Beyond Paid Ads: 3 Organic Marketing Tactics That Drive Results with Kaitlin Bitting

Beyond Paid Ads: 3 Organic Marketing Tactics That Drive Results with Kaitlin Bitting

Paid media is getting more expensive and less predictable. So what do you do instead? Kaitlin Bitting just joined Alloy as Director of Marketing, and she comes with agency experience, time at Campbell's Soup, and a front-row seat inside another major fitness franchise. Rick Mayo brought her on the podcast six weeks into the job, and the conversation landed somewhere useful: three organic marketing tactics that franchisees can start executing this week without touching their ad budget. The first is community partnerships, done right. Not the kind where you slap a flyer in someone's window and call it a day. Rick's Fleet Feet playbook is the template: leverage each other's email lists, put physical presence in each other's locations for 30 days, run a joint educational event, and track everything with a unique QR code. One campaign generated 60 leads and 40 new members. The second is referrals, which convert at 90% and most owners still never ask for. The third is Google Business Profile, which 76% of customers check before they ever visit a location, and which now influences how LLMs surface your business in AI search results. Rick also shares what happened when someone left a scathing review for a location they had never visited, and why the response he wrote became one of his better PR moments. Playbooks for all three are on the way for Alloy franchisees. This episode is the preview. Key Takeaways: 00:00 The Referral Conversion Rate Is 90% 00:38 Welcome Kaitlin Bitting, Director of Marketing 02:54 Kaitlin Bitting's Background: Agency, Campbell's, Fitness Franchise 04:32 Why Alloy's Model Stood Out 06:54 Why Organic Marketing Matters More Now 08:12 Strategy 1: Community Partnerships 09:46 Make It Mutually Beneficial or Do Not Bother 10:00 The Fleet Feet Playbook: 3 Steps, 60 Leads, 40 New Members 16:00 Build a Partnership Calendar for the Year 19:00 Track Every Partnership with a Unique QR Code 20:00 Playbooks Are Coming for Alloy Franchisees 21:14 Strategy 2: Referrals 23:46 Ask at the Moment They Sign Up 25:38 John Herrera's Presale: One Third of 150 Members from Referrals 26:54 Joe: The Best Referral Culture We've Ever Seen 30:16 You Are 20% More Likely to Stick If a Friend Is in the Program 33:34 Strategy 3: Google Reviews and Google Business Profile 35:24 Respond to 75% of Reviews and Your Rating Jumps Half a Star 38:46 The Fake Negative Review Rick Turned Into a PR Win 40:40 Treat Google Business Profile Like a Social Media Account 43:42 LLMs Are Pulling from Google. Keep Your Profile Current. 44:28 5.8 Million Searches Per Minute. Half with Local Intent. 47:06 Whisper Marketing and Building Long-Term Community Equity ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: - Alloy Personal Training [https://alloypersonaltraining.com/] - Learn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity [https://alloyfranchise.com/] --------- You can find the podcast on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alloy-personal-training-business/id1477274225], Google [https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9feE0ySnAwTw%3D%3D], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5hgUCzsWGcZNiyorfg21RzE?si=PUcwa4wASsWNnC85kLez9A], Stitcher [https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=456592&refid=stpr], or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alloy-personal-training-business/id1477274225]! To learn more about the Alloy Personal Training Franchise Opportunity, visit 👉 http://bit.ly/alloy_franchise [http://bit.ly/alloy_franchise]

The Price of Discounting: Why Cheaper Isn't Better with Matt Helland

If you run a premium fitness business, discounting is not a sales tool. It is a confidence problem with a price tag on it. In this episode, Rick Mayo and Matt Helland break down the psychology behind why fitness business owners discount, and why it almost never has anything to do with what the customer actually needs. They cover the five reasons people drop their prices, from lack of conviction and fear of rejection to short-term revenue pressure and discounting as a substitute for actual sales skill, and explain why every single one of them costs you more than the discount ever saved. Rick also shares the math: a 20% presale discount held across 100 members for a year is $120,000 in straight profit you gave away for free. To people who would have paid full price anyway. If you are in a premium category, this one is worth your time. Listen in to find out why holding your price is one of the best things you can do for your business and your members. Key Takeaways: 00:00 The Foot on the Gas Is Not Your Price 00:38 Back in the Beats Lab 01:28 Why Premium Pricing Belongs at the Top of Boutique Fitness 02:38 Higher Prices Attract Better Members 03:46 The Motorcycle Jacket That Proves the Psychology 06:26 Suzanne Paid $700 a Month in 1994 09:18 Why Discounting Is Never a Consumer Problem 10:00 The Five Reasons Owners Discount 10:12 Reason 1: Lack of Conviction 15:44 Reason 2: Fear of Rejection 20:04 Reason 3: Desire for Approval 21:54 Reason 4: Short-Term Revenue Pressure 27:22 Reason 5: Discounting as a Substitute for Sales Skill 31:20 The $120,000 You Gave Away for Free 34:48 Four Questions to Ask Before You Ever Drop Your Price ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: - Alloy Personal Training [https://alloypersonaltraining.com/] - Learn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity [https://alloyfranchise.com/] --------- You can find the podcast on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alloy-personal-training-business/id1477274225], Google [https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9feE0ySnAwTw%3D%3D], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5hgUCzsWGcZNiyorfg21RzE?si=PUcwa4wASsWNnC85kLez9A], Stitcher [https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=456592&refid=stpr], or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alloy-personal-training-business/id1477274225]! To learn more about the Alloy Personal Training Franchise Opportunity, visit 👉 http://bit.ly/alloy_franchise [http://bit.ly/alloy_franchise]

Make Summer Count: Key Actions for Success with Matt Helland

July is the slowest month in fitness. Everyone knows it. The question is what you do about it. Rick Mayo and Matt Helland sit back down in the Beats Lab for one of their unscripted conversations about what it actually looks like to run a great personal training studio when the season is working against you. No guest, no slides, just two people who have been doing this for decades talking through what works. They get into three things you can start doing right now: getting ahead of your members before their schedules fall apart, running a student and teacher special that brings new people in the door at exactly the right time, and a social campaign called Where's Waldo that one of Alloy's top franchisees has turned into one of the best retention and culture tools in the system. Rick also tells the story of Kathy — a client who sat across from him every month for the better part of a year, never once followed his advice, and still became one of his clearest examples of why showing up for people is the whole job. Listen in. You can start using all of this the day you hear it. KEY TAKEAWAYS: 00:00 If It Becomes Transactional, You Have Already Lost 00:46 Back in the Beats Lab 02:38 Why July Is the Hardest Month in Fitness 06:02 Strategy 1: Have the Summer Schedule Conversation Now 08:22 Do Not Let Them Off the Hook 10:54 The Kathy Story 13:10 Why Alloy Members Do Not Count Sessions 17:38 Strategy 2: Student and Teacher Summer Specials 21:50 The Private School Play and the Scholarship Contest 24:32 Strategy 3: Where's Waldo 28:18 Why Jolson Does It Better Than Anyone 29:14 Wrap Up: Three Things You Can Start Today ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: - Alloy Personal Training [https://alloypersonaltraining.com/] - Learn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity [https://alloyfranchise.com/] --------- You can find the podcast on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alloy-personal-training-business/id1477274225], Google [https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9feE0ySnAwTw%3D%3D], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5hgUCzsWGcZNiyorfg21RzE?si=PUcwa4wASsWNnC85kLez9A], Stitcher [https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=456592&refid=stpr], or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alloy-personal-training-business/id1477274225]! To learn more about the Alloy Personal Training Franchise Opportunity, visit 👉 http://bit.ly/alloy_franchise [http://bit.ly/alloy_franchise]

He Built a 7-Figure Gym Marketing Company from His Mom's Basement with JP Middleton

JP Middleton started his company out of his mom's basement at 21. No clients, no experience, and no idea what he was getting into. Eight years later, Gym Members Now is a seven-figure operation working with hundreds of fitness businesses, and JP just joined the Alloy vendor network. In this episode, Alloy founder Rick Mayo sits down with JP to find out what GMN actually does differently. The answer is not the ads. It is everything that happens before and after the ads that most marketing vendors completely ignore: activating dead leads in your existing database, answering missed calls with AI, chasing reviews and turning them into referrals, and following up with new leads within five minutes instead of the industry average of 42 hours. JP also breaks down the three things that genuinely set GMN apart, why word of mouth is still the only real proof that your business is working, and what he learned about fitness marketing from working inside chiropractic offices, med spas, and roofing companies. If you are an Alloy franchisee or an independent gym owner wondering why your marketing spend is not converting, this episode has your answer. Listen in to find out what a real lead-to-member system looks like. KEY TAKEAWAYS: 00:00 Your Fault or Our Problem? 02:44 Mom's Basement to Seven Figures 04:42 Why Gym Owners Hire the Wrong Help 07:22 What Makes GMN Different 08:56 Testing on Real Gyms Before Touching Yours 12:04 Cross-Industry Intel from Chiropractors to Roofers 12:46 From Marketing Agency to AI Agency 13:44 98% Check Reviews. Only 9% Ask for Them. 15:22 Mining Dead Leads Before Spending on Ads 16:22 62% of Calls Go Unanswered 17:00 The Harvard Study: Follow Up in 5 Minutes or Lose the Lead 18:46 Two Camps: Blame the Owner or Handle It 23:40 The One Thing Every New Business Owner Needs to Hear 26:28 Shoutout to Andy Gundlach and How It All Came Full Circle 28:08 Last Meal: Dairy Queen, Death Row, and Two Blizzards ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: - Alloy Personal Training [https://alloypersonaltraining.com/] - Learn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity [https://alloyfranchise.com/] --------- You can find the podcast on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alloy-personal-training-business/id1477274225], Google [https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9feE0ySnAwTw%3D%3D], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5hgUCzsWGcZNiyorfg21RzE?si=PUcwa4wASsWNnC85kLez9A], Stitcher [https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=456592&refid=stpr], or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alloy-personal-training-business/id1477274225]! To learn more about the Alloy Personal Training Franchise Opportunity, visit 👉 http://bit.ly/alloy_franchise [http://bit.ly/alloy_franchise] #AlloyPersonalTrainingPodcast #FranchiseOwnership #BusinessLeadership

The Fractional CMO Advantage: Scaling Smarter with Erin Levzow

What does it look like to have a world-class CMO in your corner without the full-time price tag? In this episode, Alloy founder Rick Mayo sits down with Erin Levzow, CMO at CapitalSpring, to talk about the real value of fractional marketing leadership. Erin has held CMO roles at Wingstop, Freebirds, Museum of Ice Cream, and Marcus Hotels, and now works across the full CapitalSpring portfolio to help franchise brands build stronger marketing systems and better internal teams. She and Rick dig into how she mentors marketers inside growing companies, why most franchisees make the mistake of betting everything on one marketing channel, and what the faucet-and-bucket analogy tells you about why your spend is or is not working. They also talk about the human connection at the core of the Alloy model and why that matters more than ever in an AI-driven world. If you are building a franchise brand or trying to get more out of your marketing team, this episode is worth your time. Listen in to learn what great franchise marketing leadership actually looks like. KEY TAKEAWAYS: 00:00 There Is No Silver Bullet 02:48 From Vegas Dead-Body Apartment to CMO 05:00 Wingstop, Museum of Ice Cream and the Road to CapitalSpring 07:32 Why CapitalSpring Recruited Erin onto Their Own Team 09:26 What a Fractional CMO Actually Does Day to Day 13:04 The Cyclical Relationship Between Franchisees and Customers 16:42 Why Alloy Stood Out as a Marketing Story 17:36 Mentoring Marketers Who Want to Do Everything Themselves 21:06 The Faucet and Bucket: Why Dripping Does Not Work 23:36 Do Not Get Drunk on Digital 25:16 The Karaoke Question ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: - Alloy Personal Training [https://alloypersonaltraining.com/] - Learn About The Alloy Franchise Opportunity [https://alloyfranchise.com/] --------- You can find the podcast on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alloy-personal-training-business/id1477274225], Google [https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9feE0ySnAwTw%3D%3D], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5hgUCzsWGcZNiyofg21RzE?si=PUcwa4wASsWNnC85kLez9A], Stitcher [https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=456592&refid=stpr], or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alloy-personal-training-business/id1477274225]! To learn more about the Alloy Personal Training Franchise Opportunity, visit 👉 http://bit.ly/alloy_franchise [http://bit.ly/alloy_franchise]