Reformer vs. Mat Pilates: Win Both Audiences

Reformer Pilates is currently the most in-demand format in boutique fitness. Booking platform Mariana Tek reported around 15 million Reformer bookings worldwide for 2025 – up 66 percent on the previous year. More and more studios are placing Reformers next to the mat. And that's exactly where a marketing question begins that many underestimate: how do you speak to Reformer enthusiasts without losing your mat community – and vice versa?

The short answer: you don't need two studios or two brands. You need two clear messages on one stage. In this article you'll learn how to address both audiences, why one message for everyone costs you both, and how to turn trial sessions into paying members in both groups.

Why Reformer and mat attract two different people

On paper, the difference is quickly explained: mat Pilates works with your own body weight, Reformer Pilates adds resistance and guidance through springs and pulleys. But for your marketing, the technology matters less than the question of which people feel drawn to which format.

The mat audience

Mat Pilates has a low barrier to entry: no machine, little hurdle, high flexibility. This group values exactly that. They want to move, reduce stress, stay mobile – without much effort and often at a friendly price. Many mat participants are returners, people with back issues, or those looking for a calm counterbalance to everyday life. Your message to them: arrive, breathe, keep going.

The Reformer audience

Reformer Pilates sells results and experience. The spring resistance makes the workout visibly challenging yet precisely guided – attracting people who want to feel and see progress. The audience shift is worth noting: where Reformer used to appeal mainly to women with aesthetic goals, it now increasingly draws professionals from high-stress industries who use the Reformer as a guided, effective full-body workout and a counterbalance to desk work. Your message to them: guided, effective, tangible in 50 minutes.

The mistake that costs you both groups

The most common mistake: one single message for everyone. "Pilates for body and mind" sounds nice – but tells nobody why exactly they should come. The mat beginner looking for a gentle start is put off by glossy Reformer reels. The Reformer prospect who wants results skims past a page that reads like a pure wellness class. If you try to address everyone at once, you end up truly addressing no one.

The solution isn't choosing one format. The solution is naming both formats clearly – as two doors into the same house.

Two messages, one studio – how to position both formats

Talk about results, not equipment

Nobody books "spring resistance". People book how they'll feel afterwards. Translate each format into a concrete promise. Reformer: "A guided full-body workout you'll feel after the first session." Mat: "A gentle start that relieves your back and your mind at the same time." On your website, in your class names and in every ad, it should be instantly clear who a class is for.

Separate the offers visibly, but keep the brand together

Give both formats their own recognizable class line – for example "Reformer Flow" and "Mat Basics" – with distinct visuals but the same studio look. That way each audience quickly finds its entry point without your studio splitting into two brands. On your Pilates studio page and in your schedule, both lines should sit side by side, clearly labelled by goal and level, so nobody has to guess whether a class fits them.

Use one format as the entry to the other

Your two audiences aren't an either-or – they're a cross-selling opportunity. Many mat participants are curious about the Reformer but don't dare to try alone. A "Reformer taster for mat members" lowers the hurdle. Conversely, a mat class keeps Reformer fans in the studio even when every machine is booked. Whoever has tried both formats cancels less often – because they have two reasons to stay instead of one.

A simple example from everyday studio life: once a month you run a "Reformer intro" slot exclusively for existing mat members – 30 minutes, small group, no extra charge. Whoever books it automatically receives an offer for a discounted five-class Reformer pass afterwards. A curious glance becomes a second subscription, without you actively selling.

From trial session to membership – in both groups

Both audiences usually arrive via a trial session. What happens next decides everything: a first-time Reformer visitor is fired up after the first session – that momentum fades if you don't follow up within 48 hours. A mat beginner needs to feel welcome and not overwhelmed.

This is exactly where a system helps that captures the first contact and automatically stays on it. A digital stamp or loyalty card in Apple and Google Wallet gives new participants an immediate reason to come back after the trial – for example "your first five sessions" as visible progress right on their phone, no app download needed. For you it means: you see who came back two or three times after the trial and who didn't – and you can follow up deliberately instead of hoping.

A proven rhythm: day 0 the welcome message with the wallet card, day 2 a short reminder about the next suitable class, day 7 the invitation to the other format. For first-time Reformer visitors the focus is "secure your next slot before it's gone", for mat beginners it's "lovely to have you – here's your next step".

Instagram: where both audiences find you

Reformer Pilates is a gift for social media – the movement looks strong, the machine is an eye-catcher, progress stories are easy to tell. Mat content, on the other hand, lives on calm, guidance and approachability. The trick is showing both worlds in your feed without spending hours on reels every day.

Concretely: for the Reformer side, short clips of a flowing exercise, a look at the spring settings or a "what session one feels like" reel work well. For the mat side, calm sequences, a breathing exercise to follow along or a member explaining why they come to the mat after work. Both share the same studio look – only the tone shifts: energetic here, decelerated there. What matters isn't the perfect video but that both worlds show up regularly – otherwise your feed only attracts one of the two audiences.

How much an online Pilates community can move is shown by Formé Studio: using Gainback, it built more than 250 community members in just two weeks, collected over 1,500 interactions and reached an average of 849 people per story. The social media autopilot takes over what usually gets left behind in daily studio life: turning real studio moments into story content that speaks to both audiences – one with the Reformer wow, the other with the "this is where I feel at home" feeling.

Price: don't justify it, put it in context

Reformer classes in Germany typically range from €30 to €45 per session, group Reformer formats often €28 to €38; classic mat classes sit closer to €12 to €20. This gap unsettles some studios – yet it's a selling point. Never communicate the Reformer price as "more expensive" but as what it is: a smaller setting, more guidance, a machine instead of just a mat. In Germany, certified prevention courses may also be partially reimbursed by health insurers under Section 20 SGB V – a strong argument especially for price-sensitive mat beginners. Whether your course qualifies depends on certification; check the details with the certification body or the respective insurer.

Conclusion

Reformer and mat aren't a contradiction – they're two entrances into your studio. If you welcome both audiences with a clear, distinct message each, you don't just sell more trial sessions – you keep members longer, because they have more than one reason to stay. Position both formats visibly, translate technology into results, and use a simple system to turn the first visit into a habit.

Want to see how to retain Reformer and mat members at the same time with a digital loyalty card and automated social media content? Book a short demo – we'll show you in 20 minutes what it looks like for your studio.