Mike Holgate

Mike had just opened Applied Martial Arts, an MMA gym in Chester, and was looking for help filling his adult classes. With a solid kids program already in place, he needed the same traction on the adult side.

That’s where Flare came in, crafting a strategy to attract the right audience and turn interest into memberships. See how we made it happen.

CLIENT OVERVIEW

Mike had just opened Applied Martial Arts, a brand-new MMA gym in Chester. His kids' program was already off to a strong start, but the adult classes? That’s where traction was still missing. He needed more consistent interest, more sign-ups, and a system that would bring in adults ready to commit, not just trial and ghost.

That’s where Flare stepped in.

We built a campaign that brought in serious leads, introduced the very first version of our FlareChat™ group system, and helped Mike fill those mats.

ACTIONS TAKEN

The strategy focused on one core outcome: filling Mike’s adult MMA classes with committed members, not just casual browsers.

Here’s how we executed:

1. Targeted Ads & Lead Generation


We built out a direct-response Meta campaign targeted specifically at adults in Chester looking to get into MMA, whether for fitness, self-defence, or progression. While lead costs were slightly higher than our cheapest, we knew that didn’t matter if conversion was tight, and it was.

2. FlareChat™ | The First Trial


This was the first campaign where we introduced the FlareChat™ system, a private group chat between Mike (the client), his dedicated Pipeline Manager, and Oscar (Flare Founder). The result? Immediate coordination, real-time lead handling, and total visibility.

Leads were:


✅ Called immediately
✅ Prequalified and pre-closed
✅ Sent reminders and follow-ups
✅ Tracked through the CRM in real time

Even with higher CPLs, the show rate and close rate made the campaign more than worth it.

Operational Support


As leads came in, we helped Mike tighten the process inside the gym too, suggesting simple tweaks to how consultations were run and what follow-up structure looked like once someone visited.

TAKEAWAYS

Mike’s campaign showed us something crucial: lead cost alone doesn’t matter if your backend is dialled in.

✅ Strong conversions, high show-up rates, and valuable, committed adult members
✅ And most importantly, it was our first time using FlareChat™, which quickly proved itself to be a game-changer for communication, speed, and control.

From this point on, every client got a FlareChat group. And we’ve never looked back.

For a brand-new gym launching in a competitive market, Mike built traction fast, and laid the groundwork for a strong adult program that now stands alongside his already successful kids’ classes.

General Inquiry?

If you have a general inquiry and would like

to speak to our expert team, you can contact us via email at:

oscar@flareinteractive.co

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