Whether you manage a fitness center or specialize in nutritional supplements, you recognize the importance of staying healthy and exercising. Some of your customers are spending less time on the treadmill and more time hitting the pavement outdoor as they prepare for 5Ks, marathons and mountain-climbing trips.

This transition presents you with a fantastic opportunity to connect with these customers on a regular basis. One of the best ways to make that connection in an unobtrusive way is through SMS marketing. By inviting customers to sign up for SMS alerts, you can quickly build a subscriber base for sharing news on community runs, discounts at your gym and special sales on the products they’ll love.

Here are a few ways you can help exercise-conscious subscribers to your SMS feed:

• Share community events. Alert your subscribers to upcoming charity runs, fun exercise opportunities for kids and more. Become a trusted resource for information on getting outdoors and connecting with other athletes, whether amateur or professional.
• Offer insider tips. You know more about health and exercise than most people, so it’s only right that you share that knowledge. Give your subscribers insights into stretches they should perform at your gym before hitting the road, and point out healthy eating habits that will sustain them.
• Spotlight discounts. You might invite subscribers to tell a friend about your gym and provide a discounted membership fee for people who enroll based on that recommendation. Or you tell people about new coupons for the supplements you sell. Help customers unlock hidden savings.

Whatever tactics you put into place this spring, make it a great season by aligning with customers over exercise. You can encourage good health, community-mindedness and foot traffic at your business (real or virtual) all at once.