![]() Measuring "were here"įacebook "were here" measures the cumulative score of check-ins, selfies, and status updates from business locations. In our case here, it could include people saying "I just joined Planet Fitness" or "heading to LA Fitness to get swole". It's a good measure of a company's presence over time on Facebook and how many people are engaging with the brand. It measures how many times users have posted something about a user or brand, as long as that user or brand has an account or page on Facebook. Last month, we wrote about how people are talking about going to the gym, even though their actual foot traffic to the gym was questionable.īut as January rolled on and February settled in, it appears that many New Years resolutioners have not transitioned into regulars.Īt three of the most-popular gyms across America, two important measures of foot traffic and popularity tracked by Facebook ( $FB) pages - "talking about" and "were here" data - slowed down as the first month of the new year ended.įor those who are unfamiliar about "talking about" and "were here," here's a quick primer: Measuring "talking about"įacebook measures how much people "talk about" a brand, person, or business - basically anyone with a Facebook page that people can Like. "Then they start dropping off.We always want to see people better themselves and get healthy. "Just give it a month, tops," Morris says. Vince Morris, 45, uses the StairMaster a couple of times a week at Results Gym in Washington, D.C., but uses less-popular equipment instead every January. "At the end of the day, the toughest part of working out is getting to the gym," he says.Īt least one group is usually happy to see the crowds die down: gym regulars. David Reiseman, spokesman for Gold's Gym, says about half of gym members walk away, returning, perhaps, to their sedentary lifestyle. Most gyms, however, don't have the same knack for retention. He's expanded the Chicago location to triple in size in preparation for the rush and is offering $25,000 worth of prizes to the folks who slim down the most over the next six months. ![]() "Most people who are overweight have a fear of becoming that spectacle in the gym," Hazlett says. He says the club's policy of barring membership to anyone shy of 50 pounds overweight makes new members more comfortable. Not only does it expect to double, if not triple, membership this month, but Vice President Justin Hazlett says member retention is no sweat. New Year's means big business for overweight-only gym Downsize Fitness, in Chicago and Dallas. "They want them to sign up, but they know that after the 15th of January, they won't see 95% of them again." "If gyms operate at more than 5% of their membership at any given time, no one can use the gym," says branding consultant Peter Shankman. Skeptics say gyms take advantage of New Year's resolutions to rope newbies into year-long contracts, knowing full well they'll only use two weeks' worth of them. "You may not be able to even handle those people all year, but the more you work to keep them satisfied, the more they're going to come back and refer you to their friends," Kufahl says. While readying the gym for a deluge of newbies is no cakewalk, says Pam Kufahl, editor-in-chief of Club Industry magazine, the real challenge is to get them to stay. Gyms have prepared for heavy traffic by ordering the latest new treadmills, scheduling more pilates classes and hiring more staff just to process all the membership applications from optimistic resolutioners. ![]() "You've got cold weather, a long month, psychological awareness about achieving goals, and everybody's finally out of vacation mode." "January is the perfect storm," says IHRSA Chairman Bill McBride. According to the International Health, Racquet, & Sportsclub Association or IHRSA, over 12% of new gym members join in January alone. New Year's is Black Friday for the gym industry. ![]()
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