Following the announcement that Gyms and Health Clubs should close during November, you may be wondering how to keep your members engaged this month, particularly as it’s around this time of year that people can start to fall off the fitness wagon. The winter is notoriously brutal for some people’s fitness motivation, less daylight, it becomes harder to get out of bed and by the evening, it’s much more tempting to curl up with a book than workout. However, with the right technology mix and a consistent approach, keeping your members engaged and on track is not only easy but fun too! Below, we have outlined 7 ways to keep members engaged during November’s lockdown.
1. Offer Virtual Classes to Add Value to Their Membership
With your club closed, now would be an ideal opportunity to kick start your virtual classes! With our new virtual class platform, your members can book and stream your virtual classes directly in FitSense. You can easily schedule and upload pre-recorded classes to FitSense using ClubWise Mobile. You could run your usual class timetable via FitSense or have ad-hoc classes, all of which will add value to the membership and keep your members engaged! To find out more, speak to our sales team on 01844 348300 or email [email protected].
2. Offer Equipment to Hire
Now this may or may not be applicable to your club, but this is a quick and easy way to get your members moving whilst the gym is closed (and bring in some funds). Renting out dumbbells, mats or medicine balls could also give the club a real positive reputation in the community.
3. Share ‘At Home’ Workout Plans to Keep Members Active and Engaged
With members spending most of their time at home, it is very important to give them the tools to keep them active, not only for the physical benefits, for mental and emotional wellbeing too. You can do this by providing your members with workout plans they can perform safely at home. ClubWise has made this an easy task by adding a 30 day ‘at home’ work out plan to the FitSense Member App. The plan, devised by a fully qualified Personal Trainer, targets all areas of the body and is effective for all levels of fitness. Members can watch video demonstrations on each of the exercises and can customise their goals and reps for a comprehensive and engaging ‘at home’ workout experience.
To help encourage members to keep up with the workout plan, they receive an automated mobile notification, which alerts your members to the workouts on a daily basis. Once your member taps on the notification, they will be directed to the workout and can start performing it straight away. To find out more, speak to our sales team on 01844 348300 or email [email protected].
4. Encourage Member Engagement on Social Media
Make sure you interact with your members throughout the day on social media. One way to get them engaged is to host regular social media contests. Ask your members to tag three friends in the comments to win a prize (free PT session when you open, protein etc). Workout challenges are another great way to engage your members and can also be communicated on social media. If nothing else, this is a fantastic time to really grow your social community, which will have huge benefits when you reopen!
5. Start A Fitness Challenge
This is something that’s been around since the industry begun and taking it back to basics and simply rewarding your members for continued engagement could drive customer interaction and retention. For example, 10 online classes gets you a free pack of protein when the club re-opens in December.
6. Highlight ‘Member of The Week’
Giving your members a pat on the back for their great work through public recognition can really drive them to keep up their fitness routine. Post a snapshot of your ‘Member of The Week’ with a little caption of how great they’ve been doing, across your social channels. This will also motivate other members to participate in online classes and keep up with their fitness routine, as there’s nothing more powerful than social peer pressure!
7. Get Member Feedback
If you have been pro-actively interacting with members and hosting your regular virtual classes, ask for feedback. Members love to have an input on class timetables, and you might find you have a large proportion of members in need of more Yoga sessions on a Tuesday!
We hope you find these 7 tips useful. Please feel free to share your own tips in the comments section below!