Instagram is one of the most powerful social media platforms for companies in the fitness industry. Fitness and Instagram are both visual-based, which makes them a perfect match.
Fitness is visual, in that, seeing is believing. You can visualize your success and see results. Consumers turn to Instagram for workout routines, the inspiration of “what do I want to be” or “how do I want to feel,” and to be a part of a fitness community.
We’ve taken a new approach to our Instagram strategy based on this visual connection — starting with a schedule of posts that portrays the story we want to tell. As a company, it’s our mission to showcase genuine fitness journeys and to celebrate keeping it REAL:
Relationships. The member-to-member relationship is one of the most important aspects of your club and can be driven through social media and Instagram. Celebrate your members. The #MemberCrushMonday hashtag is one of our favorite ways to do so.
Engage. Engage your audience with interactive posts that encourage a response. Ask questions and develop challenges and contests with social submissions using your proprietary hashtag. When followers use your hashtag (#NACLife), it shows their network that they identify with your brand.
Attitude. Find your voice and style of your brand. Your posts reflect your business and you want them to appeal on an emotional level. Everyone is inspired by something — find your way to inspire: before and after pictures, motivational quotes, client highlights and successes. A picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth much more. Utilize applications like Boomerang for quick, viewer-friendly videos.
Learn. It’s our responsibility to generate educational content with a solution amid the many fitness myths. It’s also our responsibility to “listen.” Stick with a three-to-one ratio across your digital platform — for every three pieces of content, make one helpful.
Our members are our brand. Telling their real #NACLife story is the key to our campaigns.
Taylor Antolino is the marketing director for Newtown Athletic Club. Email her at taylora@newtownathletic.com.
