24.3% of people are members of one or more fitness clubs in their area, but the downside is people on average only stay members for a max of four years. If you're a gym owner, one thing that's on your mind is keeping gym members motivated enough to continue coming to the gym.
We're here to give you some valuable tips that will not only help when it comes to increasing motivation but also help you retain your gym members.
1.Be Personable
There's nothing worse than using the same gym for years only for them to ask you if you're new each time you visit. The first piece of advice we have to offer when motivating gym members is to be personable.
Being personable means learning the names of the people who use your gym and calling them out directly when they come in. Clients understand they're more than just another number or another dollar bill in your pocket when you do this.
It makes them feel as if they're a part of your gym's atmosphere. You could even take things a step further and send out emails about classes you think the client will want to participate in or to say thank you for attending the day's session.
A little customer communication goes a long way.
2.Reach Out on Social Media
4.2 billion people use one of the various social media platforms regularly. This gives you more than one chance to reach out to clients and engage with them.
If you're looking to motivate clients and encourage them to keep coming back, connect with them on social media. You can host challenges where clients post their workout selfies to help motivate others.
Social media is also helpful if you don't see someone in class, but follow your gym's business page. A simple, 'hey, we missed you in class today, we'll catch you at the next one,' will mean a lot to your clientele.
Ensure when you're using social media platforms that you're always following the rules and regulations in place for business accounts.
3.Create Your Own Fitness Challenge
There's no better way to motivate your gym members than to start your own competition. People love competition and the chance to beat others.
For that reason, you need to think about creating your own fitness challenge and having gym members participate. You could challenge members to walk a certain amount of miles in a week or challenge them to take a certain number of classes in a specific time frame.
Ensure you provide members somewhere to track their progress. By the end of the challenge, find a way to announce the winners extravagantly.
4.Go Virtual
With the pandemic still keeping some people at home, there will be those not coming to the gym. If they aren't going to the gym, they might feel like there's no reason to have a gym membership anymore, leading them to cancel it.
Your gym needs to go virtual to give people at home an option to work out as well. Find some of your trainers who are willing to train in-person and online.
This will motivate your gym members to get up and get moving even if they're at home. Virtual is the way to go.
5.Change the Scenery
Sometimes people don't enjoy working out because they have to look at the same walls repeatedly. Offer your members a change of scenery every once in a while and take classes outside.
This doesn't mean you've got to do it all the time, but hosting a yoga session outside in the cool fresh air makes a world of difference for your members.
6. Ask For Feedback
Asking for feedback gives members input into some of the things that go on at the gym. After someone has signed up for a membership, throughout the year ask clients what classes they want to see more of.
Do they want more weightlifting classes? Do they want to see an increase in pool workouts? Having this information will help you to tailor classes and sessions offered to fit your client's needs.
When your client's needs are met, you increase the chances of them taking more classes. If they look at the monthly calendar and don't see classes they're interested in, they lose motivation to visit the gym.
7. Host Events Outside the Gym
There's a time to work out, and there's time to relax and allow your body to recover from the exercises you've done. If possible, host nights when your members can socialize with one another without weighting their hands.
They get the chance to get to know people they've seen in classes frequently. Besides, who doesn't like enjoying food and beverages with others that have the same interests that they have?
8.Increase Bootcamp Sessions
Sometimes the push of motivating people need lies within a couple of days of boot camp. Spending time with a trainer will push them to complete their workout and not give up on themselves.
When your clients sign up for Bootcamp, they want a one-of-a-kind experience that's conducted at a higher level than regular classes. Bootcamp should raise the bar as far as intensity goes.
9.Celebrate Client Milestones
During the period of time when members were still new, you needed to speak to them about the goals they wish to accomplish and complete an assessment. Do they want to lose a certain amount of pounds?
Do they want to get leaner? After they've expressed what their goals are, sit with them to create a plan they can follow to achieve these goals. And once these goals have been achieved, celebrate them.
There are tons of ways you can celebrate members who've reached the goals they set for themselves. You could give them a shoutout on your gym's website and offer them a bonus class to celebrate the milestone they've reached.
10.Offer Discounts to Members
Your gym software system should have a way to keep track of members that haven't been to the gym in a while. Have a schedule for when you'll check the list to see who these members are and reach out to them.
Offer members a discount on the next class or personal training session they attend. For some people, the only motivation they need to get back in the gym is a discounted overall price.
Once they're back in the gym and the swing of things, it'll be easier to continue coming. All it takes is one class to get them in the mood to continue pushing themselves.
11.Go Beyond the Workout
Often the only time gym members see trainers is in the gym. Do something that other gyms don't do and take your members beyond the workouts. Give them a sneak peek into what goes into class preparations.
You could host question and answer sessions with different trainers or have trainers compete in head-to-head challenges to post on social media. This shows clients that the trainers are working hard behind the scenes as well and aren't telling members to do something they don't do.
This is another way to nurture relationships between clients and your business. It will also increase the engagement your social media page gets increasing the chances of member retention, and will also help you to attract new members.
12.Donate to Charity
If you're looking to gain members and retain the ones you have, you must connect with your community. The best way to do this is to donate to charities in the area, and we aren't talking about giving them money.
When we say donate, we mean offering a specific number of classes or holding training sessions in other places for community members to attend. This spreads the word about your gym and gives people in the area a taste of what they can expect if they sign up for a membership.
If you don't want to offer classes for free, you can always provide a discount on classes or a membership when they sign up.
The Secret to Keeping Gym Members Motivated
We've shared some of our top secrets to keeping gym members motivated above. Take time to ask your members for feedback about the classes they want to see more of and don't forget to offer a change of scenery from time to time.
If you're looking to stay updated on the latest trends in the fitness world, check out Styku. We've got all the information you need to help your clients become the best versions of themselves.
