Let's get personal...Are you in heat?

I wasn't being weird, just inspired by a question I was asked in a Meta chat group. So, what am I talking about, I’m talking about foot traffic heat maps, which is the one of the most important albeit one of the most underutilized tools gyms and fitness studios should be using to understand where people are moving in their area and how they’re spending their time. Keep reading so I can "walk"(see what I did there) you through this.

Here’s the deal: Location matters more than just being “near a busy street.” Foot traffic heat maps give you real data on patterns like peak activity times, how often people pass by your location, and what businesses are driving traffic nearby. If you’re looking to grow or scale, knowing where the foot traffic flows is like predicting the future.

So, why should you care?

👉 Better targeting: Get specific about where your members are and where they’re going when they aren’t with you.

👉 Smarter marketing: Focus your efforts (and budget) on high-traffic areas, both in-person and digitally.

👉 Growth potential: Expand into neighborhoods where the data proves there’s untapped potential for memberships.

Bottom line: The more you know about how people move, the better decisions you’ll make. And if you’re not using heat maps, you’re leaving too much to chance.

Check out the link to see this in real time. It's a map of LA and the traffic areas get throughout the day. As areas get redder, the higher the traffic. Pretty...cool?