For Gym Operations Managers ·
What you'll accomplish
By the end of this guide, you'll have a 5-email automated welcome sequence that sends to every new member automatically over their first 30 days — introducing them to the gym's app, classes, trainers, and community. Set it up once; it runs forever. Research consistently shows that members who feel connected in the first 90 days stay longer.
What you'll need
Before setting up Mailchimp, write your email content. Open ChatGPT and use this prompt:
Write a 5-email welcome sequence for new gym members at [Gym Name].
Email 1 (Day 1): Warm welcome, what to expect, how to download the app or check-in
Email 2 (Day 3): Introduction to group fitness classes — how to sign up, what's available
Email 3 (Day 7): Introduction to personal training — offer a free first session or consultation
Email 4 (Day 14): Tips for getting the most out of their membership (peak hours, hidden features)
Email 5 (Day 30): 30-day check-in — how's it going? Here's how to reach us.
Each email: under 150 words, friendly and personal, not salesy. Our gym is [describe your gym briefly].
Copy the 5 email drafts into a Google Doc so you can paste them into Mailchimp.
Go to mailchimp.com → Sign Up → create a free account. During setup, you'll be asked to name your "audience" (your contact list) — name it "[Gym Name] Members."
What you should see: Your Mailchimp dashboard with an empty audience.
Export your member email list from your gym software as a CSV → in Mailchimp, go to Audience → Import Contacts → Upload a CSV file. Map the columns (first name, last name, email address) and import.
What you should see: Your members appear in the audience with their names and emails.
In Mailchimp, click "Automations" in the top navigation → "Customer Journeys" → "Build from scratch."
Name it "New Member Welcome Series."
Set the trigger: "When a contact joins the audience" — this fires the automation whenever a new email is added to your list.
What you should see: A visual workflow builder with a trigger box at the top.
For each email in your sequence, click the "+" button to add a new step → select "Send email" → configure:
Click "Turn On" or "Activate" in the top right of the journey builder. The automation is now live.
What you should see: The journey shows as "Active" in green.
So new members are automatically added to your Mailchimp list:
Once your initial sequence is set up, use these to update or expand it: