7 Tips to Help Fitness Businesses Maximize Profit on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday

The three major shopping holidays—Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday—tend to sneak up on us each year, catching many businesses off guard. This multi-day window offers a prime opportunity for your fitness business to boost profits and attract new clients. With the post-Thanksgiving shopping frenzy fast approaching, it's essential to solidify your sales and marketing strategy to make the most of these days.

How to prepare for Black Friday

Preparation is key for maximizing your Black Friday profits. It officially marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season, making it one of the best times to engage current and potential clients. To prepare for Black Friday and set the tone for the coming weeks, create a detailed plan to help you achieve your goals. From digital marketing strategies to promotional offers, thoughtful preparation will help you kickstart a successful holiday season. 

Let's dive deeper into a few ways you can take advantage of these holiday shopping days to boost your business's end-of-year revenue, including: 

• Themed workout classes and events 
• Collabs with local businesses 
• Gift card promotions 
• Introductory offers 
• Discounted merchandise and studio offerings 
• Social media marketing 
• Referral bonuses 

1. Create themed workout classes and events

Thanksgiving to New Year's is a time to indulge and enjoy all the celebrations and treats of the season. But you can be sure plenty of your clients won't be throwing their wellness goals out the window. Make coming into your studio over the post-Thanksgiving weekend a no-brainer with themed classes. For instance, you might host a yoga flow class on the morning of Black Friday, specifically focusing on movements that can aid digestion.

2. Partner with local businesses

Make the most of Small Business Saturday by partnering with other small businesses in your area to attract new customers. You can collaborate with a local café or juice shop to cross-promote your businesses. Consider organizing a joint event where attendees receive a coupon for a free juice or smoothie with the purchase of a class pass or offer a combined discount for those who visit both businesses on the same day.

3. Increase revenue through gift cards

To boost gift card sales, consider special promotions on specific days to encourage clients to buy gift cards for their loved ones. One effective strategy is to offer discounted rates on gift card purchases, such as selling $100 gift cards for only $75. 

Another effective strategy is to offer something extra. This adds value to the sales and can help gain new clients. For example, run a buy one, get one (BOGO) gift card special where purchasers can buy a $100 gift card for a friend and get a $25 gift card for free. Whether the buyer keeps the $25 gift card for themselves or gifts it to another friend, you'll gain two clients from one transaction.

4. Discount your merchandise and studio offerings

Everyone knows that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are all about the sales, sales, sales. Savvy shoppers wait weeks or months to make purchases, buy gifts, and sometimes splurge a little on these days—so give them what they've been waiting for. Encourage clients to shop at your business by offering discounts on the items you sell in your studio's retail space and potentially even class packs or memberships.   

Consider offering a 25% discount on your merchandise—it's substantial enough to attract buyers while protecting your profit margins. To encourage even more spending, implement tiered discounts based on purchase amounts, like 15% off $100, 20% off $150, and 25% off $200. Additionally, look at your retail space and inventory for any overstocked items. Offering a larger discount on these products can help boost revenue and clear space for new inventory you have planned for the new year.  

You can also apply the BOGO strategy to class packages or memberships. Offer class pack discounts, such as buy four classes and get one free. Easily market these packages as a great gift option or a way to boost your clients' wellness motivation during the holiday season. Finally, you might use Black Friday and Cyber Monday to promote long-term memberships, giving clients a nice discount if they commit to a six-month or year-long membership.   

5. Get noticed with Promoted Intro Offers

An introductory offer is a promotional deal for new clients when they purchase a class at your fitness business for the first time. This incentive encourages new clients to step foot in your studio and can provide value to current members or drop-ins to try a new class or make a long-term commitment. If you're a Mindbody user, one way to enable your clients and prospects to easily book classes at your business is by listing your studio on the Mindbody app and highlighting classes with the Promoted Intro Offers feature.    

Any new or existing pricing options you sell online and mark as an intro offer will be promoted and featured front and center on the app at the top of the screen. It's free and easy to opt into Promoted Intro Offers, and you'll only pay if a client books a class at your business. The fees are performance-based, which means it will cost you nothing if it doesn't produce results. 

6. Build client excitement through marketing

No matter how you choose to participate in Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, develop a marketing plan to ensure your clients and prospects know what to expect. Use Marketing Suite to spread the word effectively—send out engaging email campaigns and text messages to promote your holiday specials and events.  

Boost your reach by creating engaging social media posts with strategic hashtags, videos, and compelling captions. You may also consider running targeted paid ads to attract potential clients and ensure your promotions are visible throughout the holiday shopping season. 

7. Boost sales with referral bonuses

Increase Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday sales by offering referral bonuses. Encourage your current clients to spread the word about your deals by offering them special rewards, such as a free class or a membership discount, for every new client they refer. By leveraging your existing client base, you can expand your reach and make the most of these key shopping days. 

There's plenty of opportunity waiting for your fitness business as the end of the year approaches. With some creativity and effort, you can get your slice of the holiday revenue pie.