Retention is and always will be a hot topic for health and fitness clubs. As the market becomes more saturated with the rise of boutique studios and recent upsurge in at-home and virtual fitness, clubs are doubling down on their efforts to attract new members, while neglecting a cause that’s just as important—retention. Many have heard the industry-standard statistic that it costs five times more to acquire a new member than it does to retain an existing one. However, the initial monetary benefit of investing in retention is just a small part of the equation. Building a culture of loyalty, commitment, and engagement pays in dividends when considering your club’s reputation and success in the market.

Improving retention at a health and fitness club requires a multifaceted strategy that’s part of your larger fitness club management plan. But any way you spin it, member attendance always plays an important role. By tracking member attendance, you can get a snapshot of the level of engagement in your club, as well as the health of your club’s membership retention. Here are three membership tracking tips that will help you turn the corner and maximize member retention.

The secret to retention is knowing your members as deeply as you can. Getting a clear breakdown of how often members are coming to your club compared to how long they’ve been members of your club can guide your future interactions with them. If you notice a trend where member attendance drops off after six months, you can implement a rewards or loyalty program that kicks in at six months to jumpstart engagement and get them back in your doors. Choosing the right club management software will help you break your membership into smaller groups so you can personalize your approach for different member groups.

In addition to knowing how often members are checking into your club, it’s important to see how else they’re engaging with your programs, classes, and other offerings. With knowledge about what types of classes and programs members prefer, and even which they’re willing to plan their weekly schedules around, you can constantly innovate new ways to keep your members engaged and invested in your club.

The right health club management software can be an absolute game changer when tracking member attendance and improving retention. A software that can organize and manage your members based on how they engage with your club can help you provide them with the messaging and information they need to stay involved. Additionally, a software that offers Performance Analytics can uncover big-picture check-in and class attendance trends that can inform the way you approach member attendance and retention.

Ready to start tracking member attendance to increase retention? Club Automation can help.