How to Use SMS Messaging to Keep Your Club Members Healthy
What do people want most out of a health club? The knee-jerk response is probably “Get fit.” Another one may be “Lose weight.” And people certainly do want those things.
But in a report released last week by Nielsen, it turns out people want more than just to see a lower number on the scale. In their study, 75% of people worldwide plan to lose weight by changing their diet. And another 72% plan to exercise – that’s where your health club comes in.
But overall, the responses indicated a more important trend. Almost 80% of people were interested in getting healthy by using “foods to forestall health issues and medical conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension”.
The Nielsen study was aimed at letting manufacturers know how to leverage the trends, but your health club can use the data too. By understanding your members want more than to just build muscle, lose weight or fit back into that bikini in three months (though they may want that too!), you’ll be able to support them better. And if you can be the one encouraging and informing them on their journey to health, more of them will turn into long term members.
Now that you know your members are interested in achieving health more than anything, here are some ideas on how you can do that using SMS messaging.
- Send links to healthy recipes. Nielsen’s report pointed out food was a major issue for people. In particular, people were looking for ways to reduce sugar, fat, and sodium. They want healthful foods. Offer your members the opportunity to opt in for daily or weekly healthy recipes sent via SMS. Since people are more likely to see an SMS message than say emails or hand-outs at the club, they’ll be sure never to miss any delicious opportunities.
- Offer a chance to check in with a “health coach”. Many people know they want to be healthier but are lost searching through the huge amount of information available. Send members a text asking if they want to sign up for a free one-on-one consultation with someone about their diet and what simple changes they can make. If they reply “YES” to the message your staff can set up an appointment, then send an SMS reminder too.
- Send notices about any health workshops you’re holding. Fitness and diet go hand in hand to produce health. If you run informational workshops, make sure your members know about it by sending a text message. You can send reminders via text too once they sign up.
Notice that some of these ideas are based on offering something to your users from a third party. Providing you choose these well and they do a good job you are establishing yourself as an authority. If the third party wins business through you they may offer you a commission or, alternatively, refer their clients to you in return. Maybe they’ll let you use SMS messaging to contact their user list?
These are three simple activities you may already offer to your members. But everyone is so busy it’s hard to remember things, even if you want to do them. By using SMS messaging to raise awareness, sign ups and for reminders, you’ll probably increase participation. There just isn’t a more direct form of communication that works better for people on the go.
For even more examples of how you could benefit from using SMS messaging download our “Health Club SMS Guide“. It is full of practical tips and advice from health clubs already using SMS in their business to great effect.
Related Articles
How Your Health Club Can Start Using SMS to Support Members Today
You’re all excited about the number of new members you have in your health club thanks to your latest member drive. And you want to do everything you can to help them reach their goals and stay a member for a long time. Here's a quick few steps to get you up and running as quickly as possible.
SMS Marketing: Four Sectors Successfully Using Text Messaging
SMS marketing has seen a huge uplift in popularity in recent years, with big brands investing in the technology to better engage with their customers. There are so many benefits of SMS marketing, from the ability to directly to reach customers with your communications, to the fact that over 80% of SMS texts are read. With over approximately 90% of the world receiving mobile coverage, you’re highly likely to be able to reach your audience, regardless of where they are. SMS marketing is cost effective, and campaigns are quick to develop, in as short a time period as the time it takes to write a text message. This gives you the advantage of being able to communicate quickly, and effectively with customers, reacting to information almost instantaneously. With so many reasons to use SMS marketing, we’ve highlighted four sectors successfully using SMS messaging as case studies to highlight the advantages of investing in the technology.
Why SMS and Mass Participation Sports Events are Made for Each Other
Most major sports teams in the UK and US already know the power of SMS for engaging fans via scores, stats and other data. But the power of SMS can extend far beyond the world of the major leagues. SMS is ideal, not only for communicating with participants but to coordinate teams of volunteers across the event.
5 SMS or Mobile Facts You Need to Know
So many of us are used to having our mobiles around nearly 24 hours a day that it’s easy to forget it’s still a growing industry. And though SMS has been around for over two decades, the ways we use it and people’s willingness to use it continues to grow. So for this blog I picked out five facts about mobile and SMS that really make the case that SMS for business has come of age. Let’s see if you agree.
5 Reasons to use SMS for Transactional Messaging
People rely on their mobiles for everything these days. They check them up to 200 times a day! Any business that communicates with customers can take advantage of that by using SMS messaging for transactional information. Read on to see the top 5 reasons why.
How Sports Clubs and Fitness Centres are Using SMS Marketing to Their Advantage
Statistics show that a huge 98% of text messages are opened within the first fifteen minutes of being received, so it's little wonder that sports organisations and fitness centres have been looking to take advantage of a potentially lucrative market.
5 SMS Myths You Shouldn’t Believe
SMS messaging is a popular topic. The growth of mobile has everyone jumping on board the SMS waggon and they all have something to say. I've compiled a list of five topics that I've seen written about that just aren't true, or at the very least are potentially misleading enough to be called myths. I'm going to try and offer some insight into why these myths exist and what the truth is, as I see it anyway!
How SMS Messaging is Revolutionising the Healthcare Industry
With 64% of people stating they prefer text messaging for customer support, over voice calling – it is no wonder the hectic, often overstretched health care sector is utilising SMS messaging frequently. Below we’ve listed out a range of benefits of using text messaging within the healthcare sector.
Referral Marketing Through SMS Messaging
What is one almost guaranteed way of getting new customers? Ask for them. Really. Studies show that 83% of satisfied customers are willing to recommend a company, product or service to their family and friends. Here's how you can use SMS to simplify and improve your referral marketing.
SMS Messaging Helps New Mothers Stay Healthy
New mothers face many challenges in the days and weeks following the birth of their child. Any parent will know most of them well with lack of sleep being a primary one. But many women are also at risk for other conditions that could be prevented by regular monitoring - enter SMS.