Anytime Fitness Modbury, Melbourne (Queen St) and Melbourne (Collins St)

We led the social media strategy and content development for three Anytime Fitness clubs through the peak of the Coronavirus Pandemic when gyms were forced to close. A combination of social media and e-newsletters aimed to keep members engaged, motivated and reassured that the gym was being looked after so it would be safe to return to when doors could re-open again.

The Situation

COVID-19 forced the shut down of all indoor fitness centres, including Australia’s largest gym chain, Anytime Fitness. We were approached to provide advice and strategy around communicating with members through online and traditional means and was subsequently engaged to plan, design and publish daily social media content for the clubs, aimed at keeping their gym member followers motivated, engaged and keen to return when the doors could re-open.

Objectives

The key objective for Anytime Fitness was to develop an entirely organic social media content strategy and messaging, specifically designed to nurture, retain and regain Anytime Fitness club members through the COVID-19 period while the gyms were closed.

Elements

To achieve this objective, Hughes created a strong and well-planned organic social media strategy that positioned the clubs on the front foot to push a clear message to their membership that:

• Their club is still here and ready to reopen whenever the ban is lifted; 
• Their club is being cared for (and improved) while doors are closed;
• It will be safe to return when restrictions ease.

This social media strategy complemented traditional membership management approaches like phone calls to check in on the welfare of members, helping them understand the new online Anytime Fitness Health Hub offering.

Hughes came on board in March, to develop a strategy that included: 

• Daily social media posts with messaging tapping into mental and physical wellness through challenging times;
• Develop and design engaging, on-brand social media visual assets;
• Advice and guidance to gym managers for in-club photography and video opportunities;
• Adaption of messaging as we moved towards a gradual easing of restrictions and eventual count down to the reopening of gyms.

We prepared content and rolled out the strategy for the three clubs until the day prior to the first stage of reopenings in South Australia, at the start of June.