Promotional advertising can help gyms capitalize on consumers' increased interest in fitness. Holding events and distributing unique promotional products can attract potential clients and turn them into regular customers.

What promotional items to use
Promotional giveaways can increase traffic to your gym, as consumers may be more likely to visit a fitness center if they receive small gifts. Branded products are most effective when they're related to your business, so consider distributing items that are useful during workouts like water bottles and pedometers.

You can also give away smaller items like promotional pens. Give pens to likely leads who fill out applications or add their information to your contact lists. Advertising on pens can be particularly effective because consumers will see your logo every time they write something down.

Additionally, pens can help you market to large groups of consumers. The American Marketing Association's Baltimore branch writes that people frequently share pens, so these promotional gifts can increase your gym's visibility.

Marketing a giveaway
Sending greeting cards is a popular holiday tradition, and gyms can participate by mailing promotional holiday cards to consumers. Fitness centers can buy mailing lists with the addresses of local residents and then send out advertisements for the events.

You can also encourage consumers to contact your business online. Add Quick Response (QR) codes to your postcards so that leads can navigate to your website from their smartphones. The digital watermarks can send consumers to any page you want, so you can choose to have leads easily view advertisements for your giveaway or holiday discounts.

Direct mail marketing can also help you improve client retention. Personalized Christmas cards show your patrons that you appreciate their business. Forging a bond with your customers can make your relationship last. Ask your trainers to write personal messages for their clients to make the mailers sentimental.

When to hold a promotional event
Wait until after the holidays to hold your giveaway. Before seasonal celebrations, consumers are often busy with obligations like shopping and party planning, so large groups might be unable to attend your event. Shoppers also spend hundreds of dollars on gifts, so buying gym memberships might not be financially feasible in December.

New Year's Day could be the best day to hold a giveaway. Consumers want to start the year off right and therefore join gyms quickly. Most businesses are closed on the holiday, so you can stand out by staying open.

Don't forget about your current clients
Customer retention is an important part of continued success, so you shouldn't forget about your current clients while marketing to consumers. You can give your loyal gym-goers personalized business gifts to thank them for their continued patronage.

Clients' names can be emblazoned on promotional water bottles. Additionally, personalized tote bags can help your customers carry their running shoes and workout clothes. Ensure that the presents can be used around your gym and reinforce your business relationship to avoid becoming overly familiar with your clients.

January can be a competitive month in the fitness industry, and gyms must start planning their 2013 marketing campaigns. The tips described above can help fitness centers start the new year right by finding new customers and retaining loyal clients. 

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For example, visual equipment provider Greg Le D offered his thoughts on customer loyalty in a testimonial on myron.com.

"In the past, I gave out pens to separate myself from my competition. I wanted to hand my clients something different and far more useful," wrote Le D. "I came across the Myron multi-tool, with [a] blade, screwdriver, scissor, file and more. It is nice to look at and offers a wide array of tools. Male and even female customers love it. It made a really big hit with MTV camera crews, since we supply them camera gear equipment. Also, I offer a lifetime guarantee – if they lose it, it breaks or is taken away at the airport, I tell just call and I will send them another one. This usually gets me another order as well."

Practical gifts like the multi tool are among the best items to distribute to customers because they have such a high rate of visibility. For example, consider a wall calendar that is emblazoned with a corporate logo and given out in January. This product is guaranteed to be hung in a location where at least a few people will see it, and as office staff mark meeting dates and schedule luncheons, they will be constantly reminded of the company who provided the calendar. Plus, this cost-effective gift will last for an entire year, perfect for a small business with a limited amount of financial capital to invest.

The best way to distribute a practical business gift is to give it out as an exchange for services rendered. So, just like Greg Le D, you can send a thank you card to a client and include promotional pens, key chains or other items right in the envelope. This way, all a person must do is look at the return address on the envelope to know exactly where to find more of the same quality promotional products.

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There are many ways to accomplish this goal, but several avenues can be followed when researching a promotional marketing blueprint.

Target non-profit organizations and charities

Non-profits are great organizations to target because they will take care of the categorization and distribution of helpful promotional products. There are an endless number of charities to choose from, and a promotional marketing theme can be based upon the subjects these companies sponsor.

For example, promotional items donated to the American Cancer Society can feature information on specific diseases and risk factors. Or, on a lighter note, custom coffee mugs donated to VH1's Save the Music Foundation can incorporate fun pictures of music notes and instruments. Because the themes are so varied, there will never be a lack of subjects to comment on with promotional products, which is great news for niche clients.

If possible, a partnership should be organized with these companies so that awareness can be raised for both parties. A bunch of red promotional pens can be swapped with heart-themed wall calendars from the Red Cross, for instance. This way, people donating blood will be exposed to a company's services, while employees and customers from the donating firm will be encouraged to give blood. Revenue and business can improve without ever exchanging money.

Host a promotional giveaway with a wholesome theme

In the same vein as the charities above, small businesses looking to promote an honorable image can host promotional giveaways themselves that cater to one of the many humanitarian subjects. For example, logo USB drives that represent AIDS awareness can be given out in conjunction with a "health knowledge" day hosted by a company. Employees and customers alike will be impressed with an organization's concern for important issues, and this good reputation can certainly lead to increased business.

Promotional products that are donated to charities or given out at sponsored events are a great way to improve a company's brand name.

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