How do you build Gym member loyalty? Everyone wants a magic bullet that will make members loyal to your gym and events, but building loyalty doesn’t work like that. It comes from consistently applied effort, reinforcing itself at every turn. Loyalty can’t be built solely online or offline. It takes a combined approach to building the strong, long-term loyalty most gym owners seek.
15 easy ways to build gym loyalty:
1. Listen.
Seek to understand before being understood. It doesn’t matter whether you do it in person or online. People want to feel like they have been understood and heard. Too often, feedback is brushed off or falls on deaf ears. If a member expresses concern in person, acknowledge them and address the issue. Same thing goes online. If someone writes a comment under one of your posts, acknowledge it and try to make it right. Show them you’re listening.
2. Offer External Resources.
Your gym members have access to limitless amounts of information at their fingertips. Don’t pretend to have all the answers because they’ll find out if you’re giving them incomplete or incorrect information. Instead, give them resources. Share articles you’ve found useful or address questions you’ve heard. Just because you send them to an outside source of information doesn’t diminish your authority, it increases it.
3. Build Community.
Work on building a sense of community in your gym. Creating a sense of belonging and camaraderie can enhance the loyalty people feel towards your gym. If they feel they are a part of something special, you’ll see it in their actions.
4. Address The Issue.
Don’t just leave members hanging if they make a request or express concern. See it all the way through to the end. Saying you’ll fix something and leaving it behind are
5. Celebrate Success Stories.
When members achieve success and make progress toward their goals, share it! It will continue to motivate the people achieving their goals, and it will show other members that you’re there to celebrate everyone’s success.
6. Keep Your Promises.
If you promise your members something, deliver. Don’t make any promises you can’t keep. It may be adding certain types of classes, new equipment, or operating changes. Whatever it is, ensure that you try to deliver on that promise. Members will catch on quick if you are full of empty promises, and that destroys loyalty.
7. Help Them Outside The Gym.
You get a chance to meet a lot of people in the gym from all walks of life. Make connections when you can. If a member mentions the need for insurance, and you have an insurance agent client, connect them. Showing that you care about their life outside the gym can help you build loyalty inside the gym.
8. Give Gifts.
Everyone loves a gift. For birthdays, offer them a free week upgrade or have them bring in a friend for the week. They’ll feel special, and they’ll feel you care.
9. Save Members Money.
Saving money is on most people’s minds and if you can help them do that. They’ll be grateful. Develop relationships with vendors and stores that your members might be interested in. An example might be a massage parlor for those achy muscles or a supplement shop for those extras. Try to get members of your gym a discount.
10. Keep Members Informed.
Use the channels you have to keep members updated on gym news. If you’re changing a class schedule, post it on your website and social media channels. No one should be left in the dark. This goes for anything: planned events, new class offerings, and any gym announcements. When you share information, people will feel like a more integrated member.
11. Ask Questions.
Throw a few questions out to your members. This does a number of things: 1) you don’t know who they know that might be able to help with a problem you have, 2) you’ll encourage feedback from members that might not otherwise feel comfortable giving it, and 3) you’ll make them feel a greater part of the gym.
12. Keep In Touch.
This is easier with today’s technology. Automated marketing can be used to make sure members are kept up with changes in schedules and recent updates to your blog. There’s no reason you can’t keep your members regularly updated.
13. Send Handwritten Notes.
Depending on the size of your gym, send the occasional handwritten note. As we get more technologically dependent, we tend to forget the impact that a handwritten note can have on someone.
14. Encourage Them To Include Friends.
Often word of mouth is the easiest way for a gym to increase its membership, and members are likely some of your best salespeople. Make it easy for them to bring someone along to class for a workout. It will make your current members feel great that they can include their friends, and you might just be able to generate a few new members from it.
15. Make Your Values Known – And Stand By Them.
Many gyms and businesses in general state high morals and standards they operate by and then proceed to ignore them on a regular basis. Promote your values and make sure that everything you do echoes those values.
Final Thoughts
None of these 15 things will build loyalty by themselves. You’ll need to do most of these consistently over an extended period to create a unique bond with your members. But improving any of these areas will go a long way toward helping build a better community.
