Redefining engagement in the fitness industry in 2022

The motto “The Customer Is Always Right” never goes out of style. But before the customer can be right, your company needs to make the connection and define engagement.

If you google “customer engagement,” you’ll get 1,080,000,000 results. And around 3,320,000,000 CRM (Customer Relationship Management) solutions offer their professional advice, with an array of graphics, statistics, surveys, counseling, etc.

It is estimated that 23% of a company's revenue comes from compromised customers that choose what they consider “their” brand over others.  

To measure customer engagement, Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Greenberg came up with this definition: "Customer engagement is the ongoing interaction between the business and the customer, offered by the business, chosen by the customer."

Due to Digital Commerce 360, companies with a strong engagement policy retain 89% of their customers, on average. This is a much higher figure than the 33% retention shown by those that don’t.

This means that communication doesn’t end after a successful sale or technical support interaction. Companies now want to anticipate their customers’ needs, monitoring the multiple communication channels available.

This manner is not only contingent on big companies. Language academies, restaurants, health centers, and even small supermarkets are successfully applying customer engagement.

Your channels matter

If you want to connect with potential and existing clients, there is some good news. Numerous forms of modern technology can help you make these connections and grow your online presence. For example, as a gym owner you need to consider your gym marketing channels.

Driving engagement on social media

Social media has become the most important link for companies to interact with their customers. Special discounts, brand positioning, and novelties are displayed on Facebook so that the company’s customer department can monitor the likes, comments, and a number of video reproductions. Here, a direct link to the goods/services application is imperative, as 52% of clients will choose another brand if their experience is not simple and convenient.

For gym owners, digital marketing in the fitness industry is a way to catch people’s attention who don't visit the website often. You can also use social channels to promote interesting and eye-catching information while building the brand! 

Your website as a point of engagement

A website is considered successful based on the time spent and the number of clicks on different options by the customer. Keeping the user’s attention is a goal acquired by offering interesting choices. An attractive interface with a wide variety of selections always catches the customers’ attention. The goal is to keep the customer scrolling through additional options long after looking at what they originally came for.

Engagement via automated email communications

Getting the right message to the right customer at the right stage of their lifecycle should be turnkey at the hands of your platform partner. Your customers expect you to deliver targeted, data-driven, relevant information to them at appropriate times. Whether it’s a new trial, an existing member, or winning back a cancellation, there’s a specific message for every member of your CRM system.

SMS engagement

Did you know that text messages receive a 70% open rate and are an increasingly popular means of engaging with a customer base? Your high open rates come with high expectations, so overuse of this communication method can be just as damaging as underuse. This channel is best left for relatively infrequent communication, but when you do, be sure to deliver an offer that’s time-bound and perceived to be a special event, sent in a personalized way.

Outbound calling

In a world where customers expect an increasingly personalized touch, there is still a place for phone calls. It never hurts to pick up the phone to offer and deliver a personal message. Consider calling to invite people to special events where they can engage in person with like-minded people. 

The phone call may be a lost art, but if you treat it with a personalized approach and offer access to something that will bring value and joy to your members’ lives, you will find that people appreciate the thought you put into each piece of communication. Your reward? Your brand equity grows.

Click rate

This is a feature companies use to measure customer engagement over e-mail and instant messenger service apps. Click rates can also check the number of clicks on their CTA (call to action) button. A high click rate means a higher customer engagement with fewer “tourists.”

A survey points out that engagement is encouraged 81% by price, 80% by quality, 55% by convenience, 83% by trust, and 86% by loyalty.

Healthy connections are everywhere 

A small business like a health club or studio should keep all of these channels open, plus an active Whatsapp group for every shift, to create a friendly environment where clients feel comfortable and satisfied. 

There’s already an essential bond between fitness and healthy habits to explore. Sensibly managed, this could grow into a compact group that can lead to extra activities like playing sports, trekking, or biking. 

An attractive web page and branded app with direct links to healthy food options, travel agencies, sports gear, and extra activities will keep users on track.

There is no limit when it comes to attracting and keeping a client with a brand. 

Linda Hollebeek, a Customer Engagement Specialist at IPAG Business School, Vilnius University, and Tallinn University of Technology, tells us that customer engagement is “the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral level that a customer invests in interactions with a specific brand.”

A satisfied client is an important recruiter, and even happy employees are valuable ambassadors of your brand.

Making tech work for you and your club

Modern technology like outbound calling, social media use, web pages, click rates, buy rates, and Whatsapp are useful tools to encourage and strengthen the bond between brand and customer.

Of course, one must know where to draw the line and not “overwhelm” the customer. Intelligent use of these tools will secure companies a good measure of customer loyalty to their service/product. 

Useful client feedback can give companies a realistic view of how their company is performing, and this information can influence future decisions. A satisfied client will advertise your brand far better than any advertising agency. 

A new era of honest, reliable, and personalized business relationships is rising with this blockchain technology. And framing, swindling, or cheating will soon be a thing of the past.

Looking to drive insane engagement with the members of your club? See your business operating with the power of Hapana. Request a demo today.