Personal Trainer Social Media Marketing: Ideas and Examples
Social media is a powerful tool for personal trainers. It can help you to grow your brand, gain new clients, showcase your expertise, and even create additional income. In this guide we take you through ideas, tips and tricks for each platform to grow your PT business.
Social media isn’t just for sharing workout selfies or meal prep pics – it’s one of the best ways for personal trainers to increase their reach and grow their business online.
By tailoring content to different platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn, PT's can engage their audience with workout tutorials, client success stories, recipes, fitness challenges and much more.
Ready to dive in? Let’s get started on how you can use social media to boost your PT business.
What we’ll cover:
There are tons of personal trainer social media platforms out there to use in your marketing strategy, each with its own content style. While you can repurpose most content across platforms, it's important to tailor it to fit each one’s audience.
TikTok and YouTube, for example, thrive on engaging video content like workout routines and fitness tips. You could start a fitness challenge and encourage your followers to participate, helping to build a loyal community.
LinkedIn leans more towards insightful, text-based posts about industry trends or client success stories. This is a great place to highlight any professional achievements and build credibility, such as any certifications, awards or milestones you’ve reached.
On Instagram, think eye-catching photos and quick video snippets. For example, you might want to share before-and-after photos of clients’ progress (with their permission, of course). Don’t forget to use Instagram Stories for quick tips, polls and behind-the-scenes content.
Facebook is more versatile – it can handle a mix of videos, photos and longer updates. You could host live workout sessions that followers can join in real-time, or regularly share some simple fitness tips to keep people motivated.
Knowing what works – and where – can make all the difference in your social media game!
Instagram has a strong focus on visuals, making it perfect for showcasing fitness progress and inspiring others through photos and videos.
Trainers can highlight workout routines and client transformations, as well as their own fitness journeys. Instagram’s slideshow feature allows for more detailed content, such as infographics and step-by-step guides, and stories can help you keep clients engaged and updated with daily fitness tips, behind-the-scenes content and quick polls. You could also leverage user-generated content by re-sharing client posts, building a sense of community and trust.
And we can’t forget reels. Thanks to their wide reach and engaging format, they’re ideal for quick workout demos, fitness challenges and motivational content, helping trainers to expand their audience and attract new clients.
TikTok
The newest social media platform of all, TikTok’s unique algorithm can randomly boost visibility, making it a fantastic space for educational content. This randomness means that even new trainers can gain significant traction quickly.
You can get creative with workout ideas, demonstrating different exercises or routines in short, engaging videos. Sharing healthy recipes can also resonate well with your audience, providing valuable nutritional advice in a fun and accessible way.
You could try "day in the life" vlogs for a personal touch, allowing you to connect more deeply with your followers by giving them a glimpse into your daily routines and fitness habits. This blend of educational content and personal storytelling not only showcases expertise but also helps in building a loyal and engaged community.
Facebook might seem old school, but it's incredibly useful for personal trainers looking to build a strong community.
Through Facebook groups and pages, you can create a supportive space where clients can share success stories, ask questions and offer tips to fellow clients. This fosters a sense of camaraderie and mutual encouragement. By regularly posting updates, workout tips and motivational content, Facebook has proven itself to be an effective tool for keeping your clients informed and inspired.
YouTube
YouTube is a goldmine for personal trainers when it comes to educational, long-form video content. It's the perfect platform for sharing in-depth tutorials, like a comprehensive week's meal plan prep or a full 40-minute workout session.
The fact you can provide detailed explanations and demonstrations allows trainers to showcase their expertise and offer real value to their audience. Plus, YouTube’s searchability and wide reach mean that well-crafted content can attract new clients from all over the world, while also providing existing clients with valuable resources they can revisit anytime.
Unlike other platforms, LinkedIn thrives on text-based posts that blend inspiration with informative content. This makes it an ideal platform for you to share nutritional advice, professional tips on achieving peak performance and motivational messages – or even your favourite books – aimed at career-driven individuals.
By consistently posting engaging content that showcases expertise and industry knowledge, LinkedIn can help you attract a professional audience interested in health, wellness, and personal development. The platform’s focus on networking and professional growth also offers opportunities to connect with like-minded professionals, potentially leading to collaborations or business opportunities beyond just your clients.
Need some inspiration? Here are some personal trainer social media post ideas to give you a leg up.
Reviews and client success stories
Do your clients often rave about your services? Do they tell their friends and family about you?
This is incredible material for your personal trainer social media strategy. These testimonials serve as powerful social proof, demonstrating your expertise and ability to achieve results. Potential clients are more likely to trust a trainer with a proven track record of success, so sharing these stories could be invaluable for attracting new clients. Use photos or videos to accompany the reviews if possible.
Workout tutorials and examples
Workout tutorials are effective at demonstrating your expertise and teaching style. By showcasing exercises, techniques and workout routines, you’re giving potential clients a glimpse into what their training sessions could look like. This transparency helps to build trust and credibility, as people can assess if your approach aligns with their fitness goals and preferences.
Tutorials like these are also highly shareable content on social media platforms. When followers find value in a tutorial, they’re likely to share it with their own network, increasing your visibility and attracting new followers who may convert into clients.
The type of videos you share depends on your client base and the type of person you want to attract. You could share a full body workout for beginners, targeting all major muscle groups using basic exercises like squats, lunges, push-ups and planks. Or you might film a tutorial focusing on stretching and mobility exercises to improve flexibility and reduce stiffness for people recovering from injury.
Recipes
When you share nutritious and delicious recipes, you’re offering your audience practical solutions for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. These posts – which are also very visually appealing – can become go-to resources that followers bookmark and revisit, ensuring your page remains on their radar.
This consistency in delivering useful content not only builds trust but also encourages followers to share the recipes with their own networks, expanding your reach organically. By posting recipes that align with your fitness philosophy and target demographic, you can establish yourself as an authoritative figure in the industry, driving continuous traffic to your social media profile and potentially converting passive followers into active clients.
Competitions and challenges
Who doesn’t love the chance to win something? Competitions and challenges create a sense of excitement and involvement among your audience, prompting them to actively participate and interact with your content. Whether it's a fitness challenge, a giveaway, or a transformation contest, these activities encourage followers to engage with your posts by liking, commenting, sharing and tagging friends.
This increased interaction not only boosts your post visibility within social media algorithms but also attracts new followers who are intrigued by the buzz surrounding your challenges. When executed well with clear rules and enticing prizes, competitions and challenges can accelerate your online growth very quickly.
Stay consistent
As with most things in life, consistency is key to appearing reliable and trustworthy. Regular posting not only keeps your followers engaged but also establishes your credibility and authority in the fitness industry.
By scheduling content using a social media management tool, for example, trainers can ensure a steady flow of informative posts, workout routines, nutritional tips and client success stories that resonate with their target audience. Consistency reinforces brand visibility, increases followers' trust, and encourages them to turn to you for reliable fitness advice and motivation.
Posting frequently also improves algorithm visibility on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, helping you reach a wider audience and attract potential clients.
Be engaging
In a crowded digital landscape, where attention spans are short and competition is fierce, you need to capture and maintain your audience's interest from the get go. By posting content that’s not only informative but also interesting and relatable, you can build meaningful interactions with your followers. Engaging content depends on your audience’s values and goals, but it could be workout tips, nutritional advice, client success stories, or motivational posts. This kind of content encourages followers to actively participate by liking, sharing and commenting, expanding your profile into their network.
Keep it real
When you show the ups and downs of fitness journeys, you’re not just being honest, you’re building trust. People want to see the real deal, not just the highlight reel.
By sharing realistic stories and advice, you’re making your expertise more relatable and approachable. Skip the embellishments and controversial stuff; instead, focus on being helpful and educational. That way, you’re not just gaining followers – you’re creating a community that values authenticity and supports each other’s fitness goals.
Join the UNTIL community
Hopefully you’ve now got some inspiration under your belt and you feel confident getting your personal trainer social media up and running! The key is knowing what content works on which platforms, and you’ll learn this the more you post. Make sure you’re posting the kind of content your audience wants and needs – feel free to ask clients for feedback if you’re unsure. And be consistently and authentically you.
Social media marketing is just one way to grow your network as a personal trainer. Rent training space at UNTIL and you’ll unlock access to a supportive community of leading coaching, treatment and clinical professionals. Our base monthly membership includes access to facilities in all shapes and sizes available to book by the hour using credits, so you always have a perfect, professional space to train your clients. Join UNTIL now from just £100 a month.
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