How should your studio get ready for the year-end holiday?
It is only a few days away from the new year 2022. Interestingly, statistics have shown that people experience a spike in their motivation to be healthier in the beginning of the year, which explains why January tends to be the busiest time for many fitness studios. On the contrary, member engagement tends to face a major dip in the final quarter of the year, perhaps due to the hectic festivities which take time away from regular fitness routines.
Tackling this issue requires serious planning ahead of time. The good news is, it only requires one elaborate plan to kill two birds with one stone. One plan to both keep your members engaged nearing the end of the year and get your studio ready for the peak time. Here, we have compiled some quintessential ideas to get your studio up and running for the holiday season!
1. Holiday-themed classes and workshops
There are many ways to approach this. Holiday-themed classes, charity donation, workout challenges, member events, etc. Make your classes/events member-centric, as an act of appreciation for their support over the year, and to keep them motivated. Inject new elements of fun and novelty to attract members to join in the fun despite the temptation of enjoying their holidays at home.
Taking these extra steps to plan something special can help solidify your community, and we all know, having a close-knitted relationship is the key to better retention rate.
2. Special year-end deals to keep them coming back
Some ideas that you might want to explore are holiday gift cards which members can purchase and gift to their loved ones to help them achieve their fitness goals, or launching discounted membership plans as a special deal towards the end of the year. These are all fool-proof incentivisation strategies that helps you keep up the hype during the festive period.
3. Social media to amplify your intent
Schedule your content calendar with care. There are many objectives of using social media, especially so during the holiday. Some posts might be dedicated to share operational changes, some to promote and publicize events, while others are dedicated to simply appreciating and celebrating your members.
However, remember to keep your message succinct and attractive, so that you can stand out from the sea of content online.
Earlier we mentioned being more member-centric. Ask for the opinions of your members, and take it into consideration when planning ahead for the holiday season. They might prefer doing charity events to support COVID-19 causes instead of a Christmas party this year, or both.
Last but not least, we’d recommend trying something new each year, and repeat only what you think can be a part of your studio’s unique tradition, because we all enjoy something new!