“Automation” is one of the most popular buzzwords of the 21st century. With good reason. From fast cars to fast food, everything that can be automated is getting automated in the Internet of Things (IoT) age. While many industries are embracing the trend, some are lagging behind -- not only to their own detriment but also to the detriment of their clientele. One industry ripe to get in on the trend? The fitness industry. Here’s a closer look at why automation is a smart way to promote fitness business growth.
Your members aren't one-size-fits-all. With automation, your marketing doesn't have to be either.
About Automation
The International Society of Automation (ISA) defines automation as "The creation and application of technology to monitor and control the production and delivery of products and services.” Encompassing all industries, including everything from manufacturing and transportation to utilities and defense, automation crosses all functions beginning with installation and continuing through management, marketing, and sales.
Automation and the Fitness Industry
The fitness industry is, at its essence, a service industry. The benefits of automation to businesses services are often underestimated and overlooked.
“Automation helps businesses remain competitive by contributing to greater output at lower cost. A major advantage associated with the use of automated systems is that automation reduces the number of staff and work hours needed to provide a service. Companies are able to control costs by automating tedious and time-consuming tasks, reducing the amount of time expended in manual labor. Automated teller machines are one example of how automation provides faster and more convenient banking services to the public, freeing up a bank employee’s time to carry out other tasks. In service industries where human contact is an essential component, automation allows workers additional time to assist customers or clients with more complex issues.”
The overall takeaway, according to Chron?
“The addition of automation to the service industry has led to improved performance and quality of service delivery to the nation’s consumers.”
How Automation Can Help Your Fitness Center Grow
Fitness businesses are always looking for ways to operate more efficiently. From lead generation to employee communication to member satisfaction, automation has the potential to deliver tremendous value to your fitness business operations.
Consider email drip campaigns. Whether you’re looking to recruit new members or increase engagement among current members, drip campaigns let you segment your audience into different subset depending on their interests and where they are in the sales cycle, and to deliver targeted messages at the exact moment they’re most relevant and appropriate. For example, if a potential new member takes a tour of the gym, they’ll automatically receive follow-up information aimed at spurring them to take the next step and sign up. Moving prospects through the sales cycle is a process, with 80 percent of sales made on the fifth contact, according to Entrepreneur. A drip campaign lets you get in these critical touches -- all while freeing up invaluable staff time.
But drip campaigns aren’t just about lead generation and member recruitment. They also support member engagement and loyalty.
Another savvy way to incorporate automation into your fitness center operations to promote engagement among both employees and members? Wearables. According to a recent international fitness industry trend report from the American Council on Exercise (ACE), ClubIntel, and the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), the use of fitness wearable devices to support client training increased by 77 percent between 2013 and 2015.
Yet industry adoption increased from just 11 percent to 19 percent during that same time. Factor in that consumers spend 85 percent of their smartphone time on apps, and the value of incorporating wearable technology to increase retention -- and revenue -- grows.
Users get all of their fitness data -- from both in and outside the gym -- in one handy place.
One company helping fitness businesses get ahead thanks to its accurate monitoring systems and app? AccuroFit. With a comprehensive product line incorporating . . .
- heart rate monitors
- sleep and activity trackers
- wireless and Bluetooth smart scales
- Bluetooth blood pressure monitors
- Bluetooth pedometers and
- the Accuro Mobile Health App
Accuro offers members and trainers unprecedented access to actionable health data, including everything from in-club and out-of-club workouts to calories burned per minute. Users can view and track their progress to accelerate their progression.
All of which begs the question: If your fitness business hasn’t yet embraced automation, what are you waiting for? Your business growth may depend on it. Request a demo today to learn more about what the Accurofit System can do for you.
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