Two Messaging Flows That Add 25% to Fitness App Revenue
Two Messaging Flows That Add 25% to Fitness App Revenue
Picture this: You've built the perfect fitness app. The workouts are amazing, the UI is sleek, and users love it. There's just one problem—subscribers keep disappearing. While the fitness app market has exploded to $4.5 billion annually, most apps discover that great acquisition is only half the battle. Improving retention and turning new users into loyal customers is the other half.
One of the must-have tools to enhance retention is messaging flows. They might seem complicated to implement if your team has never done it before. But what if I told you that just two messaging campaigns could boost your revenue by 25%?
To understand what these two campaigns are and why they work so well, we need to start at the beginning—how users discover and pay for fitness apps in the first place. This context is crucial because different install and subscription funnels require different messaging strategies.
Let's break down these acquisition paths and subscription strategies to see how they set the stage for effective messaging.
There are two funnel types to download the app:
Direct Install. Users discover your app through various channels—Facebook ads (still the heavyweight champion of paid acquisition), organic App Store search (thanks to solid ASO), featured spots on the App Store, or word-of-mouth recommendations. In any case, they go straight to the App Store and download—no detours, no preliminary steps.
Web-to-App. First, you drive traffic to a web page to collect basic information about the exerciser's physical activity, fitness goals, and health status. This could be a detailed questionnaire, like BetterMe's, or a classic one-page landing, like Strava's. After completing onboarding, you prompt users to install the app.
The subscription strategy for fitness apps comes in three flavors, each with its own psychology and success metrics:
Paywall: Premium from Day One. The paywall model demands upfront commitment. Successful apps like Yoga-Go and Fitplan have proven this works when your content quality is unquestionable. The numbers don't lie—while conversion rates are lower, subscriber retention often surpasses industry averages by 20%.
Free Trial: Try Before You Buy. This model follows classic retail psychology—users are more likely to pay after experiencing the premium features. Data shows that users who complete more than 3 workouts during their trial are 4x more likely to subscribe.
Freemium: Limited Features are Forever Free. The freemium approach plays a volume game. You might convert only 5% of users to premium, but when your base is millions strong (hello, MyFitnessPal), those numbers add up. The trick? Free features are good enough to hook users, but premium features are irresistible enough to justify the upgrade.
Mathematically speaking, two funnels multiplied by three subscription strategies should give us six possible paths to revenue. While apps often experiment with multiple approaches—perhaps running a trial on Android while maintaining a paywall on iOS—one strategy typically stands out as the front-runner. Our analysis of 2024 data reveals an interesting pattern: the Web-to-App + Paywall combination has emerged as the clear winner, capturing 40% of the $4.5 billion market. Think about it—nearly half the fitness app economy runs on a single playbook.
Of course, each acquisition and monetization strategy requires its own unique messaging playbook. With the Web-to-App + Paywall emerging as the market leader, let's explore all possible touchpoints in this journey—from that first click to eventual churn. To reveal which two campaigns pack the most powerful revenue punch, we need to know the list of all possible options.
Mapping Campaigns Across the User Lifecycle
To understand the touchpoints fully, let's dive into the 11 messaging flows across four critical lifecycle stages. Each flow serves a specific purpose in transforming new users into loyal customers.
Stage 1: Acquisition
Abandoned Subscription
This campaign targets users who've completed the onboarding questionnaire and shared their email but haven't purchased a subscription. The messaging combines personalized workout plans based on questionnaire responses, time-sensitive offers, and strategic reminders of fitness goals. By focusing on these warm leads who've already shown interest, this campaign consistently delivers strong conversion rates.
Stage 2: Activation
App Install
This campaign bridges the crucial gap between web payment and app installation. It provides clear technical instructions and proactively addresses common installation issues, ensuring a smooth transition from purchase to first use. The timing and clarity of these messages significantly impact early user retention.
Welcome Series
The welcome flow introduces new users to the app's core features and establishes initial engagement patterns. It guides users through app navigation, helps set achievable fitness goals, and schedules their first workout sessions.
Stage 3: Retention
Workout or Session Reminder
These notifications maintain consistent user engagement through timely workout reminders, preparation tips, and post-session feedback collection. The campaign creates a structured routine that keeps users active and accountable, directly impacting retention metrics.
Milestone Celebrations
This campaign identifies and celebrates key achievements in the user's fitness journey. By highlighting progress and providing social sharing opportunities, it reinforces positive behaviors and encourages continued engagement.
Streak Maintenance
A systematic approach to building user habits through consistent app usage tracking. This campaign combines progress monitoring, personalized recovery suggestions, and achievement celebrations to sustain engagement momentum.
Content Discovery
This flow introduces users to new workouts and features tailored to their usage patterns and preferences. It prevents content fatigue by consistently surfacing relevant options from the app's expanding library.
Annual Plans Upsell
This campaign focuses on transitioning users from monthly to annual subscriptions by showcasing value and offering special deals. The messaging emphasizes long-term benefits and cost savings to encourage extended commitments.
Stage 4: Reactivation
Personalized Comeback
This campaign systematically reactivates dormant users through personalized re-entry points. It combines simplified workout options with progress preservation features, and targeted incentives to rebuild engagement.
Reconsider Cancellation
A targeted approach to retention that engages users post-cancellation with alternative plan options and win-back offers. The campaign addresses common cancellation reasons with specific solutions and incentives.
Offers After Failed Subscription Renewal
This flow combines technical payment support with retention strategies. It helps users resolve payment issues while providing compelling reasons to maintain their subscription, reducing involuntary churn.
Which Campaigns Matter Most and Why Are They Essential
At first glance, comparing different messaging flows feels like comparing apples to oranges. Sure, tracking an Abandoned Subscription campaign is straightforward—count the new conversions, and you're done. But measuring the impact of daily workout reminders is an entirely different game. These notifications create a cascade effect: they boost your active users today, keep them around longer tomorrow, and ultimately fatten your revenue stream. The complexity of these interconnected impacts makes direct comparisons challenging.
There are two tricks that unify our approach to measuring these diverse campaigns. Every message we send aims to change how users interact with our app—some will respond to our nudges, while others will scroll past. The real magic happens when we translate these behavior changes into Lifetime Value (LTV) impact. A successful conversion from an abandoned subscription adds a full user's worth of revenue. When our Welcome Series keeps someone around an extra month longer than those who drop off early, that's another month of revenue added to their LTV. Just like comparing apples and oranges becomes simple when you measure them both in calories, different campaign types become comparable when you measure their impact on revenue.
Here’s the formula for comparing the campaign impact:
To understand why some messaging campaigns dramatically outperform others, let's dissect the metrics of what I call a 'perfectly average' fitness app:
50,000 users completed the onboarding questionnaire.
1 out of 5 purchased the subscription for $20 per month.
10,000 new subscribers are acquired each month.
The average user stays for three months.
The Lifetime Value (LTV) is $60, calculated as $20 * 3 months.
The average app revenue per month is $600,000, calculated as 10,000 users * $20 * 3 months.
If the campaign changes user behavior and increases the average user stay by one month, the LTV uplift will be $20.
Let’s assume that 100% of users are subscribed to email and push notifications to simplify the model.
While each messaging campaign serves its purpose, our model and real-world experience reveal two standout performers: Abandoned Subscription flows and Workout Reminders. The impact is significant—these two campaigns alone can boost revenue by 25%. It's not just about the numbers, though; these campaigns work because they target crucial moments in the user journey: the initial commitment and the habit-forming phase.
If you're interested in implementing these strategies, I've written a detailed breakdown of both campaigns, complete with examples from leading fitness apps, here.