The Ultimate Guide to Fitness Email Marketing for Gym Owners

The fitness industry has grown rapidly in the last ten years as more people started to invest in their health. The number of fitness businesses in the United States rose from around 88,600 to 115,000 between 2013 and 2023 to accommodate these growing needs for fitness services. And naturally, the competition in the field started to pile up. 

As the market continues to grow, many fitness professionals seek new ways to engage customers and become their preferred place for a workout over so many options. Fortunately, fitness email marketing offers a simple way of reaching and connecting with target audiences.

Fitness email marketing lets you communicate directly with potential and existing customers. You can use marketing emails to promote your services, share updates, offer deals, and much more, leveraging dynamic content to motivate customers to visit your gym and break a sweat. 

This article will tell you just how to do it, explaining the basics of fitness email marketing and the strategies to implement to reach success with your campaign.

Introduction to fitness email marketing 

Email marketing involves sending promotional messages to a subscriber list. It’s a form of inbound marketing designed to connect with and inform existing customers. 

Gyms and other fitness businesses often use email marketing to engage their client base. Here are a few examples of fitness marketing emails you could send: 

• A welcome message for new members
• A fitness newsletter with workout tips and gear reviews 
• An invitation to an exclusive event 
• Messages about discounts and sales
• A reminder to renew an annual membership

These simple emails offer huge benefits for fitness businesses. They build a sense of community among your customers and increase retention. After all, people are more likely to come for a workout when they feel connected to your company. 

These messages can also boost sales and revenue. Businesses earn an average of $36 for every $1 spent on email marketing. You can promote your products and services without breaking the bank. 

Setting up your email strategy 

People often assume all marketers have Mad Men levels of creativity and advertising knowledge. But you don’t need marketing expertise to promote your business. Follow these easy steps to develop your fitness email marketing strategy. 

Create fitness marketing goals 

Most fitness professionals start a new workout plan by setting goals. This allows them to know what they want to achieve and whether they’re making progress. 

The same principle applies to email marketing. You should define clear, quantifiable goals to guide your strategy. These aims should line up with your overall business goals. Here are examples of specific goals for inspiration: 

• Boost sales of fitness equipment by 25% in one year 
• Encourage 100 more people to attend your fitness classes each month 
• Grow your subscriber list to 500 people 
• Increase membership renewals by 10% this quarter 
• Raise your retention rate by 20% in six months  

Choose a trustworthy email marketing service

You probably already use Gmail or Microsoft Outlook to write emails. But these platforms don’t have advanced design features to make messages look professional.

Take your messages to the next level with a credible email marketing service. Constant Contact offers hundreds of customizable templates and an easy drag-and-drop editor. The platform also lets you add polls, sign-up forms, and other interactive elements. You can use this software to design more engaging and creative marketing emails. 

Build your fitness email marketing list

Encourage your existing customers to join your subscriber list. Consider offering small incentives related to their fitness interests. For example, you can give a 10% discount on their next class or training session. 

Segment your audience

Your clients have diverse needs and interests. Divide your audience into different segments based on their demographics and preferences.

For instance, a busy mom of three may appreciate free workout videos and simple yoga tips. Meanwhile, a diehard powerlifter might prefer discounts on supplements. Deliver valuable content by tailoring your content for each segment. 

Plan your fitness marketing email campaigns

Create a content calendar to plan your marketing emails for the next three to six months. This calendar should outline the types of emails you want to send, their content, and their timing. For example, you could send a newsletter with updates on the first day of each month. 

Set realistic expectations and focus on quality over quantity. Every email should have valuable content, not fluff. 

Use email automation effectively 

Streamline your campaign planning with email automation software. Use this technology to create sequences of messages that automatically send at specific times. For instance, you can send new members a welcome email when they join your gym. One week later, send a follow-up email with upcoming classes and events. This strategy keeps clients engaged while reducing the time you spend manually sending emails. 

Optimizing campaign effectiveness

These helpful tactics can help you improve your fitness marketing campaigns: 

• Social media integration: Boost engagement by integrating your email and social media. Encourage your email subscribers to follow you on social media and vice versa. You can also adapt content for both channels to expand your reach. 
• Campaign monitoring: Use email marketing software to measure your campaigns’ performance. This technology can track open rates, unsubscriptions, and other data. 

Content creation for email marketing 

Email marketing campaigns often include a broad range of content. Creating different types of messages will keep your campaigns fresh and engaging. 

You can use many strategies to brainstorm content ideas. Follow fitness and marketing trends to develop valuable and timely content. You can also survey your customers to learn about their preferred content. 

Here are a few popular types of emails to promote your fitness business: 

Welcome emails

Send a friendly message to welcome new clients and subscribers. This email should briefly introduce your top products and services. Encourage readers to visit your website or social media to learn more about your brand. 

Educational newsletters

Educate your clients with a weekly or monthly newsletter. These emails can include exercise tutorials, injury prevention tips, and other informative content. 

Special deals

Reward your loyal clients by emailing them exclusive deals and offers. These incentives encourage them to stay subscribed and can increase sales. 

Reengagement campaigns 

Email marketing can help you reconnect with former or inactive customers. Send them exclusive offers to rejoin or promote new services to entice them back. 

Virtual training offers

Advertise your online services with a virtual training email. This message can include pricing, a short training session video, and customer testimonials. 

Lead magnet 

A lead magnet is a free product emailed to new subscribers. For example, you can create a strength training e-book or yoga how-to guide. Lead magnets can boost subscription rates and deliver immediate value to clients. 

Email follow-up sequences 

Customers often forget to read or respond to emails. Use email marketing software to automatically send polite follow-up messages. These emails encourage interaction and keep your brand at the top of clients’ inboxes. 

Techniques to grow your subscriber list 

You don’t need hundreds of followers to start an email marketing campaign. Start small with your existing customers and build your subscriber list over time. 

Find opportunities to collect contact information and invite customers to opt into your email list. For example, you could add an opt-in checkbox to your class registration form. You could also invite customers to subscribe when they buy a membership or subscription. 

Attract new subscribers by creating a website landing page with an opt-in form. You can also share this form on social media and place QR codes that link to it around your physical business. 

A referral program can help you grow your subscriber list faster. Offer small incentives like gear discounts for clients who refer new subscribers. These rewards build customer loyalty and generate fresh leads. 

Types of email campaigns

Fitness professionals can use many types of email campaigns to promote their brands. Choose campaigns that align with your overall goals. 

For instance, email surveys let you gather feedback and improve your services. Reengagement emails can increase retention and customer lifetime value. You can also create seasonal emails to promote relevant products and increase revenue. 

Additionally, many companies use email marketing with fitness affiliate links. These campaigns let you recommend products from other companies that complement your services. Affiliate partners may also pay commissions for referrals, opening new revenue streams.  

Constant Contact offers customizable email templates for each type of campaign. These layouts let you create professional and aesthetically appealing emails with your brand elements. They speed up the design process without sacrificing creative freedom. 

Measure the success of your email marketing campaigns 

Track your campaign’s performance to see if you’re progressing and meeting your goals. These email marketing metrics will help you measure your: 

• Click-through rate 
• Customer lifetime value 
• Open rate
• Return on investment 
• Revenue per email 
• Unsubscribe rate

These key performance indicators (KPIs) let you analyze customer engagement and identify areas for improvement. 

Advanced strategies and innovation

Level up your fitness marketing with these advanced techniques: 

• Personalization: Make your clients feel valued by sending them personalized emails. You can customize subject lines, product recommendations, and other elements. 
• Mobile optimization: Use mobile-friendly templates so customers can read your emails on the go. 
• Social media listening: Track popular fitness trends on social media and incorporate them into your content. 

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them 

Running into obstacles as you develop your email marketing campaign is normal. You can prevent or solve many of these challenges by following email marketing best practices.

One of the most common roadblocks is having customers mark your marketing emails as spam. To reduce the likelihood of this issue, only send messages to people who have opted in. You should also avoid spammy language, such as “Get a FREE gift today!” and “Congratulations, you’ve won a yoga class!”

You may also notice that your clients unsubscribe from your mailing list frequently. Improve your retention rate by creating high-value content tailored to your audience. For instance, teenagers may prefer 30-second videos over long paragraphs of content. Meanwhile, workout buffs might relish emails with detailed nutrition advice and infographics.

Choosing the right tools and services

Picking the right software is one of the keys to email marketing for a fitness studio. Look for a platform that offers tiered pricing so you can scale up as your business expands. Advanced features like artificial intelligence tools and social media marketing can also improve your campaigns.

Constant Contact has three email marketing plans to suit fitness businesses of all sizes. You can quickly design top-notch emails with the platform’s templates and drag-and-drop editor. The software also enables you to create automated email sequences. These messages get triggered by specific events or behaviors. 

Let’s say a customer puts a class in their online shopping cart but doesn’t buy it. Constant Contact can automatically send them reminder emails and exclusive deals. These email sequences can move leads along the sales funnel and inspire action. 

Steps to get started with fitness email marketing

Follow this checklist to develop an effective gym email marketing strategy: 

• Set specific goals 
• Research your target audience 
• Design a content calendar 
• Build your subscriber list
• Create consistent content 
• Evaluate your performance with metrics
• Continuously improve your fitness emails 

Conclusion

Accomplish fitness revolution with email marketing. This approach lets you share meaningful content directly with clients. You can use it to promote new classes, share cardio tips, and more. Marketing emails can increase engagement and retention, leading to greater business success. 

Get started today by exploring email marketing tools and brainstorming content ideas. You can also research successful email campaigns for inspiration.  

FAQ

How can email marketing benefit my gym? 

Email marketing often has a high return on investment (ROI) for fitness businesses. This strategy can increase brand awareness, sales, customer engagement, and retention. 

How much does email marketing cost?

The cost of email marketing varies based on the resources you use. For example, Constant Contact’s marketing software starts at $12 monthly. Your costs will increase if you hire marketing specialists or use more expensive tools. 

How do I track my gym’s email campaign performance? 

Constant Contact has built-in data analytics tools. Use the interactive dashboard to track open rates, unsubscribe rates, and other metrics.

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