Gym marketing works when people can see the price, the feel of the place and the way out before they ever walk in. Fitness and gym is Australia's second most popular physical activity, after walking, so most suburbs have plenty of choice. And trouble cancelling is the most common complaint WA's consumer regulator gets about fitness providers. The gyms and studios that are upfront about joining and leaving earn trust that discounts can't buy.
Written by Dan Picken, founder. Last checked 6 November 2026.The rank comes from AusPlay 2024-25 and the 28% from AusPlay data to December 2024, both published by the Australian Sports Commission. Spend and attendance come from a Canstar survey of more than 1,300 gym-goers. Lots of people train, they pay every week or month, and a quarter aren't getting what they planned. That gap is where members leave, and where honest marketing wins.
How people choose a gym
Something sets it off: a new year, a health scare, a mate who keeps talking about their class. Then they look nearby, check photos and reviews, hunt for the real price and the fine print, and try a session before they commit.
The psychology
Joining a gym is a bet on your future self. These are the doubts behind 'I'll think about it'.
01
People know the story of the unused membership. In 2026, 1 in 4 gym-goers said they go less often than planned, and inactive gym memberships were the priciest unused subscription in one survey, averaging $93 a month.
Show them: How you help new members build the habit in the first month: an induction, a plan, a check-in.
02
Cancelling is the complaint WA's regulator hears most about fitness providers. People have heard the stories, and they bring them to your front desk.
Show them: The minimum term, the notice period and how to cancel, on the price page in plain words.
03
A low weekly fee can sit on top of a joining fee, an access card and a 12-month term. WA's code makes gyms disclose the total minimum cost publicly, so people don't have to meet a salesperson to find it.
Show them: The weekly fee, every other fee and the total for the minimum term, side by side.
04
Most people train for their health: in AusPlay data, 85% of fitness and gym participants gave physical health or fitness as a reason. An ad full of sculpted bodies can tell a beginner the place isn't for them.
Show them: Real members of different ages and fitness levels, and what a first session looks like.
05
Fitness brands come and go. One 2023 count found a big franchise's website listed 111 fewer locations than a year earlier, while other brands grew. Someone paying for 12 months wants to know you're staying.
Show them: How long you've been open, who the trainers are and what qualifications they hold.
From my audits
These are the patterns that come up most in gym and studio marketing, and the first things I'd check.
Ads that say 'no contract' or 'no lock-in' while the sign-up form has a minimum term, a notice period or an exit fee.
Websites that say 'enquire for pricing', so people compare you with the gym down the road that shows its prices.
'First week free' or '$1 trial' ads that don't say what the membership costs afterwards, or that it starts automatically.
Before-and-after shots in Facebook and Instagram ads for weight loss challenges, which Meta's health and appearance policy lists as non-compliant.
Classes, personal training, 24/7 access and kids' programs crammed onto one page, so nothing matches the search someone actually typed.
Membership terms check
Enter your membership terms as they are today. It checks them against your state's fitness code, if it has one, and the national rules. Checked on 6 November 2026. The starting values are made up.
Verdict
-
A marketer's check against the published rules, not legal advice. Codes change, so check the regulator's page for your state before you change your terms.
AI search
People ask AI tools things like 'best reformer pilates near Gosford for beginners' or 'which gyms in Newcastle have no joining fee'. Google says its AI features run several related searches at once to build one answer, and that no special markup is needed. Clear, current facts about your classes, prices and terms are what get picked up.
AI tools can only repeat what they can find. If your timetable, prices and cancelling terms aren't on a page, the answer comes from someone else's page, or from a review.
Google says Business Profiles can help businesses appear in AI responses. Hours, 24/7 access, class types and photos all count, so keep them accurate.
What to do now
My take: AI tools favour the gym that answers the boring questions. Price, parking, beginners, cancelling. Most gyms skip them, which is exactly why answering them works.
Australian rules
There's no single national fitness code. The Australian Consumer Law applies everywhere, and some states add their own codes on top. Checked on 6 November 2026.
The NSW Government's guide for fitness businesses gives good-practice tips, not a binding code: list every fee, make cancelling simple, don't pressure people to sign on the spot. NSW's pre-paid fitness fees law was repealed in 2015.
The ACCC has warned that 'No Contracts' is likely misleading if members must give written notice, pay during a notice period, pay in advance or pay to leave.
Since 9 November 2023, businesses using unfair terms in standard contracts like gym memberships face penalties of up to $50 million or more.
New laws start on 1 July 2027: if people can join online, they must be able to cancel online, and they get notices before renewals and when intro deals end. A gym membership is a textbook example of the subscriptions covered.
WA's mandatory code gives a 7-day cooling-off period and cancelling by email. Queensland's gives 48 hours and caps minimum terms at 18 months. The ACT's new code started on 9 January 2026.
Meta lists before-and-after weight loss images and zoomed-in body shots as non-compliant when an ad promotes weight loss. General fitness images are fine.
A marketer's summary, not legal advice. The full set is on the gym and fitness advertising rules page.
The channel mix
The gyms and fitness hub
Only if it's true. The ACCC has said 'No Contracts' is likely misleading where members must give written notice, pay during a notice period, pay in advance or pay a fee to leave.
Not a mandatory one. The NSW Government's guide for fitness businesses sets out good practice, and the Australian Consumer Law applies. WA, Queensland and the ACT have their own fitness codes.
It depends on the state. WA's code gives 7 days, Queensland's gives 48 hours, and the ACT's gives 7 days for memberships of 3 months or more. NSW sets no gym cooling-off period, though its guide suggests offering one, or an obligation-free trial.
On Facebook and Instagram, Meta lists before-and-after weight loss images as non-compliant when an ad promotes weight loss. Anywhere else, the photos must not mislead, and the ACCC has acted on weight loss and toning claims a business couldn't back up.
Yes, from 1 July 2027, if people can sign up online. The new unfair trading practices laws require online cancellation in that case, plus notices before renewals.
Make the decision easy. Be findable for the class and the suburb, show the full price and terms, show real members, and offer a trial with clear terms. Then follow up quickly with everyone who tries. The how people choose a gym page goes through each step.
Keep going
Takes a minute. Audits come back within 1 to 2 business days. For anything else, I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
What happens next