Have you put off vital social media marketing because you don’t know how to start a fitness Instagram for your gym? It’s not as intimidating as it may sound. Fitness content naturally lends itself to the visual format of Instagram without too much effort to begin with. Plus, it offers a way to market your gym to millions of potential customers, without having to spend a penny!

Like most things, the hardest part is getting started. This article will cover the basics of how to get your gym’s Instagram off the ground, find the right target audience, and convert them into paying customers.

Let’s begin by identifying your target Instagram viewers. Once you know who you want to reach, you can learn strategies to help your account stand out from others on the platform. Within a short time, you can develop a following to increase gym memberships and boost your industry authority.

Identifying Your Fitness Audience

Before using any social media platform, including Instagram, you need to know who your audience is. Trying to reach everyone under the sun will actually result in reaching no one. Instead, you want to home in on your niche group in order to make your marketing efforts more targeted and specific to the people who are most likely to become a member at your club.

Who’s your audience? Think about your current members as a starting point. What type (or types) of people are most likely to become members at your club? Maybe they’re:

• New mums

• Recent retirees

• Bodybuilders

• Busy executives

• Elite athletes

• University students

• Affluent neighbours

• Frugal Gen Zers

• Yoga/Pilates enthusiasts

• Weight loss devotees

Does your gym use CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software? Hopefully, it has a good database of member information. You should be able to get enough from intake and talking to your staff and trainers to narrow down your market.

Your ideal customers may all hang out on Instagram, but they’re looking for different types of fitness inspiration in their feeds. Not everyone wants to get ripped or train to run a marathon. Some people simply want a healthier, moderate lifestyle or a way to reduce stress through exercise.

These differences will determine what, how, and when you post in order to connect with your desired audience. We’ll discuss that in more detail below.

2. Connect Your Instagram Account With Your Facebook Account.

You may know that Instagram and Facebook are now both part of the same Meta brand. That makes it easy to share account information and posts between the two to maximise your marketing impact and save valuable time.

First, you need a Facebook business page, not just an account.

To set that up, click on ‘Pages’ in your personal account menu settings. Click ‘Create’, then follow the steps to set up a business page.

To connect with Instagram, follow these steps:

• Create or log in to your personal Instagram profile.

• Go to ‘Settings’ and tap ‘Account’.

• Tap ‘Switch to Business Profile’.

• Choose your new Facebook business page when prompted.

3. Make Your Profile Resonate With Your Audience.

Instagram has over 34 million users in the UK alone. Your gym will be competing with other fitness businesses and individual accounts for eyeballs. Therefore, you must make your account shine to stand out from the competition.

Your profile also needs to reflect your unique brand. That means you need to think carefully about your username
(aka handle), profile picture, and bio.

Here are some suggestions for your username:

• Make it unique and memorable. Don’t use numbered versions of common names, like ‘BestGym123’.

• Keep it easy to spell and pronounce.

• Find something that reflects your audience and your brand.

Your profile pic should also be representative of your audience. For instance, if the bulk of your clients are active seniors, don’t show a shredded 20-something.

If you want to showcase your services, perhaps use a photo of a popular class or trainer. Whatever you choose, you should always use a high-resolution photo or logo image.

The bio you create must fit in the space allowed and give a quick snapshot of your gym. Try to include the following:

• Membership you serve (target audience)

• Keywords or hashtags related to your focus

• Credentials or authority

• Contact information and location

• Links to your website and other social media

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Fitness Instagram Content Creation Strategies

Instagram offers a variety of video and photo content options, like ‘Posts’, ‘Reels’, ‘Stories’, and ‘Instagram Live’. You want to leverage each for maximum exposure and results, such as:

• A high number of views, likes, and shares

• Viewer engagement through comments

• Gaining new Instagram followers

• Having your content shown in the IG algorithm

• Increased clicks through to your website

• New gym members or personal training clients

That last one is, of course, the holy grail of social media for fitness professionals.

Be sure to follow other gyms and fitness accounts to see what kinds of content are gaining traction. However, don’t copy other accounts outright. You want to put your unique spin on the posts you create if you want to stand out.

Initially, only your followers will see your content in their feeds. But if you manage your account right, the Instagram algorithm will recommend your content to other people who might be interested in your services. This will push your content to accounts that don’t follow you as a suggestion to them.

Avoid making your content too sales-y or pushy. Instead, follow the 80/20 rule. That’s about 80% of your content being educational or entertaining, while 20% is more promotional.

So, what kind of Instagram content might appeal to your target audience? You want this content to overlap with your overall marketing goals.

Try some of these content types to get the ball rolling:

• Before-and-after photos of members

• Client video stories and testimonials

• Easy-to-read infographics

• How-to photos or videos

• Recipes and nutrition or dieting tips

• Video tour of your gym and facilities

• Equipment or workout explanations

• Day-in-the-life vlogs of trainers

• Live classes or Q-and-A sessions

• Video series on a specific topic

• Contest or giveaway (ideally with sponsor)

• Motivational tips and advice

• Time-sensitive discounts or sales

• 7- or 30-day fitness challenges

• Your own personal fitness journey

Be sure to mix up the different types of Instagram posts and understand how they fit into your goals.

Instagram Stories ‘Stories’, for example, disappear after 24 hours. They are a great way to show your followers a visual narrative over the course of a single day, like a highlight reel. But, they’re not right for content you want viewers to see over the long term. They’re better for time-sensitive topics, showing off an event or workshop or when you want to create a feeling of urgency. Instagram Reels ‘Reels’ are also short-term and generally aim to attract new followers rather than connect with your existing audience. Reels are short-form videos of 90 seconds or less. They’re best used to make short but impactful content that grabs attention or makes people laugh. ‘Reels’ are generally more popular amongst younger generations, so if you’re trying to attract Gen Z or millennials to your gym, this could be the best option for you.

Instagram Posts

Photo posts are still number one with the ‘Carousel’ option at the top. ‘Posts’ are a good option to document a member’s fitness journey or showcase various areas of your gym. Posts are particularly useful because they’re not time-locked, so think of them as a permanent visual portfolio that shows your prospects and members who you are and what your club is all about.

Instagram Live

‘Instagram Live’ is, well, live! This content option is used to live-stream video content and engage with your followers in a live environment. Hosting a Q&A session? Unveiling a new workout area at your gym? Instagram Live can be a great way to connect directly with your followers and keep that two-way conversation flowing.

Once you’ve decided on the type of content, you’ll need to develop a schedule for posting. With a business account, you can create up to 25 posts and reels at once and set them to post on a schedule. Scheduling in advance takes some of the day-to-day activity off your shoulders.  

You should still check in and interact with your posts, however. One of the best features of any social media channel is the ability to easily create a two-way conversation with your followers. So, make sure to engage with your followers on your posts or via direct message in order to create a thriving and interactive community.

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