Strategi Word Of Mouth Dalam Meningkatkan Jumlah Member Baru: Studi Etnografi Pada Member Alif Gym Makassar

Abstrak

Word of Mouth (WOM) strategies have become a key driver in increasing the number of
new members at Alif Gym Makassar. This study uses an ethnographic approach to analyze how
WOM is formed, practiced, and interpreted by the gym's member community. Data were collected
through participant observation, in-depth interviews with 10 active members, and social media
content analysis. The results show that WOM at Alif Gym develops through four main mechanisms:
(1) personal recommendations as an emotional bridge to reduce anxiety among prospective
members, (2) visual practices such as social media posts as a form of social validation, (3) the role
of informal opinion leaders in disseminating healthy lifestyle innovations, and (4) WOM as a
symbol of solidarity and collective identity. These findings reinforce the theories of symbolic
interactionism (Blumer, 1969) and diffusion of innovation (Rogers, 2003), by demonstrating that
the power of WOM lies in the authenticity of experiences and the collective socio-cultural context
of the Bugis-Makassar community. This study provides practical implications for the fitness
industry to optimize community-based marketing strategies and interpersonal relationships