Email Marketing for Gyms

Despite the huge number of emails that get sent, people still like getting them. They’re useful when you want to send reminders of upcoming events, updates on products and services, special deals and incentives, or just quick notes to say “hello” and to thank people for their business. If you own or manage a gym, email marketing could be the key to a larger clientele.

Call 888-601-5359 to speak with a strategist about email marketing plans from WebFX, or keep reading for a few ideas you can incorporate into your existing email strategy.

Why do gyms need email marketing?

Your gym is facing so much competition that it can be time-consuming — and expensive — to reach your goals with traditional marketing tactics, like direct mail and radio advertising. If you need a more efficient way to promote your gym, email marketing provides it.

Email marketing is a great tool for gyms and other small businesses because it does the following:

Saves money

A traditional marketing or advertising campaign can generate decent revenue, but it may also cost thousands of dollars to produce. An email campaign can be done at a fraction of the cost, whether it’s sent to a few dozen people or a few thousand.

Goes anywhere

Your customers and prospects have to be in the right place at the right time for mailings, radio ads or print ads to reach them. As long as people are connected to the Internet—as nearly everyone is these days—your emails will get through.

Additionally, email is one medium that can be viewed on a variety of devices, from mobile phones to tablets to laptops to desktops. The message can go anywhere, and be viewed and acted upon multiple times from multiple devices.

Sends the right message

People subscribe to an email list for different reasons. Some are considering joining a gym. Others have already joined but want to take advantage of special deals. Email marketing enables you to customize your message for each individual on your list.

Reaches qualified prospects

Traditional marketing assumes interest among its target markets. Since email marketing requires recipients to opt in first, you know everyone getting your email messages is interested in what you have to say, and is much more interested in your gym than someone who’s never heard of it before.

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What kinds of emails should gyms send to their subscribers?

When you’re ready to begin a gym email marketing plan, you need to start emailing on a regular basis and make sure each email is relevant to your subscribers. What might member and prospects want to know?

That brings us to our next question: what are you going to send? You might think you don’t have enough going on to send a monthly or weekly email to your current or future subscribers. However, in fact, you have plenty to tell them.

Here are a few ideas for gym email topics you can use:

Membership notices

If you operate a gym, welcome emails are a must. They thank new members for joining, and they set the stage for future emails regarding membership. Create a system for sending emails to members whenever there’s a possible change to their member status. Start with gym welcome emails, which include a small thank-you note and links to resources on your website, then grow the program from there.

Beyond welcome emails, you can send things like membership renewal reminders, membership upgrade offers, and notices of new programs and services that your subscribers might enjoy.

Class schedules

Some members just want to work out on the machines. Others might want to take an aerobics, yoga, or Pilates class with a group of other members. They might not know which classes are available, so send them a monthly schedule of upcoming classes.

In these emails, you should include the days, times, and instructors, preferably with links to the sign-up pages on your website. In case the calendars are hard to read, include a link to the web calendar. You should also include the ability to add classes to the calendars of subscribers in Google or Outlook, which can help them make a firm commitment to attending.

Seasonal diet and exercise tips

People come to your gym to get healthy. Every gym email marketing plan should be developed with this goal in mind. Members can’t always make it to the gym, but they can follow other diet and exercise tips, such as those you send via email.

You can provide emails that include things like:

1. Aerobic exercises that can be done at home or in the gym
2. Weight loss tips
3. Recipes for those trying to lose or maintain weight
4. Information on new diets and exercise trends
5. Recommendations on exercise equipment or clothing

Additionally, these tips can really boost attendance, especially during times of the year when people start to worry about their weight. For example, a series of emails with tips on getting ready for summer is a great theme for Memorial Day weekend. Advice on staying healthy during the holidays is perfect for campaigns before Christmas or after the New Year.

Exclusive deals and discounts

Membership has its privileges—or, at least, it should. Gym email marketing usually comes with a lot of incentives to bring people in to work out. Sending these incentives via email gives members a reason to stay involved with your gym.

Send the same exclusive deals you would send through direct mail: free 3-month memberships, discounts for referrals, and special deals on upgrades or one-on-one sessions. This can keep people coming in through the door, not to mention looking forward to your next email messages.

There’s another reason to send discounts via email, though—they motivate people to sign up for future emails more than any other marketing tactic. If someone is forwarded an email from another member, they’re much more likely to sign up, so they get it first next time!

Are you using email marketing at your gym?

Emails can be used for a variety of marketing goals, from increasing attendance to filling class capacity to recruiting new members and getting referrals. However, these emails have to be carefully crafted and sent to the right people at the right time.

Are you already using email marketing at your gym? Or do you want to get started? If you think you need a little help, why not reach out to WebFX? As a leading Internet marketing company, we’ve helped hundreds of businesses just like yours create successful online marketing strategies that help them grow their customer base exponentially.

Contact us online or by phone today for a free, customized, no-obligation quote for setting up email marketing for your gym. We’d love to find out how we can help you meet your membership goals!

For more information on how your gym can reach new members online, check out our Facebook marketing tips for gyms.

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