How to Grow Your Gym Business with Instagram Fitness Marketing

How many times in a day do you check Instagram or other social networking sites? Adult Americans spend an average of 30 minutes a day on Instagram, making the platform a valuable channel for gyms to get in front of potential members. This is a key part of why social media is playing an increasingly important role in how people find a place to work out.

Whether you’re looking to gain new members or training to retain the ones you have, a social media following can make or break your business. Discover strategies for promoting your gym on Instagram and attracting new members.

Understanding Instagram Fitness for Gyms

What exactly is Instagram fitness and how do you harness its power? 

To start, you can think of it as the intersection of fitness content  and community building. It’s a place on Instagram where people can share their fitness experiences with others. It encompasses a vast array of fitness-related content, including: workout routines, nutrition tips, fitness challenges, transformation stories, and motivational posts. There is also nutrition and meal prep content, which are just as relevant to health as workouts.

There are so many people invested in this kind of content. Fitness influencers, trainers, gyms, and fitness enthusiasts alike utilize Instagram to share their knowledge, experiences, and progress. All of this online chatter helps people connect with a broader audience of fitness enthusiasts worldwide. It helps people work on their fitness and nutrition together, challenging and inspiring one another in equal measure. 

The possibilities are endless when it comes to online fitness and wellness content, especially on a platform like Instagram (the most downloaded app Hoostuite’s 2023 trends). This makes Instagram a great place to increase gym membership organically. By boosting the reach of and engagement of your account, you can gain the visibility you may be missing out on.

Instagram Strategies to Promote Gyms

Alright. You’re excited to jump into the Instagram fitness space! But where do you even start when the world is you oyster? Here are a few ideas to get you rolling.

Showcasing Gym Facilities and Equipment

It’s incredibly helpful to create visually appealing posts and stories that highlight the gym's state-of-the-art facilities and modern equipment. You can share images and videos of the gym's layout, workout areas, cardio machines, weightlifting racks, and any unique features that set it apart from other gyms. High-quality images and proper lighting helps make the gym look inviting and inspiring.

Featuring Fitness Classes and Training Sessions

Your gym likely offers classes, too, which can draw people in if you can figure out how to highlight the atmosphere and appeal of those classes. Do what you can to capture the energy and enthusiasm of fitness classes and training sessions at the gym. Share short clips or time-lapse videos of group workouts, yoga classes, Zumba sessions, or any other specialized training offered. You can also encourage members to share their experiences by using a branded hashtag, which helps build a sense of community and camaraderie among participants.

Highlighting Trainers and Instructors

To get personal and human with your brand, consider highlighting the amazing professionals at your gym on your account. You can introduce the gym's trainers and instructors to the audience through individual spotlights or short interviews. This is an opportunity to share their fitness expertise, qualifications, and unique training approaches. It’s great to get as visual as you can, so feature trainers leading workouts, providing fitness tips, or showcasing their own health journeys to humanize their presence and build trust with potential clients.

Sharing Client Success Stories and Testimonials

Celebrate the achievements of gym members by sharing their success stories and transformation journeys. Feature before-and-after photos, along with testimonials of how the gym and its trainers have positively impacted their lives. Authentic and relatable success stories can inspire others to join the gym and work towards their own fitness goals. 

Building a Strong Instagram Presence

In this boisterous space, it’s important that your brand separates you from the crowd. It’s helpful to take time to determine what makes your gym and Instagram presence unique. Then, you can leverage these strategies to get greater visibility and build your following.

Creating a Compelling Profile

It’s foundational to have an identity that is easily recognizable, trustworthy, and interesting. That starts with these elements:

• Profile picture: Use a clear and recognizable gym logo or a professional image representing the gym's branding..
• Bio: Craft a concise and compelling bio that clearly states the gym's mission, values, and unique selling points. Include a call-to-action (CTA) encouraging visitors to follow the page or visit the gym's website.
• Contact information: Ensure that the contact information, including the gym's address, phone number, and email, is easily accessible from the profile.
• Link in bio: Use the link in the bio strategically to direct visitors to relevant landing pages, such as class schedules, membership sign-ups, or promotions.

Crafting Engaging Content Strategies

You also need to understand how to utilize different types of Instagram content, like this:

• Visual appeal: Use high-quality images and videos that capture the gym's atmosphere, workouts, trainers, and members. 
• Diverse content mix: Offer a variety of content, including workout tips, motivational quotes, client spotlights, behind-the-scenes footage, and fitness challenges. Mix educational, entertaining, and inspirational content to keep the audience engaged.
• Stories and reels: Utilize Instagram Stories and Reels to showcase time-sensitive content, share daily updates, and add an element of urgency to promotions and events.

Utilizing Hashtags and Geotags Effectively

There are more technical strategies you can leverage, such as using hashtags and geotags. Here’s how:

• Research relevant hashtags: Use popular and niche fitness-related hashtags to reach a wider audience and attract users interested in fitness content. Tools like Instagram's search bar and third-party platforms can help identify relevant hashtags.
• Create branded hashtags: Develop a unique branded hashtag for the gym, which can be used in posts and encourage members to use it when sharing their gym experiences.
• Geotagging: Add geotags to posts to increase visibility within the local community. This is especially helpful for attracting potential members in the gym's vicinity.

Interacting with Followers and Engaging the Community

Finally, to build a community, you need to connect with that community by engaging with them.

• Respond to comments: Engage with followers by responding to comments and direct messages promptly. Show appreciation for positive feedback and address any queries or concerns professionally.
• Host giveaways and contests: Organize giveaways and contests to encourage participation and increase follower engagement. Ask followers to tag friends or share content to enter the contest, helping expand the gym's reach.
• Feature client spotlights: Regularly showcase members' progress and success stories. This not only motivates others but also strengthens the gym's bond with existing clients.

Build Your Brand with Wellhub

Fitness Instagram is a hub for people that belong at your gym. Using social media marketing to promote your business can be a great way to help your gym grow by connecting with new customers. 

Wellhub also helps gyms get new clients. Our flexible subscription gives people access to a robust network of wellness providers. Nine out of 10 Wellhub members are potential new users, according to our current partners.

Learn more about how Wellhub can help your business grow!

References

• Hootsuite Inc. (2023). Social Media Trends 2023. Hootsuite. Retrieved July 31, 2023 from https://www.hootsuite.com/research/social-trends.
• Lebow, Sara. (2022, May 26. In a First, TikTok Will Beat YouTube in User Time Spent. Insider Intelligence. Retrieved November 10, 2023 from https://www.insiderintelligence.com/content/tiktok-beats-youtube-user-time-spent/.