10 Tips for Marketing Your Fitness Business During the Holidays

The holiday season opens up a valuable opportunity for fitness businesses to boost revenue, attract new faces, and re-energize longtime members before the New Year rush begins. People are on the lookout for meaningful gifts and wellness-focused experiences, and many are hoping to stay consistent with their fitness routines during an especially busy and often indulgent time of year. With the right planning and well-timed promotions, your studio or gym can stand out and turn this season into one of your strongest. 

Here are 10 marketing strategies that can help your studio make the most of the holidays. 

1. Create an email and SMS campaign to promote your holiday offers

To maximize visibility, don't rely solely on in-studio promotion. A well-coordinated email and SMS campaign keeps your holiday offers top of mind, making it easy for clients to take action. Email is ideal for announcing early-bird specials and holiday packages, sharing your gift guide, and highlighting upcoming workshops or themed classes. It also allows you to segment messaging based on member behavior and interests, so each message feels relevant. 

SMS complements your email efforts by delivering timely reminders about expiring promotions, sending last-minute alerts during high-urgency periods, and offering quick links to purchase packages or register for events. Together, these channels help you reach clients with the right message at the right moment throughout the season. 

Pro tip: With Mindbody's marketing tools, you can create coordinated, automated SMS and email campaigns that help you reach clients at the right time, with the right message, on the channel they're most likely to engage with. This can boost conversion rates during the busiest shopping season of the year. 

2. Curate holiday-themed packages

Gift-giving can be overwhelming during the holidays, and your clients are often searching for simple, valuable options that feel personal. Curated fitness packages solve that problem by bundling high-value services into giftable experiences. 

Create packages that appeal to different goals, budgets, and fitness levels. For example: 

• A holiday sampler of 5 classes across multiple formats
• A "New Year" or "Fresh Start" bundle with classes, a wellness consultation, and a branded item
• A personal training pack with optional recovery add-ons 

Highlight the benefits—helping clients feel energized, reducing stress, or starting the New Year strong. Make these packages easy to purchase online and in-studio, and promote them consistently so they're top of mind as clients begin holiday shopping. 

3. Launch early-bird specials

Holiday shoppers love a good discount when they see one. Early-bird specials let you tap into that excitement, capture revenue sooner, and build anticipation. 

Offer incentives such as: 

• Special pricing for clients who buy holiday packages in November
• "Buy now, activate in January" membership deals
• Exclusive early access to holiday workshops or challenges
• Bonuses for early commitments, like free branded merchandise or an extra class 

Pair this visibility boost with a multi-channel campaign including email, social, and SMS. This creates urgency and encourages clients to act before prices increase. 

Pro tip: Promote these offers inside the Mindbody platform using Promoted Intro Offers. This feature helps surface your discounted intro packages to new clients searching for services like yours, increasing the likelihood that early holiday shoppers find and book with you. 

4. Promote referral programs that reward your community

The holidays are a prime time for clients to share their favorite fitness experiences with family and friends. A well-structured referral program can strengthen your community while bringing in new members who are more likely to stick around. 

Holiday-specific incentives might include: 

• Bring a friend to class; if they purchase a package, the referring member gets a free month or reduced membership
• Double referral credits for December purchases
• "Give the Gift of Fitness" referral cards members can pass along 

Promote these programs in class, through signage, and across digital channels. A clear, simple referral process can generate a steady flow of new clients. 

5. Offer holiday discounts that drive engagement

Seasonal discounts help your business stand out in a competitive marketplace and can attract first-time customers who are looking to try something new. 

Examples include: 

• Limited-time BOGO class packs
• Half off the first month of membership
• Unlimited class passes for December or January
• Special intro offers for new or returning clients 

Be strategic with your pricing. Create deals that encourage long-term relationships rather than one-time drop-ins. Highlight the value of your services and emphasize how these promotions help clients start building habits ahead of the New Year. 

6. Run social media giveaways

Social media giveaways create excitement around your business and encourage your community to participate in fun, shareable activities that highlight the value of your classes, services, and brand. They're also an effective way to boost engagement, increase brand awareness, and reach new audiences organically. When run during the holiday season, these giveaways can help you expand your reach, drive interest in your offerings, and build momentum heading into the New Year. 

You might create campaigns such as: 

• "12 Days of Fitness" with daily prizes ranging from branded merchandise to class credits or specialty passes
• Tag-to-win contests that encourage followers to loop in their friends and expand your visibility
• Photo or video challenges tied to studio attendance, encouraging clients to share their workout moments, favorite classes, or instructor shoutouts 

These campaigns encourage user-generated content that not only amplifies your reach but also builds social proof. When potential clients see real people interacting with your brand, it strengthens trust and inspires prospective clients to explore your offerings. 

7. Partner with local businesses

Local partnerships help your studio or gym reach fresh audiences while reinforcing your connection to the community. When holiday shoppers are motivated to buy locally, these collaborations become even more impactful. 

Try partnering on: 

• Holiday pop-ups or joint events
• Cross-promotional discounts or loyalty perks
• Co-branded gift bundles
• In-store sampling or fitness demos at partner locations 

These partnerships strengthen visibility and reinforce the idea that your business is an integral part of the local wellness ecosystem. 

8. Develop a holiday gift guide

A curated gift guide makes your business a convenient one-stop shop during a busy season. It also highlights the range of products and services you offer, which is ideal for clients searching for health-focused gifts. 

Your guide can include: 

• Branded apparel and accessories, like water bottles, grip socks, mats, and small equipment
• Gift cards
• Specialty holiday packages or class bundles 

Publish your guide across email, social media, and printed flyers. Make the shopping experience effortless by clearly outlining pricing, benefits, and easy purchase options. 

9. Host holiday workshops and themed events

Seasonal workshops and events add excitement to your calendar and motivate clients to stay active during a time when routines often slip. 

Consider hosting: 

• A "12 Days of Yoga" or "12 Days of Pilates" challenge or event
• High-energy holiday bootcamps
• Mindfulness, meditation, or stress-relief workshops
• Goal-setting and intention-setting sessions 

You can offer these as standalone ticketed events, bundle them with seasonal packages, or include them as perks for specific membership tiers. 

10. Run ads on social media and Google

Reaching your audience organically is great, but during the busy holiday season, running ads can give your marketing a much-needed lift. Paid ads on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Google help your fitness business reach more people who are actively searching for fitness-focused gifts or looking to jump-start their own wellness journey. 

To get the most out of your ad spend, establish a clear budget and define your target audience before launching your campaigns. This ensures your ads appear in front of the people most likely to book a class, buy a package, or purchase a gift card. And to save time, repurpose your strongest existing content—turning high-performing posts, graphics, or videos into ads allows you to amplify what's already resonating with your audience while keeping your workload manageable. 

Turn seasonal promotions into lasting impact

The earlier you launch your holiday promotions, the easier it is to stand out before inboxes fill up and schedules become hectic. Position your fitness business as a convenient, thoughtful solution to holiday gifting and wellness planning. 

By combining curated packages, digital marketing campaigns, personalized offers, and festive events, you can strengthen client relationships while setting your business up for a successful New Year.