There are tons of benefits to at-home training. For the client: They work out when they want to. There’s no studio commute and no concerns about jiving with the studio’s schedule. They save money. An online membership is significantly less expensive than a brick and mortar membership. They save time. It’s not a wonder why people like Jocko Willink train at home—it’s the most efficient way to work out. There are also, of course, challenges to at-home training. And perhaps the most daunting challenge is how to keep clients fully engaged while training at home.
There are tons of benefits to at-home training.
For the client:
For the studio owner:
There are also, of course, challenges to at-home training. And perhaps the most daunting challenge is how to keep clients fully engaged while training at home.
When a client shows up to the studio, they have the energy of the space, the motivation of the coaches, and the camaraderie of their fellow members. That’s a recipe for high levels of engagement.
When a client trains from home, they have the energy of their house (which may or may not be conducive to training), the navigation of distractions (dogs, cats, family members), and the challenge of self-motivation. That’s, quite possibly, a recipe for low levels of engagement.
As a studio owner who offers online training, either exclusively or in addition to in-studio training, you have to find ways to keep your members fully engaged while training at home. And you’ve come to the right place, because we have three great ideas for you to implement right away.
This is so easy. And it’s so effective. Go to the place where your members are (places like Instagram, Facebook, Slack, your email list, etc.) and challenge them with a “Mini Challenge.” Mini Challenges are quick, fun, interactive, and highly engaging. They get people talking and posting.
Here’s one way to execute it:
One of your instructors posts a “Burpee Challenge” to Instagram live. The challenge is 3 minutes of burpees. The instructor posts a video of himself/herself doing the challenge, along with their score. Then they ask the members to do the same. The winner gets virtual high fives and bragging rights. Meanwhile, everyone is chatting, engaging, trash talking, and having fun!
Collaborate with a local restaurant and ask them to sponsor a workout. It might sound something like this:
“This workout is sponsored by Roots Cafe! So for the next two weeks, Roots Cafe is offering all (insert studio name here) members buy one, get one free protein bowls! They’re selling curbside for your safety.”
This is a fun way to not only engage with your clients, but to also provide more value.
Ask your members to complete the workout and post photos (tagging your studio, of course) of their post-workout meals from the sponsored restaurant. It’s an easy way to get your members talking. (And who knows? Maybe some of your members will meet up at the restaurant for a socially distant dinner!)
Now’s the time to offer a huge variety of class types and workout options to your members. Beef up your offerings and let your members cherrypick.
If you only offer one option, you might find that your members start to lose interest in training. But if they can choose from strength training workouts, gymnastics workouts, mobility sessions, yoga, HIIT, and endurance, they’ll be much more apt to stay engaged while training at home.
We know you’re faced with the difficult challenge of keeping your members engaged during this “new normal.” Pick one (or all!) of these tested tactics and see how they work for your studio. And remember: Nothing works unless you’re consistent, so implement these ideas and stick with them for several weeks to see what it does for engagement.
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