What Is a Marketing Funnel? (Gym Edition)

Digital Marketing
Written By David Dunten

Picture this, my fellow marketing swolemates: you’re mid-set at the gym when someone new walks through the doors. They look a little nervous. It’s their first time here. But something brought them in. Just like you don’t stumble into a gym by accident, they followed a path to get here. In marketing, we call that path a marketing funnel. But what is a marketing funnel? And can it help you attract new customers, just like your gym did for this new person?

Step 1: Awareness— Get Them Through the Door

How do you build a marketing funnel? The first step is to ensure that a potential customer actually is aware of your brand's existence and what it has to offer. This involves using broad strategies to reach as large an audience as possible.

Strategies:

  • SEO & Content: Blog posts, videos, Instagram Reels, or Google

  • Paid Ads: Facebook, Instagram, or Google Ads targeting your ideal demographic.

  • PR & Community Events: Sponsorships, workshops, or charity events that increase visibility.

For example, our new gymgoer might have seen a blog post about the gym you frequent on Google when searching for ‘best local gyms’ or stumbled on an Instagram reel about a member’s transformation. This is what put your local gym on her radar.

Step 2: Consideration—Show Them You’re the Best Choice

Step two of building a marketing funnel is when your potential customer starts researching. They look for solutions to their problems, comparing your services to those of a competitor.

Strategies:

  • Share testimonials or success stories of satisfied customers.

  • Publish comparison guides vs. your company’s competitors.

  • Send marketing emails highlighting benefits or free trials. Engage with them!

At this stage, our new gymgoer might be struggling to decide between CrossFit (the path of evil), weightlifting, or cardio. You need to make your brand stand out and prove to them that you are the solution to their problem! Don’t let them do CrossFit!

Step 3: Conversion— Make Commitment Easy

At this third stage, you need to make it as easy as possible for your potential customer to commit. Offer a clear, irresistible call-to-action.

Strategies:

  • Offer limited-time promotions or free trial classes.

  • Simplify sign-up forms and reduce friction.

  • Encourage a first win: maybe a free consultation with a trainer or a “starter workout” that leaves them energized.

Conversion isn’t just the first sale—it’s making them feel confident and happy with their choice. For our new gymgoer, it is making sure that their first session is motivating and smooth. Make them feel confident about coming back.

Step 4: Retention— Keep them Engaged

The funnel doesn’t end when someone becomes a customer. You want your customer to feel like part of a community.

Strategies:

  • Regular check-ins: automated reminders

  • Exclusive content: Member-only classes, newsletters, or social media groups.

  • Loyalty programs & referrals: Incentivize continued engagement.

Members feel like part of a community, celebrating wins and motivating each other to stay. Remember, happy, engaged customers are more likely to become repeat buyers—and even advocates for your brand.

Final Thoughts: Every Funnel is Unique

Others might tell you that if you follow the steps above, your marketing funnel will be perfect. But just like everyone’s fitness journey, every marketer’s situation is different. At a large company, you might have access to tools like paid ads, SEMrush, HubSpot, or Salesforce — the equivalent of training at a commercial or high-class gym with every machine you could want. But many marketers work at smaller companies with tighter budgets, or even on their own. Not every business provides the same tools, and that’s okay. Frustrating at times—but okay.

At the end of the day, building a marketing funnel is just like building muscle—you don’t get results overnight, and everyone’s routine looks a little different. Some marketers have all the fancy “machines” (big budgets, big teams, big tools), while others make huge gains with just the basics (you can do a full body workout with just a dumbbell!).

What matters is that you keep showing up, testing, and improving one rep at a time. 💪

David Dunten