When it comes to driving real business results from your climbing gym's Instagram advertising, thoughtful targeting is key. At GrayMatter, we've found that a two-pronged targeting strategy - focusing on both your existing customer base and prospective new climbers - is the most effective approach.
Targeting Existing Climbers
For campaigns aimed at your current members and regular climbers, you'll want to get very granular with your interest-based targeting. Some key interests to consider include:
Other local climbing gyms and fitness centers
Outdoor gear brands (e.g. Black Diamond, The North Face, Patagonia)
Climbing influencers, athletes, and content creators
Climbing-specific publications and media (e.g. Climbing Magazine, UKClimbing.com)
Rock climbing, bouldering, sport climbing, etc.
Fitness activities that complement climbing, like yoga, weightlifting, CrossFit
You can also create Custom Audiences based on your gym's email list, website visitors, and social media followers. This allows you to serve hyper-targeted ads directly to your most engaged and valuable customers.
Who is this for?
This sort of campaign is commonly used by gyms. It's the first thing many climbing gym operators think of when they start paid advertising on Instagram. However, it has a limited application. Existing climbers in your area already know about your gym - they've known about it since before you opened. They don't need a reminder, unless you have a particular offer that interests them. Use this campaign type when you have a major membership sale or an offer that is geared towards established climbers, like an exclusive training program.
Targeting Future Climbers
For campaigns aimed at attracting new climbers, you'll want to cast a wider net and focus on interests and behaviors that often overlap with people who may be interested in trying climbing for the first time. Relevant interests to target include:
General fitness (e.g. "fitness", "workout", "exercise")
Outdoor recreation (e.g. "hiking", "camping", "rock climbing")
Active lifestyles (e.g. "athleisure", "active wear", "sporty")
Family/parenting (e.g. "family activities", "kids activities", "parents")
Health and wellness (e.g. "healthy living", "wellness", "nutrition")
You can also layer in demographic filters like age (targeting millennials and Gen Z, for example), household income, and geographic location to further refine your audience and ensure maximum relevance.
Who Is This For?
A "Future Climber" campaign should be the bread and butter of any climbing gym's marketing strategy. Your competition isn't necessarily other climbing gyms - it's anything someone can do in a day. They could come climb at your gym, or they could take a cooking class, join a yoga class, or go for a hike. You want to appeal to people who may not know they'll love climbing, or who may not even know that indoor climbing is a thing they can try. These campaigns will get first-time climbers in your gym, not your competition's gym. If you get them in the door, your customer service and setting will give them a great experience, solidifying them as part of your membership funnel.
A Balanced Approach
By thoughtfully combining these two distinct targeting strategies - one focused on your existing customers, the other geared towards prospective new climbers - you can create a well-rounded Instagram advertising approach that drives meaningful growth for your climbing gym on multiple fronts.
Regularly evaluate campaign performance, test new targeting parameters, and make iterative optimizations to ensure your ads remain fresh, relevant, and effective at converting both current and future customers. With a data-driven, audience-centric targeting strategy, your climbing gym can maximize the impact of your Instagram ad spend and unlock sustainable long-term growth.
Reach out to the GrayMatter team to learn more about our comprehensive, full-service digital marketing solutions tailored specifically for the indoor climbing industry.
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