Email marketing for fitness professionals remains one of the most cost-effective strategies, bringing in $36 for every $1 spent. With 88% of people checking inboxes daily and 40% hunting for offers, this is the channel where trust turns into action. 

And in health and fitness, trust matters most. Email keeps you close to clients, motivating them, checking in, and celebrating wins, even when you’re not face-to-face. 

Now, with AI-powered personalization and a seamless mix of email, SMS, and push, you can deliver that same direct, 1:1 human connection at scale. Let’s break down how to turn prospects into clients with email marketing.  

Table of Contents

• Step 1: Build a High-Quality Email List with Intent
• Step 2: Segment and Personalize Your Email List
• Step 3: Create Compelling Content and Workflows
• Step 4: Multi-Channel Integration (Email + SMS + Push Notifications)
• Step 5: Optimize and Measure Your Email Campaigns
• How Can You Use Automation to Convert Fitness Leads With Email Marketing?
• How to Boost Retention with Email Marketing for Fitness Professionals
• Case Study: From Social Follower to Paying Client
• 9 Tips for Email Marketing Success
• Conclusion

📝 FREE RESOURCE: The Social Media & Email Playbook for Personal Trainers

Step 1: Build a High-Quality Email List with Intent

Think of your email list as your lead list; that is what makes it high-quality. So only people who’ve already said, “I’m interested in what you do” should be in it.

The moment someone downloads your free resource, it means they’ve accepted your help. That’s a big deal because they’ve taken the first step toward becoming a paying client, and they already see value in your expertise.

So don’t rush to collect everyone’s email. Focus on quality over quantity. You want people who genuinely need your guidance and trust your coaching. In fact, half of consumers say email promotions influence their buying decisions, but only when those messages come from a brand or coach they signed up for willingly.

To convert fitness leads with email marketing, you MUST have these three elements:

1. Lead magnet: Lead with value-first offers like a free challenge, a mini video series, or a first-session-free offer. Or point every piece of content to a valuable resource that earns the right to collect an email.
2. Sign-up link: Add your sign-up link where people already interact with you, your social media bio, post captions, or website. Use landing pages, social media forms, or your ABC Trainerize.me profile to automatically capture sign-ups. 
3. Post-sign-up activation: Activate your lead as soon as possible. Once they opt in, deliver the promised value fast to activate their interest, then nurture the relationship consistently. With ABC Trainerize, you can tag and import new leads directly into your system, making them ready for your automated onboarding flow. 

Check Out: Client Onboarding Cheat Sheet for Personal Trainers

A few best practices for email + SMS marketing for trainers:

• Use clear consent and double opt-ins to stay compliant with GDPR and CAN-SPAM.
• Add 1-3 short lines about what subscribers can expect.
• Keep the sign-up form short; name, email address, and an optional message field are enough to personalize your follow-ups later.

Step 2: Segment and Personalize Your Email List

78% of customers say they’re more likely to engage with messages tailored to their interests, and segmented email campaigns get up to 50% higher click-through rates than generic ones. But how do you actually do that without overcomplicating things?

First, don’t chop your list too thin. Your email marketing strategy depends on how many people you have. If you’re just starting, keep it simple. 

One good way to begin is by linking what someone downloaded or signed up for (which lead magnet) to the type of service or tiered offer they’d most benefit from.

Here are three easy ways to segment your audience, which you can tag and automate inside ABC Trainerize:

1. By goal: fat loss, strength training, mobility, postnatal fitness, or habit coaching.
2. By behavior: joined your challenge, downloaded a guide but didn’t book, opened emails often, or stopped engaging.
3. By delivery type: in-person, online-only, or hybrid training.

Once tagged in ABC Trainerize, you can:

• Send custom messages or app notifications to keep them engaged.
• Trigger automated sequences in your email platform based on behavior (for example, when they complete a challenge or hit a milestone).
• Build personalized check-in reminders that match their current goal or program.

When creating your emails, leave space for custom fields, short placeholders that automatically pull in personal details from your client data or notes in ABC Trainerize. These make every message sound like you wrote it just for them.

For example:

• “[First Name], how’s the [Program Name] going? You mentioned wanting to improve [Focus Area]. How are you feeling this week?”
• “Congrats on finishing the [Challenge Name]! Let’s build on that momentum with [offer an upsell or your next program]”

📝 FREE RESOURCE: The Ultimate Marketing Cheat Sheet for Personal Trainers and Fitness Pros

Step 3: Create Compelling Content and Workflows

Think of email marketing as having two layers. 

The first is your foundation, the basic workflows every fitness business needs. 

The second is the extra layer, advanced sequences that create more touchpoints and build deeper engagement as you grow. 

And if you want to master email marketing in a couple of hours, we’d highly suggest you read the Invisible Selling Machine by Ryan Deiss. It covers the entire email marketing setup any business needs, and includes actual templates you can “steal.”

Here are the main sequences we suggest you start with:

#1 Welcome Series: Introduce yourself, set expectations, and deliver your freebie.

• Email 1: “Here’s your guide + who I am.”
• Email 2: “Quick win + client story.”
• Email 3: “Your next step: free call or low-ticket offer.”

#2 “Challenge” Nurture Series: Keep participants engaged and accountable.

• Day 1: “Your goal for today.”
• Day 3: “Member wins or tip.”
• Final day: “Congrats + next program invite.”

#3 Conversion Sequence: Bridge interest to purchase.

• Email 1: “Case study or testimonial.”
• Email 2: “Behind-the-scenes benefit.”
• Email 3: “Offer with urgency, limited spots.”

#4 Re-Engagement Series: Reconnect with inactive clients.

• Email 1: “We miss you. How have you been?”
• Email 2: “Here’s what’s new.”
• Email 3: “Come back with a bonus or discount.”

Email sequences work best when they build over time, sharing a little more value with each message. These fitness business lead-nurturing email workflows can run automatically in your system, keeping your brand top of mind while you focus on coaching.

Remember to keep your emails short (around 120–150 words) so they’re easy to read and deliver one clear takeaway at a time.

You can use AI tools like ChatGPT to write a first rough draft, brainstorm subject lines, and then edit and personalize the email body based on your offer, your work with other clients, and your unique angle. 

Let’s talk a bit about automating and delivering your emails at scale while keeping them personal, because Gmail won’t cut it. The best option is a premium platform like ABC Trainerize, which lets you segment, tag, personalize, and track communication across email, SMS, and push notifications.

A second option is using a dedicated email marketing platform such as Mailchimp, Kit, or ActiveCampaign, though these tools require separate subscriptions and some setup time.

The good news is that you can integrate Mailchimp with ABC Trainerize via a Zap. That said, you don’t necessarily need them unless you’re running email marketing as a standalone strategy.

With ABC Trainerize, you can connect your workflows directly to your client journey:

• Leads from your Trainerize.me profile can be tagged automatically by goal or interest.
• Each tag can trigger app notifications, welcome messages, or onboarding tasks.
• You can sync data with your preferred email tool so messages and push notifications work together seamlessly.

Step 4: Multi-Channel Integration (Email + SMS + Push Notifications)

Some clients respond best to instant SMS or push notifications for quick reminders and time-sensitive updates, while others prefer more detailed guidance and progress summaries via email. 

Push notifications, on the other hand, are ideal for session reminders, goal check-ins, and motivation boosts, and they have high open rates. 

SMS works well for short alerts, limited-time offers, or last-minute changes, while email gives you space for education, storytelling, and program updates.

These channels fit together naturally, making it easy to reach clients at every touchpoint, from quick reminders to longer updates.

For example, when you add a new client, there’s often a lot to share, such as welcome packages, forms, or program details. You can automate all of that, so when someone joins, they instantly receive an email with everything they need while you focus on training.

You can also trigger quick texts when a client books or cancels, push notifications when they complete a workout, or weekly recap emails with their progress. Anything they can receive on their phone or inbox can be automated and personalized to feel one-on-one.

From there, you can track opens, clicks, and engagement, all in one system. Instead of juggling different apps, every reminder, message, and update runs automatically across formats, making communication effortless and giving you more time to refine your coaching and client experience.

Step 5: Optimize and Measure Your Email Campaigns

With email marketing, it’s relatively easy to find out what is not working. The metrics are pretty clear and straightforward:

1. Open Rate: Measures how many people open your emails.
   1. Culprit: The subject line sells the open. So, if the open rate is low, a weak subject line or bloated list is to blame.
   2. Fix: Write short, curiosity-driven subjects and clean inactive subscribers quarterly.
2. Click-Through Rate (CTR): Shows how many people click links inside.
   1. Culprit: Content doesn’t match the subject, or the CTA is unclear.
   2. Fix: Deliver on your promise and make one clear call to action.
3. Conversion Rate: Tracks who takes action (book, buy, join).
   1. Culprit: The Offer is unclear, or the landing page is confusing.
   2. Fix: Simplify the copy and align it with the client’s intent.
4. Engagement: How often clients reply or interact.
   1. Culprit: Messages feel generic or mistimed.
   2. Fix: Personalize by goals, milestones, or training stage.
5. List Growth + Churn: New leads vs. unsubscribes.
   1. Culprit: Weak lead magnet or low-value content.
   2. Fix: Promote your opt-in more and send fewer, better emails.

For email, aim for an open rate of 30–40% and a CTR of 5% or higher. For SMS and push, engagement can reach up to 90% when messages are relevant and well-timed.

But remember, while these benchmarks are helpful, it’s better to send a few emails, track your own numbers, and optimize from there, rather than chasing someone else’s average.

Inside ABC Trainerize, you can view engagement data from messages, workouts, and client activity to see what’s resonating most. When paired with your email platform analytics, this gives you a complete picture, from first click to long-term retention.

To refine your campaigns:

1. A/B test different subject lines, send times, and CTAs.
2. Experiment with tone, try short motivational notes vs. detailed coaching tips.
3. Repurpose high-performing content across channels, for example, turn a strong email tip into a push reminder.

The more you learn about what your clients respond to, the better you can communicate to keep them active, accountable, and excited to stay in your ecosystem.

How Can You Use Automation to Convert Fitness Leads With Email Marketing?  

Automation simply means setting up your system so it does the follow-up for you. Once your emails and tags are set up in ABC Trainerize or connected via Zapier to tools like Mailchimp, everything runs as it should.

Here’s how it works: when a new client signs up through your Trainerize.me profile, they can automatically get a welcome email with your next steps. If someone finishes a challenge, they receive a “Great job!” push notification. And if they’ve been inactive for a while, they get a friendly check-in message without you lifting a finger.

You decide the triggers, sign-ups, milestones, or inactivity, add personalization fields, and the system takes care of the rest. The dashboards will show you who is more engaged, who is at risk, and all the other details you need to maintain and optimize this channel.

This way, every lead and client stays connected and supported, even when you’re not online. It saves you hours each week and keeps your business running smoothly.

How to Boost Retention with Email Marketing for Fitness Professionals

Turning leads into clients is only half the job. The real growth comes from keeping those clients engaged, consistent, and loyal over time. Email is one of the easiest ways to do that because it lets you stay in touch between sessions and maintain motivation.

Here’s how to use re-engagement and retention sequences effectively:

#1 Re-Engagement Emails: Target inactive clients who haven’t logged a workout, replied to messages, or renewed their plan. Here’s a mini-series:

• Email 1: “We miss you. How have you been?”
• Email 2: “Here’s what’s new (updated programs, challenges, or offers).”
• Email 3: “Come back this week and get a bonus session/free check-in.”

#2 Milestone and Celebration Emails: Recognize their wins, celebrate streaks, weight loss milestones, or consistency goals. These are small messages with significant emotional impact that keep them hooked and show you care and are paying attention.

#3 Anniversary or Renewal Emails: Thank clients for their loyalty and give them a reason to stay. Offer a renewal discount, upgrade path, or exclusive bonus for long-term members.

#4 Habit or Accountability Sequences: Send weekly or monthly recaps that summarize progress, remind them to log meals or workouts, or spotlight new resources inside their app.

Retention is where trust compounds. A few short, thoughtful emails can re-activate old clients, strengthen relationships with current ones, and remind everyone why they started training with you in the first place.

Case Study: From Social Follower to Paying Client

Let’s take the case of Coach Joy, a hybrid trainer, who was posting daily on Instagram but wasn’t converting followers into clients.

She added his Trainerize.me profile link to her bio with a free “7-Day Home Strength Plan.” When followers signed up, they were automatically tagged in ABC Trainerize, triggering her onboarding flow.

Leads received three short emails introducing her coaching, sharing a client win, and inviting them to join Joy’s paid hybrid program. Meanwhile, ABC Trainerize sent push reminders through the free plan to keep them active.

After one month, Joy increased:

• Trial-to-client conversion by A/B testing her CTAs and offering timely upgrades.
• Email open rates by alternating between curiosity, direct benefit, and scarcity-driven subject lines.
• Challenge participation: create timely, relevant content.

By linking social content, email workflow, and app automations, any personal trainer can build a simple, automated funnel that turns followers and email subscribers into long-term clients.

9 Tips for Email Marketing Success

Lastly, we wanted to share a quick list of reminders to improve your email conversion rate:

1. Be madly consistent: Send emails at the same time, so clients expect and recognize your updates.
2. Lead with value: Be clear about your core message first, then use tools like ChatGPT to write a first draft. Every email should give something they can use and implement in their lives ASAP.
3. Personalize beyond names: Mention real goals (“wedding prep,” “postpartum recovery,” “hybrid training”) using ABC Trainerize tags or custom fields.
4. Use social proof: Share what your clients have achieved, or how they talk about your services, whenever you can. Show, don’t tell!
5. Add urgency wisely: Include limited-time offers or challenge spots to drive action without pressure. But don’t overdo it, because you risk decreasing the perceived value.
6. Address pain points: Talk directly about what your clients struggle with, and show how your program helps.
7. Automate follow-ups: As long as you have good personalization cues, don’t be afraid of email marketing automation. 
8. Mix your channels: Reinforce key messages with push notifications or texts. These formats fit naturally together, but be careful not to spam with the same message.
9. Track and tweak: Watch the metrics we mentioned previously. Small improvements in timing, tone, and personalization can make a big difference in conversions.

Conclusion

Email marketing is a must for fitness professionals, even if it’s just a simple welcome series and a biweekly or monthly newsletter. What matters most is staying connected with your clients and prospects while consistently growing your list. That’s your sales pipeline and your future client base.

When you combine email, SMS, and push notifications with the automation and client tracking inside ABC Trainerize, every touchpoint becomes an opportunity to connect, guide, and convert.

Start small: build one workflow, link it to your Trainerize.me profile, and let automation handle the follow-up while you focus on coaching.

This week, you can audit your setup. Improve your key metrics or add another sequence to your welcome, challenge, or re-engagement flow. 

Ready to put it into action? Start your free 30-day ABC Trainerize trial and create your own automated email system that turns every new lead into a loyal client.