Latest / The Local Marketing Podcast with Fexingo: Small Business, Google Maps, and Local SEO / How a Local Gym Uses Google Maps Posts to Fill Classes
Transcript
- Lucas: There's this gym in Austin called Iron & Persistence. Small space, not a chain, maybe 200 members. And they have a class called 'The Forge' that fills up every single Tuesday and Thursday at 6 a.m. Luna: Six a.m. classes, fully booked — that's impressive. Are they doing something with Google Maps? Lucas: That's exactly what I wanted to talk about. They're using Google Business Profile posts in a really targeted way. Not just throwing up a generic 'come work out' message, but a three-post-per-week cadence that's basically a content calendar. Luna: Okay, I'm curious. Break down the cadence. Lucas: Here's the schedule. Monday morning at 7 a.m. they post the class schedule for the week. But it's not just a list — it's a photo of a handwritten whiteboard with class names and times, plus a short caption about the focus for each class. Luna: A handwritten whiteboard — that's low-tech. I like that. Lucas: Right, it feels authentic, like something the coach scribbled before the first client walked in. And the photo posts get way more engagement than text-only posts. Google's data shows photo posts get about 40 percent more clicks than text posts on Business Profiles. Luna: What do they post the other days? Lucas: Wednesday is member milestones. They feature someone who just hit a personal record or completed 50 classes. They post a photo of that member with a short quote. It's essentially social proof in a Google Maps listing. Luna: So potential customers scrolling through Google Maps see real people getting results. That's way more persuasive than a stock photo. Lucas: Exactly. And Friday they post a transformation story. Side-by-side photos of a member, before and after, with a few sentences about their journey. Those posts typically get the most saves and shares. Luna: Saves are a big deal on Google Maps. I think that's a signal for local rankings too. Lucas: So the pattern is: schedule on Monday, social proof on Wednesday, transformation on Friday. And they've been doing this for about six months now. The owner told me class attendance is up about 30 percent, and most new members mention seeing the Google Maps posts before signing up. Luna: If today's episode gave you a practical takeaway that you can actually use, that's exactly why we keep doing this. And the way we keep it ad-free is through listener support — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Just a simple way to say this content is worth keeping around. Lucas: Yeah, it really helps. So back to Iron & Persistence — one thing I found interesting is they don't just post and walk away. They actually respond to comments on those posts, even if the comment is just a thumbs-up emoji. That keeps the post active in the feed. Luna: Huh. So engagement begets more visibility inside the Business Profile. Lucas: Right. And they track which posts get the most clicks to the booking link. They found that posts with people's faces — especially smiling faces — perform three times better than posts showing just equipment or the gym space. Luna: That's a great data point. So it's really about the human element, not about fancy photography. Lucas: Exactly. Another thing: they integrate these posts with Instagram Stories. On Tuesday, they'll repost the Monday schedule to their Instagram Story with a 'link in bio' call to action. But the Google Maps post itself is the anchor — it's where people can directly book through the profile. Luna: So they're using Google Maps as the hub and social media as the distribution channel. That's clever. Lucas: Yeah. And it doesn't cost anything extra. The time investment is maybe 20 minutes a week for the owner to snap photos and write captions. But the consistency is key — if they miss a week, the booking rate drops noticeably. Luna: I want to circle back to the photo quality. You said they use a handwritten whiteboard. Are they doing anything else visually? Lucas: They use natural light for member photos, no filters. The owner told me they tried using a professional camera once, but the engagement was lower than with smartphone photos. People respond to authenticity. Luna: That's a lesson that applies to any local business. Don't overproduce your Google Maps posts. Lucas: One more thing: they always include a clear call to action in the post text. 'Book your spot now' or 'Reserve your spot for Tuesday's Forge class.' That direct link to the booking page on their website is what actually drives conversions. Luna: So it's not just about engagement — it's about conversion. And Google seems to reward that because the booking link gets clicked. Lucas: Exactly. And they monitor which call to action works best. 'Reserve now' outperformed 'Sign up' by about 15 percent in click-through rate. Luna: Interesting. So even small wording changes matter. Lucas: They do. And they also experiment with post timing. They initially posted at noon, but switched to 7 a.m. after noticing that morning posts get more engagement. Probably because people check their phones first thing. Luna: So the takeaway for any local service business is: pick a frequency, stick to it, use photos of real people, and include a clear call to action. Lucas: That's the short version. But Iron & Persistence shows that a small consistent effort on Google Maps posts can have a big impact on actual foot traffic and bookings. No paid ads, no complicated tools. Luna: Are there any pitfalls they've learned along the way? Lucas: Yeah, the owner mentioned that they used to post too often — five times a week — and it actually hurt engagement because people started ignoring the posts. Three times a week seems to be the sweet spot. Luna: So quality over quantity, even on a platform like Google Maps. Lucas: Right. And they avoid posting the same type of content twice in a row. The monday wednesday friday rhythm gives variety — schedule, success story, transformation. That keeps the feed fresh. Luna: I'm also thinking about seasonality. Do they adjust for summer versus winter? Lucas: Good question. They actually do. In January, they post more transformation stories to capitalize on New Year's resolutions. In summer, they emphasize outdoor bootcamp classes. The schedule adapts, but the three-post cadence stays the same. Luna: So the framework is durable, but the content shifts with demand. That's smart strategy. Lucas: It's also worth noting that they use Google Maps Insights to see which posts get the most views. That data feeds back into their content planning. If a member milestone post gets double the clicks of a transformation post, they'll do more of those. Luna: So they're basically running a tiny content lab inside their Google Business Profile. That's the kind of hands-on approach most businesses skip. Lucas: Exactly. And the result is a steady stream of new members who found them through Google Maps, not through paid ads. The owner told me they've spent exactly zero dollars on advertising this year, and membership is up 20 percent. Luna: That's a fantastic ROI for 20 minutes a week. I think a lot of local business owners don't realize the potential of Google Maps posts because they think they need a big content machine. Lucas: Right. And Iron & Persistence proves you don't. Just a smartphone, a whiteboard marker, and a consistent schedule. Next time you're searching for a gym on Google Maps, check the posts — you might see a handwritten schedule that actually makes you want to book a class. Luna: Alright, I'm sold. I might actually try this for my own local yoga studio. Lucas: Let us know if you do. And if you want more examples like this, you know where to find us.