The Benefits of Automation for Gyms and Why Every Fitness Business Should Embrace It

 

The Benefits of Automation for Gyms and Why Every Fitness Business Should Embrace It

Ryan Charlesworth 

Gym & Fitness Business Consultant, Podcast Host, Author & Network Builder. Helping GYM OWNERS, Hotel Managers, Investors and managers create SUCCESSFUL Fitness Businesses. Black Raccoon Consulting

Automation has become one of the most valuable tools in the modern fitness industry. For many gym owners, the word can sound technical or intimidating, but when understood properly, automation is simple. It is the process of using systems to perform routine actions so your team has more time to focus on the work that truly matters.

Automation does not replace human interaction. It enhances it. It supports teams, improves consistency, strengthens communication, and ensures no lead, member or opportunity ever slips through the cracks. When used correctly, automation becomes the engine that runs quietly in the background, keeping your business efficient, responsive and profitable.

This article explores what automation really is, why it matters, and how gyms can use it across sales, marketing, onboarding, retention and reactivation. We will also look at how systems like Go High Level, FitLeads and ManyChat power the modern gym and how Black Raccoon Consulting uses them with clients to transform performance.

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What Is Automation in a Gym Setting

Automation is the use of software and digital workflows to handle communication, follow up and routine tasks automatically. Instead of your team manually sending messages, booking appointments or chasing leads, the system does it for them based on rules you create.

Examples include:

• Automatic SMS and email follow ups for new leads
• WhatsApp messages triggered by actions
• Facebook, Instagram and Google messages handled instantly
• Diary integration that books appointments without a single phone call
• Reactivation sequences for ex members
• Onboarding journeys for new members
• Referral flows that encourage members to bring friends

Automation is not cold or robotic. When built well, it feels personal, timely and human. It simply removes the delay, inconsistency and missed opportunities that naturally happen when everything is manual.

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Why Automation Is So Valuable for Gyms

Gyms operate in a high volume environment. Leads come in daily. Members leave or return. People enquire at all hours. The sales process is continuous. Without automation, this becomes difficult to manage. With automation, the club operates like a well organised machine.

Key benefits include:

1. Faster follow up for leads Leads lose interest quickly. Respond within 3 minutes and they are far more likely to convert. Automation makes that possible every time.

2. Consistent communication Members, prospects and ex members all receive the right message at the right time, without relying on staff availability.

3. Less admin for your team The system handles repetitive tasks, freeing staff to spend more time selling, coaching and supporting members.

4. Higher conversion rates Automated follow up keeps prospects engaged across the full 28 day sales cycle using SMS, WhatsApp, email and social messaging.

5. Better member experience New members feel supported from day one through structured onboarding journeys.

6. Increased retention Members receive regular touchpoints that reinforce progress, celebrate milestones and prompt staff to reach out when needed.

7. Improved reactivation Lapsed members can be re engaged easily through targeted campaigns that run automatically.

8. More referrals Automated referral flows encourage members to bring friends and make the process simple.

Automation does not replace a great team. It makes a great team even better.

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How Automation Supports the Full Sales Journey

A strong sales process does not rely on chance. It must be structured, consistent and supported by multiple communication channels. Automation helps you run a complete 28 day lead nurture cycle that engages prospects at every stage.

This can include:

• Instant SMS when a lead fills in a form
• WhatsApp reminders to book a tour
• Email confirmation and welcome messages
• Follow up messages across all channels
• Automated replies via Facebook Messenger
• Google Business Chat handling new enquiries
• Instagram responses to comments or new followers

When these channels work together, your club stays visible, helpful and responsive. No lead is ever ignored. Every opportunity is maximised.

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Automation for Ex Member Reactivation

Reactivating ex members is one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to grow. Automation allows you to build:

• 30 day
• 60 day
• 90 day
• 6 month
• 12 month

reactivation campaigns that reconnect gently, offer support and invite members back. These messages can be delivered through SMS, email, WhatsApp or social platforms and can include links to rejoin, schedule a call or book a tour.

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Member Referrals and Automated Follow Ups

A good referral system works best when it is simple. Automation allows you to:

• Send referral invitations
• Deliver guest passes
• Notify the member when a friend joins
• Send thank you messages
• Track referral performance

The system does the heavy lifting. Your team only needs to handle the final steps.

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Using Automation to Manage Member and Product Purchases

When a member buys PT, a membership upgrade, a scan, a supplement or merchandise, the system can trigger:

• A thank you message
• A welcome journey
• A follow up at week two, week four and week eight
• A review request
• A cross sell option

Every purchase becomes an opportunity to deepen the relationship.

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Automation for the New Member 90 Day Onboarding Journey

The first 90 days are the most important in a member’s lifetime. Automation allows you to build complete onboarding journeys that include:

• Welcome messages
• Booking links
• PT introductions
• Class recommendations
• Check ins
• Progress prompts
• Invitations to social events
• Surveys

Platforms like Go High Level and FitLeads hold all these journeys, track member engagement and ensure every new starter feels supported.

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Using ManyChat for Social Automation

ManyChat is a powerful tool that helps gyms automate:

• Responses to new Instagram followers
• Replies to comments on posts
• Facebook message sequences
• Giveaway entries
• Competition flows
• Lead capture from social media

Instead of waiting for staff to respond, the system engages instantly, gathers information and routes leads into your CRM.

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Booking Appointments Automatically

Modern automation tools integrate directly with your diary. A prospect can:

• Click a link
• Choose a time
• Book a tour or consultation

and the appointment lands in your calendar without a single phone call or message exchanged. This removes friction and increases attendance.

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How Go High Level and FitLeads Power This Process

Go High Level is the backbone of many advanced automations in the fitness industry. Black Raccoon Consulting uses it extensively with clients because it manages:

• CRM
• Pipelines
• Automations
• Messaging
• Email
• WhatsApp
• Landing pages
• Calendars
• Forms
• Workflows

FitLeads is built specifically for gyms and works alongside Go High Level to:

• Manage the sales process
• Run 28 day nurture cycles
• Deliver the 90 day onboarding journey
• Host landing pages
• Track performance
• Provide dashboards and reporting

Together, they create a complete automation ecosystem that supports every part of your business.

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Conclusion and Call to Action

Automation is no longer optional. It is essential for modern gyms. It supports your sales process, strengthens communication, improves retention, enhances member experience and allows your team to focus on the human interactions that truly matter.

If you want to see how automation could transform your business, book a free demonstration of the FitLeads system. I will add the link for you once you are ready.

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Ryan Charlesworth | Black Raccoon Consulting | ryancharlesworth@blackraccoon.org

 

What Is Community, How Do We Build It, and How Do We Bring Members Into It?

Ryan Charlesworth 

Gym & Fitness Business Consultant, Podcast Host, Author & Network Builder. Helping GYM OWNERS, Hotel Managers, Investors and managers create SUCCESSFUL Fitness Businesses. Black Raccoon Consulting

November 16, 2025

I had an interesting conversation this week about something that sits at the heart of every successful gym. Community. We talk about it constantly. We claim to have it. We add it to mission statements. But do we actually understand what it is, how to build it, and how to bring members into it?

Community is not noise. It is not a busy class timetable or a WhatsApp group. It is not the handful of loud, adventurous members who naturally talk to everyone. That is social energy, not community.

True community is belonging. It is when people feel safe, seen, connected, and part of something. But here is the challenge. New members rarely feel that way. Being the newbie is hard. You do not know the space, you often do not know anyone, and most people walk in carrying a mix of nerves, uncertainty, and self-consciousness.

So how do we create a community where every member can find their place, at their pace, without pressure or awkwardness?

Knowing your staff is the easy part. Most clubs already do that. But community is not built between staff and members. It is built between members and members. That is where the magic is.

Relying on your confident members to create that buzz will only ever serve a small percentage. The real work happens when the club creates the conditions for connection, not just the expectation.

Here are some of the ways we can make this happen:

Get members trying new classes so they meet new people. Use your Fab 5 so every interaction feels warm, familiar, and human. Create a simple buddy or training partner programme so no one trains alone unless they want to. Run social events that are more than a poster on the wall. Engage staff in conversations that bring people along. Use group inductions so new members meet each other on day one rather than walking in alone. Offer group PT or small group sessions to help people connect with others at the same stage. Encourage staff to link members together on the gym floor. It can be as natural as saying, “You two are working on the same thing, have you met…?”

These small actions stack up. They reduce intimidation, increase confidence, and create friendships. And once people build relationships in your club, they stay. Not for the equipment or the price. For the people.

So the real question is this. What are you doing, today, to help members meet each other? What intentional steps are you taking to create belonging rather than waiting for it to happen?

Because community does not grow by accident. It grows because the club creates the pathways for people to feel included.

Let’s stop talking about community and start creating it. The impact is huge. The actions are simple. And the results change everything.

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Ryan Charlesworth | www.blackraccoon.org | ryancharlesworth@blackraccoon.org

Is The Collaboration the New Era in the Fitness and Wellness Industry

 

Is The Collaboration the New Era in the Fitness and Wellness Industry

Ryan Charlesworth 

Gym & Fitness Business Consultant, Podcast Host, Author & Network Builder. Helping GYM OWNERS, Hotel Managers, Investors and managers create SUCCESSFUL Fitness Businesses. Black Raccoon Consulting

November 13, 2025

When I started in the industry, the big box clubs were the benchmark of ambition. Businesses like David Lloyd set the standard, offering everything under one roof. Tennis, gym, squash, studio classes, spa, café. They were the full lifestyle package and for many years, that was the model we all looked up to.

Then the market shifted. We entered a phase where individual functions broke away into their own specialised facilities. Pilates studios, EMS studios, PT-only spaces and countless boutique concepts emerged. Smaller, more focused, more efficient. Consumers wanted expertise and the industry responded.

Today, however, we are entering a new phase. A phase driven not just by consumer behaviour but by opportunity. The rise of padel in particular has highlighted something important. Many operators are no longer looking to build every service themselves. Instead, they are creating partnerships. They are collaborating with other businesses who can complement, enhance and diversify what they already offer.

This time, the opportunity is different. Club owners no longer need to take on all the financial risk. They do not need to become experts in every discipline. Instead, they can form strategic partnerships that allow both businesses to thrive.

In the United States, this collaboration model is growing rapidly. Multiple wellness brands are taking space within the same building. Yoga franchises next to recovery studios. Pilates concepts next to nutrition clinics. Complementary brands are placing themselves side by side to maximise shared traffic and shared audiences.

In the UK, we are beginning to see the same trend. Gyms are opening their spare capacity to padel providers. This makes complete sense. For years, clubs have had physios, sports therapists, beauticians, osteopaths and massage therapists renting rooms. So why not extend this beyond treatment rooms and into broader wellness and performance services.

The benefits are clear. New customer bases. New revenue streams. Lower risk. Shared marketing opportunities. Greater visibility on site. A broader ecosystem for members to engage with.

This is not about gyms trying to do everything. It is about gyms working with other entrepreneurs who bring expertise in areas that the club does not need to build from scratch. Collaboration gives consumers more reasons to visit, stay, engage and spend.

The growth in wellness, combined with the rise in niche services, creates opportunities that simply did not exist ten or twenty years ago. Rather than competing for every pound and every product, brands can now work together to reduce risk and expand their reach.

The challenge now is awareness. We need to find better ways to highlight these partnership possibilities to entrepreneurs and bring them together. Many wellness operators would flourish inside or alongside an established gym. Many gyms would benefit from a specialist partner who brings something genuinely new to the site.

Potential collaborations include padel, gyms, Pilates studios, specialist studio rentals, pre and post maternity services, climbing centres, cycling studios, EMS, medical interventions, nutrition and food services, coffee shops and more. The list continues to grow as wellness expands and consumers seek greater convenience and variety.

Clubs do not need to be the jack of all trades. The future may simply be collaboration, co-location and smarter marketing of shared opportunities.

The next evolution of the fitness sector will not be defined by who owns the most services. It will be defined by who partners the smartest.

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Ryan Charlesworth | Black Raccoon Consulting | ryancharlesworth@blackraccoon.org