Marketing for Iowa City gyms, studios and local businesses

Iowa City runs on the school calendar

Iowa City had 74,828 people in the 2020 Census. On top of that, the University of Iowa has 31,382 students in classes this fall, including 5,266 new students. When that many people arrive and leave on a set schedule, your marketing should follow it.

Here's how we plan the year for a gym or studio in town:

• Late August and September. Students move in and look for a place to work out. Run a clear first-visit offer near campus, booked into a real class time.
• November and December. Build up the people who watched your videos. Finals and winter break slow down student-heavy gyms.
• January. New Year's goals and the start of spring semester land close together. For most gyms it's the biggest push of the year. Our January Rush Pack gets videos, a January campaign and text follow-up ready before January 1.
• May through August. Many students leave. Shift your ads toward year-round residents in Coralville, North Liberty and the rest of Johnson County, with early-morning and after-work class times.

Students and residents need different ads

A student wants to know if you're close to campus, if the price fits a semester and when you're open late. A parent in North Liberty wants a 5:30am class and a place to park. We write separate ads for each and send each one to the right offer.

We follow Meta's rules on personal attributes, so ads talk about your gym and your offer, never about the viewer. "Semester membership, five minutes from campus" is fine. Questions about someone's body, health or money are not.

Iowa City was also named the first UNESCO City of Literature in the United States, in 2008. People here notice lazy or overblown words, so we write plainly and only use real, public reviews.

What we run for you

• Short videos, 12 a month on our main plan. Our creators record them speaking as your gym, or you send phone clips and we edit them. We never film at your location, and you approve every script.
• Meta ads in your own ad account, with 30+ ad versions a month. You pay Meta directly, with no markup.
• A landing page where people pick a class time without calling.
• Lead follow-up: a text from your gym's name from 9am to 8pm in the lead's time zone, an instant email outside those hours, and reminders before every class. Here's why reply speed matters.

Not a gym? The same system works for salons, barbers, med spas (booking and consult language only) and home services. Our full gym playbook is on the gyms and fitness studios page.

Pricing and guarantees

Founding Partner is $1,500 a month for our first 5 clients in November, with a 3-month minimum and no setup fee. Once those spots fill, the plan is $2,500 a month plus $1,500 setup. Ad spend is separate and paid by you to Meta. Details on pricing.

Before your ads start, we set a booked-trial target for your first 30 days of ads, worked out from your ad budget. For a gym spending $1,500 or more, it's 20 booked trials. Miss it, and month two's fee is waived.

Questions

Should my gym market to students or residents?

Usually both, with different ads and offers. Students matter most in the fall and January; residents keep you steady in summer.

When should an Iowa City gym run ads?

All year, with budget moved around the school calendar. Start getting ready for January, most gyms' biggest month, in November.

Should I offer a free trial or a paid intro pack?

Most general gyms do best with a free first class or free week booked into a set time. Pilates, yoga and barre studios often do better with a small paid starter pack, because spots are limited.

Can you text students who sign up?

Only if they opted in on the form. Every first text names your gym, STOP and HELP always work, and texts only go out from 9am to 8pm in the lead's time zone.

Do you work with businesses in Coralville and North Liberty?

Yes, and in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines too. Ads can cover the whole area your customers drive from.

Can we meet in person?

Part of our team lives in Iowa City, but we work remote-first, so calls are by phone or video. On a 12-month plan, we book a professional studio for a half-day shoot and come direct it with you.