To be a successful gym business, your customers or members must remain loyal and attend. Attracting continued business, while also important, is not enough. We must keep them! To do this, you need ongoing strategies to build community.
A strong community brings a sense of belonging that offers support in and out of the gym. Plus, it brings an extra level of fun to your day. It is a statement that “we are in this together.” To get your gym members more involved, we suggest the following three ideas.
Inject enthusiasm and competition
Also known as gamification, this activity helps make fitness journeys more fun, engaging and enjoyable.
You can achieve this by adding gaming apps to your smart gym devices. Keep your members engaged by having them compete with each other and tracking their achievements.
You may consider using,
A points system – where gym members can earn points by,
- Complete workouts
- Attend classes
- Achieve a fitness goal or milestone
Fitness Challenges – are where gym members can earn points for achieving specific fitness goals within a set period, such as a 30-day abs challenge.
Achievement badges – Award digital badges to members who complete a certain number of workouts, reach their weight loss goals, or master a specific exercise.
Ranking Competitions – features members with the most points for participation, or the best progress, reaching a goal, completing a diet, or participating in a new class or social event.
Loyalty programs for gyms
Having a loyalty program is a great way to foster and maintain relationships with your gym members. This type of program lets your customers know that they are valued and recognized by rewarding them for their loyalty and consistent attendance.
Rewards programs give members a reason to stay engaged. This is positive reinforcement, where members gain tangible benefits from continuing their fitness program at your gym. You can also associate any gamification with your loyalty program.
Types of rewards to offer
These may vary weekly, season to season and apply to different members. Consider rewards such as:
- Bring a reward to a friend
- Discounts
- Membership Upgrades
- Free sessions
- Free personal trainer session
- Gym Goods
Use social networks
Showing interest in your customers goes a long way in increasing their loyalty. You can do this through social media in several ways.
- Engaging with current members and potential customers through comments, messages and interactive content creates a feeling of connection and inclusiveness.
- You can use media to give members a behind-the-scenes look at the gym. Have fun games like how they know their instructor: would they recognize him in a baby photo?
- Reach out to members on their birthday, wedding, or special event at the gym, like reaching their weight or fitness goal.
- Continue to talk to customers and find out key dates or events in their lives.
- Promote new events to reach new engaged members.
- Offer loyalty rewards to those who tag the gym in their posts or check-in on Facebook. Also reward those who review your gym on Yelp or Google.