries. Today, the global kickboxing equipment market is valued at approximately USD$188.3 million and continues to enjoy popularity amongst participants intent on improving their strength and cardio fitness goals.

If you are seeking inspiration to undertake kickboxing advertisements or increase memberships for your kickboxing business or gym, you have come to the right place! This article will provide guidance and information on the following topics:

1. What is the purpose of kickboxing?
2. What are the benefits of kickboxing?
3. How to promote your kickboxing business
4. Tips to increase memberships for your kickboxing classes
5. Key takeaways

What is the purpose of kickboxing?

Kickboxing is a type of martial arts which applies many of the technical elements used in karate, muay thai and boxing. The hands and fists are used as points of contact for punching and the feet used for kicking, which are the two main actions undertaken when engaging in kickboxing. The use of elbows, knees and other body parts are discouraged.

 

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Kickboxing is a multi-purpose form of exercise which increases aerobic and cardiovascular fitness, teaches and improves self-defense, and requires participants to be disciplined and stick to a regimented workout routine. Kickboxing classes can also be a source of inspiration for participants to build muscle mass and tone without being required to lift weights or use multiple machines at the gym. 

Whilst kickboxing can be engaged in by participants as a professional sport (e.g. in disciplines such as Mixed Martial Arts), kickboxing classes have also become a very popular form of exercise in gyms and freestyle classes offered in local parks. The intense nature of a kickboxing workout is particularly popular for people who have less time to exercise, such as office workers during their breaks.

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2. What are the benefits of kickboxing?

Kickboxing is not only a great way to relieve some built up stress and angst, it also has a number of health benefits for participants. These include:

• Building and toning muscles: Kickboxing is an exercise that involves the use of a number of body parts and muscles, including your calves, biceps, abs and glutes. By engaging in regular kickboxing classes, these muscles not only strengthen but become more toned and resilient to injury. Furthermore, kickboxing can reduce body fat percentage, increase muscle mass and burn calories. The net effect of these benefits can result in kickboxing participants having more toned and aesthetically appealing bodies.

• Improving cardiovascular health and endurance: Kickboxing involves rapid movements. The muscles engaged require more blood, glucose and oxygen to function properly. Consequently, participants breathe heavier and their heart rate increases, to ensure the continued circulation of greater quantities of oxygen and blood to the numerous muscles being used. 

Furthermore, kickboxing often involves high intensity interval training at maximum output for a defined period (usually 30 seconds to 1 minute), resulting in an intense burning of calories and overall improvement of cardiovascular fitness. Improvements in aerobic and cardiovascular fitness after completing at least two kickboxing classes per week can be seen in as little as one month.

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• Learn or improve self-defense: Another unique attribute that kickboxing offers is the development of protective skills. Basic skills focusing on punching and kicking are taught at the start in kickboxing classes. The kick and punch techniques taught in kickboxing classes build self-confidence and assurance that the participant can then draw on in future, should the need arise to defend themselves.

• Reducing tension and stress: A further added benefit of kickboxing compared to other forms of exercise is that it is an outlet to relieve pent up frustration, anger, tension and stress. Kickboxing is a fast-paced activity which involves participants exerting force through punching, kicking and continual movement. Studies evidence that kickboxing can also reduce anxiety, depression and declining mental health.

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• Weight loss: The intense nature of kickboxing causes increased heart rate, resulting in calories being burned. In an average kickboxing class lasting one hour for an 82kg participant, almost 650 calories are burned. Kickboxing is classed as a “vigorous” exercise, unlike brisk walking which is defined as “moderate” exercise. By engaging in vigorous activity such as kickboxing, you burn more calories and consequently, shed that unwanted weight.

• Increased energy: Due to the intense nature of kickboxing, you would expect this activity to increase fatigue. However, the exact opposite is in fact the case. Kickboxing increases blood flow/supply and oxygen throughout the body, resulting in increased energy, motivation and alertness. Consequently, daily work becomes less cumbersome.

• Improvement in overall health: There are also a number of other benefits to kickboxing not listed above, including improved posture, reflexes, timing and endurance, as well as increased coordination. Kickboxing is a full-body workout which not only improves physical and mental health, but also provides participants with vital and potentially life-savings skills.

3. How to promote your kickboxing business

There are a variety of methods to gain a head start in promoting your kickboxing business, including:

• Create an appealing and easily accessible website: One of the main challenges for a niche business such as kickboxing is attracting clientele. It is therefore essential to build a creative and user-friendly website to provide information on timing and frequency of kickboxing classes, the location/s kickboxing classes will be held, and bios for the class instructors. Your website will allow existing and potential clients to readily access crucial details about the services your kickboxing business provides. An appealing website will not only ensure client retention, it will also act as a cost-effective platform for client referrals and new customers.

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• Social media: In addition to creating a website for your kickboxing business, a strong social media presence is vital. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages should be established to not only advertise the services your kickboxing gym provides, but also post pictures and videos of kickboxing classes and demonstrations of kickboxing actions. Social media provides an interactive platform for users to not only view the content on your social media pages, but also share this content with other friends, family and colleagues to create a buzz about your kickboxing business. Current clients can also be incentivized by being offered free kickboxing classes or membership discounts if they are able to introduce new clients to your kickboxing business by sharing content with other people on their social media pages.  
• Google AdWords campaign: One of the most underutilized methods to promote businesses is the use of Google AdWords. When promoting your kickboxing business, consider paying for a Google AdWords campaign. An advertisement for your kickboxing business will then appear in the Google search engine each time a local user searches similar keywords, such as “find my local kickboxing business” or “kickboxing classes near me”. When selecting your Google AdWords package, you can target specific geographical areas where you want to advertise your kickboxing business and kickboxing classes. You should also create a landing page to monitor which customers are accessing your website from the Google AdWords campaign. An all-in-one gym management software can help navigate these challenges.

 

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• Content writing: Another cost-effective method to promote your kickboxing business and kickboxing classes is through blogs on your website, known as “content writing”. These blogs provide information and content about various related services that your kickboxing business offers. For example, kickboxing classes increase cardio fitness and endurance. Therefore, preparing a blog on your website on a topic such as: “Ways to increase cardio fitness and endurance” will organically create traffic to your website when cardio fitness and endurance searches are performed on Google or other online search engines.  
• Free online classes and demonstrations: The COVID-19 age has opened up a whole new world of possibilities to virtually conduct business. Offering free online classes/demonstrations for potential customers and those new to kickboxing will enable them to experience kickboxing classes in the comfort and safety of their own home. A free online kickboxing class/demonstration also provides an interactive experience for customers contemplating membership and is a superior marketing exercise than simply handing out a flier for your kickboxing business.

4. Tips to increase memberships for your kickboxing classes

In addition to taking steps to promote your kickboxing business, it is equally important to consider how to increase memberships for your kickboxing classes. It is pointless promoting your kickboxing business if such advertisement does not result in a growth in memberships for your kickboxing gym or classes. Therefore, you should consider the following to increase memberships for your kickboxing classes:

• Regularly offer outdoor kickboxing classes: By conducting kickboxing classes in easily accessible and popular outdoor areas (e.g. parks near the city center or near prominent landmarks), you will organically attract potential new customers. Passersby will be interested to see what all the fuss is about and find out more about the classes and services offered by your kickboxing business. Furthermore, by running kickboxing classes in outdoor areas near the city CBD during the lunch break hours (12:00pm to 2:00pm), you will attract  business people and office workers who will be eager to engage in physical activity to improve their fitness during the limited downtime they have each day.  
• Offer referral incentives: Encourage your current clientbase to refer their family and friends to your kickboxing classes by offering incentives, such as a few free classes or discounted periodical membership fees. Whilst there will be a short-term hit to your bottom line by offering these discounts, the increase in clients will inevitably pay dividends in the long run.

 

• Cross-promote with local gyms: Partnerships with other local fitness centers such as gyms and yoga studios is essential to create new business and increase memberships for your kickboxing classes. These gyms and studios can offer discounted memberships to your clients when joining their service. Similarly, their clients can be offered discounted kickboxing classes and services at your kickboxing business. Cross-promotion is not only an excellent method to increase memberships to your kickboxing business and classes, it also ensures that the revenue remains in your local community.

 

• Trial passes: In the same vein as offering free kickboxing demonstrations, trial passes are a great way for potential customers to “try before they buy”. A short trial pass (e.g. 1 to 3 days) provides an opportunity for those people considering taking out a membership to your kickboxing class to trial the program to determine whether it is the right physical activity for them. Even if the person ultimately decides against taking out a membership, they will remember the free incentive offered by your kickboxing class when discussing kickboxing with their friends and family. Trial passes also allow current clients to train with their friends and introduce them to kickboxing, which will inevitably increase memberships to your kickboxing classes.

 

• Purchase onboarding software: Selecting the correct onboarding software will ensure that you are able to manage new customers and monitor memberships, payments, bookings, programs and correspondence. It is therefore critical that you are diligent in selecting the correct onboarding software to ensure both the retention and acquisition of new customers. The comprehensive onboarding software provided by PerfectGym will allow you to successfully navigate these challenges.

5. Key takeaways

It is essential that you devote time to planning methods to both increase, but more importantly, retain memberships for your kickboxing classes. As outlined above, there are a variety of processes you can engage in to develop your membership base, including online advertising, cross-advertising through other similar fitness services, offering free trials and outdoor kickboxing classes, as well as referral bonuses for existing clients to bring their friends and family to the kickboxing classes your business offers. 

Above all, it is essential that you consider purchasing an all-in-one software program to monitor membership information and trends. Get in touch with us today to see how PerfectGym can help your kickboxing classes with our modern gym management software.

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