A Guide for Gym Owners and Personal Trainers Who Want More Than Just a Texting Platform
You already know SMS is powerful. With open rates averaging 98% compared to email’s 20%, text messaging isn’t just another marketing channel for fitness businesses. It’s the channel.
But here’s what most gym owners and personal trainers discover too late: not all SMS providers are created equal.
Some companies treat SMS as an afterthought, a feature bolted onto their email platform or CRM. Others are so hands-off that you’re left figuring out strategy, compliance, and copywriting on your own. And when you’re already training clients, managing schedules, and running a business, the last thing you need is another platform that creates more work instead of less.
The right SMS partner doesn’t just give you a platform. They become an extension of your marketing team, helping you build deeper relationships with your members, convert more leads, and save hours every week.
So how do you find that partner? Start by asking these 12 questions.
1. Do You Provide a Hands-On Account Manager?
This might be the most important question on this list.
Many SaaS providers follow a “set it and forget it” model. They give you login credentials, maybe a tutorial video, and wish you luck. Your success? That’s on you.
But SMS marketing isn’t just about having access to a platform. It’s about knowing what to send, when to send it, and how to write messages that get responses.
What to look for: A provider who assigns you a dedicated account manager with fast response times. Someone who proactively checks in, suggests campaign ideas, and acts as an extension of your marketing team. You should never feel like you’re bothering them with questions.
As Lauren, one fitness business owner, puts it: “Their responses are lightning-fast, turnaround is seamless, and they go out of their way to be helpful, kind, and professional. They don’t just meet expectations—they consistently exceed them.“
2. Do You Charge Carrier Fees on Top of Your Pricing?
Here’s where pricing gets murky with many SMS providers.
Some companies advertise attractive monthly rates, then hit you with “carrier fees” that inflate your actual costs. These fees can add 20-30% to your bill, and they’re often buried in the fine print.
What to look for: Transparent, all-inclusive pricing where carrier fees are already built in. Your monthly rate should be your actual monthly rate, with no surprises when the bill arrives.
3. What Happens to My Unused SMS Credits?
Most SMS providers operate on a “use it or lose it” model. If you don’t send all your allotted messages by month’s end, those credits vanish. The unused messages you paid for? That’s profit for them, not you.
But your business doesn’t operate on a perfectly predictable schedule. Some months you’ll run a big challenge promotion and need extra capacity. Other months might be quieter.
What to look for: A rollover policy that banks your unused credits for high-volume months. This isn’t just fair; it’s strategic. It helps you prepare for big campaigns, seasonal promotions, or fitness challenges without scrambling to upgrade your plan.
4. How Do You Handle SMS Compliance Training?
SMS compliance isn’t optional. TCPA regulations carry penalties up to $1,500 per violation, and ignorance isn’t a defense.
The problem? Regulations change. What was compliant last year might not be compliant today. And if your provider isn’t staying on top of these changes, you’re exposed.
What to look for: Ongoing compliance training, not just a one-time onboarding checklist. Your provider should monitor TCPA and CTIA regulations and proactively update you on changes. Look for built-in compliance features like automated campaign cutoff times (no texts after 9 PM local time), simple opt-out management, and guidance on building your list the right way.
Compliance might sound boring, but it’s what protects your business and keeps your deliverability rates high.
5. Is Your Platform Actually Easy to Use?
“Easy to use” is marketing speak for most software companies. But when you’re between training sessions or managing a packed class schedule, you need a platform that’s genuinely intuitive.
Large CRM platforms often add SMS as an afterthought, burying it under dozens of menus and features you’ll never use. The learning curve is steep, and by the time you figure it out, you’ve lost momentum.
What to look for: Purpose-built SMS software designed specifically for communication, not a bloated all-in-one system. The interface should be clean, the workflow logical, and your team should be able to jump in without hours of training.
As Monique, a fitness business owner, shares: “Technology is not my forte. Best thing I did was sign up with RevText. They help set up everything for my business and are always checking in and helping me with all the questions.”
6. What Automations Do You Offer?
Here’s a truth bomb: if you’re manually sending every text message, you’re doing it wrong.
The power of SMS isn’t just in the channel itself. It’s in automation that works for you 24/7, building relationships while you sleep, train clients, or spend time with family.
What to look for: High-performing automation templates specifically designed for fitness businesses:
Birthday and anniversary campaigns that make members feel valued. These personal touches drive retention and word-of-mouth referrals.
Drip campaigns that nurture new leads over time, moving them from “just browsing” to “ready to join.”
Onboarding sequences that welcome new members, set expectations, and reduce early cancellations.
Pulse campaigns that re-engage inactive members before they ghost completely.
Event promotion workflows that fill your bootcamps, workshops, and challenges without manual reminders.
Rehnan, a personal trainer and owner of ARO’s Fitness, explains the impact: “Before RevText, staying on top of new leads, following up after bootcamps, checking in on clients, and sending reminders took SO much time. Now it’s all streamlined. My retention is up, my lead conversion is up, and I feel more connected to my community than ever.”
7. Can I Create a Contact Card for Easy List Building?
Growing your SMS list should be frictionless. If potential members have to type out a keyword and remember it later, you’re losing sign-ups.
What to look for: A digital contact card generator that lets people save your business info (including SMS opt-in) directly to their phone with one tap. Pair this with QR code generation for posters, flyers, and social media, and you’ve got a list-building machine.
The easier you make it to join your list, the faster it grows. Simple as that.
8. How Often Do You Innovate and Add New Features?
The SMS landscape changes fast. New features, new compliance requirements, new opportunities. If your provider’s platform looks the same as it did two years ago, that’s a red flag.
What to look for: A provider who actively develops new features based on industry trends and client feedback. Ask about their roadmap. See if they’re exploring emerging technologies like RCS messaging (rich text, images, buttons) or AI-powered copywriting tools.
Stacia, owner of a Pure Barre studio in Ohio, notes: “The way we have seen the platform grow and evolve is nothing like I’ve ever seen before. They’re so easy to collaborate with when we have a suggestion or an idea. They go back to their Research & Development team and work really hard to get those changes implemented.”
9. Are You Privately Owned or Private Equity Backed?
This might seem like an odd question, but it reveals a lot about how a company operates.
Private equity firms prioritize rapid scaling and profit extraction. That often means cutting support staff, automating everything possible, and treating customers as revenue numbers rather than partners.
Privately owned businesses, on the other hand, can prioritize customer success over quarterly returns. They have the freedom to invest in support, listen to feedback, and build features that help you succeed, even if they don’t immediately boost profit margins.
What to look for: A provider who clearly states their ownership structure and demonstrates customer-first values. Look for evidence in how they talk about success. Is it about helping you win, or is it about their growth metrics?
The best SMS partners believe that if they help enough people get what they want, the returns will follow naturally.
10. Do You Track Click-Through Rates and Campaign Performance?
Sending messages is easy. Knowing if they’re working? That requires robust analytics.
Industry benchmarks show SMS click-through rates around 19%, dramatically higher than email’s 2-3%. But if your provider doesn’t track this data, you’re flying blind.
What to look for: Detailed analytics on delivery rates, open rates (when trackable), click-through rates, opt-out rates, and response rates. You should be able to see which campaigns perform best and refine your strategy based on real data, not guesswork.
The best providers don’t just show you numbers. They help you understand what those numbers mean and how to improve them.
11. Do You Specialize in SMS, or Is It Just One Feature Among Many?
This is critical, and it’s often overlooked.
Many email marketing platforms have added SMS as an afterthought. The interface feels clunky because it was designed for email first. The support team knows email inside and out but struggles with SMS-specific questions. Innovation is slow because the company’s resources are spread across a dozen features.
The same goes for massive CRM platforms. SMS gets lost in the shuffle of sales pipelines, email campaigns, social media scheduling, and fifty other tools you don’t need.
What to look for: A provider who specializes in SMS communication. Their entire platform, support team, and innovation roadmap should be laser-focused on making SMS work for your business. When you call with a question, you should get an expert who lives and breathes SMS strategy, not a generalist who needs to look up the answer.
Justin, a fitness business owner, explains his experience: “My company has tried to use several different platforms for marketing, but every time we have failed to figure out how to use them effectively. We met with the team at RevText and they took all of the learning curve out of the equation and created a tailored game plan for our needs. We have been using them to reach our client base via text message and every single time we see an increase in sales.”
12. Can You Help Me With SMS Strategy and Copywriting?
Here’s the challenge most gym owners and personal trainers face: you’re incredible at fitness, but SMS copywriting? That’s a different skill set.
You know you should be sending campaigns, but what do you say? How often should you text? What’s the right balance between promotional and relational messages? And how do you write texts that get responses instead of opt-outs?
Common mistakes include not sending enough campaigns (missing opportunities to build relationships), not leveraging high-performing campaign types (refer-a-friend, event promotions, fitness challenges, merchandise sales), and struggling with copy that drives action.
What to look for: A provider who offers strategic guidance and copywriting support. They should understand the specific campaign types that work for fitness businesses and help you implement them. Look for proven templates, copy coaching, and proactive suggestions based on your goals.
The best SMS partners don’t just give you tools. They help you use them effectively.
The Bottom Line: Partnership Over Platform
You can find dozens of SMS platforms with a quick Google search. Most will offer similar features at similar prices. But features don’t build your business. Strategy, support, and partnership do.
The questions above aren’t just a checklist. They’re a framework for evaluating whether an SMS provider will truly help you succeed or just take your monthly payment and leave you to figure it out alone.
Here’s what matters most:
High-touch support that treats you like a partner, not a ticket number. Fast responses, proactive ideas, and genuine care about your success.
Transparent pricing with no hidden carrier fees and rollover credits that respect how your business actually operates.
Ongoing compliance training that protects your business and keeps you ahead of regulatory changes.
Purpose-built, user-friendly software designed specifically for SMS, not a bloated system with dozens of features you’ll never touch.
Proven automations that do the heavy lifting for relationship building, lead nurturing, and member retention.
Continuous innovation from a team that’s invested in SMS’s future, not just maintaining legacy software.
Customer-first values from a privately owned business that can prioritize your success over quarterly profit targets.
Specialization in SMS, not a jack-of-all-trades platform where SMS is an afterthought.
Strategic guidance that helps you craft campaigns, write effective copy, and maximize your results.
SMS communication isn’t complicated, but it does require the right partner. One who understands fitness businesses, stays ahead of industry changes, and genuinely wants to see you win.
Not every provider is the right fit for every business. The best SMS partnerships happen when both sides are aligned on goals, communication style, and what success looks like.
Ready to Find Your SMS Partner?
RevText specializes in SMS communication for fitness businesses. We’re not for everyone.
We work best with gym owners and personal trainers who want a true partner, someone who will take the time to understand your unique goals and build a custom SMS strategy around them.
If you’re tired of platforms that promise easy wins but deliver complicated dashboards and zero support, let’s talk.
No pressure, no hard sell. Just an honest conversation about whether we’re a good fit for each other.
Book a 30-minute discovery call and let’s explore what a real SMS partnership could look like for your business.
Because here’s what we believe: if we help enough fitness professionals get what they want (more leads, higher retention, deeper member relationships, and hours back in their week), we’ll get what we want in return.
That’s not just good business. That’s a great partnership.
