Using personalization to enhance member experience is becoming a must in today’s competitive fitness industry. More gym owners are realizing that creating a tailored experience for their members is key to boosting retention, improving ROI, and building long-term profitability.
In this post, we’ll break down how to build an effective personalization strategy using gym management software and CRM tools. You’ll learn how to leverage data and automation to create a more engaging, customized experience for your members.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Why data-driven personalized communication is essential for member experience
- Where to find the right data for personalization
- How gym management software and CRM support personalization
- 6 ways to use data and automation to tailor member experience
- How to start personalizing your member communications
Why is Data-Driven Personalized Communication Vital to Member Experience?
According to McKinsey & Company, fast-growing companies get 40% more revenue from personalization than their slower-growing competitors. Think about your experience on a site like Amazon—you’re greeted by name, shown your order history, and recommended products you’re likely to buy. It feels personal, right?
That same feeling of being seen and valued is what you want your members to experience. When done well, personalized communication can lead to:
- Improved member satisfaction: When members feel understood and appreciated, it builds trust and strengthens your relationship with them.
- More word-of-mouth promotion: 83% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family, and 55% discover new brands through word-of-mouth.
- Higher retention rates: A personalized experience builds stronger emotional connections, which reduces churn.
- Increased revenue and ROI: Satisfied members are more likely to upgrade their membership or purchase add-ons like personal training.
Where Can You Find the Data Necessary for Personalization?
The data you need to personalize your member experience is likely already at your fingertips—it’s in your existing membership records. With the right tools, you can easily access and organize this information to create more tailored experiences.
Gym management software like Kilo, CRM platforms, and other systems can help you collect, store, and analyze member data more efficiently. Here’s a quick overview of how each tool supports personalization.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
A CRM is a valuable source of member data. It lets you store and access key details like a member’s name, address, occupation, workplace, age, past purchases, and membership status. You can also track service issues, campaign sources, and other insights that help you better understand each member’s journey.
Gym Management Software System
A gym management platform like Kilo collects and organizes a wide range of data you can use to personalize and improve the member experience, including:
- Check-in and attendance history: See how often members visit and identify peak hours.
- Member profiles: Track basic details (name, gender, address), fitness level, goals, preferences, and medical info.
- Fitness assessments and progress tracking: Monitor strength levels, body measurements, and performance trends.
- Class and session attendance: Understand which classes, instructors, and time slots members prefer.
- Purchase history: Review purchases like nutrition plans, supplements, apparel, specialty programs, or premium memberships.
- Communication logs: Keep a record of email and SMS interactions to make outreach more personalized and timely.
Email Automation Tool
An email or marketing automation tool like Gym Lead Machine is another useful source of member data for personalization. It tracks how members engage with your content—such as which emails they open and which links they click—helping you understand their interests and preferences. With some tools, you can even see what type of device they use to read your messages, allowing you to tailor communications even further.
Learning Management System
A learning management system (LMS) helps you quickly access education-related information about your members. Since it manages training programs and educational content, an LMS can store personal details like certifications, degrees, interests, and subject preferences—making it easier to tailor learning materials or informative emails.
It can also track related activity, including purchases, registrations, club participation, interest groups, and event attendance.
The Role of CRM and Gym Management Software
Tools like Kilo and CRM software reduce costs, eliminate confusion, and save time by streamlining the process of personalizing the member experience. They do this by:
- Centralizing member data: These tools bring all key information like attendance, health metrics, communications, and goals into one organized view.
- Segmenting members: Easily group members based on behavior or preferences, like “members who prefer strength classes” or “members nearing their fitness goals,” to send more targeted communication.
- Enabling two-way communication: Most platforms support SMS replies, app notifications, or email engagement, making interactions feel more personal and timely.
- Providing analytics and reporting: Track the performance of emails, promotions, and classes. This data helps you continuously improve your personalization strategy using real-time metrics.
6 Ways to Use Data and Automation to Personalize Member Experience
Once you’ve identified where to gather member data, here are six ways you can use gym management software like Kilo to personalize and enhance the member experience.
1. Email Outreach
Gym management and CRM software make it easy to send automated, personalized emails based on member behavior and data. Here are a few key ways to use email outreach effectively:
- Onboarding emails (welcoming new members): Gyms with strong onboarding programs see up to 75% higher retention rates than those that don’t. Personalizing just the subject line isn’t enough—go further by including each member’s fitness goals, classes they’ve signed up for, or shared interests with other members.
- Re-engagement campaigns: Tools like Gym Lead Machine can trigger automated emails to members who haven’t visited the gym in a while, encouraging them to return.
- Special offers: Send targeted promotions to specific member segments—for example, discounts for high-value members or renewal offers for those nearing the end of their membership.
- Birthdays and milestone messages: Celebrate birthdays, fitness milestones, anniversaries, and other key events to show members they’re valued.
Effective personalized email outreach increases open rates and helps build deeper connections by making each member feel seen and appreciated.
2. Goal Tracking and Motivational Messaging
Gym management software like Kilo and CRM software are powerful tools for personalizing goal tracking and keeping members motivated. They help in two key ways:
- Data collection: Members can set goals—like losing 15 pounds or attending 10 classes per month—and track progress through wearables, check-ins, and evaluations.
- Automated messaging: Use CRM automation to send timely updates, encouragement when members fall behind, or rewards when they hit key milestones.
According to a recent study, 75% of gym members say they’re more likely to stay loyal to a gym that offers progress tracking and personalized plans. That’s why using software to track goals and send motivational messages can make a big impact on retention and ROI.
3. Customized Classes and Workout Recommendations
Gym management software allows you to track member behavior—like class preferences, attendance, workout history, and even survey responses. With that data, you can automate personalized suggestions, such as:
- New classes similar to ones they already enjoy
- Personal training offers when attendance starts to drop
- Lower-intensity workouts if overtraining patterns are detected
This level of personalization can have a big impact. In fact, 85% of members who take at least one class per week remain active for a year or more. It’s a smarter, more efficient way to help members get better results—and stay engaged with your gym.
4. Education Content
Sharing valuable fitness and nutrition content is essential to helping members reach their goals—and gym management software and CRM tools make it easier to deliver that content in a personalized way. By segmenting your audience based on goals, interests, or experience levels, you can ensure that each member receives the most relevant information.
For example, you might tailor educational content to groups like:
- New members starting a fitness or nutrition program for the first time
- Members training for a competition or fitness test (e.g., police academy, military)
- Group fitness enthusiasts
- Members focused on weight loss
- Expectant mothers
Personalizing educational content not only supports your members’ progress, it also reinforces that their individual success is part of your gym’s mission. Plus, it creates a consistent and relevant way to stay connected through ongoing communication.
5. Product and Service Recommendations
Personalized product and service recommendations not only enhance the member experience but can also increase your gym’s revenue and ROI. With gym management software like Kilo, you can use member data to suggest relevant offerings based on their activity and preferences.
For example, by using CRM data on classes attended, challenges completed, nutrition plans purchased, or groups joined, you can create segmented lists in your CRM. Then, use those segments to send targeted campaigns with product or service recommendations tailored to each group. With Gym Lead Machine, this setup is quick and easy.
It’s a simple but powerful way to connect members with the services they’re most likely to value—and pay for.
6. Digital Tools and Advanced Technology
By integrating emerging technologies with gym management software and CRM, you can make personalization more scalable, efficient, and effective. Here are three of the most impactful tools:
- Fitness Apps: According to Smart Health Clubs, 72% of Americans say they would stay with a gym that offers a mobile app for tracking workouts and scheduling classes. These apps make it easier for members to monitor workouts, exercise metrics, preferences, and dietary habits—both inside and outside the gym. Their popularity also increases your ability to reach and engage members.
- Wearable Tech: Adding wearables to your personalization strategy can boost retention by 15%. These devices collect real-time fitness data, allowing you to tailor communications based on actual member behavior. With 44% of Americans using wearable devices, they also offer a powerful and familiar communication channel.
- AI and Machine Learning: AI-powered tools integrated with your gym software can analyze member behavior and generate personalized recommendations automatically. Platforms like Gym Lead Machine offer built-in AI features to help you deliver smarter, data-driven experiences.
These technologies also make your personalization strategy more flexible and responsive. All it takes is monitoring the right metrics—and reacting in real time.
How to Start Personalizing Member Communications
To begin personalizing your member communications, start by reviewing your existing member data. Make sure you have the key personal information needed to tailor your messaging—such as goals, attendance habits, preferences, and engagement history.
Next, group your members into relevant segments based on that data. Then, build a content strategy that delivers the right message to the right people at the right time.
Start small by personalizing your most important touchpoints—like onboarding, check-ins, or renewal reminders—before scaling up. As you grow, aim to automate as much of your personalized communication as possible. And always be transparent about how member data is used, following all applicable privacy regulations.
Next Steps with Personalization
A successful gym thrives on members who feel seen, understood, and valued. These are the members who stay longer, engage more, and contribute the most to your retention rate, lifetime value (LV), ROI, and overall profitability.
By implementing personalization through gym management and CRM software, you can break through the barriers that limit your gym’s growth—and create a more meaningful, connected member experience.
Book a call with Kilo to see how our software can help you bring your personalization strategy to life—easily and effectively.
