6 Tips for Retaining New Gym Members After the Resolution Rush
Jan 29, 2023
by Tina S.
We know that January is a big month for you gym owners – but what begins as a great start to the year, can quickly fizzle out by March. Why? Many new members wake up on Jan 1 wanting a new start to the new year – so they make these grand resolutions about their health and fitness. And don’t get us wrong, they mean well – but if they aren’t nurtured in the right ways, they can begin to lose steam by March 1 and quit. However, you can limit your January member turnover with the right planning!
Here are some tips for improving member retention at your gym to keep those new clients after the January rush.
Set up auto-billing. Auto-billing makes it easy for your members to stick to their commitment and reduces how often they’re rethinking their membership. With FitHive, it’s easy to set up auto-billing and to get alerted when a member turns off their auto-billing. That’s the first sign that you may be losing them and it’s a warning bell to re-engage with the member to see what you can do to help keep their membership.
Reward consistency. When a new member signs up in January, they usually hit the ground running and have consistent attendance. However, as time marches, you may see missed workouts and classes. With our FitHive all-in-one management system, you can easily monitor member attendance and reward them with consistent attendance. Reward consistency with exclusive offers like a free guest pass, discounts, or even gift cards for those that show up regularly. It not only motivates them to keep it up, but it also shows them that you appreciate their membership.
Offer a refer-a-friend program. Workout buddies are a great way to keep friends accountable for their fitness goals. Your members are more likely to continue with their New Year resolutions to get fit and healthy when they have a friend or buddy to keep them motivated. Now that your new members have seen how great your gym is, it’s time to use them as a referral to get their friends to join and it’ll help you build your gym community.
Some targeted referral campaigns can be things like:
- Free Friend Friday: Typically the slowest day of the week, encourage members to bring in a guest for free.
- Bi-Weekly Email Updates: Send members updates on what’s happening in the gym, new classes, new trainers, and what classes are scheduled. And be sure to include a guest pass so they can share it with a friend.
- Discount for Referrals: Everyone loves discounts. Offer them a certain amount credited to their account when they refer a friend and that friend signs up and stays signed up for 60-90 days.
Utilize online scheduling and sign-up. Online scheduling simplifies attendance and class registration for both the gym and the member. As well, when members can schedule a class or personal training session online, it gives them ease of time management and simplicity. Being able to sign up with a branded gym app is a GREAT way to get your members to stay active! Allowing them to sign up when it’s convenient for them increases retention.
Use technology to your advantage. Having a branded mobile app, email campaign automation, and other workflows and funnels can keep you in constant contact with your members, even when they aren’t in the gym.
E-Mail Newsletter: Our FitHive CRM offers templates that can easily allow you to set up an email newsletter each week (or monthly) for both your members and prospects. Offer useful information such as exercise and nutrition tips while traveling, staying hydrated, class highlights, as well as promotions and deals. When you send a newsletter to prospects, it helps to keep you top of mind and shows them how valuable becoming a member of your gym can be.
Social Media: Almost everyone is on social media these days. Stay in touch and connected to your members with a private group so that you can keep them engaged. By posting on your business pages, you can show off your gym, your expert trainers, and fitness news to bring in prospects for a trial to your gym.
With the FitHive Social Planner, you can schedule posts for the entire week in one sitting, saving you time and money! Want us to post for you? Our Virtual Assistants can write your posts and schedule as well, freeing you up to run your gym and engage personally with your members.
Hold in-gym and community events. Everyone wants more value for their money these days. Offering training for local events like a 5k, social events following classes, an in-gym challenge – all of these things and more will both keep your members engaged which will boost attendance, but it’ll also show them the value their gym membership holds and how enjoyable achieving their fitness goals can be.
