How to keep in touch with gym members via text messages

SMS or text message is one of the most popular ways to keep in touch with customers. You've probably received at least one such message from a store, letting you know of certain promotions or offering you information about your order or account.

Well, this type of communication is called SMS marketing, and it is much more popular and used than you think.

You'll have a hard time finding an adult without a smartphone in their pocket. So the chances of your audience members having a cell phone they can receive an SMS on are incredibly high.
If you use this communication channel correctly, it can be a valuable tool to increase member loyalty.

The secret to success is knowing what and especially when to send.

What is SMS marketing?

All the SMS you receive from various brands and companies are part of their SMS marketing strategy.

Whether you are notified of a new promotion on certain products, free shipping on online orders, or a new product that can be purchased in the store, all these messages are marketing campaigns.

Even if your gym isn't focused on selling products, that doesn't mean you can't use text messages to increase member engagement and make essential announcements easier.

So, consider SMS as another secure communication channel with your club members and potential customers.

Gym SMS campaigns are usually used when you want to notify members of specific offers or a vital message.

SMS is rarely used as an automatic message after specific actions, such as confirming a reservation or activating a membership.

In general, SMS costs slightly more than a newsletter or app notifications, so it is used in essential contexts or where it can actually help sales.

SMS also helps you personalize the members' experience at the gym by sending targeted messages. Whether it's a welcome message for new members or a birthday wish, perhaps even accompanied by a discount code, these messages enhance the member's experience at your gym and help you stay present in their life, even when they don't come to the club.

Why text members?

The main reason it is worth investing in such a communication channel is to increase the loyalty of your members and, implicitly, retention.

As I said, most adults have a cell phone, which they constantly check, so SMS is a very effective way to keep in touch with your members.

Unlike email, SMS reaches the recipient directly without him having to check his inbox. At the same time, the phone doesn't need to be connected to the Internet to receive these messages, unlike notifications through the mobile app.

So the open rate can be very high since everyone reads the text messages they receive, regardless of who sends them.

In addition, this type of communication is familiar and easy to use even by members with little technological skills who spend little time online. That way, you don't have to explain how to turn on their app notifications or get them used to check their email daily.

Since the open rate is higher, the conversion rate is also higher. This is because the message sent via SMS does not compete with other notifications or emails. It is a direct message that attracts more attention from the member.

As with other direct marketing channels, you can easily track the results of your campaigns. You can see precisely who received that SMS depending on the software you use to send them. Thus, you have a detailed report on those who saw your message, which you can then compare with the sales one.

How to start texting members

You can send an SMS to a list of contacts through various technical solutions. You don't need to use your mobile phone to manually send tens, hundreds or even thousands of SMS.

Ideally, you should use a solution properly integrated with your member management software to build your audiences more quickly and not have to export phone numbers for each campaign.

For example, through the UPfit.cloud marketing module, you can send text messages directly from the management software, selecting the required audience. Since member profiles also contain their phone number, there is no need to add this information.

Regardless of your chosen digital solution, you will also need an actual sending service.

We recommend you register an identifier with the name of your fitness club within the limit of 11 characters. This way, when the member receives the message, they will see the club's name instead of a short number like 1798.

Registering this custom identifier involves an initial cost, after which you can use it indefinitely.

Collecting your members' phone numbers is the second vital step to starting SMS campaigns. If your member profile doesn't already include this information, encourage existing members to leave their number at the front desk when they come to the gym and explain what they'll gain from doing so. Also, don't forget to ask for the phone number of all new members when they sign up.

Even if you have an impressive list of contact details, that doesn't mean you can use it without people's explicit consent. Personal data protection laws are strict and must be followed even for SMS marketing.

So, once you've collected the phone numbers, make sure members have consented to receive text messages from you. Otherwise, you will only be able to send transactional SMS.

There are lots of ways you can communicate with your members via SMS to increase retention and sales. Whether you are sending promotional offers, essential member messages or alerts when something changes in the club's activity, SMS campaigns are always a good option.