12 min
In a world where fitness apps and online workout schedules seem to be becoming the new norm, one question is central to every fitness entrepreneur: “How do I turn my members into loyal ambassadors for my brand?”
The answer lies hidden in the power of community, communication, and customer engagement campaigns.
In today’s digital age, with WhatsApp expanding its platform to include channels and groups, it is clear that the need for connection and community is stronger than ever.
But what if I told you that you don’t have to depend on external, digital channels? Virtuagym allows you to create your own social media, connected directly to your gym or studio.
This is where members check in, view their workout schedules, follow nutrition plans, and log their workouts - but now they can also see, follow, and participate in your community within the familiar environment of their app.
This is where you greatly increase the value of your subscriptions. By sharing exclusive content and tips in your own online community, you not only create added value for your current members but also attract new customers looking for a gym that offers more than just equipment.
Consider exclusive videos, motivational tips, group class updates, merchandise offers, and online coaching opportunities.
In this blog, we dive deeper into Virtuagym’s latest features and explain how you can leverage them to increase member engagement and turn your gym into a vibrant hub of activity and community.
Because let’s face it: you’re not selling a fitness subscription, you’re selling a lifestyle.
Customer engagement and community central
An online community is golden in the fitness industry where every touch point counts. Your fitness community is more than a group of people - it’s a sense of belonging somewhere.
By using customer engagement marketing and turning potential customers into fans, you create brand loyalty and build a movement, which puts gyms on the map as the place for health and wellness.
Create your own social media platform with Virtuagym to strengthen your customer engagement strategies
Virtuagym does the heavy lifting for you. Virtuagym’s online community is like a digital coffee corner where members meet.
Imagine members proudly sharing their personal records, posting their favorite healthy recipes, or congratulating each other after a solid workout.
Your online community is at the heart of this interaction, and your gym facilitates this connection - simply, effectively, and with both feet on the ground.
Strategies for sharing exclusive content and creating a vibrant community
Now it’s getting fun. Now that the foundation is in place, let’s breathe life into it.
Start hosting monthly challenges that encourage and connect members. Or how about “member-only” webinars where you go in-depth on topics that matter to them? And a behind-the-scenes look at customer relationships with your trainers can highlight the human side of your brand.
But it doesn’t stop there. Give your members those unique experiences they can only get within your community.
A live Q&A session with that popular yoga instructor gives members direct access to the expertise they value. And a preview of the new HIIT class can build anticipation and enthusiasm.
Each of these actions strengthens the engagement between your members and your gym, tangibly increasing the energy in your community.
More than a fitness app, a lifestyle
Virtuagym is not just another fitness app where you just keep track of your sets and reps. It is a central hub for an active lifestyle that transcends the physical boundaries of your fitness enterprise.
It creates an environment where members not only want to be during their workout but outside of it - a place they make part of their lives.
Imagine a Sunday: your members start their day with personalized workout plans and finish with nutrition tips they get right from the app.
Virtuagym brings it all together - a complete suite of fitness management tools that fit seamlessly into your members’ daily rhythms.
Everything in one place
The true power of Virtuagym lies in its integration. Why should your members have to switch between different channels, apps, and platforms for their fitness needs?
With Virtuagym, they have one place for everything: workouts, nutrition plans, check-in, progress tracking, and even social media interactions.
After an intense workout, they instantly see a customized recipe for a restorative smoothie, or they share a new personal record where everyone in the community can cheer along.
This synergy ensures that your gym is a constant presence in your members’ lives, without them having to leave the app.
Separate business and personal
With Virtuagym, your fitness app remains the place for sports and health.
Members keep social media channels for fun photos and chats with friends and family.
This keeps everything nice and clear by separating the different channels from each other.
New community features, new possibilities
We’re not sitting still at Virtuagym. Our latest update Virtuagym v11 brings an array of updates for improved engagement, communication, and loyalty.
Discover the best ways you can put these new features to use:
🎉 Dark mode for late workouts
Are you familiar with Dark Mode? Well, a lot of people already use it. About 82% of smartphone users have Dark Mode turned on because it’s nicer on the eyes, especially when it’s dark outside.
In Virtuagym v11, we now have Dark Mode as well. So if your members want to train late at night or early in the morning, the app is now much more pleasant to use.
🎉 A fresh look for challenges
Virtuagym has refreshed its challenges. Now it’s even more fun and easier to participate. With a few taps on your screen, you can see all the challenges and who’s ahead of them.
With the revamped challenge library you can easily browse challenges and view completed ones.
Ready to get started on your next fitness goal? In the app, you can sign up right away. And while you’re at it, you can easily share updates and selfies. That way everyone stays involved, no matter where they are.
🎉 Improved community experience
The community section is now even better. You can see the most important updates from your gym right at the top of your screen. Plus, you can now use emojis in your posts, making it even more fun.
Plus, you can use multiple images in both posts and comments. No more boring text responses. If you see something you like, just respond with a picture of your own.
🎉 AI coach for a personalized experience
The AI Coach in Virtuagym has now received an upgrade. Based on user feedback, it is now smarter than ever with multi-day plans (previously only daily workouts), for an all-encompassing fitness experience.
This smart coach helps non-club members with personalized workouts and is coming to B2B customers soon.
So whether you train at home or are a gym owner, the AI Coach makes your workout smarter and more personalized than ever. More news about this feature is coming soon! 🚀
🎉 Improved customer profiles for deeper connections.
The profiles in Virtuagym are now even better. No more searching: everything you need is in one place in the app, from club information, and progress to updates and activities.
There’s a new BMI widget to track your health data and a revamped way to celebrate your successes. And for iOS users, there’s now a “Personal Bests” section for that extra motivation.
🎉 Notifications for customer engagement
Virtuagym has improved its notifications and search function. Communicating becomes even easier as a result. Now it’s easier to find other members and see who has accomplished what.
In settings, you can change who can find you, so you keep your privacy.
And if you train with a heart rate monitor, the app now calculates even better how many calories you’re burning. That makes your workout even more accurate.
Good for anyone who keeps an eye on their heart rate while exercising. 🏃♂️💓
Personalization and rewards
Virtuagym is all about providing a personal touch. With the tools we have you can now provide even better customization for each member.
It’s not just a matter of tracking their workouts, but also recognizing and tracking their accomplishments.
Set unique goals that fit your members’ interests. And when they reach those milestones, give them something in return that shows you’re paying attention.
Maybe a discount on their next subscription, special badges in the app, a free session with a personal trainer, or first access to new group exercise classes.
These are the moments that show engaged customers that they are more than a number - they are a valued part of your gym family.
With Virtuagym, you make every achievement special and every reward personal. This is how you build a community where everyone feels at home and where everyone strives to become the best version of themselves.
Integrations with wearables for detailed progress reporting
Integrating wearables into Virtuagym gives you a complete picture of how your members are doing.
These smart devices, such as fitness trackers, track everything you do: from how hard your heart beats during a workout to how well you sleep. And this info all goes to Virtuagym.
Data such as heart rate, calories burned, and sleep patterns provide insight into overall health and help refine workout schedules and nutrition plans. This gives each member a personalized experience that motivates them to keep going.
Tips for creating challenges & rewards
Setting goals is an art. Therefore, here are some tips to get you started in helping your engage customers to climb their own Everest:
- Start with the end in sight: work with members to set clear, achievable goals 🏅.
- Measurable makes noticeable: make sure progress is visible and tangible.
- Celebrate every victory: a high-five, special badges, a community shout-out or a small gift card can do wonders for motivation 🎉.
- Make it social: encourage members to share their goals and achievements within the community. This creates not only accountability but also social support.
The power of intakes and questionnaires
A good intake sets the tone. Use Virtuagym to really understand what your members want and need. With just a few clicks, you have all the info together - from fitness goals to how someone sleeps.
Want to really get the most out of your intakes? Then check out our onboarding blog. There you’ll find even more tips to get your members off to a flying start 📝.
The importance of complete and up-to-date customer profiles
A well-maintained customer profile is worth its weight in gold. With Virtuagym, you make sure you always know where your members are in their fitness journey.
Everything you need for a good conversation, such as training data and nutrition logs, can be found at a glance.
All information in one place
Virtuagym centralizes all data so you’re prepared for calls with one click. So you have instant access to training results, nutrition logs and previous notes.
This means you enter every conversation with a holistic view of your member’s progress and customer journey 🗂️.
Creating value over sales
The real value is in the customer experience you provide, not in the sale. Virtuagym is your partner in building relationships, not just making sales.
By engaging members in your fitness community, they become your customers feel a part of something special.
They find friends, share successes and tackle challenges together. This makes your gym or studio an important part of their lives and increases their commitment, not just a place to work out.
How a strong community increases your customer engagement
A strong community is the backbone of successful customer engagement anywhere. It gives people a place where they feel connected to something they prefer - your gym.
Virtuagym understands this and makes it easier for members to find and maintain that connection through community features.
When members make friends, share successes and face challenges together, their gym becomes a part of their social network. And let’s face it, who says goodbye to their friends? 👫👭
Retaining customers is cheaper than acquiring new ones
Let’s face it, acquiring new customers is a challenge across industries. Whether in fitness, technology, retail or services, we see the same trends everywhere: privacy regulations are becoming stricter and targeted advertising is becoming more difficult.
Retaining existing customers is more cost-effective and builds a foundation for word-of-mouth marketing campaigns and advertising. Make sure your community invests in relationships, keeping your members as members as well as bringing in new members.
Conclusion
Building a community goes beyond sports. It creates a place where people come together, not just to work out, but to support, motivate and inspire each other.
This sense of togetherness is what turns an ordinary gym or fitness studio into a center of well-being and friendship.
By using customer feedback and creating a strong community, you build long-term relationships with your members.
This creates stronger customer engagement and customer loyalty that makes your gym an integral part of their lives. And when your members feel engaged, they will proudly carry your brand.
So start investing in your community today and watch your gym become a place where everyone wants to belong.
FAQs
Why should you want to engage your clients?
Customer engagement is beneficial to a gym in many ways. Having customers engaged could lead to a boost in revenue, brand experience, brand equity, and more.
This is because engaging customers can facilitate feedback, which allows you to improve the entire customer experience and avoid dissatisfied customers
Loyal customers can also be seen as advocates for your gym. They will recommend your gym to their friends, family members, co-workers, and more. Which may bring in more loyal customers of your target audience.
By focusing on customer engagement, not only do you improve customer retention but also encourage positive customer sentiment driving business growth.
How do I keep members engaged?
There are many different approaches that can be taken when wanting to keep a dissatisfied customer.
One customer engagement marketing strategy could be to host “Gym Olympics”. Here, members can compete in relay races, obstacle courses, and more. It allows members to feel competitive with each other and increase their overall customer experience.
Want to know other activities to boost your customer engagement strategy? Check out our blog on 12 Gym event ideas to boost engagement.
