Sometimes it feels like there’s a ton of free fitness content standing between you and your customers.
Don’t worry! Free content might seem like a threat, but it isn’t a replacement for a paid fitness platform.
With a few tweaks coaches can attract users to their own fitness platform – and keep them.
Step 1: Know your worth
The public is willing to pay for quality fitness content.
More people are using online fitness systems than last year, but they aren’t sticking with free sites. The majority of users experiment with free content before giving up.
What’s the hang-up? For most people, free content is too loose and disorganized. They don’t get the results they want, and eventually start looking for a more structured system.
That’s why premium fitness platforms are on the rise, even with free content out there.
The global fitness app market is valued at $3.15 billion in 2019, and experts expect it to reach $15.96 billion by 2026. Doctors are on your side, too. 93% of doctors would recommend fitness and wellness apps to improve health.
Step 2: Refine your onboarding strategy
Prioritize an easy-to-navigate user interface that helps users create a regular fitness plan, then nudges them towards conversion from free membership to paid subscription.
Don’t jump the gun, though! 1 in 4 people who stop using an app do so after just one use. Reduce that churn by making it easy and fun to get started with your platform.
Have a good selection of basic videos and routine-planning content available for anyone who downloads the app. Teasers of popular premium content are a good way to encourage a free trial subscription.
Be sure there’s enough content uploaded that users can’t go through it within the trial period; users should be so excited by the content that they subscribe to keep access to it.
Don’t forget to include features that drive re-engagement with the app:
- Push notification reminders
- Social forums
- RSVPs for live streams
Step 3: Have a clear progression path but provide variety
Users should know how to advance through the app as they improve.
Have clear indicators of when to switch to a higher skill level, such as weight limits, rep counts, or minutes holding a pose.
Don’t railroad users into a single track, though. Have skill-focused videos at increasing levels so users can decide what they want to improve next.
This also keeps them from getting bored or frustrated if they have trouble in one area.
Step 4: Leverage technology for an innovative experience
Trying to replicate studio classes isn’t the most productive way to use a custom fitness platform.
Take advantage of what the technology can do.
On top of streaming video on demand (SVOD), include innovative features like:
- Live stream events that allow you to bring in surprise guests
- “Choose-your-own-adventure” workouts, where users can choose the next area of focus
- Community support forums
- Educational or inspirational blogs
- In-app workout tracking and accountability
- Free content users can share with friends to drive new subscriptions
Premium fitness platforms are growing for a reason.
They give people a portable, entertaining way to get the results they need, wherever they happen to be.
Set up your own custom platform and give those frustrated free content users the structure they need to succeed!
