Exercising more is one of the most common New Year’s resolutions, so your club may see an influx of new members in January. While they may start their membership with every intention of staying, not every member will stick around all year.

Studies show that only 8% of Americans will keep their New Year’s resolutions year-round, and 80% fail by the start of February. Losing that many new members can have a drastic impact on your club’s overall revenue and growth.

With the right member engagement strategy, you can retain more members come February 1st. Let’s go over how to engage the right members, increase your retention, and re-engage lost members.

Attract the Right Members With Your Brand Story

It’s easy for members to break their new health habit if your club’s experience doesn’t match their expectations. Don’t waste your time marketing to leads if their goals don’t align with your offerings. If you want more happy members post-New Year’s, focus on building relationships that are aligned with your club’s brand story.

Brand stories help members understand who you are and how your club will deliver on its promises. An authentic story humanizes your club, building trust between you and your members. As they consider their options, members will use your story to decide if your club is right for them.

A compelling brand story should be:

• Personal
• Focused
• Authentic
• Meaningful

Your brand story should help members understand how your club will meet their unique needs. Instead of promoting your offerings, share how those offerings will help them keep their New Year’s health resolutions. Your messaging will resonate more when your audience can clearly understand how your club will help them accomplish their health goals.

Engage Members With Curated Communication

New Year’s members are excited about reaching their health and wellness goals. To keep them motivated year-round, you need to be intentional about how you use each of your communication channels. Text messages, push notifications, and emails are three of the best ways to ensure members are receiving and engaging with your messages.

Text Messages

Texting is a quick and direct way to reach members. Texts have a 98% open rate and 83% are read within 3 minutes of being received, making texting a great way to update members on club events and encourage in-person visits. When paired with member segmentation, texting can drive upsells for your spa services, personal training, and new programming.

Push Notifications

Mobile devices are one of your members’ most frequently used communication channels. Similarly to texting, push notifications directly engage members with curated content. Use push notifications to remind members about their classes or pique their interest with helpful resources. Regular reminders will keep your club at the top of their mind.

Emails

Email marketing is a personal experience, and successful emails reflect the interests of the member receiving them. Segment your contact list so members always receive information relevant to their interests. Tailoring your fitness challenges, meal plans, and discounts to your member segments shows members you understand their needs.

Re-Engage Lost Members With a Win-Back Strategy

Not every member will stay after the New Year’s rush. Preparing a win-back strategy will help you re-engage lost members and recover your revenue.

Find Out Why

Before you can win back a member, you need to learn why they canceled their membership. Is there a service your club doesn’t offer? Could you have done something to encourage them to stay?

During the cancellation process, use a digital form to request and store their feedback. Understanding their motivation will give you an opportunity to offer assistance and plan how you’ll win them back.

Stay In Contact

Their cancellation email shouldn’t be the last time they hear from your club. Continue sending them valuable content to maintain your relationship. Instead of focusing on sales, show them you still care about their goals and create an opportunity for them to return when they’re ready.

Make It Easy to Return

A frustrating or time-consuming sign-up process can discourage lost members from returning. Your membership process should be quick, simple, and accessible online. The easier it is for lost members to restart their memberships, the more likely it is they’ll return.

Offer a Welcome Back Program

Returning members should receive the same level of care and attention new members do. Make it a priority to welcome them back to your club. Their motivations may have changed while they were gone. Work together to plan their new fitness goals and help them settle into a routine at your club.

Don’t let your New Year’s members slip away. With a solid engagement and retention strategy, you can keep them around all year.

Want to learn more?

Using your CRM to its fullest potential can increase retention by 14%. Learn how you can use your CRM to drive and engage leads from the Club Automation team.

Watch this webinar to learn:

• How to nurture prospects after a free trial
• Which tools you’ll need to reach leads at the right time
• Why being the first to respond can convert more members