How to grow your fitness instagram


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Welcome, I'm Jessica Alzamora!

A latina living in Chicago, mommy of two toddler boys and a fitness and healthy lifestyle enthusiast.

That being said, I’m still trying to get some abs, though! It’s just as hard for me to do it just as anyone else. Yes, I know what needs to be done- but life gets in my way as well.

It really is hard and takes lots of commitment to be in tip top shape. I’ve had several miscarriages, two c-sections and postpartum depression… twice in less than two years. So I have gone lots of times without doing hardcore workouts or even working out at all. I’ve also eaten maybe 5 jars of rocky road ice cream in one sitting- that’s life!

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Over 10,804 followers in Just 13 Weeks [2023]

With the hugely popular social media platform boasting over 800 million users worldwide, there is no surprise that you want to know how to start a fitness Instagram. 

In this step by step guide, we are going to show exactly how to start a fitness Instagram using ourselves as a case study, so you can see how it is truly possible for you too. More specifically we will cover:

  • How to Create a Successful Fitness Instagram: A Case Study
  • How to Set Up A Fitness Instagram in 7 Steps
  • 5 Fitness Instagram Content Ideas To Make Your Account Stand Out
  • How to Create Fitness Content for Instagram
  • Tips for Maximising Reach With Your Content

Before we start, if you’re serious about a career in the fitness industry, completing a personal training course would be a good starting point. Feel free to download our latest course prospectus here for more information on all of the educational routes into the fitness industry.

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How to Create a Successful Fitness Instagram: A Case Study

We don’t expect you to simply take our word as fact without any evidence, that is why throughout this article we will base all of our tips, steps and analysis on our own fitness Instagram here at OriGym.

Over the course of running our Instagram page, we have currently raked in over 37,000 followers [2023]. This is down to marketing tactics, not just good luck.

You need to entice your followers with good quality content consistently to achieve a loyal following. You will need patience, it won’t happen overnight but with the right social media plan in place, there will be a much higher probability of success.

That being said, let’s get straight into step 1 of  starting a fitness Instagram.

How to Set Up A Fitness Instagram in 7 Steps

Step 1: Decide What Kind of Page You Want to Run, Who Your Followers Will Be & What You Want to Get Out The Page

Find a Niche

First of all, you need to pick your niche. 

Whether you want to get more bodybuilding followers, yoga followers or cross fit followers - pick your niche and stick to it.

This is what will make you an “authority” within that particular area and reduces the chances of you blending into the masses. Not only is this easier for you, but you’re more likely to be successful in a specific field rather than going for the general approach. 

Remember fitness is a wide topic, the people who follow a yoga Instagram blogger are not the same people who follow a bodybuilding account. Avoid assumptions and first finalise what your page is going to be focused on.  

This determines many different things about the future of your fitness Instagram content ideas, handle name and overall aesthetic; thus, getting this down first is incredibly important.

Some fitness niches that might encapsulate your passions include but are certainly not limited to the likes of:

  • Personal training
  • Yoga studio / yoga instructor
  • Crossfit
  • Training for specific populations. (e.g; female only, those with disabilities etc)
  • Body positivity 

These can at least give you some indication of what we mean by having a niche topic when creating a fitness Instagram. 

Appeal to Your Target Market 

Once you have finalised your niche, your target market should be directly influenced by your choice of field.

For example, here at OriGym, we are a fitness course provider, so our target market is athletic men and women typically in their 20’s on Instagram.  

Our goal is to reach this target market by educating potential students on a personal trainer’s best practices and highlighting the benefits of a career as a PT, all while keeping the content relevant, on-brand and entertaining.

A comfortable mix of all of these factors is a recipe for success. For example, take a look at a snippet of our Instagram feed below demonstrating these goals:

We have a combination of posts that all aspire to achieve the aforementioned goals which are directed to our target audience and informed by our niche.

Define Your Page’s Aesthetic

It is super important to keep all of these factors in mind while creating content and ensure that you’re not neglecting the aesthetics of your feed too. 

Just as your target market should be directly impacted by your niche, your page’s aesthetic should be impacted by your target market- you want to visually appeal to your potential client base.

As you can see in the example, our feed is on-brand with our colours, a uniform typography and graphics. It communicates professionalism and shows the care that’s gone into your feed which is what people want to see on a regular basis. 

This is particularly true for those who are trying to sell a service or product, which is why you should be relating the aforementioned factors to your niche of choice. You need to communicate your efficiency and trustworthiness behind your brand by taking care of your brand image. 

By thinking carefully about your content ideas for your fitness Instagram, you can certainly get this message across effectively. For example, it would be a little out of the ordinary to have a dark aesthetic when making a fitness Instagram for a yoga studio perhaps. 

The bottom line is choosing a niche can help you get noticed and matching your content choices to this niche is how you’re going to communicate your brand, business, product or service more effectively.

Step 2: Set Up a Business Account on Instagram


In order to have access to insights to do with your Instagram account, you need to change your personal account to a business account. 

This is super easy, but in case you’re new to the world of social media, you might want to know how to create your page from scratch. Feel free to skip this first part if you already have a personal account.

First, head over to the app store or desktop and sign up, like this page below:

If you already have Facebook, this step is easier again since you can simply connect the two. If not, you must have a Facebook page as well as Instagram in order to have a business account.

Once you have done that, you can work through the following steps:

1. Go to your Facebook Account (personal) 

2. Click the top right corner so you can see your menu settings and click Pages, it will look like this below:

3. You can then press “Create”, which will then take you through the process of setting up a Facebook business page that you can connect to your fitness Instagram page:

4. You can then see the following screen, which will guide you through the set-up process:

Now head back over to Instagram and follow these simple steps:

  1. Go into settings (via the cog symbol in the top right-hand corner of the Instagram dashboard)
  2. Click "account":
  3. The click “switch to business profile"
  4. Then choose the Facebook business page that you have created when prompted

Then, you’re complete! You’re all set up on both Facebook and Instagram, now collectively known as Meta. Once you have done this, it is time to start getting creative with your page and spreading the word.

Step 3: Choose A Great Instagram Handle 

When going through the steps on how to start a fitness Instagram, your ‘handle’ is a stage that requires some significant thought.  

Remember, you’re not choosing your personal account, this is a business and so it should be professional but still be fitting for social media. In case you’re unaware, your handle is your username, it is the name that we have highlighted below: 

Got to edit profile in the settings option and here you can create your Instagram handle. Try and create a fitness Instagram handle that follows these rules:

  1. Is Memorable
  2. Easy to spell
  3. Easy to say
  4. Represents your followers / market

Try and avoid Instagram handles for fitness that have numbers after it or ones with symbols after it e.g. Yogafit3 or Yogafit! These can easily get confused with other accounts and result in other users following the wrong page.

When looking into how to start a fitness Instagram account, branding consistency is key.

Consistent, high quality branding ensures that the followers that you wish to attract know at a glance this is a professional account and might contain good quality content for them to engage with.

Some easy ways of achieving this are making sure your handle includes your name, and some variation of “PT” if you’re a personal trainer or try researching some synonyms around exercise and fitness.

You can see below a PT that does this well, as well as fitting in some other relevant fitness credentials too:

The key is to be sensible and logical with your handle. At the end of the day, your goal is to get new followers to your Instagram fitness account, so don't make your prospective followers guess what your account is all about!

Step 4: Choose or Create a High Res Logo or Profile Pic

When creating a fitness Instagram account, it is important that your profile picture / logo reflects professionalism.

If however, you don't have a logo yet or a high resolution image of yourself, you might want to think about getting one professionally made or get a fitness photographer to take a few shots.

Don't worry, you don't have to spend lots of money.

In fact, if you aren’t capable of doing it yourself, there are graphic designers out there who will be more than happy to draw up an easy and elegant design for your business. 

You can get this from just £10 on the likes of People Per Hour or Upwork. The prices can range dramatically depending on the experience of the freelancer, but you can see below how this variety can look:

For a basic design, it’s not going to cost you much, and the time saved trying to do it yourself and making your account look the business is more than worth the minimal investment. 

Now you have your image, do it justice and make sure that you upload it with the correct dimensions - 180 pixels by 180.This way, your image will maintain its high resolution on both desktop and mobile devices.

If you don't know where to resize an image, you can use this free tool. These may seem like tedious tasks but the effort you put into these smaller jobs make all the difference in how to grow a fitness instagram account into something popular and legit.

Step 5: Write a Bio to Tell Users What your Page is All About

Your bio will be one of the first pieces of information that prospective followers will see when viewing your account, therefore making a good first impression is paramount.

Your bio should match the style and tone of your account. Again, this may sound obvious, but it is absolutely key to attracting new followers, a good fitness Instagram bio consists of a few factors including:

  • Short bullet points
  • Summarise what your account is all about
  • Have links to your other social profiles / websites
  • Have branded hashtags in your Bio
  • Contact information 

If necessary, you might find it beneficial to weave in your credentials to show users that you have a particular level of authority in the fitness industry. This might help users trust your advice and content more than they would somebody without any credentials at all.

Nonetheless, you don’t want to pack your bio full of fluff, keep it concise and utilise other features of a business Instagram account to save space. For example, on a business account, you can add button features underneath the bio, like this:

By adding this contact button to your page, you’re able to save potential space in your bio section for other things you want to include, like credentials.

Once you user clicks on the contact button, this screen will pop up below:

This is a great place to store contact information so you’re not overcrowding your bio. Keep it simple and succinct while still including the most necessary information for your page.

Step 6: Get The First 100 Followers For Your Fitness Instagram


Gaining the first load of followers is arguably the most challenging part, it can seem like a long journey but it is certainly possible. 

Once you hit the 3 figure mark you can really begin to show other potential followers that you have a steady flow of people who already enjoy your Instagram fitness post ideas.

Ask Family & Friends to Follow and Promote Your Page

To get off the mark, get all your real friends and family to give you a follow. It may sound obvious, but this is the starting point for all Instagram users.

You can bet that even the biggest of Instagram celebrities counted on their parents, aunties, and uncles amongst their early followers. This can start to create a sequence of people who will support you regardless, passing on your profile to others who would be interested in your services and content.

 

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Use Other Social Platforms

When finding how to start a fitness Instagram account, you can easily mass invite all your other friends from Facebook over with a few clicks of a button.

Below are some simple steps on how to do this:

  • Go to your profile by tapping the person icon at the bottom right-hand corner.
  • Go settings by tapping the gear icon in the upper right corner of your profile.
  • Under invite, tap Facebook Friends.
  • From the list of your Facebook friends, choose who you want to invite and tap Invite. 

Announcing that you have started a fitness Instagram page through all other platforms that you are active on, such as LinkedIn and Twitter will drag you some instant followers over too. 

This kind of support and networking can start your profile off on the right foot, so get the ball rolling with this as soon as possible.

Step 7: Populate Your Instagram Page 

When finding how to start a fitness Instagram, you need to start making your account look like you post consistently, and that said posts are of high quality.

Think of this logically, would you follow an account with only 3 photos? Chances are probably not, because it isn’t adding any kind of value to your feed. So, to begin with, try to convey some authority with some aesthetic and branded content. 

However, don’t go overboard with content all at once and avoid spammy posting schedules, more than 1 post a day and you may begin to feel negative effects of the Instagram algorithm. 

Having said that, we will talk more about posting schedules later.

Over a period of time, (not all at once) place at least 10 relevant images or videos on your account and stick to these sizes whenever you post:

Square Image: 1080px in width by 1080px in height

Vertical Image:  1080px in width by 1350px in height

Horizontal Image: 1080px in width by 566px in height

When creating fitness Stories: Optimal size is: 1080×1920

Finally, thumbnails are a really important part of keeping a uniform feed. Reels are a super popular component to Instagram, so putting some effort into what this will look like on your feed makes a huge difference.

Though you have the option to choose a frame from the reel you have uploaded, you can separately upload a thumbnail which is what we would recommend. For example, take a look how this Instagram Reel fits seamlessly into our feed:

The extra care taken into making an aesthetically pleasing feed, while also taking into consideration the importance of including the likes of reels into your social media plan makes a huge difference in the acceptance of your fitness page.

Aside from the look of the posts themselves, ensure you include the likes of popular hashtags to get your posts and page out to other people who you don’t know. Putting these on posts is a great way to go out of your local realm and reach new potential audiences, but, more on hashtags and other ways to boost your account later!

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For some more helpful resources on marketing your fitness business or brand, check out these articles below:

  • How To Write An Exceptional Yoga Teacher Instagram Bio
  • SEO for Personal Trainers: Ultimate Guide 
  • Creating Your Fitness Email Marketing Strategy: 4 Simple Steps 
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5 Fitness Instagram Content Ideas To Make Your Account Stand Out

#1 Utilise User Generated Content

User generated content is one of the ways to create a fitness Instagram once you have got some sort of following behind you, since it’s content that is created by other users who have endorsed your brand, business or page.

Some examples of user generated content include the likes of:

  • Images & Videos: People who have endorsed your product or service. E.g, clients who have trained with your PT company, you could share their content they have in action.
  • Social media content: This is good to use if you have reviews on social media that could benefit your brand or, creating discourse around your page in general such as sharing our posts onto others’ IG stories.
  • Testimonials: Testimonials work similarly to reviews, you can share any positive testimonials that you have received from people who may have shared conversation on your page or screenshot and share reviews on the likes of TrustPilot.

This is a super convenient way to show other potential clients that you already have trusted followers who create content for your brand. 

#2 Create Instagram Reels to Future Proof Your Page

With video becoming increasingly popular in the realm of social media, creating Instagram reels is the best way to stay up to date with what people, and the algorithm, want to see.  

For example, take a look at how we regularly upload Instagram reels on our feed below:

You can see the highlighted boxes are the frequency that we upload reels on our Instagram page. The reason we do this is due to the return on engagement that we receive, you can see below a comparison between two of our posts.

One of them is a reel while the other is an image post:

Take a look at the huge difference in reach and engagement between an image post compared to the reel. 

The statistics speak for themselves, you can see how the algorithm works and it seems to be that video (in this instance reels) is the way forward to get your page out there.

#3 Implement ‘80/20 Rule’ When Posting Content

The 80/20 rule is how to start a fitness business on Instagram when you’re thinking about promoting your service- it is the ratio in which you should post content compared to promoting your services. 

The 80% of your posts should be the bulk of your content which should be focused around value and entertainment, then the latter being the promotional material.  

Once you have found your momentum in uploading, you may want to experiment and try out different frequencies of posting. Do some analysis on your competitors and see the frequency in which they actually promote the brand in comparison to valuable content. 

The bottom line is, this could be a good starting point for you if you’re new to Instagram, it provides you with some sort of strategy so you’re not going into it totally blind.

#4 Adhering to Trends in the Fitness Industry Helps you Beat the Algorithm

When learning how to build a fitness Instagram, you must think beyond the surface level of what we know as social media. 

This means doing some research on the algorithm so that you can improve your chances of getting noticed and increasing your engagement. That being said, there are two aspects to the Instagram algorithm that could help you in terms of catching up with trends, which are:

  • User activity: Instagram can understand what you could be interested in by assessing what types of content you engage with the most.
  • Interaction History: To get a clearer understanding of what you might wish to see, Instagram can understand whether you like a particular user or actually don’t engage with their content at all. This can help to rank more appropriate users and posts.

With these two signals within the algorithm, you could follow trends to try to increase your chances of becoming a recognised user for anybody who interacts with your post contribution to the trend. 

For example, let's say you take part in a trend and due to the sound being popular and it being received well by your current followers, it climbs its way up the Explore page. Once you make it to the explore page, you may find that people interested in the trend begin engaging with your post.

Since Instagram will remember the interaction history of each engaged user, chances are you’ll be popping up on their feed or Explore page more often. This can help you to create some awareness around your profile and ultimately gain more followers and popularity overtime.

#5 Create Educational Content to Display Your Knowledge and Authority

Within the fitness industry, there can be a lot of misinformation, which is why it is important to show your credentials when necessary, but besides that, there are some things that can help you to show that you know what you’re talking about. 

This can be through using simple infographics to change up your style of content and show some educational messages that people may find useful. 

For example, take a look at this post below:

As you can see, it is a simple and digestible piece of content that can go a long way in terms of adding value to your fitness Instagram ideas.

How to Create Fitness Content for Instagram

So now that you know how to start an Instagram fitness page, you might want to get familiar with how to create all of the ideas you have conjured up.  

With that in mind, here are our 3 top tips to put your ideas into action.

Utilise Canva to Make Posts look Professional (While still being Affordable!)

You may have already heard of Canva, it is a hugely popular site that allows for anybody with or without a budget to easily graphic design. 

By using templates, premade fonts, graphics and more you’re able to create pieces of Instagrammable content and will no longer be asking “what should I post on my fitness Instagram?”.

Spend some time looking on Canva and exploring the possibilities. Get some practice in and you’ll be on your way to a professional looking feed in no time.

 

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Establish a Colour Pallette to Keep Branding Consistent

Colour palettes for brands are crucial. 

They help to keep your posts uniform across all social media channels, but of course your Instagram feed too. You can pre-save branded colour palettes on the likes of the aforementioned Canva. 

This can help you to keep your colours in one place and whenever you need to design a post, you can simply click your desired placement of your pre-saved branding colours. This is a simple way of professionalising your brand / page and creating memorable brand awareness.

Don’t Neglect the Importance of a Captivating Caption

Captions add context to the visual you have created within your feed. Whether you want to expand some more on an infographic you have created, or simply tell the story of your post, captions are the place to do it.

It allows you to create value around your post, as a post with a caption isn’t going to go very far. It will lack engagement too, since captions can be a great place to try to induce some level of engagement. 

Within a caption, aside from the context and value it contributes, you can ask questions that people can then answer in the comments. This increases engagement and overall post health since you’re going to be responding to the comments too.

For example, take a look below at GymShark Women’s Instagram post that does this:

It leaves room for conversation and can be a great way to induce discourse about your page and the services you offer.

Tips for Maximising Reach With Your Content

Utilise the Power of Hashtags 

Hashtags help both to organise and optimise your fitness Instagram content, enabling potential followers to discover your page or brand easily when scanning Instagram’s community.

Thinking about what to post on a fitness Instagram is one thing but hashtags can take your posts to the next level, so how do you implement them?

The first thing you should remember is that you can use up to 30 hashtags per post, however you can run the risk of your content looking very spammy.

Nonetheless, the more hashtags you can use the better since you’re getting your post onto a variety of different Explore pages. In fact, some studies show that engagement can increase by over 440% from using 11+ fitness hashtags to using none at all.

Louise Myer's of Visual Social Media analyses this study to show the impact of the number of fitness hashtags to use:

  • 0 Hashtags – 18% interaction per 1k followers
  • 1 Hashtag – 29% interaction per 1k followers
  • 2 Hashtags – 41% interaction per 1k followers
  • 3 Hashtags – 39% interaction per 1k followers
  • 4 Hashtags – 31% interaction per 1k followers
  • 5 Hashtags – 43% interaction per 1k followers
  • 6 Hashtags – 33% interaction per 1k followers
  • 7 Hashtags – 30% interaction per 1k followers
  • 8 Hashtags – 39. 5% interaction per 1k followers
  • 9 Hashtags – 49.5% interaction per 1k followers
  • 10 Hashtags – 22% interaction per 1k followers
  • 11 Hashtags – 79.5% interaction per 1k followers

This shows that using 11+ fitness hashtags will increase your user engagement and help you get more followers to your fitness Instagram page. 

One thing is for certain and that is if you’re trying to get to the bottom of how to gain followers on a fitness Instagram, hashtags are a must and shouldn’t be skipped on any post that you want people to see.

But what Hashtags should you use when trying to figure out how to get fitness followers on Instagram?

Firstly, you need a mixture of very popular fitness hashtags, more long tailed ones and local ones if it applies to you. Here is an example of all three fitness hashtags:

  1. #Bodybuilding - Popular hashtag
  2. #KettlebellTraining - More long tail, specific hashtag
  3. #FitnessLondon - Location specific

Utilising popular fitness hashtags will get you some great initial engagement, with some instant likes, comments and follows.  

Long tail fitness hashtags such as "#KettlebellTraining" is searched for by far fewer people, but it will stay at the top of the search rankings for longer and attract more people based on the specific nature of the hashtag. 

The same applies to location too.

When thinking about how to start a fitness Instagram, you also want to include a location hashtag in each post as this will help you get users who are in a closer proximity to you if you have a service to offer like personal training for instance.

Nonetheless, if you don’t have a service to offer, as human beings we identify with people far easier from people in the same location as we are, so it is worth having a location hashtag in your posts so that you’re able to get some potential local support.

Use the Best Times to post and Optimal Frequency Tactics

When thinking how to start a fitness Instagram account, you need to factor in times of the day to post to generate as much attention to your posts as possible.  

Yes, there are times in the day better than others! A study by Expert Voice shows the best times of the week by user engagement:

  • Sunday: 5:00 p.m.
  • Monday: 7:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m.
  • Tuesday: 3:00 a.m. & 10:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday: 5:00 p.m.
  • Thursday: 7:00 a.m. & 11:00 p.m.
  • Friday: 1:00 a.m. & 8:00 p.m.
  • Saturday: 12:00 a.m. & 2:00 a.m.

The study goes on to show that Mondays are the least productive day and that Wednesdays are the most productive day to post and get more fitness Instagram followers.

You may have noticed that some of the best times to post are 1am, 2am, 3am etc. This study is based on user engagement, thus if you think about it, the people using Instagram at those times are frequently people more dedicated and more likely to engage with your posts.

Additionally, there are far fewer people posting at those times, thus your Instagram fitness content is far more likely to be seen and therefore engaged with. 

Though this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to post only at these times, you could trial and error your typical schedule and a schedule adhering to these times and see what has the best levels of engagement. 

Using Software is a Way How to Make your Fitness Instagram Popular 

Using automation software is a good option for those who have larger followings and simply don’t have the time to spend as much time as they should be investing in their Instagram page.

An Instagram tool used by start-ups and large organisations alike, is Combin. As such, it is the tool we will use as an example to demonstrate how to grow your Instagram fitness page.

In a nutshell, Combin is an automation tool which will safely:

  • Follow Users
  • Unfollow Users
  • Like photos
  • Comment on photos
  • Schedule Tasks
  • Blacklist unwanted users
  • Analyse your Accounts growth & engagement

So why would you consider automation for your account?

By setting up your account to follow other users within your fitness niche is like tapping them on the shoulder to say, "I'm here" and a certain percentage of them will follow you back to see what you are all about.  

Yes, you could do this without automation, but do you really have the time to sit there every day and press that follow button? Additionally, Combin will follow people with a set time lapse around Instagram’s safe user settings to ensure your account does not get locked or banned. 

If this sounds like something that could benefit your page and can help you learn how to make a good fitness Instagram you can find some instructions on setting your account up below: 

Step 1 - Go to Combin and select the right pricing plan for you. If you have just one Instagram account, then the $12 per option is probably best for you.

Step 2 - You will then be asked to link your account. Put in your Instagram username and click "allow permission".

Step 3 - You will then be presented with a dashboard, when you log in like below:

Step 4 - Targeting - Using the search option down the left-hand side, you can then find either copy and paste a username handle of another account into which you want to start following their followers or in or search for users based on hashtags.

Promote your Account on your other Social Media Platforms 

Finally, there is a budget friendly option that may often get overlooked and this is sharing your Instagram account across other social media platforms.

When thinking about starting a fitness Instagram account, you should also consider the other avenues that might help you get more followers. That being said, here are some areas you can promote your account to get more followers: 

  • Email Footers
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Blog Posts
  • Your Website
  • Article Submissions (especially guest posting on fitness blogs)
  • Fitness Forums
  • Private Fitness Network Groups
  • Facebook and LinkedIn groups
  • Fitness YouTube Videos (Comments)
  • Pinterest
  • Letters and offline communications
  • All online profiles

By including your link in as many places as possible you are maximising the number of clicks and views on your profile, thus helping you get to starting a fitness Instagram page that will seriously rake in the followers.

Before You Go…


Hopefully by now, you feel more than confident about how to make a fitness Instagram. 

From setting it up to getting the word out about your page, be sure to refer back to this guide whenever you’re ready to take the next step into progressing your page further. Don’t forget, if you’re wanting to bring more authority to your page and start advertising your services, then why not enquire about one of OriGym’s personal training courses? 

Find this and many other fitness courses in our downloadable course prospectus here.

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How to promote a fitness blog on Instagram

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Any Instagram blog is built on the charisma of its owner. For some, this is beauty and photogenicity, someone has a great sense of humor, and someone is a super specialist in their field. A fitness blogger needs to at least show the perfect body. And if you can give competent advice and have a sense of humor, then this is the perfect combination for promotion on Instagram.

There are so many fitness blogs now that you won't surprise anyone with the same type of mirror photos and articles copied from the Internet. You need to work on your account, use free and paid promotion methods, post every day, reply to comments, shoot Stories, go live.

Ways to promote a fitness blog on Instagram

Those who want to subscribe to a fitness blog:

  • photos of fitness girls/jocks
  • tips on how to lose weight/build up

You are not expected to write poetry or advice on early feeding, so your blog should not be about your personal life, but first of all about fitness.

In 2021, the most popular blogs shoot first and foremost at the expense of personality. And if your blog is primarily about fitness, this does not mean that it is better to remain silent about your other hobbies. The audience can be increased by introducing new topics that are interesting to a wide range of subscribers. All tips 👉 how to become a blogger on Instagram will work for you.

👉🏻 Ways to promote your account on Instagram 2021

Business account and statistics

The earlier you make a business account or author account, the faster you can track account statistics. With it, you will understand what content subscribers like the most and how best to promote.

Body photos

All athletes are almost always "in mode", the days pass the same way. Sleep-food-hall. Therefore, the photos on Instagram are the same selfies in the locker room or in the hall.

What to do:

  1. Learn how to use simple photo editing software on your phone: VSCO, Snapseed. Take photos in daylight.
  2. Get in good shape and find photographers to collaborate on TFP terms (you get a free photo, the photographer gets a free model). At the exit, you will have, if not super professional photos, but certainly better than selfies.
  3. Take photos while traveling, in different clothes. Later, do not post all the photos at once, but use them gradually.
  4. If you can't choose one of a dozen similar photos, make a post-gallery. At the same time, you can ask subscribers which angle they like best, this will increase the number of comments (engagement).

And most importantly. The shoemaker must be in boots. A trainer not in the default form cannot make a form to the client (in fact, he can, but the client does not believe in it).

Food photography

Learn the basics of food photography. This does not take much time. Photos on the phone will be of sufficient quality for Instagram if they are taken in daylight near the window, food is laid out on a beautiful plate, etc. "Naturalism" - your containers worn out by life and warmed up food - this is all closer to reality, of course, but no one wants to see it in their feed. Cook all the same simple pp-dishes, but photograph them beautifully.

Before/after photos of clients

Client results are the best proof of your professionalism. But most often this is a photo in electric light against the background of curtains (this is even at best, and at worst - against the backdrop of a mess in the apartment). I don't want to see this in my feed. Therefore, ask clients to take pictures during the day, if possible with a plain light background. Or let them make a short video - spin 360 degrees. If you take clients for free, then a prerequisite should be normal photos before and after.

Video

Video remains one of the main Instagram trends in 2021. You can now make 10 minute videos in a row from multiple photos/videos in a post! This is enough time to show your workout, how you ate during the day, etc. The requirements for video are the same as for photos - in daylight, pay attention to the background (make sure that the kitchen is clean, put on good clothes, put on makeup, etc.).

Go Live and upload long fitness workouts to IGTV. Use all available Instagram formats to stay in touch with your followers as much as possible.

Texts

Sometimes just a photo of all your body parts is enough for success. You can earn on ads in your account. But in order to earn as a coach and consultant (online and offline clients), you need to show your expertise. Publish descriptions of exercises (with photos and videos, you can post-gallery), training programs, healthy lifestyle principles and paragraphs. But do not copy word for word articles from the Internet. Instagram has slightly different laws for texts. Brevity, simple spoken language is valued. Otherwise, no one will read you.

Don't get carried away, your subscribers don't want university-level physical education and sports knowledge from your blog. Most of the audience is always newbies. Advanced people no longer take information from Instagram blogs and they don’t need a coach. And for beginners, simple tips are always relevant - where to start, how to make a nutrition and training plan for weight loss / muscle gain, etc. Many do not know how to count calories in the simplest salad.

Your blog should not be a closed community for your own, those who are "in the know." Don't make fun of newbies and patiently answer the same questions. Best of all, if you make hashtag navigation, then you can send newbies to specific posts, and not make them scroll through your blog for half an hour in search of what they need.

Remember, your goal is not to comprehensively educate your subscribers about healthy lifestyles. Your goal is to show your expertise, but at the same time not to lull subscribers with abstruse posts. Then they will read you regularly and if you need a coach, they will turn to you.

Content plan for a fitness trainer

Success in any business is easier if you have a plan of action. Same with Instagram account. A content plan will make life easier for you - you don’t need to think about what to publish today, and for your subscribers - they will know when your next column is coming out.

You don't have to make a super-detailed plan, you don't have to think through all the informational posts a month ahead, etc. Just sketch out the skeleton of the content plan, for example:

  • Tuesday and Thursday - marathon
  • Wednesday - post about pp
  • weekend - selfie and invitation to "chat"

One of the conditions for promotion on Instagram is consistency. And with a content plan, it's much easier not to get lost. The more often you appear in the feed, the better they remember you. But don't spam, 1-3 posts per day is enough. And if this is an informational, educational post, then one a day is enough.

You can make posts for the week ahead. Publish them automatically at the right time using delayed posting services.

Use all posting formats:

  • posts with photos/videos
  • Stories (video, photo, text, questions and tests for interactive)
  • IGTV
  • Live
  • Reels

The more formats you use, the more interesting it is for subscribers and the higher the reach and engagement of your account.

Chatting with followers

Do you just post selfies and wait for hundreds of comments? If you are not a star, then this will not happen. All comments will be from spammers — “Cool!”, “Great gallery”, etc. To talk to subscribers, you need to write posts, ask questions, discuss current topics. Respond to all comments, even the most stupid questions. Clean up spam and disrespectful comments. It should be clear that you care about your account and readers.

Contests and marathons

If there are at least 5-10000 live subscribers, you can hold a contest or marathon. The simplest and always relevant topic is weight loss. You offer a nutrition and training plan - and subscribers perform and report in their accounts with a mention of your account. Give feedback, do not leave the participants of the marathon.

SFS

Exchange mutual recommendations with similar accounts. But do not do this too often - subscribers are annoyed. If you yourself are not subscribed to this account, but at the same time recommend it, there will definitely be those who will write about it in the comments. Therefore, share sincere recommendations, this is where the SPS works.

Connect with other fitness bloggers, stay open. Follow them, comment.

Advertising on Instagram

You can advertise on Instagram:

  • paid posts from bloggers (check that they are not cheated!)
  • post promotion
  • targeted advertising on Instagram via Facebook

The easiest and fastest way to launch a targeted ad/post promotion. You will control the budget expenditure, the timing of the display of advertising, how the advertising post itself will look like.

With a blogger, it can be a little more difficult - you first need to find him, agree, make sure that he publishes a post at the right time and in the right form. But at the same time, if you find a good blogger with your target audience (with unwound subscribers, high engagement), then the return on such advertising can be better than on targeted ones.

Try to find your "chip". There are many fitness bloggers, all profiles are very similar to each other. Try to understand who your subscribers are and specialize exactly in their needs. If you recently had a baby, talk about fitness during pregnancy and losing weight after. If you are preparing for competitions, arrange a reality show with regular reports, live broadcasts, etc.

Gather an audience of those who also prepare or dream about it. If you have lost 50 kg, show before / after and gather around you girls with a lot of weight. You don't need to come up with something unique. Find your "specialization" and try to become a prominent blogger in this area. After, already relying on the collected audience, it will be easier for you to cover new topics.

How to make money on a fitness blog on Instagram

Fitness is a very popular topic for Instagram, so you will have serious competition. But a lot of accounts are inflated, so it’s not so easy for advertisers to find a fitness blog with a good return. And this means that such blogs are highly valued and you can set a price above the average if the advertiser comes to you not for the first time.

Ways to earn money:

  • advertising
  • affiliate programs
  • consultations
  • nutrition programs
  • online and offline training
  • fitness camps
  • online store (sportswear, nutrition)

For your Instagram fitness account to sell, it's not enough just to talk about your services/product and describe its benefits. In the content plan for a fitness blog, you need to add:

  • show your body and lifestyle (corresponding to the product you are selling)
  • posts and stories that show how fitness can change lives
  • customer cases (before and after)
  • reposts from clients (in Stories)
  • answers to possible objections (“I won’t be able to study according to your program” - answer how and why it will work out)
  • rubrics with useful content that shows your expertise
  • Storytelling (in Stories)
  • interactive and communication in comments

Always remind subscribers that you have services/courses. Build a content plan so that the story about your product fits into it natively.

👉 Ways to promote your Instagram account 2021
👉 How to become an Instagram blogger and earn money?
👉 More about making money on Instagram
👉 All programs for Instagram

How to promote a fitness trainer's Instagram | MyMaster

How to promote a fitness trainer profile on Instagram?

How to properly promote a fitness trainer profile on Instagram? If you are looking for the answer to this question, then most likely you expect to know an effective promotion algorithm that will be easy to implement. In this article, you will learn about the step-by-step promotion of a sports coach profile, as well as many really important nuances of self-promotion: how to create posts, when to post them, what material is interesting to subscribers? Let's figure it out together.

Intro

Every popular blogger, singer or dancer also started his career with a couple of hundred subscribers. It is important to understand that the interest of subscribers in the profile in the first place depends on the interest in the account owner. To make your coach account more popular, it is not enough to post photos of a fit and beautiful body or a photo from the gym. The ideal option would be to draw up a content plan for the whole month - this will make it possible to plan a schedule for posting materials in advance and prepare the necessary content. The plan itself needs to include not only your own experience, but also all sorts of useful articles, you can add a block of tips for beginners, various promotions and contests, and advertising. After drawing up a plan, you can proceed to the first step - designing a profile.

Do you want to develop your online business and get more orders?

1. How should a trainer's profile be drawn up?

Unlike other social networks, Instagram's main content is photos. The first thing that catches your eye when opening a profile is a hat. It is important to arrange it correctly so that the subscriber likes it and wants to continue viewing the profile. What must be included in the coach profile header:

  • Beautiful profile photo. Choosing the right avatar - the photo should show the face of the owner or owner of the account;
  • Personal data. Your real name and surname must be indicated, if necessary, contact details;
  • Description. Forget about banal options like "fitness coach" or "training on instagram." There are thousands of such descriptions in the vastness of the social network, this has long been of no interest to anyone. Try to come up with something more interesting. Add intrigue, use emoticons, and remember that humor is welcome.

The next thing to do is fill in the "Site" field. You need to write a link to the lead magnet there. It can be absolutely any link - to subscribe, to register (for example, to your classes), to download a manual, to your channel, etc. Please note that the product you provide to your subscribers in this way must be free. Direct selling is not welcome, besides, it is simply unproductive.

2. What material should I place in my profile?

Developing material for a blog is a long and painstaking job. The presence of interesting posts with high-quality and relevant photos, feedback from subscribers, regular stories and live broadcasts - each type of content posted contributes to the promotion of a sports coach's profile. Use statistics to keep track of the most popular topics and posts. This will give you the opportunity to post more posts on topics that your followers are really interested in and avoid boring stuff. One of the keys to the success of the blog is the high level of skill of the trainer. If you are not confident in your abilities and professionalism, then subscribers will especially not trust your words.

You shouldn't go in cycles in selling goods or services either. It is better to post entries on the topic of a healthy lifestyle on your blog - this topic is wide enough, and you will not lack information to create posts for a very long time. And sales can be organized not only with the help of direct advertising or an advertising post. It will be much more productive to act gradually - to convey to subscribers the idea that your products are the key to good health and a beautiful, athletic body. Then customers will read your blog, buy products and recommend you as a coach to their friends.

Remember simplicity! Most of your subscribers are just starting their journey in the sports field. Most of them may not even know what calories are, much less how to count them. Think over your hashtag system, thanks to which every beginner can find tips for beginners (for example, a small memo with basic information), learn the necessary terminology and basics. Then you do not have to explain common truths to each new subscriber - it will be enough for him to familiarize himself with a certain FAQ of your blog. We offer several options for post topics, that can be placed in the profile of a fitness trainer:

  • Proper nutrition. Food is always popular, and healthy food is even more so! Post simple but useful recipes with step-by-step descriptions. And don't forget about the beautiful photo of the end result! Also, it would not hurt to post photos of step-by-step cooking, and not from the Internet, but personally from you, as a coach. People are more willing to trust someone real than someone abstract;
  • Small notes on health and sports. Remember that the article must be truthful and contain useful information. You should not make copies of articles from the Internet - everyone can find the right article if they wish. It is better to write small but exclusive texts on your own;
  • Your example. As already mentioned, people are willing to trust someone real. Share your experience, talk about your workout impressions, new sports uniform or new exercises. Don't be afraid to record videos (storis), post selfies. You can organize a joint workout - it will especially appeal to those who are just starting to play sports. After all, it is much more interesting and easier to train with someone than alone.

3. Fitness coach's blog: what types of materials are there?

Training. Only unique content should be posted here. You can place your view on classes or complexes of classes, their productivity. Reviews of any training methods are also welcome. In principle, any content that teaches your users something new is considered educational - it can even be a review of a new uniform or sports equipment. The main thing is that the information is truthful and useful - this will increase the trust of your subscribers.

For motivation. Many of us want to go in for sports, but constantly put it off until later. Someone promises himself to start “from Monday”, and someone is waiting for a sign “from above”. Motivational posts are just such a sign that helps you believe in yourself, start exercising, or vice versa, continue exercising, despite the absence of a significant result at first. For such posts, you can use quotes from the Internet in photo format or even shoot short videos to motivate subscribers.

Musical records. Many of us love to practice to music, but sometimes finding the right tracks to practice with is very difficult. Collect various collections, listen to the opinions of subscribers, collect entire blocks of music tracks for different activities in different conditions - for jogging, for strength training, for exercising at home or on the street, and so on. Such collections greatly simplify life, and subscribers will be grateful to you.

Humor. Post various photos, funny posts or videos that are related to health or sports. These can be funny missteps in training (the main thing is that they are not harmful to health), blunders during filming, or just interesting situations from your sports life.

Material that aims to promote the brand. If you are promoting specific sports products, then this piece of content is the most important for your account. It is important to correctly compose posts, because their abundance and intrusiveness will annoy subscribers, and you may lose part of the audience. It is better to post photos from life where you use the product in your life. And in the caption to the photo, you can indicate how to use the product and what its advantage is.

4. Photo and video guide: how to make high-quality content?:

We have selected for you some of the most popular headings for fitness trainer Instagram:

  • “Before” and “After”. As the name of the column implies, photos of those clients who have already achieved the desired (or intermediate) result are published here. You can search for stories online, but it's better to post pictures of your real clients. And if the photos are supplemented with a link to the profile of this person, this will be another plus in the treasury of trust from subscribers. It is best to take such photos on a light background - this way it will be better seen what has changed;
  • Proper nutrition. Beautiful photos of healthy food will be another incentive to give up fast food and other junk food. Choose simple but beautiful recipes, cook and take photos. Use your imagination to the fullest - put food in beautiful dishes, add accessories! An appetizing photo and a step-by-step description of the recipe are the main rules of this post category.

Separately, we mention the possible categories of headings for posting different videos:

  • Exercise and training. It is clear that in the profile of a fitness trainer, most of the content is classes. You can shoot short videos in which you analyze interesting techniques, show how to do stretching or exercises for some muscle group correctly. If you personally perform the exercises on the video, this will be another confirmation of your professionalism for your subscribers;
  • Stories can be used to quickly answer questions from your subscribers;
  • Shoot various sports related videos;
  • And don't forget about online training!

Before you start shooting your video, be sure to prepare the right background. If you're filming a meal, clean up your kitchen and prepare everything you need. The same goes for filming in any other location - you don't want to get a dozen ironic comments from subscribers about what's in the background, do you?

Given that the popularity of Instagram is growing every day, another problem arises. Profiles of similar people on similar topics are very similar - it is likely that the same photos as yours will be posted on other fitness blogs. Same poses, similar locations, same (or very similar) locations. To avoid accidental copying and to take truly exclusive photographs, find yourself a photographer. You can negotiate with someone from the beginners - many photographers are looking for models. Thus, you can get good photos for the minimum price or even for free - it's up to you how lucky you are.

To add variety to your blog posts, don't be afraid to spice up your posts with something interesting from time to time. Go on a trip, arrange a workout in some unusual place, or record an appeal to subscribers, inviting them to choose a set of workouts for the next day or hour - this is only a small part of the possible content.

5. Marathons, contests and promotions: how and when to hold them?

In the last couple of years, weight loss challenges or marathons have gained particular popularity on Instagram and other social networks. You can run your own marathon too - it's a great way to grab the attention of your followers. What should I do to promote my profile using the challenge? Before you start a marathon, you need to think in advance what classes will be held every day. Further, after recruiting those who wish, you must issue new tasks or recommendations daily, monitor the results of the tasks. And at the end of the challenge, it is imperative to draw a prize and arrange for it to be received by the winner. The prize doesn't have to be something tangible - it can be a subscription, an advertisement, a post with a link to the winner, and so on. Such events allow subscribers to remember you better, and also attract new subscribers. And the successful results of such marathons are another confirmation of your professionalism.

Contests and promotions is another way to slightly dilute the sports theme in your account and attract new subscribers to your profile. It is clear that the most popular topic for any competition related to sports is weight loss. Promotions of this kind can be carried out even if you only have about a hundred subscribers. Again, the lesson plan needs to be thought out in advance. Also, consider food. After that, you post the resulting plan (exercise + food) and ask subscribers to report on the results in their account, referring to your account. The main thing is not to get lost in the middle of a marathon or action - remember that people trust you and expect you to help them throughout the event. Therefore, if you have already launched a challenge or promotion, be sure to finish it and give the prize to the winner. Alternatively, you can find yourself a partner with whom you will run a marathon for different audiences. Remember that your task at any event is to create a simple and understandable flow of actions for subscribers that will allow them to succeed.

What to do if after posting you don't see feedback from followers? Your best bet is to create a poll with predefined answers and the ability to add your own question. And ask your followers to express their thoughts on a topic or issue. Most importantly, do not forget that your subscribers are the same people as you, but most often they are not particularly versed in sports topics. Therefore, they may ask "stupid" and "strange" questions because of their ignorance. Your task is not to get annoyed, but to help understand. It's important to be patient here. Moreover, such “incomprehensible” questions from subscribers are another possible topic for future materials.

Don't forget to plan your content for a couple of weeks ahead! If you work according to your plan, then there will be a system in publications - this will allow you to publish materials regularly, you will not have a crisis or moments when there is not a single idea. Remember that the publication of entries in the profile should be regular - at least 1-2 entries per day.


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