You’ve built an amazing loyalty program packed with perks, rewards, and all the cool features to keep your members coming back for more classes. But here’s the thing: if nobody knows it exists, all that effort won’t do much. The key to a successful program isn’t just designing it, it’s getting the word out in a way that gets members excited, engaged, and signing up right away.
Whether you’re launching a brand-new program or looking to boost visibility for an existing one, promoting your loyalty program effectively can turn casual attendees into devoted studio regulars
We’ve shared the basics of promoting a loyalty program, but today we’re zooming in on the fitness industry and showing you how to use your rewards program to get more people walking through your doors.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through proven strategies to spread the word, increase sign-ups, and keep your members coming back for more.
Your studio is one of your most powerful promotional channels. Members who already love your classes are more likely to join if they learn about your loyalty program while in the studio.
How to do it well:
Train your staff: Make sure your front-desk team and instructors know the program inside-out. A simple script like, “Have you joined our loyalty program? You’ll earn points every time you attend a class!” makes sign-ups effortless.
Use clear signage: Display banners, posters, or tent cards in the lobby, locker rooms, and studios highlighting program perks.
Instructor shout-outs: Have instructors briefly mention rewards at the end of classes to encourage sign-ups.
Place sign-up QR codes in rest spots: Your members aren’t likely to sign up mid-squat or during a set, so make it easy for them when they’re taking a breather. Pop QR codes in areas where people naturally pause (like water stations, benches, or even bathroom walls) so joining your loyalty program is quick and convenient.
Offering sign-up options on-site captures members while they’re still riding the post-workout high, making them more likely to join right then and there.
One of the most powerful times to promote your loyalty program is right at the beginning, when someone first joins your studio. New members are excited, motivated, and eager to feel like they’re part of something. By introducing your loyalty program from day one, you set the tone that earning rewards is simply part of their fitness journey.
Here’s how to make loyalty a seamless part of onboarding:
Highlight it in welcome emails: Add a friendly note explaining the perks of your program, how easy it is to earn points, and what they can redeem them for. Something like: “Welcome to the fam! Don’t forget that members earn points for classes, referrals, challenges, and more. Join now to start collecting rewards!”
Add a call-to-action in your ‘first class checklist’: Most studios send new members a guide like what to bring, where to park, and what to expect. Include a quick loyalty sign-up CTA so joining feels like a natural step before their first class.
Offer bonus points for completing onboarding steps: Turn onboarding into a mini challenge! Offer points for completing their member profile, attending their first class and following your studio on Instagram.
When new members start collecting points immediately, they instantly feel like they’re already making progress—not just in the gym, but in your community.
Digital channels are the perfect place to showcase your loyalty program. Prospective and current members visiting your site or app are already considering classes, making it a prime moment to encourage sign-ups.
Optimize visibility by:
Creating a dedicated loyalty page: Include program details, FAQs, and an easy sign-up form.
Celebrate milestones: Share how many classes your top members have completed and how many points or perks they've earned along the way. It reinforces their commitment and keeps them motivated.
Adding CTAs where it matters: Place buttons on your homepage, class schedules, and checkout pages. Highlight perks like “Earn points for every class attended” or “Free class after 10 visits.”
Putting your loyalty program front and center on your website doesn’t just help you rack up more sign-ups, it also gives potential members a compelling reason to choose your studio over the rest.
As a fitness studio, your biggest edge in building loyalty is your direct connection to your members’ contact information. Take advantage of this by sending targeted SMS and email campaigns to promote your loyalty program.
How to make them effective:
Announce your program launch: Explain benefits, what the reward structure is and show how easy it is to join. Include a clear CTA such as “Join for free today!”.
Send follow-up nudges: Remind members who haven’t signed up yet. Incentivize completion by offering bonus points or perks.
A/B Test: Experiment with changing the subject line, content, and send time with small segments. Based on the results, you can customize your campaign for the strongest results.
Highlight rewards and exclusive offers: “You would have been one step closer to a free workout class. Sign up today!”
With DataCandy, you can personalize messages based on class attendance, preferences, and past behavior for maximum impact.
Word-of-mouth is especially powerful in fitness studios, where community is key. Turn your happy members into advocates by rewarding them for bringing friends, working out together, or referring other gym-goers to your loyalty program.
How to make it work:
Dual-sided rewards: Give both the referrer and the new member points, free classes, or discounts.
Make sharing easy: Use unique referral links via email, social media, or text.
Promote referrals everywhere: In-studio signage, emails, and push notifications remind members they can earn rewards for sharing.
Pro Tip: DataCandy’s Refer-a-Friend feature automates tracking and rewards, so members and staff don’t have to manage it manually.
Promoting your loyalty program isn’t a “one-and-done” task, it’s an ongoing cycle (kind of like fitness itself). The more consistently you flex your promotion muscles, the stronger your results become.
Once your program is live and members are signing up, shift into monitor + optimize mode. This is where the magic happens. By tracking how your program performs, you can figure out what’s working, what’s not, and where a little tweak could create a major lift in engagement.
Think of it like reviewing your form at the gym. Small adjustments lead to big gains.
Key metrics to keep an eye on:
Member growth rate: Is your loyalty community growing week over week?
Class attendance and reward redemption: Are rewards actually motivating members to show up more?
Spend per visit: Are loyal members investing more in classes, merch, or add-on services?
Customer lifetime value (CLV): Are members sticking around longer because of loyalty perks?
These numbers give you a crystal-clear picture of how your loyalty program is contributing to revenue and retention.
Once you have insights, use them to:
Fine-tune promotions: If one sign-up incentive outperforms others, lean in.
Personalize offers: Send targeted perks to members based on their behavior and interests.
Boost engagement: If redemption rates are low, simplify rewards or introduce new ones.
Refresh your messaging: Keep the program exciting by switching up how you talk about it.
For a deeper dive into how to measure the success of your loyalty program, check out our full blog on key performance metrics.
Promoting your fitness studio loyalty program is about more than just visibility, it’s about clearly communicating value and making participation effortless. By combining in-studio promotion, digital marketing, personalized incentives, and social proof, you can turn casual attendees into dedicated, loyal members.
With DataCandy, managing your program is seamless—from sign-ups to rewards, referrals, and social engagement. You’ll not only grow your membership but also create a thriving community of motivated, engaged fitness enthusiasts.