Fergus Kickboxing Kickin’ up Business with Social Media

All I hear is “Heads Up!!!” and out of the corner of my eye, I see a white blur coming at me.  My right hand is busy carrying a grocery bag, the dog is barking and I’m mid sentence encouraging drinking glass use as opposed to directly from the faucet or milk carton. I caught that baseball seconds before it hit my forehead and earned a “Wow, good catch Ma! You didn’t even stop talking when you caught that!” No doubt these new found reflexes are a result of over a year of working out at Fergus Kickboxing.

Ahead of the latest fitness trends, Fergus Kickboxing has been offering kickboxing, suspension fitness and Brazilian Jui Jitzu for almost 6 years.  This kind of functional training goes beyond traditional weight and cardio workouts. Functional training involves exercises that use more than one muscle group at a time so that muscles are trained to work together to not only build strength but also balance, coordination and flexibility making everyday life easier and safer. One of the biggest challenges of running a business like this in a small town is attracting new customers. According to James Watson (owner) traditional ways of advertising don’t work as well anymore.  He finds that “being active on social media, showing locals what you’re all about and word of mouth” is what brings people in the door.

Having been active on Facebook from the start, James feels most comfortable using this to promote his business.  Here he promotes special offers, advertizes schedule changes and motivates current participants. Fergus Kickboxing is also on Twitter and Instagram.  James seems to realize that sometimes the thought of joining a kickboxing, suspension, or Jui Jitzu class may be intimidating so visual images of what to expect creates a transparency that can help to reassure new customers. Since most consumers look for on-line reviews prior to purchasing now, reviews and ratings for Fergus Kickboxing are encouraged and regularly posted on all of the social media sites. One of the best ways Fergus Kickboxing uses social media is to post fun and inspiring content that creates engagement with followers and exposes the business to follower networks.

An innovative way Fergus Kickboxing is using social media is through an online business management software called Mindbody. From a business management perspective, Mindbody allows business owners to track attendance, retention levels and provide reports that can identify trends and lead to modifications in business plans and goals. Mindbody also uses automated “We miss you” and “Just checking in” e-mails and text messages to reach out to existing clients sent at a predetermined time. When clients download this app, they are able to book classes, see special offers, sync to their calendar, track workouts and pay online. The app itself allows clients to link their class attendance to their Facebook account so that selected friends can see what they’ve signed up for, set goals,and encourage/support one another. Mindbody also has the ability to sync your workouts with your wearable tech such as Fitbit. Since 88% of customers have read a review to determine the quality of a business, the ratings and review capabilities of the Mindbody app is a very valuable social media marketing tool for Fergus Kickboxing.

Lessons for Others

Fergus Kickboxing is a small town business effectively using social media to grow by engaging with existing and potential customers. They are currently considering expanding their Mindbody involvement by using the branded app capabilities of this software to increase brand awareness and continue to let the community know that they are active and engaged in the complete fitness experience. Fergus Kickboxing‘s social media marketing messages are a great example of how business authenticity is way more important than glossy adds these days and has successfully contributed to their expanding loyal client base.

If you have concerns as to the accuracy of anything posted on this site, please send your concerns to Peter Carr, Program Director, Social Media for Business Performance.

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