Is your gym’s email marketing generating leads and sales for your business? Welcome sequences, newsletters, and promo emails all help to drive revenue and keep members loyal. So, if you’re not taking full advantage of this powerful marketing channel, it’s time to tap into it…
In this guide, learn how to drive business results using email marketing for your gym, health club, or fitness studio.
Prefer to have us handle it for you? We can create your email strategy, set up automated sales sequences, and write impactful newsletters – check out our email marketing services for gyms and fitness clients here. Or use our Marketing Library which is packed with pre-written templates, guides, and done-for-you lead magnets.
- Benefits of email for gyms
- Most effective email types
- Best platforms to use
- Email marketing strategies
- Email templates & resources
Benefits of Email Marketing for Gyms & Health Clubs
We love email – it’s one of the top marketing tactics for gyms for several reasons…
- Generates & converts leads into members
- Aids member retention
- Cost-effective
- Highly targeted
- Control Over the Marketing Channel
Generates & Converts Leads into Gym Members
Offering a lead magnet is an effective way to attract your target audience and get their contact details. Email marketing then enables you to connect with them on a consistent basis, building trust and interest in your offering.
Aids Member Retention
Email is an easy and scalable way to communicate with members and provide extra value. Sharing fitness tips, club news, and community events can all aid gym retention.
Cost-Effective
Email marketing is relatively cheap compared to traditional marketing methods like print advertising or direct mail, making it a budget-friendly option for gyms (especially for reaching a large audience).
Highly Targeted
You can easily segment your audience (e.g. by location, purchase history, or fitness goals) and then send personalised emails that’ll have higher conversion rates.
Control Over the Marketing Channel
With email marketing, you have direct access to your subscribers’ inboxes, reducing reliance on unpredictable social media or search engine algorithms.
So, now we’re clear on the benefits, let’s look at practical ways that gyms should use email to market their businesses…
Types of Gym Emails
Here are the most effective types of emails that gyms should send to prospective customers or existing members…
Welcome Emails
Send welcome emails to new gym members or recent subscribers to your mailing list. These emails introduce your facility, brand, and provide valuable resources to new joiners.
They establish the relationship, educate subscribers about your offering, and signpost them towards next steps (like how to get the most out of the service they’ve signed up for). A good gym welcome email should…
- Thank them for joining
- Reassure them that it was a good decision
- Tell them what the next step is that they should take
- Include info about anything they need to bring or wear
- Add links to practical info like opening times and class info
- Invite them to contact you with any questions
Without these foundational emails, you’ll struggle to convert or retain people.
Next steps: Check out our welcome email templates to learn exactly what to say. Or grab our marketing library, which includes done-for-you content that you can simply copy and paste.
Email Newsletters
Newsletters are regular emails that you send to subscribers or gym members on a weekly or monthly basis. Use them to increase awareness of your products and services, prove your credibility, build trust, and keep people engaged. Do this by providing value (e.g. educational content, helpful tips), sharing updates (e.g. new launches, announcements), and highlighting community events.
The primary focus of newsletters is to build relationships, share valuable info, and keep members engaged. Here are some examples of gym newsletter ideas to get you started…
- 5 Ways To Get Maximum Results From Quick Workouts
- Top 10 Fitness Tips for a Healthy Body & Mind
- What Does Personal Training Actually Involve?
- Spotlight on Fitness Trends: What’s Hot In Health & Wellness
- Inspiring Fitness Success Stories from Real People
- Protein-Packed Breakfast Recipes for Busy People
- How Accountability Improves Fitness Results
- Workout Myths Debunked: Separating Fact from Fiction
- The Benefits of Regular Exercise and Fun Workout Ideas
- HIIT vs Steady-State Cardio – Which Is Better For Weight Loss?
Next step: Get more health and fitness-themed newsletter topic ideas and inspiration.
Promo Emails
Promotional fitness emails are specifically focused on sales, offers, and promotions. They’re all about driving conversions, highlighting limited-time offers, and announcing discounts.
These are the emails that drive revenue, but they won’t work unless you’ve first established trust and credibility through welcome sequences and newsletters.
A useful format to follow for sales emails is: educate, establish need, and make the offer…
- A – Educate – answer the 3 most common questions that you get asked, or questions relating to a trending topic.
- B – Establish need – agitate a potential problem so that people feel inclined to take action (e.g. 3 signs you need XYZ)
- C – Offer – Send a promotional email, either related to #B or a current special offer.
While newsletters and welcome sequences prioritise building relationships and providing value, promo emails encourage purchases. With some smart segmentation and personalised offers, you can generate really strong results from email promotions.
You might also like… The best types of emails for generating revenue or how Life Time Fitness made $600,000 using email marketing in its health clubs.
Member Announcements
Email is also perfect for sharing member announcements. Important info like new class schedules, facility upgrades, or holiday hours can all be effectively communicated, ensuring that all members are kept informed.
Feedback and Surveys
Emails are also a quick and easy way to gather feedback from members. Sending polls and surveys can help you understand member satisfaction levels. Insights into member preferences can also help gyms tailor services to better meet the clientele’s needs.
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Best Email Platforms for Gyms
When we work with gym clients, we use their email platform to schedule automations and send newsletters. This means we’ve tried out a fair few platforms firsthand and seen what works (and what doesn’t).
Our top picks for email marketing platforms are:
- Kit – formerly ConvertKit, this platform makes it easy to create sign-up forms, send welcome emails, and schedule automations sales sequences.
- Flodesk – this may not have as many templates and customization options as Kit, but they charge a fixed price no matter how many subscribers you have, so is great for large gyms and chains.
- Mindbody – if you want an all-in-one CRM that handles memberships, class scheduling, payments, and email, then this is best in class.
Email Marketing Tips & Best Practices for Gyms
There are a few best practices that can help you get the best possible results from your email marketing. These are the strategies we use with our clients to help maximize email opens, clicks, and revenue…
Use Enticing Subject Lines
There are a million ways to make subject lines more effective, like sparking curiosity or using AB testing. But our absolute top tip is to make them benefits-focused. This ensures that subscribers have a good reason to open them.
It’s easy to get carried away with talking about what you want to promote. But the truth is that people don’t care – they just want to know what’s in it for them. So, write your headlines with that in mind and you’ll see a substantial increase in email opens and click-throughs.
Make The Most Of Preview Text
Preview text is the little snippet that some email clients display after the subject line. It’s another opportunity to encourage people to open your email, so don’t waste it. Use this space to provide people with even more reasons they should read your content.
Keep The Design Simple
Keep the design simple and avoid using multiple images – they’ll often trigger spam filters and mean your email isn’t seen. Good, clean design creates a more professional look, enhancing your business’ credibility and trustworthiness. An easy way to do this is to use just one or two colours in your design so that everything looks cohesive.
Use Call To Action Buttons
Use buttons for your call to action instead of hyperlinked text. Brightly coloured buttons work best and get more click-throughs. It’s a small but powerful tweak that can have a huge effect on clicks and revenue.
You might also like – How To Re-Engage Email Subscribers Or Non-Purchasers [5-Step Plan]
Have Clear Email Marketing Goals
Don’t send emails just to tick a ‘promo’ box. Define your gym’s marketing goals and then build your emails around them. Ensure that every email you send has a clear purpose and optimize it for this. Try to make one email promote several different things dilutes the result.
You might also like… Effective Email Marketing Strategies for Personal Trainers or How We Grew Our Targeted Email List Of 15,000 Subscribers.
Taking a strategic approach to your gym’s email marketing will increase opens, clicks, and revenue results. If you’d like help, then check out our services or get in touch.
Gym Email Marketing Templates & Services
We offer email marketing services and DIY solutions for fitness businesses. You can hire us to create your email strategy, set up automated sequences, and write impactful email content (get in touch here). Or you can purchase our Marketing Kit, which is packed with pre-written templates, guides, and done-for-you lead magnets.
The email marketing templates and resources make it easy to generate leads and sales revenue. They include a step-by-step playbook, done-for-you email templates, and resources to help you get results. From coming up with the perfect lead magnet and growing your list, to sending effective emails that help you sell more, this kit has it all.
