The Complete Guide to Grow Gym Instagram in 2024

Thirty-three minutes. Yep, that’s the average time adults in America spend on Instagram daily.

If you’re not using Instagram, as part of your gym’s marketing strategy in the fitness niche, you’re missing out on a lot of potential income that your competitors might grab.

We get that social media can seem scary and complicated, with so much competition.

You need to figure out what kind of posts will get popular, the perfect captions, and all the behind-the-scenes SEO work.

Sounds overwhelming, right?

But don’t worry, we’re here to help.

In this article, we’ll show you how to grow your gym’s Instagram presence successfully.

Understand How Instagram Works

Before we get to any other strategies the first thing you need to do is understand how the Instagram algorithm works.

The Instagram algorithm is like an automated system that decides what content to show users.

It looks at lots of different factors to figure out which posts people might like best.

For a gym’s Instagram, this means the algorithm pays attention to things like how often people interact with your posts by liking, commenting, or sharing them.

It also considers how quickly people engage with your content after you post it, and how long they spend looking at your posts or videos.

To get a better understanding of how the algorithm works, watch this video where the CEO of Instagram explains it himself.

Set Up Your Instagram Profile

Once you are ready to step into the Instagram world, the next step is to make a profile for your gym.

Go on Instagram.com or use the Insta app on your phone and create a business profile over a regular one as having a business account gives you access to tools that can show you insights about your audiences.

After that, you have to fill up your bio.

Here are five key points you need to cover to create the perfect Instagram bio for your gym:

• A description of what you offer (e.g., type of gym, specialties)
• Add a touch of your brand’s unique personality
• Include a direct call to action to guide visitors. (e.g., “Book a free trial class”)
• Provide a link to your website or a relevant landing page. (preferably using a tool like Linktree for multiple links)
• Relevant emojis or hashtags to enhance visual appeal and searchability

Here is an example of what a gym bio can look like:

So your gym bio could be something like this:

• 💪 Hello, fitness fanatics!
• 🏋️‍♀️ Where iron meets passion, 24/7
• 🔥 50+ classes to sculpt your best self
• 🌟 First sweat session’s on us - Book below!
• 📍 Miami’s heartbeat

As you can see saying"Hello fitness fanatics" in the beginning not only gives the bio a touch of personality that’s uniquely energetic but also clearly defines who you are speaking to: people who are passionate about fitness.

After the greeting, the bio quickly shows what’s special: over 50 classes to choose from.

This shows there’s a lot of variety, which makes your ideal follower curious to see which classes you offer.

Then it offers a free first session and tells you exactly how to get it - by booking through the link below.

This makes it easy for people to learn about the gym and try it out right away.

Then lastly there is a link, which is your one chance to send people directly to a website from your profile.

You can use it to take followers to your gym’s main website, where they can learn more or sign up for memberships.

Or, you can change this link often to match your latest posts or promotions.

For example, if you’re running a special New Year’s offer, you could update the link to go straight to that sign-up page.

Here is how some gyms do it

These links aren’t permanent - you can and should change them over time. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on which links are getting the most clicks.

Try out different links and see what works best. As your gym gets more followers and more people visit your profile, you might find that some links work better than others.

It’s all about testing and improving. You might start with a link to your class schedule, but later find out that encouraging people to send a direct message for a free trial sign-up page gets more action.

Use AI to Help You Create Content for Your Instagram

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become mainstream in 2024 and if you are not using AI tools to grow your fitness account, you would be missing out on its benefits.

AI tools can help you in the following ways with your fitness Instagram account:

• Caption writing
• Content ideas
• Hashtag suggestions
• Image creation and editing
• Video script generation
• Workout routine planning
• Nutrition tip creation
• Engagement prompts (questions to ask followers)
• Scheduling recommendations

Now the question is how and which AI to use to help you execute the things mentioned above. Here are some AI platforms you can check out.

AI Platforms to Consider:

1. ChatGPT: This AI can assist in generating engaging captions, workout tips, and even blog post ideas. It can help you maintain a consistent posting schedule with fresh and creative content.
2. Lumen5: This platform turns text into engaging videos. You can input your blog posts or articles, and Lumen5 will create short videos perfect for Instagram.
3. Canva: Canva’s AI-powered design tools can help you create stunning visuals and videos. You can use templates tailored for Instagram Reels and Stories, making it easy to produce professional-looking content.
4. Midjourney or DALL-E: For creating unique, eye-catching images for your posts.
5. Jasper.ai: Specializes in creating marketing copy and can help with longer captions or bio writing.
6. Hootsuite Insights: Uses AI to analyze your audience and suggest optimal posting times.

If you haven’t used AI before, we suggest starting with ChatGPT. This will help you understand how AI works.

It’s also important to learn how to give the AI the right instructions so it can create the type of response you want.

Once you get the hang of it, you can try using other tools like Lumen or Midjourney.

Example Prompts You Can Use on ChatGPT or Jasper:

• For post ideas: “Generate 5 Instagram post ideas for a gym focusing on strength training.”
• For captions: “Write an engaging Instagram caption for a post about the importance of proper form in weightlifting.”
• For fitness challenges: “Create 15-minute HIIT workout routines suitable for a gym Instagram Reel.”
• For nutrition tips: “Suggest 3 quick, high-protein meal ideas for post-workout Instagram stories, especially for those focused on weight loss.”
• For motivational content: “Generate a short, inspiring quote about fitness persistence for an Instagram post.”
• For seasonal content: “Suggest 5 summer-themed workout ideas for outdoor Instagram content.”

Make Short Fitness Videos and Instagram Reels

Today, people have shorter attention spans.

To catch your audience’s attention, you need to make videos that are short and get the message across quickly.

This type of content is known as reels.

Reels make up over 30% of the time users spend on Instagram, making them a great way to grab attention.

Also, Reels have a 67% higher interaction rate compared to traditional video posts.

Here are some short Instagram reel ideas that you can post:

• 30-second equipment tutorial: Show how to properly use a piece of gym equipment.
• “Move of the Day”: Demonstrate a single exercise with proper form.
• Quick transformation Tuesday: Show a client’s before and after in a creative transition.
• 1-minute HIIT workout: Share a short, intense workout routine that your Instagram followers can do anywhere.
• Gym tour: Do a fast-paced walkthrough of your facilities.
• Meal prep idea: Show a quick, healthy meal preparation suitable for gym-goers.
• Form check challenge: Demonstrate common exercise mistakes and how to correct them.
• “What’s in my gym bag?”: Have a trainer or member unpack their gym essentials.
• Motivational Monday: Share an inspiring quote with energetic background music and visuals.
• Stretch routine: Demonstrate a quick post-workout stretching sequence.
• “Gym hack”: Share a clever fitness tip or trick.
• Before/during/after class: Show the energy of a group fitness class in a quick montage.
• Gym fails to win: Show a common mistake, then the correct way to perform an exercise.
• Member Spotlight: Feature a member’s fitness journey in a quick interview style.

Instagram’s CEO, Adam Mosseri, mentioned in a video that Instagram will put more emphasis on videos, especially Reels. So making short videos is the way to go on Instagram.

Post Consistently on Instagram

Have you ever heard of the compound effect? Turns out it applies to Instagram as well.

Instagram’s algorithm favors accounts that post regularly and engage with their target audience, boosting your visibility further.

Without consistent posting, you risk losing momentum, falling off followers’ radars, and slowing your growth.

Every time you post, talk to followers or get a new follower, your Instagram page grows a little. It’s like adding a tiny bit of snow to your snowball.

At first, you might not see much change. But if you keep at it, day after day, week after week, your page starts to grow faster.

But other than being consistent, the timing of when you are posting matters too.

An analysis of over 5 million Instagram posts reveals that the best time to post for engagement is generally between 7:00 AM and 8:00 AM on weekdays.

Users tend to check their phones before starting their day or during their morning commute.

Here are some of the best times to post on Instagram:

1. Weekday mornings between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. are great for catching people as they wake up or during their morning commute.
2. Lunchtime (around 12 p.m.) on Wednesdays and Fridays can be good for engagement.
3. Thursday evenings between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. tend to see higher engagement as the weekend approaches.
4. For weekends, try Saturday mornings at 7 a.m. or Sunday evenings at 7 p.m., though engagement is generally lower on weekends.

Examples of fitness content that you can post:

Wednesdays at noon:

Ask engaging questions to boost interactions.

• Example: “What’s your go-to post-workout snack?” or “What’s your biggest fitness challenge this week?”

Fridays at noon:

• Share transformation stories or client successes.
• This can inspire others and showcase the results your gym can help achieve.

Thursdays at 6 p.m:

• Post fitness tips or quick workout videos.
• This timing aligns with the higher Thursday evening engagement and can help motivate people for end-of-week workouts.

Here are some more ideas about what you can post on your gym’s Instagram account.

Make Use of Influencer Marketing and User-Generated Content for Your Gym Instagram

Influencer marketing is a great way to get your gym noticed.

It’s when a fitness influencer on Instagram talks about your gym to their followers.

The beauty of influencer marketing is its versatility - you don’t need to aim for celebrities with millions of followers. Instead, consider:

• Local fitness enthusiasts
• Personal trainers
• Athletes in your area
• Wellness bloggers
• Even your own dedicated gym members

Your Clients Can Be Your Best Influencers

Did you know that a majority of consumers trust what influencers say about a business more than what the business says about itself?

This means that when someone else talks about how great your gym is, people are more likely to believe it.

The Power of User-Generated Content (UGC)

User Generated Content (UGC) is stuff that your gym members create.

This could be photos of them working out at your gym, videos of their progress, or stories about how your gym helped them get fit.

When you share this content on your Instagram, it feels more real and trustworthy to people looking at your page.

How to Use This for Your Gym

1. Ask your fittest or most improved members to share their gym experiences on Instagram.
2. Look for local fitness influencers who might want to try out your gym and share about it.
3. Encourage all your members to tag your gym in their workout photos or videos.
4. Share the best member photos and stories on your gym’s Instagram page.

Remember, the goal is to show real people getting real results at your gym. This can be much more powerful than just posting about your equipment or classes.

Research Popular Fitness Hashtags on Instagram

Hashtags are super important on Instagram. They’re like labels that help people find your posts.

When you use hashtags, more people who like fitness can see what you share.

For example, #FitnessGoals or #GymLife. These hashtags group posts about the same topic together.

Why Use Hashtags?

When you use a hashtag, your post shows up on that hashtag’s page.

People can search for hashtags they’re interested in or even follow them.

This means more people can find your gym’s posts.

How Many Hashtags Should You Use?

You can use up to 30 hashtags on a post, but that might be too many.

Around 11 hashtags per post is usually a good number to aim for.

Finding the Right Hashtags for Your Gym

1. Look at what other gyms are using.
2. Check out trending fitness hashtags on Instagram.
3. Use Instagram’s suggestions to find related hashtags that can complement your video content.
4. Create your own branded hashtag, like #YourGymName or #YourGymCommunity.

Good hashtags can help more people discover your gym on Instagram. Try different ones and see what works best for you!

Increase User Interaction

Getting people to interact with your posts is a must on Instagram.

It’s not just about how many people see your stuff, but how many people actually do something with it.

Let’s look at ways to get more people to like, comment, and share your gym’s posts.

What Counts as Interaction?

Interaction means when people:

• Like your posts
• Leave comments
• Share your content
• Save your posts
• Click on the links you share

Tips to Boost Interaction

• Use Relatable Dialect in Your Posts
  • Add emojis to make your captions more fun 😊💪
  • Use bold letters for important words
  • In stories, use stickers like polls or question boxes
• Ask Questions
  • End your posts with a question to get people talking
  • Example: “What’s your favorite post-workout snack?”
• Post Stories Often
  • Stories keep your gym at the top of people’s feeds
  • Use interactive stickers in stories to encourage responses
• Create FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
  • Show the fun side of your gym
  • Post about special classes or events
  • Make people feel they’re missing out if they’re not part of your gym community
• Respond to Comments
  • Always reply to comments on your posts
  • This shows you care and encourages more interaction
• Run Contests or Challenges
  • Ask people to comment or share to enter
  • This can really boost your interaction rates

The more people interact with your posts, the more Instagram will show your content to others. So, focus on creating posts that people want to engage with!

Check out more ideas about improving your gym’s social media marketing.

Conclusion

Growing your gym’s Instagram can be a fun and rewarding journey.

By focusing on creating engaging content like short fitness videos and Reels, using AI tools to streamline your content creation, and staying consistent with your posts, you can attract more followers and build a strong online community.

Remember to interact with your audience, share valuable tips, and showcase the unique aspects of your gym.

With these strategies, you’ll see your Instagram account flourish and help more people discover the benefits of fitness.