Who gets it
Send it to two groups at once: members who cancelled or froze in the last six months, and intro or trial leads who came in but never joined. People who left recently still remember your coaches and your schedule, so if your list is long, start with them.
- Leave out anyone who asked not to hear from you, anyone who left on bad terms, and anyone who is already back.
- Pick one offer and use it in every message, so the whole campaign tells one simple story.
- Choose a code word, like COMEBACK, so you can count who came back because of it.
The five messages
Words in [brackets] are yours to fill in. Send each message on its day, counting from the day the first one goes out.
Day 1 · Email
Subject: A free week back at [gym name]
Hi [first name],
It has been a while since we saw you at [gym name], and we would love to train with you again.
To make coming back easy, your next [week of classes] is on us. Come to any class on the schedule, from [the 6am class] to [the Saturday workout], and pick up where you left off.
Reply COMEBACK to this email or book a class at [booking link], and I will save you a spot. When you come in, just mention COMEBACK at the front desk.
[Coach name]
[Gym name]
[Gym name]: Hi [first name], your free week back is waiting. Book at [booking link] and mention COMEBACK at the desk. [Coach name]
Keep every text under 160 characters once your names and link are in, and send texts only to people who agreed to get them.
Day 5 · Email
Subject: What's new at [gym name] this [season]
Hi [first name],
A few things have changed since you last trained with us. [A new class or time], and [another change]. [Anything else that is new this season.]
Your free week back is an easy way to try it all.
Book any class at [booking link] and come see what is new. Mention COMEBACK at the front desk when you come in, or just reply COMEBACK.
[Coach name]
[Gym name]
[Gym name]: Hi [first name], [Coach name] checking in. Your free week is ready when you are: [booking link]. Mention COMEBACK at the desk.
Day 10 · Email
Subject: Last call for your free week
Hi [first name],
A quick note before your free week back ends on [the date your offer ends]. If you have been meaning to get back into a routine, this is an easy place to start.
Book any class at [booking link], and we will see you [on the floor]. Just mention COMEBACK at the front desk, or reply COMEBACK to this email.
Either way, thank you for being part of [gym name]. The door is always open.
[Coach name]
[Gym name]
Why it is built this way. Each message reads like a note from a coach, not a newsletter: plain text, one offer and one next step. Every touch adds a new reason to come back (the offer, what is new, a deadline) instead of repeating the first email, and the texts reach people who never open email.
Change one line for your studio type
The campaign works for any business where people come back every week. Swap the second paragraph of the Day 1 email for a line from your own world, and call your people and sessions what you call them: members, clients or students; classes, sessions or lessons.
Running one of these? There is a page with the moments people drift and a full sample email for CrossFit gyms, yoga studios, Pilates and barre studios and martial arts schools.
Offers to try
Use one offer per campaign. If it does not land, try a different one next month rather than a bigger version of the same one.
- A free week back. Easy to say yes to, and it fills classes that already have room.
- Your old rate for 30 days. A good fit for people who left over price. Check that your software can apply it before you send.
- Free classes in something new, like a new program or a new time slot, for people who got bored of the old routine.
- No signup fee if they rejoin by a date. Works when your enrollment or intro fee is a real cost.
- A free goal session with a coach. Personal, and it gives people a reason to come back that is not about price.
Counting who came back
Every message asks people to reply with the code word or mention it at the front desk, so ask your front desk to jot down each one. Two weeks after the Day 1 email, write down three rough numbers: how many people it went to, how many replied, and how many came back (booked or showed up).
Multiply the people who came back by your monthly membership price, and you have what the campaign is worth for every month they stay. The retention calculator shows what that adds up to over a year.
Before you send
- Keep your email tool's unsubscribe link on every email.
- Send texts only to people who agreed to get texts from your business.
- Send from your own email or member app, under a coach's name, so replies come straight to you.
- Not sure where to find your list or the send button? The software guide walks through Mindbody, PushPress, Wodify, Zen Planner, Glofox and Gymdesk.
