6 ways to improve your social media as a Personal Trainer
Posted on 31st May 2022 at 16:26
To be a successful PT you need to market yourself. One of the main ways to do that today is through social media.
Social media platforms like Instagram provide an opportunity to promote your services and build an audience. But you still need to know how to do this well.
In this post we’ve got some top tips for getting social media right as a personal trainer or fitness professional.
1. Be Consistent
There’s a lot of noise out there so you need to stay at the front of people’s minds. To do this you need to post consistently and encourage people to interact with your posts.
It doesn’t have to be 24/7. It could be 2 times, it could be 5 or more. The important thing is being a regular presence.
No one will take notice if you sit back and watch, and only post when you feel like it. By getting into a routine and planning out content, you can show the world what you’re doing.
A great way to do this on Instagram or Facebook is to use the story feature.
The more you post on your story the more frequently people are going to see your content because it’s always at the top of the page. It’s the first thing they see.
Again, it doesn't have to be a lot but at least once or twice a day is recommended. Post what you’re doing. And keep it real. Which leads on nicely to our next point…
2. Be Real
People can tell if someone is being fake on social media a mile off.
So make sure you show your real side. Show off your personality, have a laugh and make your account an overall positive place to be. People are looking for unique content in a sea of sameness, so be different.
There’s more than enough people sharing a photo with their top off, flexing their muscles, but believe it or not, not everyone wants to see that. What can you do to make yourself stand out?
Everyone has a unique selling point. It might be your personality, the people you teach or the way you teach or train.
It also helps to use everyday language when communicating with your audience. A lot of your target audience aren’t going to be fitness experts so they want someone who can speak in layman's terms.
Being real also means being authentic. Sometimes it’s a good idea to share the good and the bad. Yes, you want to major in the good news and the amazing things happening in your life.
But sometimes it's great to share when things haven’t gone to plan. We all go through tough times so it’s another way for people to relate to you and see the human side. Share your story, the highs and the lows. This way followers can feel like they know you before they approach you about training.
3. Share your expertise
When you sell a service like training it can be tempting to keep things close to your chest. You might think sharing tips and tricks is giving the game away but it’s actually a great way to attract new clients or even brand deals.
If they can see that you know what you are doing, they are more likely to book with you. Not sharing anything might make people suspect you’re not as talented as you make out. Plus by giving away value, people feel more attracted to your brand.
Plus it’s just good content, making it a lot easier to be consistent, like we mentioned above.
You could post some reels or videos of simple workouts that people can do at home. For example, a workout to wake yourself up in the morning or good stretches to do before a workout.
This way you can reach a wider audience. Sure, many of these people won’t go on to become clients but some will, and that’s what matters.
4. Tell your client's stories
When you sell a service like training it can be tempting to keep things close to your chest. You might think sharing tips and tricks is giving the game away but it’s actually a great way to attract new clients or even brand deals.
If they can see that you know what you are doing, they are more likely to book with you. Not sharing anything might make people suspect you’re not as talented as you make out. Plus by giving away value, people feel more attracted to your brand.
Plus it’s just good content, making it a lot easier to be consistent, like we mentioned above.
You could post some reels or videos of simple workouts that people can do at home. For example, a workout to wake yourself up in the morning or good stretches to do before a workout.
This way you can reach a wider audience. Sure, many of these people won’t go on to become clients but some will, and that’s what matters.
5. Make your posts engaging
A tip that might seem obvious but is actually quite hard to do is making your posts engaging. When posting you want to give your audience a way to interact with you.
This can be done by asking them questions, going on live streams, answering comments, inviting them to message you and just generally making it a two way relationship.
This can help to boost your engagement too.
Another way to make your posts engaging is to use quality photos. Get a professional photographer if you can. This will make all the difference as people will quickly dismiss someone with amateur photography.
You can also stand out by having your own unique style, content or design on your posts. Not everyone can afford to get professional graphic design but with tools like Canva available, it’s easier than ever to create good looking graphics. This way you can get your info out there in style.
Having engaging content is a must when it comes to social media because there is so much out there, you want to make sure that your content doesn't get lost in the crowd.
A great way to find out what works well is to take a look at the leaders in your field. Study them and see what posts get the most engagement, then replicate that for yourself.
6. Use hashtags
You’re probably aware of hashtags but aren’t quite sure how to use them best. There are mixed messages out there and the mysterious algorithm is changing the rules all the time. But the fact remains they are a vital tool for social media.
They can help you reach a number of different audiences that are beyond your normal reach. So how many to use? On Instagram, you should use as many as you can (30 is the max) but research what hashtags actually work for your brand. On Facebook you don’t want to use any more than 5.
On Twitter, hashtags work a bit differently. If you’re going to use one, use it to link to the conversation topic you want to be a part of. People are very wary of walls of hashtags so use them sparingly.
The main thing on a lot of these platforms is that you’re interacting with your existing audience. This should always be your priority. Hashtags should be a secondary tool for attracting new people.
Content is king
We hope these tips have been helpful. Follow these and supercharge your online presence. It’s important to take time to plan your social media output, but don’t stress. As you get busier you’ll have less time to focus on this side of things. It’s at this point you might want to get someone else on board to help with this.
In the meantime, just remember to be yourself and enjoy it!
We cover general business advice in our training courses for becoming a fitness professional, so be sure to check those out.
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