We survived the busiest month of the year and welcomed many new members eager to better themselves and get fit. It’s no surprise that January has the best numbers, in terms of membership revenue, as the crowds fill facilities with everyone excited about their New Year’s Resolutions.
It’s also no surprise, and should be expected, that more than half of those new members will stop utilizing their gym membership by mid-February. The excitement of a fresh slate has worn off, and their motivation is starting to slip away as life gets in the way again and they fall back into their more comfortable routines.
That’s where we come in. We need to evolve our offerings and operations to meet our members where they are in their fitness journeys. Here are three ways to drive membership all year long, keeping the motivation even after January’s high and February’s low.
Celebrate Something
Each month, have a party or event to gather the members together for fun and a workout. If you have group fitness classes, you can have the party be for new music that came out for it or a new routine. Celebrate the seasons changing, school breaks, etc. but just have an event for them to gather together and make more friends with the staff and other members.
Anything that involves a change is a driving force that impacts a family’s schedule, but is an opportunity for us to adapt. School starting, school breaks, warmer weather, holidays, etc. are all catalysts you can use to get them in your facility. Make sure you’re offering something enticing enough for them to want to fit you into their ever-changing and busy schedules.
Having something regularly scheduled that’s fun, light-hearted and that gathers your members together to meet each other and exercise will give them something to look forward to and bring them out when they might not have come otherwise. The more they get to know each other, the more they will want to continue meeting each other at the gym.
Get on Social Media
If you’re not already, make sure your club is actively on social media and engaging your members there. Have a contest for number of check-in’s in a month, pictures posted while they’re there, any activity that engages them in your facility and online. People are on their phones constantly, so take advantage of that and meet them there! I wrote about this previously, stating how crucial this is.
Create Challenges
I know you may be thinking, “Create challenges? Aren’t we supposed to eliminate them?!” Not that kind of challenge. Think a six to eight week Fitness Challenge where members sign up on teams, hold each other accountable, and have a coach walking them through the process. Not only are these fun, but having that community, accountability and close coaching will produce results. Results are encouraging and keep you coming back for more. Host several of these throughout the year to keep your members engaged and motivated.
Our members needs change throughout the year, so we in turn need to evolve to keep up with them. Stay in touch, interact in person and online, and continue to foster the environment of enthusiasm and encouragement. Do you already do any of the above? Share below how it’s helped your members.
Lindsey Rainwater is a consultant and coach to the fitness and wellness industry. She specializes in business development and leadership. Currently she is working with the Fitmarc Team helping health club owners all over the south central region of the United States propel their business forward via group exercise solutions. For more information about Rainwater, follow her @lindseyrainh2o.
