Industry marketing leaders share how alignment, personalization and education are reshaping digital marketing strategy across the member lifecycle.
Digital marketing has become one of the most essential tools operators have to communicate value, build trust and sustain long-term member loyalty. But as the variety of tools grows and platforms shift, many operators still struggle to distinguish between doing more and doing what matters.
To be effective, marketing strategies need to be less about tactics and more about building a connected, educational system that supports the entire member lifecycle and reinforces a consistent brand promise.
From Activity to Intentional Strategy
For Kari Bedgood, the chief marketing officer of Active Wellness, the biggest challenge is focus. With so many digital options, operators often mistake activity for strategy.
“There’s a lot of noise and things are always changing in digital marketing,” said Bedgood. “Strategy is about intentional alignment across platforms, not volume.”
At Active Wellness, that alignment is built around the full member journey, rather than designing campaigns for individual platforms.
That lifecycle includes storytelling for awareness, social proof for consideration, reassurance during onboarding and recognition for retention. The key to making those elements work together is consistency, which then builds trust within members.
Jenn Vallery, the digital success manager at UpSwell, sees this as one of the major trends shaping digital marketing in the industry now. With a strong creative strategy and a focus on creating intentional content, clubs can grab prospective members’ attention and make current members want to stay with the club.
Another way towards that alignment is simplifying the tools and platforms being used.
Steve Ayers, the senior vice president of business development at ROR, sees fragmentation as one of the biggest challenges for operators. “Many operators are using multiple platforms, vendors and tools that don’t talk to each other — making it hard to know what’s working and why,” he said. His solution is to simplify and integrate, advising operators to find partners and tools that allow them to have their marketing into a connected system.
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Meeting Members Where They Are
Clarity around the messaging is the foundation, but personalization is what really moves digital marketing along.
At Village Health Clubs, Meredith DeAngelis, the chief marketing officer, said the team begins with nine distinct personas to tailor content and campaigns which also changes the platform it goes on.
But personalization goes beyond acquisition. For DeAngelis, it’s now a non-negotiable across every member touchpoint.
“As much as you can possibly personalize every single thing that you do is an expectation now,” said DeAngelis. “People don’t respond to mass emails anymore. They respond to the email that’s specifically talking to you and that is specifically addressing your interests, your concerns.”
This degree of personalization helps digital communication feel supportive rather than sales driven. It’s rooted in the culture at Village Health Clubs, where education and authenticity guide this approach.
“We never really sell,” said DeAngelis. “We’re here to educate you. If we’re not the right club for you, there’s a club out there for you.”
Even when promoting programs, the focus remains on value. “A lot of our advertising doesn’t talk about packaging and pricing,” said DeAngelis. “It’s really focused on education. If you hit a roadblock, we say here are some ways you can do it, and here’s a trainer that can help you do it.”
Turning Content into Connection
Looking at digital marketing as a powerful platform for education is an approach that attracts prospects and deepens value for existing members.
At Active Wellness, their digital strategy routinely reinforces topics including recovery, longevity, strength training and mental resilience. “When people consistently receive value from you, the promotion feels like an invitation, not a transaction,” said Bedgood. “People may join clubs because of a discount, but they stay because you’ve built a connection and trust.”
Village Health Clubs uses blogs, Q&As and staff-created content for the same purpose. DeAngelis explained that their blogs cover everything from nutrition to personal training, serving both prospects and existing members equally.
AI as an Enhancer, Not a Replacement
With AI becoming a primary search tool, DeAngelis believes operators must ensure that any questions people may have, are easily found and tied back to their organization or facilities.
“AI supports efficiency,” said Bedgood. “But brand voice, positioning and community storytelling remain deeply human.”
DeAngelis echoed this, noting that Village Health Clubs is new to using AI and its role in their marketing is to enhance ads and audit website content. She sees a future where AI helps simplify marketing by providing clearer feedback on how messages resonate.
For Ayers, the future is already here. “AI is no longer a future concept,” he said. “When media, creative, audiences and measurement are all connected, AI becomes a powerful driver of sustainable growth, not just incremental efficiency.”
With this, AI can be used to support the consistent, personalized communications that keep members engaged.
From Acquisition to Ongoing Engagement
Digital marketing strategies aren’t just for getting people in the doors. That strategy needs to extend to active members in order to drive long-term member loyalty.
At Active Wellness, messaging is carefully calibrated for each segment without losing brand voice. “For prospects, we focus on aspiration and solutions” said Bedgood. “For new members, we focus on clarity and reassurance. For long-term members, we focus on recognition and belonging.”
Village Health Clubs take a content-rich approach to engagement. Weekly social stories spotlight club events, classes, instructors and community moments. “Members like to see themselves in posts and really love to see their favorite instructors,” said DeAngelis. These reminders help members reconnect with services they may have forgotten, from spa offerings to specialty classes.
To measure impact, DeAngelis’ team tracks check-ins, class participation, in-club spending and engagement across channels. Member surveys and software provide additional insight. While attribution is less clear-cut than acquisition, these indicators collectively show whether digital efforts are encouraging deeper participation and community connection.
Discipline, Experimentation and the Next Phase of Digital Growth
For Bedgood, sustainable digital marketing doesn’t come from chasing trends. “Ensure that your digital marketing ecosystem is connected and anchored in your brand identity,” she said. “Have discipline and let results guide you.”
Vallery thinks the future of digital marketing in this industry will come from trial and error and trying new things. “It’s important to stay informed about emerging trends while also embracing change,” she said. “Operators should not be afraid to experiment with creative ideas, as true performance insights often come from testing and learning.”
DeAngelis hopes the industry will collectively embrace a more educational, personalized approach, one that communicates the essential value of wellness. “The best thing that our industry can do is overall educate people on how important all of this is for you — from being active to mental health to recovery,” she said.
But the larger shift is structural, not creative.
Digital marketing is no longer a top-of-funnel function designed to drive traffic and promotions. It is the connective tissue between acquisition, onboarding, engagement and retention. When messaging is aligned across platforms, personalized by lifecycle stage and anchored in education, it becomes an operational asset, not just a promotional tool.
Operators who continue to chase channels will stay busy. Operators who build integrated, lifecycle-driven systems will build loyalty.
The next phase of growth will not come from louder marketing. It will come from more disciplined, connected and intentional communication — the kind that reinforces value long after the initial join.
