If you own a studio and you’re planning to start your January ads on New Year’s Day, you’ve already missed most of the people you’re trying to reach.
The people who sign up in January usually picked their new studio weeks earlier. Most of them made that decision on the couch sometime in December, scrolling between episodes of whatever they were watching over the break.
I’m Bella from Sweet Pea Strategy. I help movement and recovery studios turn the magic of their classes into social content that brings new members through the door. This time of year, the most common thing I see is studios putting all their energy into the first week of January, when the real work needed to start in November.
In this post I’ll cover why November matters so much for Australian studios, a four-phase content plan to take you from now to the end of January, seven post ideas you can use, and the mistakes I see studios make every summer.
You don’t need to post every day. You just need a plan.
January is still the biggest month of the year
If you run a studio, you already know January is huge. About 12% of all gym memberships for the year are sold in January alone. That’s one in every eight sign-ups.
Interest in fitness isn’t slowing down either. One in three Australians said they wanted to get fitter this year, and Pilates has just been named Australia’s number one fitness trend for 2027.
“New year, new me” might be a meme now, but resolutions are still a big part of how people start the year. Memberships go up, and everyone’s feed fills with intro offers.
The studios that end up with a waitlist in January aren’t the ones posting the most on the first. They’re the ones that started warming people up in November.
Why timing works differently in Australia
New Year lands in the middle of our summer, and that changes how people decide to start something new. There are four reasons this matters for your content.
1. The decision happens in December.
People slow down over the break. They’re at the beach or on the couch, thinking about what they want next year, and that’s when they’re paying attention.
A lot of them are thinking about it, too. 71% of Australians made a New Year’s resolution for 2026. That rises to 78% for women, and nearly nine in ten for millennials and Gen Z.
By January 2, every gym, app and influencer is competing for their attention at once. You want to have been part of their thinking before that happens.
2. Summer scatters your audience.
Locals head to the coast, family comes to stay, and routines disappear. If people haven’t heard from you before they leave, you’re a stranger by the time they’re back.
3. Trust takes more than one post.
Someone who has spent six weeks watching your reformer classes, getting to know your instructors and hearing your members’ stories is much more likely to book. A single “New Year Special” graphic won’t build that on its own.
4. Gift season is a free way in.
Christmas is the one time of year people actively look for ways to pay for someone else’s wellbeing. 84% of Australians say they want a gift card for Christmas, and younger shoppers put almost half their gift budget into them.
A gift card is essentially an intro offer that someone else pays for.
The four-phase plan
I’ve split the next three months into four phases so you’re not working it out in the middle of December.
Phase 1: Warm up (late October to mid-November)
This phase is about familiarity. Let people get to know your space and your team before you ask them for anything.
Introduce your instructors. Share who they are, why they teach, and the cue they say in every class.
Show off your space. The morning light, the sound of the reformer springs, the chats after class.
Share one member story a week. Real people and the real reason they started.
Phase 2: Gift season (mid-November to Christmas Eve)
This is where you pick up easy wins and get new faces in the door.
Get gift cards and class packs live by mid-November. The week before Christmas is too late, because most people have finished their shopping.
Post a gift guide. The perfect gift for the friend who’s always sore, the mum who never sits down, or the partner who needs a reset.
Run a bring-a-friend week before the break. New people get to try your classes before everyone goes away.
Phase 3: Plant the seed (Christmas to New Year)
Somewhere between the prawns and the Boxing Day sales, people start thinking about next year. You want to be the studio they have in mind.
Keep it soft. Ask your audience how they want their body to feel in 2027.
Share your holiday timetable more than once. People will still message to ask if you’re open.
Mention that your January offer is coming. No hard sell, just a heads-up for anyone planning a fresh start.
Phase 4: Open the doors (January 1 to late January)
This is where you turn interest into bookings, and then keep those people coming back.
Launch your intro offer on January 1 or 2, with a clear end date.
Answer what beginners worry about. What to wear, whether they’ll be the only beginner, and whether they’ll be able to keep up.
Celebrate new members on your page, with their permission. It helps the next person picture themselves there.
That last point matters more than most studios realise. One study of fitness businesses found 45% of new clients cancel in their first 90 days. But more than half of those who get past that point stay a year or longer.
January isn’t only about getting people in the door. It’s about getting them to day 90.
Seven post ideas you can use
These work well for movement and recovery studios at this time of year. Feel free to use them as they are or adapt them to your studio.
1. What a first class looks like.
Follow a beginner from the front desk to the cool-down. It removes the nerves before anyone has to ask.
2. The gift that isn’t more stuff.
Position your gift card as the alternative to another scented candle. Recovery sessions and class packs work especially well here.
3. A “why I teach” series.
One short video per instructor through November, so by January people feel like they already know who’s taking their class.
4. Summer-proof your routine.
Tips for keeping the habit going while travelling, paired with your holiday timetable. It shows members you care about them, not just their membership.
5. New routine, not new you.
Skip the resolution clichés and focus on small habits people can stick to: two classes a week, one recovery session, or a stretch before the kids wake up.
6. Member wins of the year.
A December wrap-up celebrating your community. It’s useful social proof for anyone still deciding.
7. Questions beginners are too shy to ask.
A carousel that answers them properly. People save these, share them with friends, and they’re great for search.
A note on search and AI
That last idea is worth a closer look. More people are now finding local businesses by asking AI tools like ChatGPT, with a question like “Is reformer Pilates good for beginners?” In one year, the share of people using AI to find local businesses went from 6% to 45%.
After AI recommends a business, one in five people check that business’s social media before taking action. Your Instagram is still doing the convincing.
Captions that answer real questions help your studio show up in those results too. Keep your captions clear and save the puns for your stories.
Five mistakes I see every summer
1. Going quiet over the break.
You don’t need to post every day, but if you disappear for three weeks, you’re starting from scratch in January. Schedule a few posts before you switch on your out-of-office.
2. Leading with the discount.
If price is the only reason someone joins, it’ll be the reason they leave too. Show how your classes feel first, then bring in the offer.
3. Forgetting your existing members.
January is also when people quietly cancel, and resolutions fade quickly. One survey found one in five Australians broke their resolution in the first week of January, and 77% were off track by the end of the month (MyFitnessPal). Close to half of new gym members leave within six months.
Keep looking after the people already in your classes. They’re your best marketing, and it’s far easier to keep them than to find new ones.
4. Making every post an ad.
If every post asks for something, people stop paying attention. Most of your posts should be useful or enjoyable, with the offer appearing every now and then.
5. No clear next step.
When someone’s ready, make it easy. Tell them how to book, what it costs and when the offer ends.
Where to start
You don’t need to plan all three months tonight. Pick one thing from Phase 1 and post it this week. Introduce one instructor, show one part of your studio, or share one member’s story.
The studios with full timetables in January are the ones people already felt connected to before the year ended.
If you’d like help building your summer and New Year content plan, that’s what I do at Sweet Pea Strategy. Get in touch and let’s get your January sorted while it’s still November.
