How to Engage New Studio Members and Why It’s Super Important

The relationship between a fitness boutique studio and its members is like any other lifelong friendship or relationship in your life. It’s a give and take, a 2-way street that thrives off communication and participation from both sides. And, it’s particularly important to consider these factors when you want to boost member retention and maintain lasting relationships. You can’t afford to lose members for small, preventable reasons.

According to research, it’s up to 7 times more expensive for you to acquire new members than it is to retain an existing one. You can’t afford to lose new members before they have a chance to grow into long-term ones.

Think about going on a successful first date with someone new. You have a fun time, you both like each other, and you both want to see each other again. Naturally, you send that person a follow-up text. It may sound like a silly comparison at first, but you want them to know that they’re important to you and you want to see them again. So why wouldn’t you do the same for your first-time members?

Little steps like this go a long way when you’re fighting to keep as many longtime members as possible. Make sure they feel confident after the first class and use these strategies to engage them.

Effortlessly streamline your member communication with fitness studio software that automates follow-up texts and emails to keep your new members engaged and appreciated.‍

Show Your Appreciation

It has been a rough few years for both customers and small business owners. During times when most people are just trying to make ends meet, a gesture of gratitude goes for their business a long way. Always let your new members know that you appreciate their presence in your community.

According to a survey from AYTM, 91% of its respondents said they were more likely to do business with a company that explicitly shows its appreciation for its customers. So, one of the best ways to generate repeat customers is to provide impeccable service from the get-go, and that starts with appreciation.

Pro-tip: Set up automated follow-up texts or emails to fire off right after their first class. Use that communication to give them more information about your studio, a survey to fill out with their honest feedback, or a thank-you note to let them know how grateful you are for their visit.

Ready to revolutionize your customer journey process? The Studio Owners Guide to Optimizing Your Customer Journey covers 5 parts, including defining what a customer journey is, how to use SMS and email marketing in the journey, and how to unleash the power of Mariana Tek to power engagement. Get your copy today!

Give Them a Reason to Come Back

They don’t have to come back to your studio. In fact, they can come up with plenty of reasons not to come back to your studio. They would rather save money than spend it, workout at home by themselves, or spend that extra hour of their day with their friends.

This is why it’s important to follow up right away after their first class with a text, email, or even a phone call. You know they’ll feel great when they’re done working out—their endorphins are rushing, their heart rate is elevated, and their mind feels clearer. You might as well catch them when they’re in that state, remind them how awesome they feel, and give them a reason to sign up for more classes.

Pro-tip: Offer them a seasonal deal or a one-time special after their first class. If they respond to that positively, follow up with more info about an upcoming challenge, or any other types of classes you think they may enjoy. Whatever it is, give them a solid reason to come back to your studio instead of the others.

Ask For Feedback

You may not think so, but new members can offer a fresh new perspective and useful feedback that long-existing members cannot. They have a more objective view of what’s going on around the studio, versus your long-term ones who have blinders on, so to speak. They’re meeting your instructors for the first time and experiencing your community for the first time.

It’s worth listening to them; besides, you want to make sure they know from the very beginning that it’s important for your members to feel like they’re part of a community that they’re a part of. And that means listening to them.

Pro-tip: Right after their first class at your studio, send them a survey. Be careful of timing when you follow up. If you send it immediately after, you may not get a fully thought-out response because they haven’t even had a chance to think about it. But, if you wait too long, you run the risk of them forgetting all the details or missing the survey altogether. Send your survey between one day to three days after their first class so you’re in the sweet spot.

Get Their Attention — And Keep It — With Mariana Tek

You only have seconds to capture the attention of your new studio members. So, your messaging has to speak to the right person at the right time, and there’s no better way to know what motivations, barriers, and influences drive your new member’s buying decisions than through Mariana Tek.

Mariana Tek’s insights and marketing automation tools mean you can set nurturing on autopilot.

Ready to revolutionize the way customers interact with your business? Let’s set up a time and we’ll show you — request a demo with Mariana Tek today!

Engaging new members is key to long-term success. Discover proven strategies in our guide to Fitness Studio Client Retention.