Choose one headline offer by working out what each sign-up can cost you, then run a calendar from a December teaser to February check-ins. Give ChatGPT or Claude your price list, capacity and last January's sign-up count, and let it draft the emails and posts and check the offer arithmetic. You approve every date, price and claim.
Offer maths is the step most plans skip. A joining fee waiver costs you on everyone who joins in January, including the people who would have joined anyway, so the true cost of each extra member is far higher than the sticker discount. Work that out on your own prices before a single post is designed.
Write down last January first
Every number in the plan hangs on a baseline: what January produced without this year's offer. Pull four figures by week from your booking system, enquiry inbox or desk notes: enquiries, trial sessions taken, sign-ups and cancellations by the end of February. If you have no history, say so and plan a smaller test, because an assistant cannot supply a baseline you never recorded. An illustrative record looks like this.
| Last January | Enquiries | Trials taken | Sign-ups |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 61 | 27 | 12 |
| Week 2 | 48 | 22 | 10 |
| Week 3 | 39 | 17 | 9 |
| Week 4 | 30 | 13 | 7 |
| Total | 178 | 79 | 38 |
Two readings follow. Enquiries became trials 44% of the time (79 of 178) and trials became sign-ups 48% of the time (38 of 79), so a lift in either step helps. And nearly a third of sign-ups (12 of 38) landed in week 1, so the launch must be ready on 1 January, not on the 8th. Check your own shape rather than assuming this one: the point is the method.
Choose the offer by its cost per sign-up
Take illustrative prices: a membership at $45 a month, a $30 joining fee and $3 a month of variable cost per member (payment fees and consumables), so each member contributes $42 a month. At full price, a new member is worth $30 + 3 x $42 = $156 over three months. Three candidate offers follow, with an ad budget of $500 and last January's 38 sign-ups as the baseline.
Sign-ups needed = (Full-price value x Baseline + Ad spend) / (Full-price value - Forgone per sign-up)
Offer A: (156 x 38 + 500) / (156 - 30) = 51.0, so 52 sign-ups| Offer | Forgone per sign-up | Sign-ups to break even by month 3 | Extra over last January | If sign-ups reach 55: cost per extra member |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Joining fee waived | $30 | 52 | 14 (37% more) | $126 |
| B. First month half price | $22.50 | 49 | 11 (29% more) | $102 |
| C. First month free and fee waived | $75 | 80 | 42 (111% more) | $272 |
The last column is the lesson. If an offer lifts sign-ups from 38 to 55, everyone who joins takes it, so offer A costs $30 x 55 = $1,650, plus $500 of ads, to win 17 extra members: $126 each. A first draft from an assistant often costs the offer only on the extra members, which makes A look like $510 plus ads instead of $1,650. Offer C asks for more than double last January's sign-ups just to break even in three months, which is why a generous stacked offer deserves a hard look before it goes live. The 55 is an example outcome, not a forecast, and three months is a decision rule you can change.
Two other designs change the question rather than the price. Holding a member's price for 12 months costs nothing now and costs the gap later: if you plan a $3 rise from July, it is $18 per member. Paying for 11 months to get 12 forgoes $45, an 8.3% discount, but brings $495 of cash on day one and removes that member's chance of leaving for a year. Whether that is worth it depends on how long your joiners stay, which the cohort method in the referral programme tutorial measures. Check capacity as well: if your floor is full at peak hours, extra sign-ups are worth less than the table suggests.
Give the assistant the arithmetic as a prompt, with the rule about all sign-ups spelt out, then check one row by hand.
My numbers: membership $45 a month, joining fee $30, variable cost $3 per member per month, last January's sign-ups 38 with no offer, ad budget $500.
Offers: A joining fee waived; B first month half price; C first month free and joining fee waived.
For each offer calculate: forgone revenue per sign-up; a new member's value over three months at full price and under the offer; the sign-ups needed to recover the offer cost plus ad spend within three months; and the cost per extra member if sign-ups reach 55.
Apply each offer's cost to ALL January sign-ups, not only the extra ones. Show every formula.The calendar: December teaser to February check-ins
Ten steps in order. The weeks are relative, so slide them to your own dates, and treat the owner's job column as the part no assistant can do.
| When | Goal | Emails and posts | Owner's job |
|---|---|---|---|
| December, week 1 | Fix the plan | None yet | Pull last January's numbers, choose the offer, set a cap such as the first 60 sign-ups, write the terms on one page |
| December, week 2 | Warm the list | Teaser email to leads and lapsed members; two posts (a coach introduction and a timetable preview) | Build the enquiry form and offer page, and test both on a phone |
| December, week 3 | Collect early-access replies | Second email with three first-week plans; a post on what a first week looks like | Brief the desk team on the offer terms and the likely questions |
| December, week 4 | Early access | Offer to the early-access list three to five days before launch; a thank-you with a guest pass to members; a holiday-hours post | Check holiday opening hours and line up trial slots for week 1 |
| January, week 1 | Public launch | Launch email on 1 or 2 January; four posts (launch, coach, a start-here guide, timetable) | Staff two open trial sessions and answer enquiries within the hour |
| January, week 2 | Convert trials | Reminder to everyone who took a trial; three posts (a member milestone with consent, a class spotlight, an FAQ) | Phone or text every trial-taker who has not joined |
| January, week 3 | Bring-a-friend week | Email to members and trial-takers; two posts | Print guest passes and set a peak-hour cap on guests |
| January, week 4 | Last call | Last-call email 48 hours before the end date; a countdown post | Hold the end date and do not extend it |
| February, weeks 1 and 2 | Start retention | Welcome, day-7 text and day-14 check-in; two tips posts | A coach contacts anyone with fewer than two visits |
| February, weeks 3 and 4 | Close the loop | Day-28 feedback email; a win-back message to unconverted leads | Review the scoreboard and decide what to repeat |
The early-access step earns its place. It rewards the people who replied to your teasers, gives you a trickle of sign-ups before the busy week, and tests the enquiry form and desk answers while the stakes are low. For existing members, the December thank-you with a guest pass tells them about the offer before an advert does. If you want wider examples of campaigns built this way, five worked AI marketing campaigns for local businesses shows other sectors, and can AI write a marketing plan for a small business covers the general approach.
Emails: ten messages, two written out in full
| No. | Send | To | Purpose | Subject line to test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | December, week 2 | Leads, lapsed members | Teaser and a reply for early access | January at [gym name]: a first look |
| 2 | December, week 3 | Same list | Three first-week plans | Three ways to start your first week |
| 3 | December, week 4 | Early-access replies | Offer, three to five days early | Early access opens today |
| 4 | 1 or 2 January | Everyone | Public launch with the end date | Join before [end date]: [offer in plain words] |
| 5 | January, week 2 | Trial-takers | Finish the sign-up | Your trial is still open |
| 6 | January, week 3 | Members and trial-takers | Bring-a-friend week | Bring a friend this week |
| 7 | January, week 4 | Leads who have not joined | Last call | Ends [day]: last call for [offer] |
| 8 | Day 0 | New members | Welcome and book a first session | You're in: book your first session |
| 9 | Day 14 | New members | Check-in | How is week two going? |
| 10 | Day 28 | New members | One feedback question | One question about your first month |
Email 4, the launch, is the one with the most riding on it. This is an illustrative draft for offer B; swap in your own terms.
Subject: Join before [end date]: first month at half price
Hello [first name], our January intake opens today. Until [end date], or until the first 60 people have joined, new members pay $22.50 for their first month instead of $45, plus the usual $30 joining fee. From the second month, membership is $45 a month.
Every new member gets a free induction with a coach, access to the full gym floor and the class timetable here: [link]. Not sure yet? Book a free trial session at [link]. A coach will show you round and answer your questions, and the slots in week one are limited.
Opening hours over the holiday period: [hours]. See you soon, [your name], [gym name]
P.S. Already a member? Your guest pass is in last week's email. Bring a friend any time before [date].
Email 9, the day-14 check-in, matters more than it looks, because it reaches people at the moment their routine either forms or slips.
Subject: How is week two going, [first name]?
Hello [first name], you joined two weeks ago, so this is a quick check-in. If you have found a routine, keep it. If getting here has been harder than you hoped, that is normal and we can help. Three things that might: book your next three sessions today, try [class name] on [day] at [time], or reply and tell [coach name] what is getting in the way. A person will read it. [Your name]
Social posts: a four-week set from three post types
A month of posts is easier to write when each one is one of three types: show the place (coaches, kit, timetable), show the first week (what to expect, answers to nervous questions) or show the offer (price, end date, how to join). Aim for roughly one offer post for every two of the others, so the feed does not read as one long advert. Instagram's own tools can schedule posts up to 30 days ahead, so the December posts can be queued in November, and Instagram has capped hashtags at five per post since December 2025.
| Week | Type | Post idea and call to action |
|---|---|---|
| December, week 2 | Place | Introduce a coach and the class they run. Ask for questions in the comments. |
| December, week 3 | First week | "Your first week here, day by day." Reply "early" for early access. |
| January, week 1 | Offer | The offer in one line, the end date and the cap. Link in bio. |
| January, week 1 | First week | A start-here guide: induction, trial, timetable. Book a trial. |
| January, week 2 | Place | A class spotlight with the coach's own words. Book a class. |
| January, week 3 | First week | Answers to the three questions desk staff hear most. Send us a message. |
| January, week 4 | Offer | Countdown to the end date. Join before it closes. |
| February, week 1 | First week | Week-two tips from a coach. Book your next three sessions. |
Two captions written out, both illustrative. For a coach introduction: "Meet [coach name]. They run [class name] on [day] at [time] and give every new member their free induction. Starting in January and not sure where to begin? Ask in the comments and they will answer. #[gym name]". For the offer: "January intake opens [date]. First month at half price for new members until [end date] or the first 60 places. Trial sessions bookable now, link in bio." Keep the same facts in every asset, and have one person check each post against the offer terms before it is scheduled.
The drafting prompt: your facts in, nothing invented out
Draft one asset per prompt, and put the facts in a block the assistant is told not to change. A good prompt carries your voice, which two past emails supply better than any adjective.
You are writing marketing copy for [gym name], an independent gym. Friendly and plain, in the voice of the two sample emails below. No exclamation marks in subject lines.
FACTS (use exactly): membership $45 a month, joining fee $30; offer: first month at half price ($22.50) for new members who join between [date] and [date], capped at the first 60 sign-ups; free induction with a coach; free trial session bookable at [link]; opening hours [hours]; classes [list with days and times].
RULES: add no benefit, price, class, facility or deadline that is not in the facts. Promise no results, weight loss or fitness outcomes. No before-and-after language. If a fact is missing, write [CHECK] instead of guessing.
TASK: write email 4, the public launch. Give three subject lines, preview text and a body under 170 words with one call to action.
SAMPLE EMAILS IN MY VOICE: [paste two]A realistic first draft (illustrative) has a clean structure and a warm tone, and it also adds "plus a free protein shake", "only 20 places left" and a subject line with two exclamation marks. None of the three is in your facts. Delete the shake, restate the real cap of 60, and add a final instruction to the prompt: "Check the draft against the facts line by line and list anything you added." The list of additions tells you where to look. Then read the finished email once on a phone, because that is where most members will see it.
Claims and consent checks before anything is scheduled
January copy tempts everyone into promises. Run this short table over every email, post and ad.
| Wording to avoid | Why | Safer wording |
|---|---|---|
| "Guaranteed results in six weeks" | Promises an outcome you cannot control | "A six-week coached starter programme" |
| "Burn 800 calories in this class" | A figure you cannot back up | "A 45-minute strength class" |
| Before-and-after photos in ads | Ad platforms publish health and appearance rules, so read each platform's current policy first | A member's own words, with their written consent |
| "Only 12 places left" when untrue | False urgency | The real cap, updated as it fills |
| "Free month" | Hides the conditions | "First month half price for new members who join by [date]" |
| "Leave a review for a free week" | Google's review rules do not allow incentives for reviews | Ask for reviews and offer nothing in return |
Three consent points sit alongside the wording. Send promotional email only to people who agreed to hear from you, and put a working unsubscribe link in every message. Keep complaints low: Gmail's bulk-sender rules ask for a spam rate under 0.10% and never above 0.30%, and they require one-click unsubscribe above 5,000 emails a day, a volume a single gym is unlikely to reach but a sensible standard anyway. And keep each email short, because Gmail clips messages over 102KB.
The scoreboard and the February follow-through
Update five numbers every Friday and compare them with last January's same week. This illustrative scoreboard assumes offer B was chosen, so the forgone revenue is $22.50 a sign-up, with $500 spent on ads.
| Number | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enquiries | 74 | 58 | 41 | Last January: 61, 48, 39 |
| Trials taken | 33 | 26 | 18 | Last January: 27, 22, 17 |
| New sign-ups | 17 | 14 | 10 | Last January: 12, 10, 9 |
| Sign-ups so far against last January | 17 v 12 | 31 v 22 | 41 v 31 | 10 ahead, and offer B needs 11 extra by the end |
| Cost per sign-up so far | $51.91 | $38.63 | $34.70 | (22.50 x sign-ups + $500) / sign-ups |
These figures only demonstrate the arithmetic. They are not a forecast and not a typical result, and a real week 3 may look very different. Notice what the cost-per-sign-up row does: it falls as the fixed ad spend spreads over more joiners, which is why you read it at the end, not in week 1.
The assistant earns its place in the Friday review. Paste the five numbers for both years and ask for a short, cautious reading.
Here are this week's five numbers and last January's numbers for the same weeks. In three lines: what changed, what it might mean, and one action for Monday. Do not forecast. Do not invent causes: label any guess as a guess.On the scoreboard above, an illustrative answer reads: enquiries are up 17% on last January's first three weeks (173 against 148) and trials turn into sign-ups 53% of the time against 47%, which both help; week-3 enquiries (41) are only two ahead of last year's 39, so the early push may be fading, which is a guess; Monday's action is email 5 to every trial-taker who has not joined. Check the percentages yourself, because they are the part an assistant can get wrong.
If sign-ups lag after week 2, resist the urge to deepen the discount halfway through, since the people who already joined would then have paid more than the late ones. Look at the cheaper levers first.
- Reply speed. Check how long enquiries wait, and aim to answer within the hour during launch week.
- The form. Test the enquiry form on a phone again, and count the fields.
- Trial follow-up. Make sure every trial-taker got a message within a day, then a second one at day 3.
- Peak-hour capacity. If trial slots are full at the times people want, add slots before you add spend.
February is where January either pays or does not, so give it the same planning. Send a coach's text on day 7, for example: "Hi [first name], it is [coach] at [gym name]. How was week one? Reply and I will help you book next week's sessions." Send email 9 on day 14 and email 10 on day 28. Anyone with fewer than two visits in the first fortnight gets a call from a person, using the visit count from your system and nothing about their health. Automated check-ins for gym members covers what to send and when, and fitness studio welcome and lapsed-member emails has more sequences. Before you automate any of those messages, read through the gym automation mistakes that increase member churn.
Questions gym owners ask about January offers
Should a gym discount in January at all?
Only if the numbers work on your own prices. Work out the cost per sign-up and the extra sign-ups the offer needs, then compare with last January. If your gym is already crowded at peak hours, a discount buys members you cannot serve well, and a no-discount launch built around free trial sessions may suit you better.
How long should a January offer run?
Choose two to three weeks with a real end date, then keep to it, because extending teaches your list to wait. Let last January's records decide the length: if half your sign-ups arrived in the first ten days, a shorter window suits you. Publish the date everywhere the offer appears.
How do I avoid upsetting existing members?
Tell members first, in plain words, so they never learn about the offer from an advert. Give them something too, such as a guest pass, a first pick of trial slots or a message that their own price is unchanged. Avoid discounting new members below what loyal ones pay without saying why.
Can AI write the whole campaign from one prompt?
It can draft it, but one prompt produces generic copy. Give it your price list, offer terms, dates, class names and two past emails in your voice, and ask for one asset at a time. It will invent details you did not supply, such as extra perks or class times, so check every date, price and claim before anything is scheduled.
Further reads
- Gym Newsletter Examples: A Monthly Member Email Written With AI — Keep the January joiners reading with a monthly member email.
- Can AI Answer Gym Enquiries and Book Trial Sessions? — Answer January enquiries and book trials without missing any.
- Gym Sales Script: Rehearse Tour and Price Objections With ChatGPT — Rehearse the tour and the price questions before launch week.
- Gym Retention Software With AI: What It Costs and Delivers — What retention tools cost once the January joiners arrive.
- How to Plan a Month of Marketing Content With AI in One Hour — A general method for planning a month of content in an hour.
- Gym Membership Price Increase Letter: Draft and Test It With AI — Plan a later price rise without upsetting the new joiners.
- CrossFit Marketing Automation Strategies: On-Ramp Courses and Win-Backs — Eight automations for a foundations course and lapsed members, in build order, with the trigger each one needs, sample wording and the numbers.
- Gym Business Plan: Build the Numbers a Lender Will Ask For With AI — What a lender wants from a gym's financial section: a worked model, stress tests and prompts that make AI build and then attack your own numbers.
- AI Tools and AI Development: The Complete 2026 Guide — the AI hub, including every tutorial in the AI-for-business series.
Sources: Instagram's help pages on scheduling posts and the five-hashtag limit; Google's email sender guidelines (spam rate, one-click unsubscribe) and Gmail's message clipping; Google's review content policy on incentives. The offer maths uses illustrative prices, not benchmarks.