Which one are you?
There are two types of gyms in the world: those that let new members in the door and then leave them to their own devices; and those that engage gym members so they stay longer, spend more money, and send their friends.
Let’s HOPE you’re on the “engage gym members” team! Either way, you probably sometimes find yourself needing ideas about how to do that. That’s what this post is all about.
But first, let’s establish a few points about how important it is for you to engage gym members if you want a successful fitness business.
Why You Must Engage Gym Members
The short answer is: It’s good for business.
No, wait.
It’s GREAT for business.
Engaged members have a deeper relationship with your gym. They’re committed to you; it’s personal, so they’re loyal and will stick with you over the long run.
Plus, they spread good word of mouth and crank up organic referrals in real life and on social media.
Read: “Attract & Retain Members: The Gym Profit Formula”
They renew memberships longer. They spend on personal training, branded merchandise, supplements and more.
You know this – by experience and by common sense. You’ve been in gyms that don’t make any effort to appreciate members. You’ve probably been a member at one of them yourself – and left as soon as a better option came along, right?
How to Engage Gym Members
Now that you know how important it is to engage gym member, let’s get to the fun stuff: How to do it.
The word “fun” is key here – because there are so many awesome ways to do this. You can’t help but enjoy working with your members like this!
Let’s dive in.
1. Personalized Orientation
Start at the start. By creating a personalized orientation for each new member, you get to show them how fabulous your gym is – and you get to make them feel special.
You learn about them, their motivations, challenges, and what they do for fun – and all of that should help you deliver better training and better results.
Make sure your employees speak to each new member, calling them by name, and welcome them each visit. That solidifies a connection with a new member, especially those who might be nervous about starting exercise.
2. Loyalty Programs
Start a member rewards program, just like airlines and hotels do. The point is to recognize people who’ve been with you for a long time and to thank them for their support.
It works. Everyone likes getting a discount or special attention, and they like feeling seen by businesses they support.
And you don’t have to make them “do” anything, like send a certain number of referrals. If they’ve been writing a check every month for a certain amount of time, then give them a discount, send them a gift, offer a free upgrade, or build a points system to acquire goodies like these.
3. Friendly Competition
You might have run or participated in challenges before. They’re a reliable way to stoke friendly competition among your members to see who can lose the most weight in 30 days, or set a personal best, or raise the most money during a charity event, etc.
And now, we can use tech gamification methods to add a new level to the idea, making workouts even more fun for folks. They can compete with themselves or others, earn rewards points, share their progress on social media… it’s endless.
4. Social Events
During the pandemic lockdown, gyms learned how important the social aspect of memberships can be for some members.
Don’t wait for another disaster to show you know this is true. Host a party on your business anniversary to show member appreciation; invite members to go on hikes or to ballgames; host happy hours at a local bistro.
You can mix a party theme with a challenge. Imagine the fun you can have with an “Awesome ‘80s” theme. Headbands and leg warmers, anyone?
5. Community Involvement
Annual community fun runs are outstanding opportunities to engage gym members. You can put together a team of employees and members, with T-shirts promoting your gym, for example.
Sponsor a youth sports team.
Volunteer for organizations you support, and let people know in your social media and newsletters.
Ongoing Communications and a Supportive Atmosphere
In addition to specific tactics, you should always foster an inclusive, welcoming environment for your members.
That means you never stop communicating with them – or forget that communications is a two-way street. You need to listen as well as you speak!
And it means your gym is clean, well maintained, with the vibe that will encourage your members.
Too many gyms stop talking to their members once they become members! It’s crazy. Relationships are everything in retention.
Instead, promote their milestones on social media and your newsletter. Provide useful, valuable content that everyone will enjoy, not just prospects you’re trying to woo. Interact on your members social media, supporting them with a “like” or comment.
Keep your people informed of business developments. For instance, if you’re planning to knock down a wall and expand your space, put that in your newsletter and social media for everyone to see, including members.
Get their opinions about your plans. Would they rather you replace the squat rack or add another spin class?
All these tactics not only engage gym members, but they give you a valuable resource of information. They know stuff that can benefit you. You just have to ask!
It should go without saying that you maintain a supportive and friendly environment. You must engage gym members by taking time to get to know them. Make sure your staff knows members’ names, what their goals are, and how things are going for them.
If someone has missed a few sessions, check in with them. (Naamly’s communications tools make this a snap.)
If they have a big event in life, be sure to acknowledge it.
Remember that joining a gym can be intimidating for newcomers – and that longtime customers still want to feel like you care about their business, too.
Additional Tips
· Bring in guest instructors from time to time. This lets members know that you are always working to bring them a great experience. And it gives them another reason to pay attention to what’s happening at your gym.
· Take the extra step with virtual clients so they don’t feel left out.
· Spotlight members’ success stories
· Send birthday greetings
· Discuss these topics at your weekly team meetings, and make sure you staff members know how important this is to you (don’t suffer a surly part-timer at the front desk who can’t be bothered to look up from his phone)
Again, Naamly’s communications tools make it easy to stay in touch with all your members.
Conclusion
It’s vital to engage gym members, and it gives you endless opportunities to show your values in action – to show why you got into this business in the first place.
Rise to the privilege! For more on the power of keeping customers happy, get our free “9 Secrets to Increase Retention.”