Lane 08 The noticeboard
Who gets an email from the gym tonight?
Only the members it was written for. In ZXN Fitness the owner writes an email once and says who it is for, such as members not seen for two weeks. The software sends it from the gym's own address, only to members who agreed to hear from the gym, and takes anyone who comes back off the list.
What happened here at 20:00 at Ferrous Yard?
Everyone who has not been in for two weeks and has agreed to hear from the gym. The owner wrote the email once, in the spring. Since then the software sends it by itself, from the gym's own address, and takes anyone who comes back off the list before the next one goes. Nobody is sent it twice in a month.
- 20:00:00Not seen for two weeks: list built
- 20:00:01Members who said no to emails left out
- 20:00:05Sent from the gym's own address
Ferrous Yard is a gym we made up for this page: a strength and conditioning gym in a unit on an industrial estate, with one class room, a free-weights floor, a front desk, two coaches and an owner who would rather be coaching. No real gym is meant.
Which emails send themselves?
- A welcome on the day a member joins.
- A note after a new member's first class.
- Not seen for two weeks.
- Membership ending, a week before it does.
- Payment problems, which are service emails and go to every member they concern.
How is consent kept?
Members choose whether to hear about news and offers when they join, and can change their mind in their account or with the link in every email. Marketing emails go only to members who said yes. Emails about a member's own bookings and payments are service emails and are always sent.
Can the owner send a one-off email to everyone?
Yes. A one-off email goes to every member who agreed to hear from the gym, or to a list chosen on the office screen, such as everyone on a daytime membership.
How does the owner know if an email worked?
Each email shows how many members it went to and how many came back to the gym within a fortnight. Opens are not counted: they are unreliable, and members are not tracked. Published UK figures on how long members stay are in the guide to gym membership revenue and churn.
Which parts of the suite are at work in the noticeboard?
- Marketing tools
- Member accounts
What else do gym owners ask about the noticeboard?
Which address do the emails come from?
The gym's own address, so a member who replies is writing to the gym.
Are members tracked when they open an email?
No. There are no tracking pixels. The software counts who came back to the gym, which is the figure that matters.