Do Pilates Studios Really Need a Newsletter?
Let me guess…you've been told you need an email list.
You've thought about starting a newsletter. Maybe you even signed up for Mailchimp once and then... crickets.
It felt like one more thing on an already overwhelming to-do list that is running a business and studio.
Here's the thing though - your past clients are disappearing into the void. They had a great experience with you, then life got busy, they stopped coming, and now they've completely forgotten you exist. Your current clients are asking the same questions over and over in your DMs. And if Instagram decided to shut down your account tomorrow (and yes, I've seen it happen), you'd have no way to reach any of them.
Email marketing isn't just another marketing task on your never ending to do list. For wellness and fitness studios, it's how you keep your community warm, reduce your admin load, and actually have control of what your community sees.
In this blog post, I'm walking you through why wellness studios need newsletters, what's actually stopping you from starting one, and exactly how to set yours up without it taking over your life.
The Real Struggle (And Why You Haven't Started Yet)
Let's be honest about what's actually stopping you.
Here are some of the things I’ve directly heard from Pilates Studios, Yoga Studios, Gym Owners and Personal Trainers alike.
I'm breaking down each one below with real data and my perspective - click to expand:
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The evidence is totally against this one.
Here's what actually happens: clients who have little social media interaction (which let’s be real, is most people right now) have 60%+ open rates and above 5% click rates. You can see this here, here and here.
Definitions:
Open Rate - What percentage of the people who received the email, actually opened it.
Click Rate - How many of the people who opened it, then clicked on a link within the email.
Source: Campaign Monitor, Flodesk, Mailchimp
People want and read the emails. For context, industry bench marks across all business is less than 40% open rate and less than 1% click rate.
Source: Campaign Monitor, Flodesk, Mailchimp
Some clients who have a small (less than 100) list still have about 25% of people reply to every single email they send. These are the same people who scroll past Instagram posts without liking them. Email is different. It lands in their inbox. It feels personal. They read it.
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I challenge this SO hard.
You have so much to say, you just don't realise it counts as content.
Meet the team.
Updates to your schedule.
Behind the brand - why you built it in the first place.
Community-forward updates about members hitting milestones (these are my favourite).
Upcoming events.
Common misconceptions or advice you're always repeating in class.
You're not writing a dissertation or being marked on it being the most perfect thing to ever exist. You're writing to people who already know and like you, or people who want to.
So give them the opportunity.
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No they won't. And if they do, that's actually good because they're not your ideal client.
Believe it or not, people want to hear from you.
They're nosy.
They're curious.
They want to learn about you, the business, how you got there.
You're an inspiration and the people want to know. They want to hear what's coming and meet the other teachers.
If someone unsubscribes, that’s okay because it helps tell the internet gods who is interested and that those who stay subscribed want to hear from you because they open the emails.
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Serious question: What happens if Meta blocks your account tomorrow?
Unfortunately, I've seen it happen far too many times.
Wellness accounts get reported by bots.
Posts get flagged for showing bodies in movement.
Accounts get shut down with zero warning and zero recourse, and unfortunately very little change of getting it back as it was.
And when that happens, you have no idea who was there watching. You can't reach them. They're gone. I don’t say this to scare you or force fear, you don’t have to look far to see this happening daily all around us.
With an email list, you have full control of the contact information. No algorithm. No platform rules. Just you and your community.
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It's an investment that is almost guaranteed to pay off if you commit.
Right now, having a public email address like yourname@gmail.com is actually hurting your brand and client conversion. There are so many scammers these days that a custom domain like yourname@yourstudio.com signals professionalism. It automatically signals that people can trust you.
You have a website, so we know you own the domain.
Let's just add an email address and set it up properly.
Why Wellness Brands Actually Need a Newsletter
I know you must be wondering, exactly what does email marketing (even just a newsletter) do for your business?
You stop losing past clients into the void
They had a great time with you. Life got busy. They stopped coming. Now they've completely forgotten you exist. A monthly newsletter keeps you top of mind so when they're ready to come back, they come back to you - not the new studio that just opened down the road who is actively communicating with them.
It keeps current clients excited and up to date
New class times. Guest teachers. Workshop announcements. Community events. All in one place, sent directly to them, so they don't miss anything.
It reduces your admin load
No more DMing or WhatsApping everyone the same information. You can see who opened it, who clicked links, and who needs a gentle follow-up. One send. Everyone gets the update.
You are the brand - show your story
Customer buy-in happens when people understand why you do what you do. Email is where you can share your story, your values, what makes your studio different. This is what builds loyalty beyond just "it's convenient because they’re local."
It makes content creation easier
Write a long-form newsletter, then pull quotes and sections for Instagram posts, Threads, Stories. Longform content becomes shortform content. You're not creating twice - you're repurposing strategically and triggering even more creativity.
Community first
Email lets you speak directly to your community without competing for attention in a feed. It's intimate. It's personal. It's where the real and honest connection happens.
You own the information
No losing it all when your Facebook group or Instagram randomly gets cut off or reported because of bots. This is your list. Your people. Your contact information. No platform can take it away.
Are you ready to make your move?
How to Start Basic Newsletter For a Wellness Studio
You don't need a complex funnel or a 12-part welcome sequence. You need something simple that you'll actually maintain.
Here's the setup:
1. Get a custom domain if you don't have one
If you already have a website, you have a domain. Now connect your email to it. yourname@yourstudio.com instead of yourname@gmail.com. It's professional, it's trustworthy, and it's a signal that you're legit.
2. Connect to an email marketing platform that meets your needs
Pick one that connects to any existing booking software you have. Mailchimp, Flodesk, ConvertKit, whatever works for your budget and tech comfort level.
3. Set up segments
Current clients, past clients, people who have never been a client, general newsletter. You can expand on these later, but start here. This lets you send targeted emails when you're ready without starting from scratch.
4. Set up a general newsletter to everyone
You can send custom campaigns later to target individual groups if you like, but start with one newsletter that goes to everyone. Keep it simple.
5. Set up a welcome sequence
This introduces you, the brand, and what you offer so when someone signs up they're warmed into it. Even for people who already know you well, it's great to remind them. Every single one of my clients gets replies to their welcome sequence. People read these emails.
6. Set a schedule you can maintain
Monthly? Fortnightly? Weekly? Pick a frequency you can actually stick to and set sections that make it easy to fill out. For example: Teacher spotlight, schedule update, community wins, upcoming events, behind the scenes. From here, make a plan for your first three newsletters and build in time to write them. Even 30 minutes a week is enough.
7. And you're live
Start sharing the signup link. Add it to your website. Include it in your Instagram bio. Mention it at the end of class. Warm up those stunning community members.
So, do pilates studios really need a newsletter?
Do Yoga studios really need a newsletter?
Do Boutique gyms really need a newsletter?
My take? Yes.
Email marketing is a non-negotiable for wellness studios and instructors today.
It shows care, support, and value for your community. It shows you're legit. But it also gets you comfortable talking to your community, inviting them to events, and piquing interest in upcoming challenges, changes, and the reality of your business.
You don't need to be a writer and you definitely don't need fancy graphics. You just need to show up consistently and remind your people that you're here, you care, and you've got something to share.
If you're a wellness brand and you've been putting this off, this is your sign.
Start small. Start simple. But just start.
And if you need help setting this up - the technical side, the strategy, the first few newsletters written and scheduled enquire here.
Let's get your newsletter live so you can stop losing clients into the void.
If we haven’t met yet,
Hi, I’m Lauren!
I’ve spent years figuring out how to take messy, overwhelming business systems and turn them into smooth, functional setups that actually work - and now I do the same for founders like you.
I find the breakdown that growth created and rebuild the systems holding you back.
At Unravel, I support a handful of founders at a time to untangle what’s slowing them down, create clarity and take action with momentum and focus. Think of me as your right-hand person: supportive, encouraging and here to help you see the path forward.
You’ll find me with a coffee in hand (though anything over one cup a day is chaos), obsessing over helping founders feel lighter, clearer and in control of their business again.
