The fitness industry is worth billions upon billions of dollars each and every year. Just the gym industry alone is worth over $100 billion and much of that revenue is generated thanks to the power of the fitness influencer. And with so much money to make, it should come as no surprise that fitness is one of the most valuable niches in influencer marketing.
But that also means that it’s one of the most competitive. With fitness influencers seemingly everywhere, you’ll need to ask yourself two big questions before you decide if influencer marketing in the fitness industry is the right choice for you.
Do you really want this?
And we mean really want this. Because let’s face facts, becoming a fitness influencer will take a lot of hard work and determination as it’s quite possibly one of the most competitive niches out there. There will be times when you feel like you’re creating content for no one but yourself. After all, you’ll need time to build a decent following on whatever platform you decide to focus on.
So before you start out, ask yourself if you really want this. If your answer is anything other than a resounding yes, then perhaps this is not the niche for you.
Do you have the fitness expertise?
You don’t need to be a qualified fitness instructor to become an influencer, but you will certainly need a certain level of both experience and expertise. You could be a part time football coach that has been training your local team for years or you could be someone who runs marathons for fun. You could even simply be someone who was once overweight but managed to get into great shape through your own methods.
It doesn’t matter what it is exactly, but there needs to be some aspect of you as a person that will make people want to listen to you and ultimately trust what you have to say on fitness.
Now if you’ve answered yes to those two questions, it’s time to take a look at how to be a successful fitness influencer.
Choose your fitness niche
If you have read any of our other guides on becoming an influencer, you may have noticed one of the first things we always recommend is to find your niche. Now you may think that by choosing fitness you have already found your niche, but if you know the world of fitness, then you’ll know that the competition is really stiff. But if you want to know how to be a successful influencer, you only need to take a look at the top two fitness influencers on the planet right now.
The likes of Chloe Ting (23.4 million YouTube subscribers) and Demi Bagby (14.3 million TikTok followers) have shown that having a unique approach to fitness is what gets you the massive audiences. In Chloe’s case, it’s her short challenges that help people to get in shape and lose weight while Demi’s approach is extreme workout videos that build muscle.
In both cases, these fitness influencers focused on one aspect of the fitness industry (losing weight and building muscle) and created unique content that appealed to their target audience. So pick a niche that you have some experience in and stick to it.
Be personal
Nothing works better in the world of fitness than a story of personal progress. People want to hear that you were just like them at some point in your life. That you couldn’t stretch or you couldn’t lift the sofa when moving house. That you were overweight or that you couldn’t run up a flight of stairs. They want to know that the process you are pushing in your content actually works and that you are living proof of it.
But yes, we know that not everyone has a story exactly like that so it’s a good thing that’s not the only way you can reach your audience. Think about what makes you, you. Are you a vegan bodybuilder? Do you play the guitar to wind down after your workout sessions? Hey, it might work for some folks. Or perhaps your pet always likes to get involved when you’re working out. There are always certain aspects of your personal life that you can integrate into your social media content that will make you both unique and relatable. And that is what will make you memorable.
Be consistent
Yep, we’ve said before and we’ll say it again, consistency is everything in the world of social media influencer marketing. Following a set routine or format with your content creation means that your audience will know what to expect with each of your videos. It’s this sense of familiarity that builds trust. And in case you didn’t realise it until now, trust is what will make your followers pick up their credit cards and sign up for that gym membership you’re promoting or buy that jump rope you’re selling.
Focus on engagement
Too many people that start out in the influencer industry focus too heavily on follower counts. But while the 23.4 million followers Chloe Ting has is impressive, what really matters to the brands that want to work with her is not just the follower count but the engagement on her videos. They want to see that your audience cares about what you are saying and reacts to it in a positive way.
This is why it’s more important to focus on getting your followers to engage with you and your content. This can be done through encouraging comments or asking followers to let you know their progress. You can even try AMA (ask me anything) sessions that are a surefire way to encourage engagement. Just remember that engagement is a two-way street. You’ll need to respond to as many questions and comments as you can in the beginning. Hopefully, soon enough you’ll have too many comments to respond to!
If becoming a fitness influencer is your goal or if you’ve already built a loyal following, then we’d like to hear from you. Here at Hunter Talent, we help influencers connect with the right fitness brands and companies that ‘fit’ their image. Get in touch today or fill out our application form and let’s see what we can do to help you.
