How Large Gym Chains Can Differentiate Their Loyalty Programme
CONTENTS
Introduction
Include Exclusive Access to Premium Services
Integration With Mobile Apps and Wearable Technology
Offer Unique, Experiential Rewards
Add Health and Lifestyle Perks
Ensure Community Engagement and Lifestyle Events
Offer a Flexible and Tiered Reward System
Add Gamification to Your Loyalty Reward Programme
Bring In the Experts!
With more and more people using gyms, fitness studios and health clubs, staying relevant and staving off stiff competition is one of today’s biggest challenges (and a priority) of large gym chains.
There are over 3,700 gyms and fitness centres in the UK (greater than pre-pandemic levels), and more than 15% of the UK’s population are members.
So if you’ve chosen to make a wise marketing move and adopt a loyalty rewards programme, you need to make sure that yours is heads and shoulders above any other gym chain’s offering.
In this piece, we’ll discuss how you can differentiate your loyalty programme to retain members, boost lifetime value, encourage other revenue streams and attract new members to sign-up.
1) Include Exclusive Access to Premium Services
One thing’s for sure – people like exclusivity, they like to feel honoured and privileged and what’s more, they love premium! So, as part of your loyalty rewards scheme offering, give your members exclusive access to premium services.
You could even create different tiers and levels, so the greater the attendance, spending, or achievements – the better the access to premium rewards. Perhaps examine ideas such as specialised one-to-one training sessions, advanced fitness classes, early-access to brand-new equipment, special opening hours dedicated to those attaining certain rewards, or private member areas. Exclusive access creates a sense of being extra-special – and adds value for your top members.
2) Integration of Mobile Apps and Wearable Technology
In today’s technological world it’s crucial for all business to stay up-to-date with the latest tech and especially gyms, because much of what you offer is tech-related. Your gym members rely on their mobiles too and many of them wear tracking technology, to check on their fitness levels, their steps, their health and their performance.
By integrating your loyalty programme into popular fitness apps and wearable devices, you’re giving them added value. Allow your members to sync their workouts and activities directly with your loyalty platform, and in doing so they could earn rewards as they achieve their fitness milestones. Or – you could even create your own mobile app/wearable tech!
Very few gyms are doing this, so a great way for you to stand out.
3) Offer Unique, Experiential Rewards
While your clientele visits your gym, that doesn’t mean your rewards need to only be aligned with your offering. Get creative and include experiential rewards that go beyond your gym chain. Unique experiences are always welcome, here are a few superb examples, that are still in sync with what you provide for your members are listed below:
Wellness retreats.
Adventure trips/challenges (3-Peaks, climbing Snowdonia, bike rides etc.)
Health workshops
Nutrition workshops/cooking demonstrations
Access to big-name sporting events, e.g., football matches, tennis tournaments, rugby, cricket etc.
Just by offering something different, you can significantly enhance the appeal of your loyalty programme.
4) Add Health and Lifestyle Perks
Other attractive rewards in synergy with your gym or fitness studio could include a selection of interesting health and lifestyle perks. For example, you could offer discounts on health products, access to nutrition consultations/dietitians, partnerships with local health food stores or restaurants in the vicinity – even mental health support.
Consider this type of offering as a holistic approach to wellness, setting your loyalty programme apart from others and really focusing on your members’ all-round wellbeing.
5) Ensure Community Engagement and Exclusive Events
Build on that sense of community – which is so important for your members – and organise special, regular events as part of your loyalty rewards programme.
Social gatherings are a wonderful way of bringing your members together, getting to know your members and fostering that feeling of belonging. You could arrange fitness challenges, competitions, social mixers, charity runs, fundraising events and member appreciation nights.
All of these ideas (which are just a few suggestions) bolster that supportive, engagement environment you want for your gym chain and makes your members feel valued.
6) Offer a Flexible and Tiered Reward System
To keep longstanding and new members engaged, implement a flexible reward system with levels and offer rewards based on member activity and loyalty.
The higher-tiered members unlock more exclusive benefits, and this keeps everyone interested. The aim is to get all members striving to hit reward goals and achievements and reap the benefits!
7) Add Gamification to Your Loyalty Reward Programme
We’re talking about fun elements that make your loyalty programme even more engaging! It’s worth looking at what your direct competitors are doing with their loyalty programmes because it doesn’t just have to be about accessing rewards.
If you include ways to earn special badges, encourage your members to keep up streaks and add league tables (all with rewards attached to different levels), it’s another way to excite your members and appeal to them, plus there’s the satisfaction attached to attaining goals!
By including different ideas, your large gym chain creates a unique loyalty programme, that has a huge, enticing offering which goes a long way to increasing retention and attracting new members.
8) Bring In the Experts!
If all this sounds like hard work (and the fact is, to put in a really impressive loyalty programme that’s bespoke to your large gym chain’s needs, satisfies your members and utilises state-of-the-art technology), then why not speak to the loyalty reward professionals?
At Endurance Zone we know loyalty programmes, we also deeply understand gyms and fitness chains – the challenges, the competition and how to create something so appealing to resonate with your members – and leave your competitors in the shade.
So drop us a message for a no-obligation chat and let’s create something special!