8 min
AI has truly changed how we connect with the world.
Think back on all the posts you see on social media that seem just right for you, or how Netflix knows what movie you’ll like next, or when Spotify picks the perfect songs for you.
Ever used Shazam to find out what song is playing at a restaurant you’re eating at? That’s AI working its magic.
Think of AI as a super smart friend who’s good at guessing stuff. It looks at all the information we have and helps us understand things we didn’t know before.
For gym or fitness club owners, this means AI can help figure out important stuff like:
- Can we predict our sales a few months down the line?
- Is one of the members thinking about leaving?
- Will they be interested in a new class we’re offering?
- What happens if we change the time of our classes?
Unless you’ve been completely out of the loop in the last year or so, you’ve probably noticed AI is becoming a big part of people’s lives.
So, as a fitness business owner, why not use AI to your advantage and make your services better?
In this article, we’re diving into how a fitness industry expert like yourself can use artificial intelligence not just to make smart predictions about what your fitness clients might do but to create a better, more personalized gym experience.
So, here are some strategies to maximize gym revenue with AI.
1. Create Personalized Workouts Using AI
This idea revolves around developing AI-powered fitness apps that members can access for an extra fee.
Initially, users complete a brief survey covering aspects like fitness objectives, personal metrics (height, weight, age, gender), dietary habits, current exercise routines, and any health issues.
By harnessing this data, AI algorithms can create highly personalized workout and nutrition plans that adapt as the member evolves.
This personalized approach ensures that each member feels valued and understood, significantly enhancing their satisfaction and loyalty.
You can also introduce different levels of membership, like Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3. With Tier 1, members just get to use the gym.
Tier 2 members get a workout and meal plan made just for them by an AI coach. Tier 3 lets members work with a personal trainer in both in-person and virtual training sessions.
For those who pick Tier 2, here’s what happens: After signing up, members answer a questionnaire. The AI uses this info to create a fitness plan tailored to them.
This plan gets updated based on how the members use the gym equipment, their feedback on the exercises, and even health data gathered during their workouts contributing significantly to their fitness journey.
The plan can also suggest specific classes that match the member’s fitness level and goals, or advise the best times for them to work out, based on when the gym is usually less busy and the member’s timetable.
And this isn’t just a concept; it’s real. At Virtuagym, the AI Coach is a part of our Virtuagym consumer app. We encourage you to check it out.
2. Make Use of AI-Powered Chatbots
An AI chatbot on the gym’s website or social media can handle a wide range of inquiries, from gym membership questions to class bookings and nutritional advice.
These are machine learning algorithms that can be trained to understand and respond to a wide variety of questions, providing personalized responses based on the member’s history and preferences.
Using AI chatbots can help gym owners increase their income in several ways:
- Making Customer Service Better: They answer questions any time of the day instantly. This makes people happy and more likely to sign up or stay with the gym.
- Freeing Up Staff: Chatbots take care of common questions. This lets the gym staff focus on other work that can help the gym make more money, like keeping members happy or selling more services.
- Helping Sign Up More Members: Chatbots can walk potential members through the signup process right on social media. This makes it easier for people to join, increasing member acquisition.
- Sending Personalized Offers: Chatbots can figure out what services or deals a person might like based on their past questions and interests. Then, they can suggest these offers to the person, which could lead to more sales.
- Improving the Gym Based on Feedback: Chatbots can ask for feedback and use it to see how the gym can get better or what new things they should offer. Making changes based on what members want can help keep them happy and open up chances to sell more.
For complex queries that require human intervention, the chatbot can seamlessly escalate the issue to the appropriate staff member, ensuring that members always receive the support they need.
3. Expand Your Gym Accessories with Smart Clothes
Also known as E-textiles. These kinds of clothing incorporate technology that senses and responds to the body’s reactions during exercise.
For example, a smart shirt could track the speed of your client’s run, while smart pants might assess their posture and alignment.
You have a couple of options here: you could offer these high-tech accessories for an additional fee, or you could use them as prizes in fitness challenges.
Introducing these items as rewards can spark excitement among your current members and generate interest in your gym’s fitness challenges.
Moreover, when your members wear this smart clothing, they’ll have real-time feedback on their movements. This information can be invaluable for enhancing their workout routines even further.
4. Automate Your Content Generation
You can use AI in many ways to make content for your blog, social media, or YouTube channel. This can help you earn more from ads, sponsored posts, and affiliate links.
Here’s what this can look like:
Fitness Blog Content
Using AI can save you a lot of writing time. Begin by using AI for brainstorming blog topics and creating outlines. Then, enhance these drafts with your own insights and experiences.
It’s important to remember that AI cannot create high-quality articles by itself, and most automatic content generation results in low-quality work.
Think of AI as an intern who needs your direction and knowledge at every step. After all, you’re the expert, and AI is just a helpful tool.
Use it to reduce the time you spend writing, but always guide it and make edits to ensure the best quality outcome.
Faceless YouTube Videos
Have you heard about ‘faceless’ YouTube channels? These are channels without a visible presenter, instead using stock videos and AI voices.
For example, take a look at this channel called ‘Body Hub’ which creates health and fitness content using just AI voices and stock footage. It has around 1.42 million subscribers without ever showing anyone’s face.
You too can start a fitness channel like this with the use of tools like Pictory, Midjourney, and ChatGPT to create a ‘faceless’ YouTube channel.
Share your knowledge on a topic you’re passionate about, like fitness, without needing to be on camera.
Social Media Content
Keeping up with regular social media posts is key to staying connected with your audience, but finding new content ideas can be tough.
Once more, AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude can assist in generating new ideas or helping you find the perfect captions for your posts.
For inspiration check out our guide on creating fitness content.
5. Use Predictive Analytics
Utilizing AI for predictive analytics involves analyzing historical data to forecast future trends, member behavior, and potential business opportunities.
This strategic foresight allows gyms to make informed decisions, tailor their offerings, and preemptively address challenges before they impact the business.
For example, Virtuagym’s Business Analytics tool can help a gym identify patterns in member attendance and drop-offs, enabling it to adjust class schedules, hours of operation, and even staffing levels to meet demand more efficiently.
Similarly, by predicting which members are at risk of churn, gyms can proactively engage these individuals with personalized interventions, such as special offers or tailored fitness challenges, to rekindle their interest and retain their membership thus efficiently managing fitness operations.
Conclusion
The fitness sector is always getting new updates, but now with artificial intelligence (AI) coming into play, there are even more changes happening.
If you don’t employ AI to come up with new ways to make money, you’ll end up falling behind your competitors.
AI isn’t going anywhere—it’s here to stay. So, instead of being worried about it, if you learn how to use AI to your advantage, your business will be much safer and could do a lot better.
FAQ
How to use AI to generate revenue?
Implement AI to automate processes, personalize customer experiences, analyze data for insights, create smart products or services, and enhance decision-making. Leverage these applications to reduce costs, increase sales, and open new revenue streams.
How does AI increase revenue?
AI boosts revenue by improving efficiency, enabling personalized marketing and sales strategies, optimizing pricing, predicting customer behavior, and providing data-driven insights to inform business strategies, thus enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
How can gyms use AI?
Gyms can use AI for personalized workout plans, tracking and analyzing members’ fitness progress, automating customer service with chatbots, optimizing class schedules based on demand, and maintaining equipment through predictive maintenance.
How do you maximize AI benefits?
Maximize AI benefits by clearly defining goals, ensuring data quality, continuously training AI models with new data, integrating AI into existing workflows, and staying updated on AI advancements. Additionally, invest in skills development and consider ethical implications.
