By Kristians, Founder, AutoAdy. Six years buying Meta ads — first for agency clients, then for his own ecommerce and lead-gen brands.
Last updated:
What changed: Made the first H2 a question, dropped a benchmark citation we could not verify, and added the fatigue forecast.
Facebook ads cost gyms $10-25 per free trial signup. January sees lowest CPAs ($8-15) from resolution demand, while summer averages $18-30. Offer-based campaigns (free week, $1 first month) outperform brand-awareness ads by 4x in lead generation.
Key Takeaways
January is cheapest ($8-15 CPA) — increase budget 2-3x. Feb-April steady at $12-20. Summer most expensive at $18-30. September secondary spike. Plan 40% of annual budget for Q1, scale back in summer, ramp in September.
Top offers: free 7-day pass (lowest CPA), $1 first month (best quality), 'bring a friend free' (viral potential). Avoid discounting long-term memberships — attracts deal-seekers with high churn. Include expiration dates for urgency.
Target 5-10 mile radius with fitness, CrossFit, yoga, or weight loss interests. Exclude current members via email list. 'Recently moved' targeting captures gym-seekers. Transformation testimonials convert 2.5x better than facility tours.
Figures below come from Meta ad accounts AutoAdy has audited or monitors. They are directional, not a controlled study.
FAQ
Budget $1,000-3,000/month per location. At $15 avg CPA with 30-40% trial-to-member conversion, expect 20-80 new members monthly.
Free 7-day pass generates most leads at lowest CPA. $1 first month attracts higher quality. Track which produces members staying past 90 days.
Spike 2-3x in January and September when demand surges. Pull back June-August. Run reactivation campaigns to lapsed members during slow periods.
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