Connecting with your members
The way in which fitness club members prefer to be communicated with was explored in a recent industry survey conducted by Ezypay. Of the 11,130 members surveyed, 21% prefer to receive communications via email, while 11% prefer SMS. Proving that technology is key in the current climate, only 1% of respondents said they would prefer to be contacted via standard mail or a posted newsletter.
While these figures show that your members are happy to receive communications, there’s a fine line when it comes to bombarding them with information. The overwhelming majority of respondents, 73%, said they would like to be contacted by their club once per month, with 15% indicating they were happy to be contacted every fortnight. But again there were criteria around what they want to receive. In terms of the type of information members would like to receive via SMS:
- When a payment fails - 36%
- Special promotion – 32%
- To be reminded of a booking – 31%
- Membership price increase -30%
- To confirm a booking – 26%
- To be reminded to renew membership – 26%
- To be reminded to come to the gym – 17%
- Payment is about to be processed – 9%
- Payment has been received – 6%
- No circumstances – 6%
The lesson that can be drawn from these figures is that all member communications must serve a purpose. While most of the topics above refer to administrative concerns, the same approach should apply to marketing and promotional SMS. Rather than talking at your members, use these messages to provide them with something of value. This does not mean you have to give away products or services for free. Offering value to your clients could be as simple as sending a motivational SMS at knock off time, outlining common mistakes in squat technique or sharing a training tip.
The benefit of this approach, which is known as content marketing, is that you build trust and strengthen your relationship with your clients. It also extends your relationship with your members and clients further than the immediate time they spend with you in the gym. This approach to content is also an excellent referral tool as you are giving something tangible that clients can use to demonstrate your value to their friends and family. The power of your brand is your knowledge and expertise, not the brand itself.
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