Case study: how a studio made about $11,500 in a month from the people it already knew
By Andrew Wallis · Published 29 October 2026 · 6 minute read
The short answer
A studio I work with in Australia ran three campaigns at once: to former clients, to past enquiries who never joined, and to members. Within a month, they brought in about $11,500 in confirmed sales, with no paid ads.
Where the studio started
Like most gyms and studios, this one had hundreds of people in its database who hadn't heard from it in months, some for years: former clients, people who'd enquired and gone quiet, and members who'd happily recommend it if asked.
Maybe that sounds familiar. The new enquiries get the attention, and everyone else slowly drifts out of touch. It's nobody's fault. There's always a session to coach or a problem to fix.
But those people already know you. Many liked you. They're far easier to bring back than a stranger is to win, if you give them a good reason and an easy way to say yes.
The plan: three groups, three messages
In July, the middle of the Australian winter, we ran three campaigns side by side. Each group got its own message, because a former client, a past enquiry and a current member need to hear different things.
| Campaign | Who it went to | The question |
|---|---|---|
| Former client win-back | 767 former clients | Would you like to come back? |
| Prospect reactivation | People who'd enquired but never joined | Are you still thinking about it? |
| Help Someone | 146 current members | Who would you love to see healthier and stronger? |
Every campaign ran in HighLevel, by email and text, with one simple next step. Replies went straight into a workflow, so nobody who said yes was missed.
1. Former clients: a welcome back
Former clients already know the coaches and the results. The emails and texts invited them back, and asked them to reply with one word: YES.
A workflow picked up every YES and passed it to the team to follow up personally. That one-word reply matters: it's far easier than filling in a form or booking a call.
See member reactivation for the full approach.
2. Past enquiries: a fresh reason to start
People who'd enquired but never joined had shown interest once. They needed a reason to take the next step now.
- Five messages over 12 days: emails on days 1, 8 and 10, and texts on days 2 and 12.
- Every message opened with what they'd originally asked about, summarised from their enquiry by AI and stored in their contact record.
- A clear offer with a real end date: a free consultation, a free session and a personalised plan, plus a bonus month on a three-month membership.
- Proof in the middle: the second email shared three short member stories.
- The same easy step: "Reply with one word: YES."
We also tested two subject lines on every email, so each send taught us something. See how to follow up old enquiries.
3. Members: help someone you care about
The studio owner's brief was the best part of the whole campaign. It wasn't "refer a friend and get a reward". It started with the person a member would love to help.
Every email, text, poster and conversation came back to one question: who is the one person in your life you'd love to see healthier, stronger and more confident?
- Week 1: a launch email and text, posters in the studio, and coaches asking, "Has anyone come to mind?"
- Week 2: a real client story, then the question, "Who came to mind while reading that?"
- Week 3: a final email and text before the offer closed.
There was a generous thank-you for members, but it came second. The texts were written as personal notes from the owner, and told members they didn't need to persuade anyone: just tell the person why they'd thought of them.
See referral programs for more.
The results
All figures are in Australian dollars.
- In the first two weeks: seven consultations booked and about $3,200 in confirmed sales.
- Within a month: about $11,500 in confirmed sales, with the potential to reach about $15,000 as the last conversations finished.
- No paid ads. Every sale came from people the studio already knew.
The money wasn't the only result. Former clients started talking to the studio again, old conversations restarted, and members sent people they cared about.
The studio decided to make seasonal campaigns a permanent part of its year. Its spring version had five YES replies from former clients and two from past enquiries on the first day.
What we learned
- Different people, different messages. Splitting the list was worth every minute.
- A one-word reply beats a form. "Reply YES" made saying yes almost effortless.
- Catch every reply. The workflow made sure each YES reached a person the same day.
- Watch your text limits. Our HighLevel account allowed about 1,000 texts a day. When a send went over, automatic replies were held back and didn't resend, so we had to follow up by hand. Now we spread big sends over several days.
- Some unsubscribes are healthy. The owner saw them as a cleaner list, not a loss.
- Lead with people, not rewards. The referral campaign worked because it was about helping someone.
Run your own in three steps
- Split your list into former clients, past enquiries and current members. Leave out anyone who's asked not to hear from you.
- Write one short sequence for each group, with one question and one easy way to say yes. Give it a real end date.
- Follow up every yes by hand, within a day. That's where the sales happen.
The free Reset Campaign Kit gives you the emails to start with. Or, in Get Members, I'll build all three campaigns with you in HighLevel.
Questions owners ask
What is a win-back campaign for a gym or studio?
A short series of emails and texts inviting former members to come back, usually with a reason to return now and an easy way to say yes, such as replying with one word.
How much can a reactivation campaign make?
It depends on your list and your offer. In this case, three campaigns to former clients, past enquiries and members brought in about $11,500 in confirmed sales within a month, with no paid ads.
Should I send the same email to everyone on my list?
No. Former clients, past enquiries and current members need different messages. Splitting your list makes each message more relevant and gets more replies.
Why ask people to reply YES?
It's the easiest possible next step. A one-word reply takes seconds, starts a real conversation, and can trigger a workflow so your team follows up the same day.
How often should a studio run campaigns like this?
Seasonally works well: three or four times a year, with a different angle each time. This studio now runs one each season.
Found this useful? Share it with another owner.
I've spent 25 years in the fitness industry: on the gym floor, running my own boot camps and coaching gym and studio owners since 2012, including leading NPE Fitness's UK and European coaching team. I help independent gyms and studios get and keep more members.