Starting A Fitness Instagram — 5 Steps To Your First 1000 Followers

Starting a fitness Instagram can be a great way to build an online business and promote your brand. Whether you run a studio, sell fitness products, or want to become an influencer, Instagram is likely to be an effective marketing channel. But where do you start?

In this article – we share how to start a fitness Instagram in 5 simple steps and get your first 1000 followers…

Here’s a quick overview of the steps involved…

1. Get clear on your objective
2. Create an awesome profile
3. Develop content for your ideal client
4. Follow and interact
5. Rinse, repeat, and scale what’s working

Now let’s look at each one in more detail…

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Step #1 – Get clear on your objective

With any kind of marketing activity, having a clear objective is crucial. The reason you’re starting a fitness Instagram will influence the kind of content you post.

Do you want to promote active aging classes or post-pregnancy fitness programs? Are you trying to get new gym members or PT clients? Or will you be driving traffic to your website where you sell fitness products?

Once you’re clear on WHY you’re starting a fitness Instagram, you can tailor your profile and content accordingly…

Learn how to… start an online fitness business or become a fitness influencer.

Step #2 – Create an awesome profile

This step is essential to build a fitness Instagram that attracts followers. A strong Instagram profile will help you get found in search results. It’s often the first thing people see, so it needs to make a positive first impression.

The 3 most important elements of your profile are:

• Profile picture – use a professional logo or headshot photograph
• Bio – include keywords to help potential followers find your content
• Link – drive people to a lead capture page, not just your website homepage

There’s a lot more to an awesome profile but nailing these 3 things is fundamental. To learn about this topic in more detail, check out our articles on creating a killer fitness bio for Instagram and highlights ideas for fitness brands.

Step #3 – Develop content for your ideal client

Now it’s time to start creating your fitness Instagram content – we’re talking about images, reels, stories, captions, and hashtags.

In terms of imagery, mouthwatering healthy meals, inspirational quotes, and aspirational fitness activities (like beach yoga) all work well. But you need to think about what fitness content will appeal to YOUR specific audience and is authentic for your brand.

Using Instagram reels, stories, and carousels are also vital for growing a new account. The platform will show your account to more people if you post a variety of different formats. In fact, research shows that Instagram reels have the biggest reach and get most likes, so it’s crucial to incorporate them into your content strategy.

Whatever format you opt for, use consistent filters and colours so that your feed has a cohesive theme. Include relevant health, fitness, or yoga hashtags depending on your niche.

When it comes to captions, there are several schools of thought…

Some accounts keep them short and snappy so that people absorb the key message even if they’re skimming. Others write longer ‘mini blog posts’ with a lot more detail, using emoticons to break up the text.

We like to use a mix of both and include a clear call to action such as ‘double tap if you agree’ or ‘follow our bio link for more info’.

⇒ To help you stay organised, use a tool like Later to schedule your posts ahead of time. It’ll also help you plan your layout and tile patterns so you end up with a smart-looking feed.

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Step #4 – Follow & interact

Starting a fitness Instagram isn’t just about creating great content – it’s about interacting too.

Identify other accounts that your ideal client might like, and then check out that account’s followers. Follow anyone who might be interested in your content – most people will take a look at profiles that follow them, and some will follow you back.

In our experience, around 20% of people follow back, so you’ll need to follow about 5000 people to get your first 1000. That may sound like a lot, but it breaks down to approx 165 per day over a month.

The key to starting a successful fitness page is to genuinely interact with the people who follow you back. Like and comment on their content, so you start to build relationships.

What we DON’T advocate is the follow/unfollow method – this is where you follow people, and then immediately unfollow them after they follow you back.

This may get your follower count up quickly, but it doesn’t develop any kind of real relationship. So it’s unlikely to lead to strong engagement or develop raving fans who’ll purchase what you offer.

⇒ Should I use Instagram bots? There are many companies offering automated ‘bots’ that’ll automatically follow Instagram users on your behalf. They can save a lot of time, but Instagram may ban your account if they find out, so tread carefully.

Step #5 – Rinse, repeat & scale what’s working

The next step is to identify what’s been most effective and double down on those efforts.

After you’ve reached a milestone (say 30 days or 1000 followers), spend an hour reviewing your Instagram profile and posts. Evaluate what’s worked well and what can be improved.

• What type of content was the most popular?
• Which account’s audience followed you back most often?
• Were there any specific themes or hashtags that performed particularly well?

Once you’ve identified the most effective elements, focus your efforts on those for the next 30 days. This will ensure that you continue to grow your fitness Instagram rather than hitting a plateau.

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Starting A Fitness Instagram In 5 Simple Steps

So, now you know exactly how to start a fitness Instagram. By following these 5 steps, you’ll establish a strong foundation for your account and set yourself up for long-term success.

Having a clear objective will ensure that your social efforts align with your business goals. A strong profile and creative content will help you appeal to your ideal client.

Following others enables you to develop relationships with people who may be interested in your offering. And evaluating your efforts will help you scale quickly, and build your fitness Instagram into a truly effective marketing channel.