Mobile Communication for Health Clubs

Can mobile communications boost health club revenues in a down economy?

People are tightening their belts and getting rid of what they perceive as “luxuries.” It’s frustrating to have the same conversation with people day after day – they want to join your fitness center, but they just can’t swing it. 

Fortunately, health clubs have an important but little-used asset that, if leveraged properly, can result in one of the most efficient ways to boost revenues. This asset is unique to each organization – there’s nothing else like it, not even among competitors – and it can help you retain more memberships. What is it? 

Your membership data 

Think about it. No one else has data about your members. You know something about their preferences, how often they frequent your location(s), what groups they belong to and more. Why not use this information to help make their experiences with your club the best they can possibly be – and keep them renewing year after year? 

For example – what can you do with a cell phone number?

Here’s what you can do with just one piece of data – a cell phone number.

1. Maximize revenue. If your health club isn’t booked solid, it’s losing money it can never get back. An empty slot in a fitness class or an open tennis court means lost revenue, and once it’s gone – it’s gone for good. Instead of letting valuable space go to waste, send a text message to members letting them know that a space has opened up. You can even run a special “last-minute” pricing. For example, “Tennis court just opened up at 4 pm! 10% last-minute discount – first come, first served! Reply 1 to reserve, today!” You can even set up an auto-response text message to let the “winner” know that their time has been booked (and tell everyone else to try again next time).

2. Lower your dropout rate. Sending text messages about open court times, even league meetups and tournament information, helps people stay engaged with your fitness center long after their workouts are over. More engaged members visit the club more often, and will be more likely to hold on to their memberships at renewal time. And think about this – what typically happens to your fitness center during severe weather, like flooding, ice or heavy snow? Whether you stay open or close up shop, your members may not know – but they will know if you send them a text message.

3. Save staff time. It’s a lot of work to fill open spots and send out communications. An automated text messaging system sends the messages out for you, responds appropriately and even integrates with your scheduling software. Your staff can get off the phone and get in front of the members who are at the club.

How Fit Is Your Health Club’s Member Communications Strategy?

We’d love to sit down with you and talk about how a mobile communications plan can help your fitness center retain and grow memberships.