How to Maximise Membership Retention with Email and SMS

Following the surge of spa and leisure activity following pandemic restrictions, many business managers have been focusing on new memberships. However, it is also vital to maximise membership retention. This is because retaining members is not only more cost effective but maintains regular revenue every month.

When used effectively, email and SMS are particularly useful in highlighting your membership options. According to leading SMS service provider, TextAnywhere, the average open rate for SMS is 98%. This is higher than any other form of marketing, although Hubspot confirms that 20.94% of emails are opened across all industries, also making it an effective form of marketing. With this in mind, we share how to maximise membership retention using email and SMS for your business.

Communicate new membership types and pricing

Your existing members may not have the same needs as they did pre-pandemic, meaning you will need to offer more flexibility to maximise membership retention. Some people may be more apprehensive about returning to a spa or leisure type environment, for example, which is where a digital membership for classes or with a personal trainer could help. Alternatively, you could offer joint memberships to encourage those wanting a more group-based or family visit. Once set up with an amended price point, this can be marketed to your members via email and SMS to make them aware of your new membership options.

Highlight the benefits for members

Some members may have not used your facilities for a while, which is where an email or SMS can help motivate them to return. For example, you could send a message that focused on the key benefits of exercise and wellbeing. That way, you give lapsed members a reason to return and use your facilities. As for those who are no longer signed up, you could provide a simple message stating that you miss them, followed by any recent benefits of being a member.

Provide a refer-a-friend scheme

One way to maximise membership opportunities is by marketing friend referral schemes. This works by offering an incentive to refer-a-friend, such as 100 loyalty points, receiving one month of free membership or anything else you deem suitable. Through referring a friend, you not only receive new membership, but also encourage the return of the existing member as they now have a friend to use your facilities with.

Highlight goals and personal trainers

An excellent way to make use of email and SMS to maximise your memberships is by increasing support to your existing members. They all have a reason to use your facilities, such as a personalised fitness goal. These details should be saved in their member card information. Therefore, if you have time, make sure to contact any members via email and SMS with an update of their progress from when they last visited, reminding them of their goal. This will need to be done on a per-member basis rather than en mass. You could also highlight any personal trainer availability, prices and contact details to motivate that member, showing you are there for them.

Regular updates and payment reminders

Sometimes, maximising membership retention is simply a case of keeping members in the loop. For example, you may wish to send a welcome email once they join, safety measures post-lockdown, or a prompt for membership payment. With automated emails and SMS scheduled at specific times, you can message members to remind them of their upcoming renewal fee or if they have missed a payment. Similarly, an automated email could be triggered upon membership payment being taken, confirming it has been processed. These confirmations not only help reduce the number of lapsed member payments, but also maintains regular contact, helping members feel more looked after.

Core by Premier Software® features built-in automated email and SMS marketing to keep clients up-to-date. This is in addition membership management and running reports to measure client attrition. For more information on what Core can do for your business, call +44 (0)1543 466580 or book a free presentation now.