How Orangetheory Fitness Took Their Brand to the Next Level with Social Media Marketing

In just over a decade, Orangetheory Fitness has exploded from a single studio in Florida to a global fitness phenomenon with over 1,400 locations worldwide. While their innovative heart rate-based interval training concept certainly struck a chord with consumers, it's Orangetheory's savvy marketing strategy that has fueled their incredible growth. And social media has played a starring role.

Combining Corporate Muscle with Local Hustle

From the beginning, Orangetheory's marketing has focused on building brand buzz both nationally and locally. On the corporate level, Orangetheory has invested heavily in digital marketing channels like social media advertising, SEO, and content marketing to build awareness and drive trial.

But they also recognized the importance of empowering their franchisees to be active marketers in their own communities. Each Orangetheory studio has its own localized Facebook and Instagram presence, managed by the franchise owner or a local marketing coordinator.

Corporate provides these local teams with a constant stream of fresh creative assets, post templates, and best practices to maintain brand consistency - while giving them the flexibility to customize content for their unique market and members. This "freedom within a framework" approach has been key to Orangetheory's social media success.

Making Members the Stars

A scroll through any Orangetheory studio's social feed reveals their secret weapon: their members. Orangetheory's social media is filled with user-generated content, from sweaty post-workout selfies to heartfelt testimonials about how the program has changed lives.

Orangetheory makes it easy for members to share their experiences by providing plenty of Instagram-worthy photo opps in their studios, like bright orange lockers and neon quote walls. They also regularly prompt members to post using branded hashtags like #KeepBurning and #MoreSplat.

By featuring real members front and center in their social media, Orangetheory has built a fiercely loyal brand community. And that online engagement translates into serious offline results. Orangetheory members who engage with the brand on social media visit 30% more frequently and have 20% higher retention rates.

Igniting Local Market Buzz

Orangetheory also empowers franchisees to use social media to drive local market activations. For example, to fuel buzz for new studio openings, franchisees run social media contests inviting followers to tag friends for a chance to win free memberships. This helps attract a wave of new trials from day one.

Studios also partner with local social media influencers to get the word out to new audiences. Orangetheory's corporate team helps identify and vet potential influencers, negotiates contract terms, and provides post guidelines to ensure brand safety. But franchisees get to choose the specific partners that are the best fit for their market.

This focus on localized social media marketing, layered on top of Orangetheory's national brand building efforts, has been a key driver of their rapid franchise growth. In fact, more than 50% of new memberships now come from referrals, many of them originating on social media.

"Our franchisees are our best marketers," says Orangetheory Fitness CMO Brandon Bennett. "By giving them the tools and creative freedom to authentically engage their local communities on social media, they've been instrumental in driving our explosive growth."

Lessons for Fitness Franchisors

So what can other fitness franchisors learn from Orangetheory's social media success? Here are a few key takeaways:

1. Develop a clear brand voice and visual identity that can be consistently executed across all franchise locations, while still allowing for localization.

2. Provide franchisees with a steady stream of on-brand creative assets and post templates to make local social media marketing turn-key.

3. Encourage user-generated content by making it easy and fun for members to share their experiences on social media. Incorporate member content into your brand social feeds.

4. Empower franchisees to tap into local opportunities like social media influencer partnerships and community events to drive buzz and trials.

5. Use social media ads and retargeting to amplify reach and conversion. Complement organic efforts with a paid strategy to optimize performance.

   
   

The bottom line? In today's age, social media is a non-negotiable for fitness franchisors looking to scale their brand. By striking the right balance of corporate support and franchisee autonomy, and keeping members at the heart of it all, Orangetheory has built a social media engine that is driving serious business results.

As the fitness franchise space continues to heat up, those that follow Orangetheory's lead in prioritizing social media will be well-positioned to break away from the pack. It's time to get #social and #keepburning.