5 Ways to Grow your Muay Thai Gym

Muay Thai has become one of the most popular martial arts in the world. And with good reason – it is an incredibly effective form of fighting. And, it's a fantastic way to get into great shape. If you are a Muay Thai instructor or gym owner, you know that it can be difficult to attract new students and grow your membership base. In this blog post, we will share five methods that have worked well for us and helped us to expand The Dragon Gyms rapidly!

The first method is what we call "foot to pavement" marketing. This is the leg work that you do to get your gym's name out in the community. You can do this by handing out flyers, going to local events, visiting local businesses, and talking to people about your gym. This is a great way to get the word out and generate interest in your Muay Thai classes.

Think about it in a systematic way. What are twelve places that you can visit and develop a mutually beneficial relationship with? Then, break that list down into 4 groups of 3. Then, all you need to do is visit three of those places every week. The key is doing this every single month of the year.

Make sure that you don't go in too strong with an ask. Offer them something first, or become their customer to start the relationship.

The second method is Muay Thai workshops or seminars. These could be free or paid events. You should try both approaches. Intro to Muay Thai is the basic theme, but how can you make it unique to you? How is your program better than other Muay Thai Gyms?

How is your method of Muay Thai training better that ANY other form of exercise? This is where you need to get creative.

You need to fill these events. Have a concrete date and give yourself AT LEAST 6 weeks to fill it. Think of, and use, all the different ways to get the word out about your event: word of mouth inside and outside of the gym, social media posts, flyers, community groups, etc.

The third method is social media marketing. You should have a Muay Thai Facebook page, Youtube account, and Instagram account. Use these platforms to share photos and videos of your Muay Thai classes, Muay Thai events that you are hosting or attending, and anything else that is Muay Thai related. Social media is a great way to connect with Muay Thai enthusiasts all over the world and generate interest in your gym.

Just having an instagram account and posting isn’t enough. To really use the power of the platform you’ll need to have detailed and targeted ads to those very people that interact with your posts and reels in some way. A Post coupled with this is how you amplify your message and get real and authentic leads.

Remember, don't be too enamored with "likes" and "follows" alone. These can be just what we call vanity metrics. Are you building a relevant audience to your gym? Are they leaving social media to visit your website or your facility?

The fourth method is related to social media but it is more in depth. It is content creation. While we do a lot of paid advertising on social media platforms and pay per click advertising on search platforms, over 75% of our web traffic is organic. That means free. This is because of our content driven strategy. This is a combination of blog posts, short form video, and long form video that is both entertaining and useful for our target audience. This is the Muay Thai content that people want to consume and share.

There are multiple goals that this content serves. First, it helps us "rank" well in search, so we're more likely to be found on the internet. Second, the content builds our authority in the market place. That makes it easier get leads and convert them into students. Finally, it gives something for our current students to both consumer and share. This makes it even easier to be successful at the fifth method we use...

The fifth method is referrals. When we talk about referrals, we mean internal referrals. That's when someone who is a current student at your gym refers a friend, family member, or just someone they know to join. You need a system to generate referrals on a consistent basis.

The first part of the system is EARNING the referral. You need to teach great classes in a consistent and systematic way. Make sure that every student leaves having fun, learning something new, and getting a great workout.

Second, you need to ASK for the referral. If you don't ask, you won't get it. Also, make it easy for them to give you the referral. We have a very simple landing page (webpage) for our students to give us referrals.

Lastly, you need to REWARD and recognize the referral. For example, for every person that a current student refers, they get a discount on their membership dues or they get a free Muay Thai class. This is a great way to grow your gym quickly!

There you have it – five methods that we have used successfully over and over to generate leads and enroll more students!

By using these five methods, you will be able to attract new students and grow your Muay Thai gym rapidly! Try out a few of these methods and see which ones work best for you. Muay Thai is a great martial art that can benefit everyone, so don't be afraid to share it with as many people as possible!

Are you looking for more ideas to market your Muay Thai Gym? And, if you're interested in learning more about The Muay Thai Advisory Group, be sure to reach out!

Finally, if you're ready and interested in taking your gym to the next level, Somnath Sikdar and I host One-Day Masterminds and Whiteboard Intensives every quarter.

Fill out the form below to get our "Essential Checklist for Muay Thai Gym Profits" and find out more about our next in-person One-Day Mastermind and Whiteboard intensive.

Lonnie Beck
Co-Owner, Dragon Gym

FREE DOWNLOAD: Essential Checklist for Muay Thai Gym Profits

Lonnie Beck