How ClubOS Spurs Retention in the Post-Holiday, New Years Resolution Wave

There’s no shortage of tricks and tools to reel in and retain fitness consumers during the annual post-holiday boom, many of which are well-documented. With New Year’s resolutions often focusing on health and fitness, that period receives a natural kickstart year in and year out. 

But what of the following months? The real challenge begins when motivation fades and  individuals start to give up said resolutions earlier than they’d like to admit — and earlier than gym owners would hope, creating a frustrating cycle of churn. That’s why ClubOS provides the tools and insights gym operators need to keep members coming back long after January.

ClubOS makes this possible with its fitness-specific CRM and fully integrated, intuitive member management and billing system. This help brands transform New Year’s joiners into lifelong members — along with ClubOS’s deep understanding of member engagement rooted in decades of experience and data insights from thousands of fitness businesses.

The Dos and Don’ts for Text and Email Campaigns

Text and email campaigns represent one of the most effective ways to bring members in  — or push them away. Here’s how to ensure the former and avoid the latter.

Do Use Segmentation to Deliver the Right Message at the Right Time 

Not all members and leads should receive the same promotions, messaging or cadence. A new lead considering a membership needs different touchpoints than an existing member who hasn’t checked in for a while. Plus, if the text or email they receive is the first one in a while and it’s relevant to them, they’re more likely to respond or take action.

Do Include a Call to Action 

Literally tell your members what you want them to do. What’s the step you want them to take? Call, reply, fill out a form at this link? Let them know, it’s as simple as that.

Do Add Urgency to your CTA 

Add time-based promotions to drive action. Send older leads an exclusive offer for a free personal training session if they join before the end of the month. Incentivize members whose contracts will expire in the next 60 days a free month if they renew early.

Example: After launching a “last chance” promo campaign targeting expired members to encourage renewals before prices went up the following month, a ClubOS customer saw a 37% increase in monthly renewals — rising from 1,841 to 2,528 in the same month year-over-year. This growth translated to a 30% decrease in lost revenue.

Do Mix In Non-promotional Touchpoints 

Add variety to the purpose of your communications. Reach out on a member’s birthday (with ClubOS ONE you can automate personalized messaging) and offer a free smoothie or special discount on merchandise. Do what you can to bring some joy! 

Example: When one of our top customers began sending check-in texts, recurring newsletters and non-promotional messaging consistently, they saw a decrease in monthly churn. Their monthly churn rate dropped from 8.62% in 2023 to 3.28% by 2025, enabling them to retain an additional $11,000 in monthly revenue compared to 2023.

Don’t Use Emojis Frivolously

Using too many emojis can trigger spam filters causing carriers to block your messages, meaning only some of your list will receive them. Also, emojis are usually counted as multiple characters, which will count against your total allotment and is something to keep in mind for cost savings.

Don’t Text Too Often 

Text tends to feel more invasive than email. While text messages relay better engagement rates compared to email, overdoing it will lead to a faster unsubscribe because it’s that much easier to opt out.

Example: When one of our top CRM customers sent just one text per prospect through the month, they achieved a 1.32% response rate — far surpassing the average of 0.23% from gyms sending 2.3 texts to prospects. Their conversion rate was also double the average of other customers.

Supporting Data and Testimonials

While ClubOS’s 50 years of industry expertise ensures these tools and practices are valid and impactful — additional evidence exists from third parties.  

• Regular interactions between staff and members can decrease cancellation rates by up to 33%, emphasizing the value of personalized engagement. (via Gym Rescue Marketing)

• 80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands offer personalized experiences, showing how targeted, thoughtful messaging will foster stronger member engagement and loyalty. (via Statista)

Brands such as 10 Fitness and Method Gym also tout ClubOS, having already taken up these practices and experienced tangible results. 

• “We’ve been with ClubOS for over 10 years and we’re still with them because they help us sign up more members and the members we have are  staying longer.” – Eric Buckner, CEO, 10 Fitness 

• “I think club operators don’t always look at the entire customer journey and when you have ClubOS, you can track all of that.” – Al Noshirvani, Owner, Method Gym

Final Reminders

Sometimes it’s as simple as putting yourself in the shoes of your clients. With its close pulse on the industry, ClubOS also advises keeping these thoughts in mind when aiming to engage and retain members. 

Avoid Talking About Losing Weight

Rather than talking about dropping pounds, shift to mentioning self care with your communications. Talking about overeating on the holidays doesn’t help anyone and leads to members feeling shame and guilt instead of motivation, empowerment and drive.

Keep it clear and concise

Your members are busy — many are juggling workouts alongside packed schedules. They’re skimming emails (like most of us do), so make it easy for them. Get to the point quickly: What are you offering? What do they need to do? Why should they care? Clear, direct communication increases engagement and ensures your message stands out.

Take Advantage Now

ClubOS reports that most clients experience an increase in their collections rate (typically 96%+) when they switch from another vendor. This is largely due to features such as automated billing, collections support services, streamlined reporting and actionable insights from member activity analytics. It’s a boost that brands may need as gym attendance naturally slows down in late winter or early spring.

This article originally appeared in ATN’s Member Success Blueprint Report 2025, which highlights essential steps brands will want to take to ensure success in the current calendar year and beyond. Download the free report.