Making the most of group buying

Bonfire Health, a Queensland-based wellness business offering yoga classes, massages and chiropractic services, managed to convert 60% of voucher buyers into new members.

With group buying websites having emerged as a significant sector in online shopping, operators across the leisure industry have sought to reach new markets and customers with a variety of 'deals of the day.

And while group buying has not always been a satisfactory experience for businesses and consumers, the experience of Bonfire Health, a wellness business in Brown Plains, Queensland, shows the opportunities that this low cost marketing platform presents.

Bonfire Health Business Manager, Kassia Bennett engaged group buying to spread word-of-mouth, kick start her customer base, and lock in annual memberships. Here she explains her experience and gives her advice for other leisure industry professionals considering this as a marketing platform.

Bennett explains "we opened our doors at Bonfire Health just over a year ago with the aim of bringing wellness to the local community.

"We provide yoga classes, massages and chiropractic services in our state-of-the-art facility based in Brown Plains. The opening of our location followed the success of two of Bonfire's other facilities based in Jindalee and Parkwood.

"While yoga is a spiritual and ascetic discipline that has been available at health facilities for decades, many remain unfamiliar with what the technique entails and why it's beneficial for mind and body. As a result, some are wary of signing up to block bookings or even approaching a facility at all. Add a twist like hot yoga to the mix and people lose all confidence completely.

"What we needed to do was source a low cost marketing platform that would target our audience directly to educate them and create a call to action for them to visit the facility. We knew that once we had people through the door we would be able to provide them with a life changing experience that would almost guarantee their return. It would also encourage them to spread the word around the local community. That's when group buying came into the mix.

"I had heard various success stories of businesses that had launched through group buying and also of others who had used the marketing platform to maintain customer numbers through quieter periods. I approached the team at LivingSocial with the criteria that I needed to meet, my target of where I wanted to be, and the perception of Bonfire that I wanted to create.

"Together with my sales manager at LivingSocial, I created my first deal, one month of unlimited hot yoga for $29, usually $190. The deal outlined the benefits of hot yoga, the location, and linked through to other options available at the facility.

"We run a pretty tight ship here at Bonfire so I knew that my staff would be able to handle the influx of customers as a result of the deal. My advice to other leisure facilities intending to run the deal would be to ensure that they have all their resources in order prior to launching. The last thing you want is to have unhappy customers as a result of poorly managed staff rosters or insufficient products to satisfy.

"Businesses also need to be alert to the fact that getting people through the door is only half the job, its what you do when they are in front of you that encourages them to return. At no point were any of my customers, whether they purchased a deal or not, treated like second class citizens. Everyone was given superior service.

"Customer service is something that is invaluable to a business. At Bonfire, it goes further than quick service and good manners. We work to create a community with our customers by chatting with them and creating a personal connection. At the end of every session we encourage customers to visit the organic smoothie bar, lounge on our couches, read a magazine or chat to other members.

"This custom

http://www.bonfireyoga.com.au