What does a meme featuring Steve Carell from “The Office” laughing at his own terrible dad joke have to do with fitness?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And that’s one way Juli Colotti uses social media for gyms to grow her personal training studio, skyrocket her reach and engage her followers.
“What really helps is posting jokes or posting funny memes,” said Colotti, owner of Bodies by Colotti in Kingston, N.Y. “I post TikToks and Reels that are absolutely ridiculous and have nothing to do with fitness. People want to know you’re human. We don’t walk around with a whistle around our neck all day.”
If you’re like most gym owners, posting on social media is probably pretty close to the bottom of your to-do list … somewhere in between cleaning the toilets and sanitizing the dumbbells.
Chances are you’ve invested time and energy in social media, but didn’t see any return on investment. After all, it takes time to create quality content, edit videos, find trending music and hashtags, and make the posts relatable to your audience.
Or, maybe this has happened to you: You finally got into a rhythm with posting content, but the Facebook and Instagram gods tweaked the algorithm so you’re not reaching as many people as before.
The whole process can be frustrating from start to finish. Oftentimes, gym owners get discouraged and just stop posting so they can focus on other money-making activities. But having your social media accounts go dormant may send the wrong message to potential clients.
Leveraging social media for gyms can be an effective way to increase reach, engage followers and ultimately grow your fitness business. In this article, we will explore the five best ways to use social media for gyms and achieve these goals.
- Embrace Video. Posts that come to life with video grab a scroller’s attention more than a post anchored by an image. And it’s important that the videos give the audience a sense of who you are, what your personality is, how you help people and what kind of person you enjoy helping the most.
To use Colotti, a Naamly client, as an example: She hated making videos at first. “I hate how I sound on video; most people do,” she said. “But I just kept doing it.” And there was nothing fancy, time consuming or high-tech about it. Colotti didn’t use any sophisticated equipment or text-to-speech software. “I just took out my phone and shot a video,” she said. “One post a day.” After a couple of months, she was at the shopping mall and someone recognized her and yelled, “You’re on the internet!” Colotti used social media to “run for mayor” of her small town. Once she became known, she was able to move on to strategy No. 2.
- Showcase Your Clients. Testimonials and social proof are a great way that social media for gyms can turn on the faucet of new business. There are a lot of options and competition out there, and your prospect wants to see proof that what you offer works and actually solves a problem they have.
Again, the videos don’t have to be fancy or high-tech; in fact Colotti has found that raw videos connect with her audience better than professionally produced ones. “The most important thing is that people know you and can figure out what you do,” she said.
Client interviews not only provide powerful social proof, but they are treasure troves for repurposing content. Social media for gyms doesn’t have to cost and arm and a leg or take huge chunks of time. For example, Colotti has found that a single 20-minute video interview with a client can be easily chopped up into numerous video clips that can be shared across multiple platforms. The snippets can also be turned into blog posts and email newsletters.
- Don’t Focus Only On Fitness. Colotti has grown her social media following and audience engagement by leaps and bounds by posting on fun, even silly topics that show her personality and human side. This brings us back to the Steve Carell example at the beginning of the article.
Sure, there’s a place for posts about squat technique, deadlift tips and meal planning, as people turn to social media for inspiration and information. Just don’t forget that part of leveraging social media for gyms is being an entertainer, too. Colotti posts images and videos of her enjoying beer flights and milk shakes on the weekend. “It’s like posting about my inner 6-year-old,” she said. “We don’t live in cardboard boxes and don’t preach to our clients. You need to have a life and eat and drink stuff that you enjoy.”
- Check In And Review. Speaking of which, when Colotti is out at the brew pub or ice cream parlor on the weekend, she always makes a point to check in on social media and leave a review. And not just any review … a POSITIVE review! You know what mom used to say: “If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all.” Social media for gyms doesn’t always need to be about the gym; showcasing other small businesses goes a long way. “As a business owner, you should never leave a negative review for any business,” Colotti said. “It makes you human to recommend a small business where you had a good experience. If the business is tech savvy, they will share it and thank me and tag my business. Giver’s gain.”
- Collaborate with Influencers. Influencer marketing is a powerful tool that gym owners can tap into to reach a wider audience. Partnering with fitness influencers who align with your brand can expose your gym to their followers, driving more people to your social media platforms and potentially converting them into clients. Collaborate on workout videos, tutorials or challenge promotions to extend your reach and capitalize on the influencer’s expertise. Once the collaboration is established, Colotti suggests asking the influencer to share one of your lead magnets with his or her audience. It’s a way for the influencer to provide a valuable resource for free, and an opportunity for you to grow your social media following … and your email list, too.
Social media for gyms doesn’t have to be tedious or time-consuming. View it as an extension of yourself, your personality and your fitness community. Showcase things and people that make you feel proud. Use social media to peel back the curtain on all the amazing accomplishments and fun happening at your gym … without spending endless hours or money trying to get it perfect.
If you’re looking to grow your fitness business but don’t have an advertising budget, you should check out our free guide: “51 Ways to Acquire Clients Without Facebook Ads.”