How to POP Your Studio’s Growth -- by Doing What You’re Already Doing

What if the secret to the most popular classes at your studio (read: FULL, sold-out, waitlisted) wasn’t about working harder? What if the key to unlock your studio’s growth came down to doing what you’re already doing? 

What if it meant doing even less?

Across our community at Struct Club, a top strategy we see studios using to POP their growth is putting ONE simple, yet powerful twist to what they already offer: themed classes. Take a class, give it a theme, use existing battle-tested content, and send the message through your existing platforms and channels to make the events known.

OK…I already knew about themed classes. Tell me something I don’t know!

We get it: “do themed classes” sounds deceptively simple. But trust us: there are ways to launch class themes that actually create more work and even drive people away. The right approach yields big wins with small steps. The wrong approach does the opposite!

Let’s break it down to give you the keys to drive a powerful class theme process.

The Power of a Theme

Class themes are neither a fleeting trend nor gimmick — they’re a proven way to supercharge client booking, engagement, & even referrals and margins too! 

A class theme not only creates a special exciting event: experiences with themes create a well-studied cohesion effect that amplifies a sense of unity and value in your studio. A meta-analysis of 87 studies (nearly 50,000 participants) found that exercise programs characterized by higher cohesion had significantly better adherence rates than standard exercise classes. The effect was even stronger in classes that had a unique class identity, such as a theme.

The underlying behavioral psychology mechanics of theme classes help us understand why our members engage more deeply, come back more often, and continue to share their excitement and euphoria with their friends. Some studios even charge more for theme classes than other classes, boosting healthier margins.

When Class Themes Drive Clients Away

Here are the 5 Most Common Mistakes Studios make with Class Themes

(Read: Do the opposite!)

Mistake #1: Don’t do theme classes.

We don’t know what we don’t know - and that’s OK! If this is your first time encountering the topic of theme classes, this is your sign to get started.

For those who’ve opted out - a common objection we hear is that theme classes are cheesy: they’re a fleeting trend, or even gimmicky. Maybe as a result of having attended a cheesy or underwhelming theme class in the past, you’ve decided to opt out of doing theme classes entirely. The second most common objection is that your studio has already tried the theme party class, and it took even more work with little to know extra return. Both hesitations are valid, because simply picking a theme for class isn’t enough on its own to drive a successful theme class. Not all theme classes are apples-to-apples. If you’re worried that theme classes will add more risk or work to your slate with little return, read on. 

Mistake #2: Pick a theme nobody wants.

This is a topic for a whole ‘nother article, but some studios or instructors pick themes that nobody wants. We’ve heard numerous complaints out there from exercisers who unknowingly showed up to the Tax Filing Day themed class for the hour that they were looking to blow off steam in between some tedious filing activities, or the St. Paddy’s Day themed class that exclusively featured fiddles & pipes, when they were hoping to hear an Ed Sheeran song or two!

How do you know what themes your members want? Have you asked them? A surefire cheatsheet to success is the self-refreshing theme list in the Struct Club app - 100% of these theme class templates are battle-tested for success and popularity. 

Mistake #3: Don’t list the theme on your schedule. 

Your members aren’t mind-readers. How will clients know you’re running a special event if it’s not on the schedule? In fact, many studios & instructors leave it solely to in-class announcements to communicate a special event. While in-person conversations are absolutely a box to check on your class marketing checklist, relying on this channel alone will undercut the potential reach of your class. 

Even more – we’ve seen many exercisers get upset walking into a class that they didn’t know had a theme, and if they had seen it on the schedule in advance, they would have picked a different class. For other clients, it can be frustrating to learn that they missed a theme that they wanted to attend, and would have attended if they had seen it on the schedule. This brings us to common mistakes #4 & #5…  

Mistake #4: Decide to launch a themed class at the very last minute.

Did you ever hear about an amazing event or promo – after the fact? Many studio members can relate! Launching a class theme at the very last minute can frustrate clients – and the instructors who have to teach the classes!

Pro Tip: According to feedback from Struct Club clients, we’ve found that the optimal time to launch a themed class is at least 2 weeks ahead of the class date. 

Mistake #5: Don’t let anybody know about the class themes. 

In addition to a studio’s schedule, it’s common to forget using the studio’s other normal communication channels to amplify class themes. Again, your customers aren’t mind-readers! In addition, when studios don’t market theme classes, the lack of promo love can hurt their relationships with their instructors who put their hearts & souls into class.

Whether you talk to your community through social media, newsletters, texts, booking app notifications, or in-studio materials and conversations – don’t forget to insert the message into your existing process. After class, be sure to recap how it went with some fun pics & videos too showing off the filled-out class and fun vibe! Sharing themed classes will boost your studio’s visibility both online and offline, generating a ripple-effect of excitement across a broader audience. 

Struct Club’s Effortless Cheatsheet to Theme Classes

We know fitness studio owners & instructors are beyond busy (major understatement). Our goal is to catapult your growth by accentuating your existing offerings & processes with as little effort as possible. 

That’s why Struct Club offers ready-made themed class templates — the workout, the playlist, the cue notes, and even the marketing description all-in-one. Take a peek in our free-to-download app or inquire about custom libraries for your team. 

Finally, don’t forget to amplify your growth by tagging us @structclub so that we can res-hare your theme class posts & stories!