Keep your members from gym-jumping in the new year

January is renowned for being “resolution month”. A new year brings the guise of new possibilities, fresh starts, and changed behaviours – and many choose to work on their health and fitness. Studies have shown that improving ones health and fitness is one of the top new year’s resolutions made year after year.

At the start of 2022, Finder conducted a survey with 1031 respondents to learn about their resolution habits. The survey results found that 30% pledged to improve their fitness, 30% committed to healthier eating habits, and 28% wanted to lose weight. It also found that improving fitness was the top resolution for millennials and generation Z (both 38%), whereas baby boomers were most interested in losing weight (25%).

Over the years, gyms and health clubs have cottoned on to this resolution behaviour, and as a result, almost every gym runs promotions over the new year period to encourage new member sign-ups. Your club probably already has plans in motion for something similar. But while you’re focussing on generating new gym leads for your fitness business, don’t forget to check-in on your existing members to make sure they don’t get reeled in by your competitor’s irresistible offers.

Here are some strategies to help keep your member-churn low this new year.

Value-add for existing members

Your existing members might feel a little miffed around the new year period. There’s an influx of gym-newbies who are often paying pennies for their membership compared to your existing members.

Give your existing members some love by creating extra value for them at this time. If you have a gym challenge coming up to kick-start the year, offer them a discounted rate to access the challenge. Give them first choice for trainers or group training, body scans, and nutrition guides.

If you run sporting competitions, offer them first pick of days and times for games or teams. Or a loyalty discount for competition fees.

Whatever you choose to do, make sure your member sees the value for them.

Build a community

No matter how great your facilities and equipment are at your health club, at the end of the day humans are social beings. We crave connection, relatability and common ground. If your fitness centre runs team sports competitions, has courts that multiple players can book, and offers group fitness classes, it’s important to focus on community.

When your gym members feel part of a community, have friends they can book a casual squash game with, and bump into acquaintances at a HIIT class, it creates a relationship and bond with your actual centre. It’s something your competitors don’t have, and can’t offer – at least not right away. Your members recognise it will take time to feel like part of a new gym’s community.

Helping foster these community relationships with things like community engagement activities, social competitions, social clubs (like coffee after a Saturday group fitness class), and even a Christmas party for members will go a long way to building these relationships.

Likewise, give them a personalised experience. Make sure your staff makes an effort to learn names, have conversations with your members, and get to know them on a more personal basis.

Hero member results and accomplishments

Data will be your best friend here. To retain your members, you need to show them the value they’ve gained from your centre. The main reason your members would have joined in the first place is they have an expressed desire to improve their health and fitness, or play in sports competitions. So, show them that their initial goals have been achieved with data.

Have a look at the member data you have. You’d likely have their initial sign-up date, but you may also have body scan results, recording of performance during challenges, or an app they can self-record their performance in.

Give them a shoutout when it’s their anniversary with you. Congratulate them when they hit a goal. Show them the improvements they’ve made from their body scan data or gym challenge metrics. Whatever data you do have on hand for your members, think about how you can feed it back to your member and show them just how far they’ve come since joining. It’ll do wonders for their motivation… and they’ll be much less likely to leave if they’re seeing results!

The main takeaway? The new year period can be a turbulent time for gyms and health clubs. While you’re focussing on attracting new members to your centre, make sure your existing members don’t fall to the wayside. Otherwise they’ll be open and impressionable to your competitors new year promos – and you worked too hard to lose them to a cheap deal.