Look around your gym. Most if not all members have their phone strapped to their arm, are streaming music into their wireless headphones, recording their health stats through devices, filming their workout to post to social media – I bet a few members are texting right now (hello, multitasking in an ever-connected world). If you want to reach and engage members, and attract new members at the same time, you need to be where they are – their phones.
With texting being such an essential part of everyday life today, gym facility owners need to make sure they are utilising text messaging as a part of their day-to-day operations in order to maximize their growth and success rate.
Long gone are the days of cumbersome T9 texting (where are my millennials?!). Generation Z missed out on the fun of having to memorise how many clicks it took to type an ‘s’ – it’s 4 in case you forgot – nor go through the agony of going one click too many.
With qwerty keyboards accessible to consumers since the mid-90s and only becoming more affordable over time, it’s no wonder why texting has blown up in popularity to become the main source of communication today. A fast and seamless way to get in touch with someone? It’s a no-brainer.
Have you started taking advantage of texting for your gym? If not, read on to learn 7 benefits of incorporating text messaging into your gym’s business operations:
1. Stay Relevant
In our day-to-day lives, speed is king. Consumers expect products to be delivered in two-days and information within seconds – and will often get frustrated when they don’t receive these services. With text messaging platforms able to send 100-500 messages a second, texting will give members and prospects the immediacy they have grown accustomed to and keep your gym relevant in an ever-connected world. Your gym will also become more attractive to members and prospects by showing them you can keep up with the everchanging technology landscape and needs of consumers. If you’re looking to provide members with the most up-to-date services, texting can help get you there.
2. Convenience is Key – Automate Messaging
Texting is an effective tool for contacting members conveniently since most, if not all, members usually have their phones within arm’s reach at any given time. It also lowers the pressure for members to answer right away, like with a phone call, giving them the choice to respond when the time is suitable for them but is still a personable method of communication.
One way a good texting platform delivers convenience to both your gym and members is through automated messaging capabilities (bonus tip: a great facility management software should offer a comprehensive text messaging solution for even more convenience). Setting up auto text messages will connect you with members on a regular basis, ensuring your gym stays at the top of their mind.
Here are a few simple campaigns to set and forget:
- Billing decline alerts and late payment alerts
- New prospect marketing
- New client welcome
- Membership renewal reminders
- Class reminders
- Birthday messages
- Yearly member anniversary reminders
- Member appreciation messages
- Prospect sale promotions
- FAQ responses
With automated messaging enabled, your gym can be accessible to members 24/7, giving you the confidence that members receive and answer outside of business hours and will provide members the high-quality customer service they expect.
3. Forge Personal, Non-Intrusive Connections
Building a relationship with members is difficult when they are constantly on the go. Text messaging allows you to reach them wherever they are with the method of communication they are most comfortable with. A text messaging platform can segment members into targeted groups in order to send personalised messages based on their interests or goals. These messages can be as simple as motivational quotes, nutrition tips, class schedules, and more.
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4. Cost-effective Tool
5. Higher Engagement Rate
Texting has by far the highest engagement rate of any communication medium. Where phone calls can go unanswered, brochures can be thrown out or placed in a drawer “for later”, and emails can sit unread – texting has a 97% read rate. Texting will not only almost always get messages read by recipients, but it will also get messages
6. Boost Marketing for a Well-rounded Strategy
Between print advertising, social media, local events, and more there is no doubt your gym is being marketed across multiple platforms. Text messaging is another simple and universal way to attract new members – and holds an engagement rate that far surpasses other mediums. With short code and keyword campaigns, prospects can easily reach out to your gym on their time to gain further information or take advantage of the latest promotion you’re running.
7. Complete Mobile-Friendly Experience
With 95% of the UK population owning a mobile phone, if you want to reach members and target prospects you need to reach them on their phones. From
With a wide range of benefits, it’s no wonder why gym facility businesses, and businesses in every industry for that matter, are adopting text messaging to drive sales and promote member engagement.
Do you have questions or want to learn more about how text messaging can impact your gym facility business? Contact us today!