How to build a successful Fitness Instagram account
By Martin Ebner
When I first started using Instagram some 10 years ago, I had no idea what I was doing, why I was doing it or the potential it held to create something truly meaningful. Fast forward to the present and while the platform may have changed significantly during this time, the basics remain the same. Albeit more challenging than it once was to build a successful Instagram account.
While many social media platforms have come and gone over the years, Instagram, through some good but also some questionable methods has remained one of the most popular social media platforms in the world.
With fitness icons like Michelle Lewin aka the body and Simeon panda, who now pocket upwards of six-figure annual revenue from Instagram, everyday fitness enthusiasts are now seeking to follow in the footsteps of Instagram’s most successful fitness icons.
With more than 1.2 billion potential followers up for grabs, here are some top tips on how to stand out from the crowd and stake your place amongst Instagram's most popular #fitfam personalities.
Post 1 photo at a time
Your most active photo is almost always your most recent. That said, you need to allow sufficient time for your posts to gain traction and engagement. If you post too frequently, you reduce your chances of hitting the explore page which is essentially where the magic happens. Admittedly it's very hard to get there but if you're patient, consistent and gradually increase the engagement of your posts over time, you stand a far greater chance of getting there than if you force it.
Tip: Allow at least 8-12 hours between posts. Otherwise, you run the risk of becoming yesterday’s story before you even make the news.
Quality over quantity
Flashing a photo of your calves or booty every other day may seem impressive, but you are just one of the millions of fitness Instagrammers with a similar idea. If you have nothing of quality to upload, don’t panic, just wait it out until you have something of substance. Trust me, the quality of your photos and videos will speak for themselves. Also, if you choose to focus on and build your account around your body and not your mind, your lifespan as an influencer will be short-lived.
Write engaging Captions
While it's important to have visually appealing and high-quality images and videos, it’s equally important to take the time to write meaningful captions that give an audience a reason to follow along and engage. Again, while a photo of your calves or booty may seem relevant and meaningful, if you want real engagement from real people, it's worth taking the time to write something worth engaging with.
Tip: Allow yourself to be vulnerable and speak from personal experience(s). It’s much more relatable and will encourage more meaningful interactions with your followers and community.
Stay active and post regularly
If you're into fitness, you know just how important it is to stay active and to be consistent. If you truly want to build a successful and hopefully profitable Instagram account, you need to invest just as much time, if not more so, on social media than you would in the gym. Think about it this way. If you were to work out 7 days one week and zero the next, your chances of building and maintaining a hot and sculpted bod would be very low. Instagram is no different. Using it sporadically will lead to slumps of inactivity and failure to gather any momentum. Just like in fitness, you need to put in the work.
Tip: Make sure to post regularly enough to keep your followers interested but not so often that you bore people with repeat poor quality content. Aim for 1 high-quality post every day/every other day.
Interact with your followers
If somebody actively follows you, pay attention! If you want love you must show love. Comment back, like their photos, and always make sure to thank them for their support.
Tip: To boost follower interaction, add genuine and relevant questions to your captions. Studies show that a simple "how do you start your day?" or "what's your favorite exercise?" will engage more followers.
Use hashtags
Relevant Hashtags are so important when starting out, especially when trying to attract like-minded fitness enthusiasts. Here are a few tips on how to effectively use hashtags on Instagram.
Use all 30 Hashtags
You’re allowed 30 hashtags (10 per story) so use them all. The more you use, the more chance you have of being seen. If you’re worried about it looking unprofessional or desperate, post the hashtags immediately into the comments.
Use relevant Hashtags
Keep your hashtags relevant to its content If you’re posting a video of a bicep workout, keep them Bicep/arm-specific.
Use more niche and location-specific hashtags
If you use super generic hashtags like #fitfam or #workouts, you’ll essentially be lost like a needle in a haystack. Instead, go for more niche hashtags like #fitfambarcelona or #workoutsformen. This will allow your posts to remain active for longer under these hashtags and will encourage more like-minded followers in your niche.
Tag other relevant accounts and followers
Make sure to tag other accounts and followers that are relevant to your posts and content. This will help generate more engagement and will encourage your content to be shared among your community. The more it’s shared, the more it seen, the more likely you are of being found and followed.
Use as many of the features as possible
While there are a lot of different features to get your head around, it’s important for discovery to use as many as possible. That means posts (pictures/videos), stories, Reels, Lives and guides. Once you find your favorite features, you can prioritize them but it’s worth trying them all out to see which ones are most beneficial and suitable to you and your followers.
Don't buy followers or likes
As desperate as you may be for celebrity-like status, whatever you do, avoid buying followers and likes at all costs. These fake accounts offer nothing more than a number and for anyone in the know that looks at your account, they will quickly recognize that something isn’t right. The Instagram algorithm is also much more intelligent than it used to be so if you have loads of followers but have very low engagement (%) your content and account could be penalized.
Instead, build your account organically with active followers. Yes, it will take much longer but this method will help you climb the ladder to Instagram fame and help you stay there!
Patience is key
Like most things in life, it pays to be patient. Building a successful Instagram account doesn't happen overnight. If you are building your account organically, you shouldn't expect more than 100 new active followers per month for the first year. Once you hit the 1000+ active followers with good engagement, you can expect to see more significant growth.
There you have it future #fitfam elite. Get creating, get posting and good luck!
