After less than twelve days of starting a new health kick, the average Brit will fall back into old habits, ditching a new fitness regime every three months.

So, what are you doing to maintain your relevance in an ever-evolving and innovative industry?

Referring to the application of “entertainment, celebrities, and social media influencers to motivate and engage people in exercise”, Health Club Management Editor – Liz Terry – believes that fittertainment has the power to “reshape the way we manage, invest in and market” gym and fitness facilities.

It’s a growing trend that has an increasing presence in the media, with depictions of fittertainment classes featuring in a range of American films, such as: Bridget Jones’s baby and I feel pretty.

Why mix things up?

When it comes to the gym, Brits simply don’t know what to do with themselves, with six in ten consumers clueless about what combination of exercises and machines they need to use to achieve their fitness goals.

Given their unrealistic expectations of the time and effort needed to see results – and that they’re without the means or experience to meet those targets by themselves – it’s no wonder that your customers soon tire of their routines and their memberships.

On average, we spend 11 hours a week procrastinating, especially when it comes to activities that will lead to a healthier lifestyle – 11% will put off exercising whilst 8% will avoid dieting.

Yet it typically takes three months for members to completely give up the gym and cancel their contract, giving you a significant win-back period to change their minds.

How we can help

Are you offering your members a customer experience that is dynamic, meets their needs and keeps them connected to your brand?

Seven in ten who quit the gym will only return to exercise provider with a different fitness facility, making it crucial to get your customer journey right.

For information on how we can help you to strengthen your proposition, contact us on 0344 800 84 24.

Each year, the leisure market becomes more and more saturated with competition.

It could be a ‘life-changing’ piece of technology, a new fitness craze or another low-cost, big-brand gym. Whatever it may be, it has the potential to be the next industry game changer that will turn your members’ heads.

Across a lifetime, the average Brit will spend £65,000 on gym memberships and health-related purchases, trying a different exercise regime every three months.

So, with all that noise, what does it take to create brand advocates for your facility?

Appeal to the individual

In an age of on-demand services, managing customer expectations was never going to be easy.

Around 77% expect brands to offer products that appeal to them personally, meaning that providing creative fitness solutions and a diverse range of classes are all that more important.

When dealing with members who are losing motivation or not seeing the results they’d initially expected, offering choice will help you get them back on track.

Cross-sell your PT sessions and classes, tracking engagement based on email opens and click-throughs to target them more effectively in follow-up communications.

Appeal to them all

A lack of diversity can create an environment that is non-inclusive, with studies showing that in leisure, it ‘hinders exercise participation’.

There is a need to support your members, whatever their gender, age or race. Providing them with a work out space where they feel comfortable and that gives them a sense of belonging is critical.

Having regular conversations with your customers will ensure that you co-create experiences with them, i.e. that you are giving them the service that they want, not what you think they need.

Be consistent 

Brand consistency, whether it’s in your marketing or facility performance and quality, needs to be seen as business critical.

Customer lifetime value cannot be achieved without a consistent experience or regular use, and yet, up to 80% of gym memberships go unused and unchecked.

Automating emails with key contact data fields, such as ‘last login date’, will help you to identify lagging members before they make the decision to quit completely, which could be three months after their last session.

The social element 

After six months, half of all new members will have cancelled.

Although there could be 101 reasons for this, it’s usually an inability to incorporate their new membership into their lifestyle.

Working out with friends provides an abundance of fitness benefits, with research indicating that group exercise helps an individual form a ‘social routine’, making it easier to maintain it in the long-term.

Six in ten (58%) will follow fitness recommendations from their friends, so helping your members see exercise as a social activity rather than a chore will ultimately influence your retention rates.

To understand how automated marketing can help you to manage and meet your members’ expectations, talk to BriefYourMarket.com.

Generating more results in less time – that’s what automation can offer your leisure business. So, how does it work?

What are the key benefits?

At crucial stages in your customer journey, automated marketing can be used to influence your conversions and reduce membership churn – all without having to physically hit send or make a single call.

This saves your leisure business valuable time and means that you’re getting the greatest return from your database.

Whilst many organisations see automation as purely a means for lead generation, it’s best utilised from pre-membership – if they’ve made an enquiry or had an induction – to the point where they’re either an active member or you’re trying to win them back.

The right triggers for you

Automation enables you to deliver targeted messages at the moment they’re most relevant, but how do you decide what to say and when?

Triggers serve many purposes. They can create personal connections, provide important business updates, cross-sell your services, or identify your members’ pain points by asking for feedback.

Here are just a few examples that we think would work for your leisure business:

Welcome message – as well as confirming their details, this can outline your GDPR compliance, so don’t underestimate its value.

Recommendations – based on buyer behaviour, e.g. classes booked.

Promotions – for your facility, personal trainers, and classes.

Renewal reminders – offering discounts to auto-renew.

Attendance messages – using last visit dates to identify disengaged members.

Class booking confirmations

Win-back campaigns

“A great marketing system to enhance the customer experience.”

Life Leisure

From registration confirmations to yearly anniversaries and key calendar dates, BriefYourMarket.com enable you to automate your client communications and win business 24/7.

And with the help of our marketing experts, you can implement triggers that sound genuine and personal, ultimately nurturing your customer base whilst meeting the needs of your business.

With a number of key integration partnerships, BriefYourMarket.com delivers consistent results in the background of your day-to-day activities. Once they’re set live, you won’t have to do a thing to automate your income.

Schedule your consultation by emailing us at info@briefyourmarket.co.uk, or if you’re a current system user, talk to our Customer Success team on 0344 800 84 24.

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