Why are existing customers so important?

Why are existing customers so important?

Why are existing

customers

so important?

In the fitness world we often hear of centres with a lack of new customers or a decline in new memberships. As a result, changes, marketing and offers are geared towards attracting new customers.

Acquiring new customers is definitely an essential part of a functioning marketing strategy for fitness centres, but few talk about the members who stay – even during the hard times. Since the pandemic, the differences have become apparent; centres that are only trying to attract new customers vs those trying to keep a relationship with current customers by creating options for their members.

Realigning your focus

Focusing on existing customers is cheaper than focusing only on new customers. Winning new memberships can be expensive and time-consuming. Marketing campaigns and offers cost time, money and effort. New members also mean more effort for your trainers, and you’ll need to continue to manage to keep these members.

Therefore, it is essential to focus on member retention. Our fitness business platform myFitApp can help you succeed with customer retention.

Social interaction

People trust people ?. This means that any social interaction binds members to your gym.

Over 50% of customers are more likely to renew their contract if they train with friends and take part in classes or even make new friends in your centre. Contact with your trainers and staff also promotes member loyalty.

With our myFitApp@home platform, members can stay in touch through chat in streams and motivate and support each other. They can also make appointments for training or livestreams. In addition, they can train with their favourite trainers, unique to your gym.

Consistent communication

Here is where your marketing campaigns and other communications come into play. Interaction and touchpoints via social media, App messages, etc. double the likelihood of members becoming your brand ambassadors.

Through myFitApp, you can reach members anytime, anywhere. With news and updates on class changes, they are always up to date. Our Event Schedule helps your members book classes on their own and is a reliable source of information about when, where and with which trainer classes are taking place. 

Through Marketing Automation, members receive the latest information and updates about your gym or leisure centre directly on their lock screen. And most importantly, they see if there are any unread messages as soon as they open the App. This creates a closeness and involves members in the gym activities.

Everyone benefits

All of these factors lead to your members remaining loyal to your centre. They are satisfied, which increases the likelihood that they will promote your gym and become brand ambassadors.

This is made very easy with our Lead Generation solution.With this module, your members can invite their friends to a trial training session, in just a few clicks. In our cockpit, you can find detailed information about the leads generated and statistics on the success of your campaigns.

A win-win situation – as your members promote your studio to their friends, who in the best case become new customers, and members have direct training partners who promote long-term memberships. This shows that the focus on member retention, but also generates new members; a cycle that creates consistent revenue for you.

Innovatise ist Pionier im Bereich mobiles Marketing und Erschaffer von myFitApp, einer offenen, flexiblen, unabhängigen und digitalen Marketing-Plattform für die Fitness-Branche. Fitnessstudios und -ketten nutzen myFitApp, um ihre Marke zu stärken, Mitglieder zu binden, neue zu gewinnen und den Umsatz mit der einzigartigen Kraft des Smartphones zu steigern.

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Erfahrungen & Bewertungen zu innovatise UG

myFitApp joins Clubessential Holdings

myFitApp joins Clubessential Holdings

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myFitApp joins Clubessential Holdings

We are delighted to announce, myFitApp is now part of the Clubessential Holdings group.

Already a major provider of membership and club-management SaaS (software-as-a-service) solutions for boutique fitness franchisors, under its ClubReady brand, and enterprise-fitness operators under its Exerp brand, this acquisition strengthens Clubessential Holdings’ product portfolio and international presence serving over 6,000 fitness clubs, and 7 million members, in 17 countries.

As part of the group of companies, we now have the strength to continue to innovatively expand our hybrid business platform for our fitness customers and establish it in other markets. We are very excited for the future!

“The digital member experience, especially in the form of hybrid fitness offerings, and the ability for gyms to easily market to members have become essential to gyms’ success,” commented Randy Eckels, CEO of Clubessential Holdings. “Innovatise’s myFitApp branded member-app platform allows members to access live streaming and on-demand fitness classes. These solutions transform the member experience of any membership and club-management solution and give gym operators the marketing tools to succeed.”

Clubessential Holdings fulfils its global mission to invest in and create game-changing, category-defining companies by providing a comprehensive suite of membership and fitness management SaaS solutions for private and public gyms, healthcare, fitness facilities, military organisations, community and varsity athletic programs.

With 6 companies – Clubessential, ClubReady, Exerp, foreUP, PrestoSports and Vermont Systems – the company offers a variety of pioneering technologies and services that help more than 10,000 customers to attract and retain members.

“The gym market is rapidly growing and evolving,” commented Thomas Schuster, CEO of Innovatise, “as part of Clubessential Holdings we’ll build on the rapid growth we experienced in 2021 and accelerate, not only in Europe but around the world.”

Any questions?

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Fitness industry trends 2022

Fitness industry trends 2022

Fitness industry trends 2022

We’re almost through the first month of 2022! In this blog, we’re looking at trends for the fitness industry that are sure to keep us all busy this year. Since the pandemic, it is clear that the rapid digitalisation of the industry has created many new opportunities for gyms and leisure centres.

Some trends show how important new technologies have become for training. But most people are still motivated, not only by their smartphones, but also by a sense of community or training with others.

Here’s six trends to keep in mind, this year…

1. Hybrid memberships

Let’s start with the obvious – online workouts are an essential part of gym memberships now. Online workouts offer members full flexibility and the opportunity to keep up their training routines regardless of location.

In one way or another, many have already implemented this. And the number of online training providers is growing fast.

With our myFitApp@home platform, you can become a professional provider of online workouts for your members. This gives future members another incentive to choose your gym.

We also offer a content marketplace with videos from WEXER and LES MILLS, where you can integrate over 1,000 additional videos into your collections and generate additional revenue.

2. Work-life balance with mini workouts

Our lives are full of commitments – family, friends, job etc. Exercise and a healthy lifestyle help to cope with daily challenges and stresses. But, how do your members find time to work out in the gym?

Mini-workouts are the answer! Frequent, smaller exercises or routines, specifically geared towards efficiency, such as HIIT, help your members stay fit whilst not consuming too much of their time. Due to the increase in working from home, many people are now using their lunch break for a short workout.

3. Mindfulness – recovery and stress management

Members who already juggle training, a stressful job and a thriving social life often forget to listen to their bodies, take care of their mental health and recover.

yoga-meditation-trends-2022 Stressmanagement

4. Digital only memberships

With the increasing availability of online workouts, working out at home is becoming more and more popular. But the gym around the corner is not a place of the past. With purely digital memberships, it is possible to try out the gym’s class programme, for example. This is helpful for those who may be lacking confidence and want a taster of the studio experience, somewhere they feel more comfortable.

If your gym has a good range of online workouts, you’ll open up new sales opportunities. Different membership models can be used to meet different members’ needs.

With myFitApp@home you can also integrate in-app purchases to attract new, solely digital members. The next step for your digital only members would be the transformation to a hybrid membership. Or you can offer digital membership as an alternative to members who want to cancel.

5. Gamification  

Gamification refers to a fun incentive to motivate oneself – in the gym’s case – for health and to establish fitness habits more easily. For example, why not create some challenges for members:

  • Who took the most steps in a week?
  • Who burned the most calories?
  • Who can do the most burpees?

Whether with one person, a group of friends or other app users, the fun and social component increases member motivation, and keeps them in, and coming back to, your centre!

There are also solutions for those who don’t enjoy competition. Most smartphones already have health apps or step counters installed. Users can set, track and document their own fitness goals and receive positive feedback from the app when they achieve their daily goals or set new records.

Our customers’ apps have the option of being linked to all the common health apps. The user then has the option of sharing their fitness progress in and outside of the gym in the club’s app as well.

6. Bodyweight exercises and the great outdoors

A trend that has also developed in recent years is exercising purely with bodyweight – often in combination with being outdoors. Maybe since the ‘one walk a day’ and gym closures during the pandemic. Lots of cities are responding to this trend and building calisthenics parks.

Calisthenics Park Outdoor fitness trends 2022

Questions?

Want to know more about how you can implement some of these trends we’ve predicted for 2022 with the myFitApp@home platform?

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Motivate members to keep fitness resolutions

Motivate members to keep fitness resolutions

Motivate your members to keep their fitness resolutions, using your App

 

 

 

 

 

 

Motivate your members to keep their fitness resolutions, using your App 

Did you know, that by February, around 80% of New Year’s resolutions will fail, and gyms will experience a decrease in traffic as those who made New Year’s resolutions to get in shape, lose motivation. We’ve put together some ideas on how you can use your App to keep your members motivated, and therefore retain your customers.

1. Use marketing automation to send motivational messages

During the first couple of months of the year, it’s really important that you encourage your members to keep their resolutions and support them to work towards their fitness goals. Using our Marketing Automation module, you can send personalised messages to your members – encouraging them to get active. You can also reactive existing members to join again – a simple “book it now” message with a class booking one click away is sometimes all it takes to get someone off their sofa and into the gym or joining the next class.

2. Give them the option to train at home

With dark, cold mornings in January and February, having the option to train from home as well as in the gym will really help your members squeeze in those all important workouts when their motivation is low. Our @home platform offers members the option to train from anywhere, via their phone, laptop or TV. Curate your own on-demand videos, or combine with our with our partner content from Les Mills and Wexer to provide the highest quality workouts from world-renowned trainers. With a built-in workout community, you can create the best possible training experience for your members, similar to the one in your studio, at home.

3. Educate!

Once they have the exercise routine nailed, your members may be looking for extra support with areas like nutrition and recovery, both things that will support them along their fitness journey. So, why not set up a series of educational sessions for your members? These events can either take place in your centre, as livestreams, or you can share them as videos on our @home platform. Simply create an event in your events calendar and you can invite members via your App, through marketing automation, on social media using a link to the booking section of your App, or via a QR code in your centre that sends members back to your App to book.

4. Taster exercise classes

You may have some members who are interested in taking part in exercise classes, either in your studio or at home and on-demand, but they lack the confidence to join in. The best way to ease members who might be feeling reluctant, is via shorter taster classes. This way they can get a feel for the class and your trainers without feeling intimidated. 

5. Create a refer a friend campaign

Everyone needs a workout buddy! Use our Lead Generation module to create a referral program to let your members invite their friends. Win/win – your member gets a training partner and you get a new member! You can promote your referral campaign directly in your App and reward any members who refer a friend!

Find out how we can help you make the most of your App.

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7 ways to increase push notification click-through rate

7 ways to increase push notification click-through rate

 

 

 

 

 

 

7 ways to increase push notification click-through rate 

7 ways to increase push notification click-through rate 

Did you know that using push notifications can increase App engagement by a huge 88%? If you’re not sending push notifications, you’re missing out on a key benefit of your mobile App. Frequent messages can increase App retention by up to 10 times!

With our Marketing Automation module you can use your Branded Member App as your main communication tool to your customers. Keep your members informed with the latest news, club updates and centre promotions – all planned, customisable, measurable and secure.

Les mills push notification

BUT, just sending good notifications isn’t enough to engage your users. Here’s some tips on how to increase your push notification click-through rate (CTR).

1. Generate curiosity

By piquing your App users’ interest, you can generate enough curiosity for them to click-through to find out more. Simply give a sneak peek of the message and your user won’t be able to help themselves!

2. Personalisation

A little personalisation can go a long way for your open and click-through rates. Use their name or tailor the content to things you know they’re into. For example you could send them a reminder to book into their favourite class. If the context is right, your audience will be more engaged and more inclined to follow through from your notification.

3. Create a sense of urgency

An easy way to boost your push notification CTR is by giving the recipient a reason to act fast! Encourage them to click-through by emphasising an offer, or limited availability. For example “Hurry, only two spaces remaining on tomorrow’s spin class”. 

4. Less is more!

Ensure your messages aren’t too long, you don’t want to waste the user’s time. Whilst there is no ‘perfect’ length for a push notification, keep these things in mind when writing copy:

Frontload the most important content.

– Use bite-sized snippets of information and encourage users to find out more by clicking-through.

Preview your notification on the devices that you know your audiences use.

 5. Put your App users first

Ensure you aren’t bombarding your users with notifications – after-all, they don’t want to hear from you all day, every day. You need to instill trust to your App users, so they know that every notification they receive from you is going to be important and relevant. Remember, no matter how good your notifications are, if they’re not providing value, you won’t get the conversions you want. 

 6. Use emojis?

Studies show that with an emoji, the average CTR increases. Select your emojis wisely and make sure you test them – you don’t want to send them to your audience if they aren’t receptive to them. An example of how you can use emojis: “Don’t miss out on your free PT session – book now?“.

 7. Test and learn

Testing is crucial. With our Marketing Automation module you can measure the success of each push notification. See what works and what doesn’t for your audiences. You should always be optimising your notifications – make small changes to each message and record the results. 

Marketing Automation reporting

Want to use your App to send push notifcations to your members?

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Festive marketing ideas for your fitness business

Festive marketing ideas for your fitness business

Festive marketing ideas for your fitness business

With December fast approaching, now is the perfect time to start planning your festive marketing to spread some Christmas cheer to your customers. Why not give some of our ideas a go this season…

1. Run a holiday giveaway on social media

A great way to utilise your social platforms this Christmas, is by running a giveaway.

Whether it’s a big monthly membership discount or a free fitness gadget, get your followers into the holiday spirit of giving. Typically, asking followers to comment, share or like are great tactics to get a lot of engagement on your giveaway.

With our Marketing Automation module, you can even send a push notification via your App, linking to the giveaway. 

2. Send seasonal emails

If you’re not incorporating some Christmas spirit into your email marketing campaigns, you’re making a big mistake! Holidays instill powerful memories into your members’ minds, so enticing them with fun seasonal emails is a great way to stand out in their inboxes.

Mark the occasion with a Christmas e-card to members and prospects – something fun and personalised will not only reinforce your brand and let your members know you are thinking of them, it’s also good for the environment! Why not entice them into your centre during the festive period with an incentive, it could be a free pass for them or a guest, or a discount in the club restaurant. 

3. Run festive events

Have you considered hosting a customer appreciation event to show your members how much their support means to you. Why not host an afternoon with refreshments to enjoy each other’s company? Or put on some Christmas themed fitness classes? Encourage members to train during the festive period with fun classes. They could feature fancy dress and working out to Christmas songs etc.

These could even be done at home, on demand. With our @home solution, your members don’t even have to come into the club to celebrate Christmas with you. Members can even chat with trainers and other members, live, during the class.

Embrace the holiday spirit of giving and receiving to really engage with your members, show that you appreciate their support (especially after the pandemic) and distinguish yourself from your competition.

With our App, you can even advertise these events as a tile on your home screen!

4. 12 days of Christmas – fitness style

Why not run a 12 days of Christmas related campaign. This could be across your social channels, email or even on-site. Get creative! Here’s some things we’ve thought of:

  • 12 healthy recipes
  • 12 exercise challenges
  • 12 discount codes or give aways 
  • 12 on-demand fitness classes to try. You can use our @home platform for this!
  • 12 of your staff members’ favourite workout classes

 5. Christmas-ify your App home screen

Keep your App current with a new Christmas themed home screen. With our easy to use App builder you can quickly change your App design yourself!   

 6. Engage new members with lead generation

Why not run a festive ‘training buddy’ campaign with lead generation. With our module, your members can recommend their friends they’d like to train with, to your gym.

 6. Give the gift of education

Keeping your members happy and healthy is an important part of growing your community and could be a great addition to your holiday marketing strategy. Here’s some ideas on how to educate your members this Christmas:

  • A blog piece featuring fitness tips to stay on track during the season or top gifts for the fitness fanatic in your life
  • Free webinar or seminar. This could be on nutrition or a Q&A session with one of your trainers
  • PT session taster – this could be for individuals or groups and will help your trainers be at the front of people’s minds before the New Year’s Resolutions commence!

Putting things like these in place will indirectly grow your fitness business through brand awareness and trust amongst your community, translating to the inevitable increase of people through your doors.

Looking for more information or a demo?

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