Sweat Equity: The Role of Confidence in the Fitness Industry

Welcome back to Sweat Equity Digital. In this edition, we’re looking at the role of confidence and competency in the fitness industry and how you can leverage Instagram and branded apps to keep your fitness brand relevant and competitive.

New This Week: Confidence for the fitness professional… Making the most of your Instagram account email…The role of branded apps in generating revenue… Interview with the founder of Revived Strength, Jake Eisenhut.

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Confidence Is Key

Why confidence matters as a fitness professional.

Fitness professionals are often known for their confident swagger and charisma; couple that with approachability, and you’ll win a client for life.

But whether you’re new to the fitness industry or have been around for ages, with the rapid changes and developments in workout delivery and technology, it’s easy to sometimes allow uncertainty to creep in – and, in result, lose that swagger.

Jim Taylor Ph.D., who specializes in the psychology of sport, defines confidence as: “How strongly you believe in your capabilities to learn new skills, perform at a certain level, attain a goal, or achieve your own definition of success.”

3 Ways Confidence Matters as a Fitness Professional

Your level of confidence directly impacts your ability to make decisions, communicate calmly and concisely, execute strategy, build and maintain genuine relationships, and gracefully own personal errors and misjudgments. Not only can a lack of confidence damage your credibility, but it can also hurt your revenue potential. Investing in the development of your emotional intelligence and self-awareness is a service to your clients, your brand, and your profession.

How confidence benefits you as a fitness professional:

1. Earn trust as an authority
2. Crush personal fears
3. Silence self-doubt

Science is proving that while some people are born with inherent traits that naturally give way to confidence, personal development is an equally important precursor to confidence.

Building confidence begins with:

• Knowing what your passion is
• Embracing risks––don’t avoid adversity
• Fleeing the popularity contest––grow respect, then followers
• Paying attention to body language––smile, posturing, and eye contact (even digitally) convey confidence
• Continued learning––continuing education increases your awareness and influence in your industry

Be mindful of things that undermine your confidence: unrealistic expectations, stress, personal disturbances in relationships, finances, and even health.

Feed Your Professional Competence

Focus is a subtle thing that seriously impacts your confidence and competence vibes. Find whatever it takes to keep and renew your focus––meditation, reading, physical activities––because clarity of communication and behavior reverberates, “Yes, I know exactly what I am doing!”

No, being confident doesn’t mean you have all of the answers, so be intentional about developing a support system or finding a mentor with whom you can work through decisions, celebrate accomplishments, and identify areas where you have power and can take action. Stack your personal resources through professional networking. And lastly, be transparent and have a sense of humor lest your confidence be nothing more than finely-tuned arrogance.

Making the Most of Your Instagram Account

It’s time to get [strategically] social.

Digital marketing strategies for gyms and online personal trainers won’t be losing traction anytime soon and Instagram is still social media’s sweet spot when it comes to engaging audiences.

Your fitness business’s marketing repertoire should, at a minimum, focus on sharing stories on Instagram. But you’ll reach a new competitive edge by spending focused time developing your brand with consistent posting, using relevant hashtags, sharing user-generated content, and tapping into influencers.

These trends are getting attention on Instagram so it’s a good idea to find out how they might benefit your fitness business.

Following trends on social media is a great way to stay relevant but don’t forget who you are. Incorporate trends into your content strategy to help build your audience and connect with current clients but the trends don’t need to be the main thing.

Simplify your Instagram Content Strategy

According to Sprout Social Media, setting an Instagram content strategy is as easy as:

1. Setting your marketing goals and defining your purpose on the platform. Your purpose might be building brand loyalty, winning new clients, affiliate marketing, or promoting programs.
2. Optimizing your profile to ensure engagement. Make sure to:
   • set your account to Business to gain access to insightful metrics
   • decide on and faithfully use a hashtag (or two)
   • make your bio and profile pic count with a strategic, branded message
3. Prepping content media: images, videos, memes, stories
4. Minding your publishing rhythm: timing, frequency, and caption jargon shouldn’t be haphazard

Having a solid #ContentStrategy can often be the difference between a successful #MarketingCampaign and one that drags on without seeing results. Here are some tips to help you make an effective one. pic.twitter.com/C5HoxMwWfg

— Aaron Agius (@IAmAaronAgius) July 26, 2020

Tap Into Influencers

Influencers can post photos, videos, or stories. You’ll be expected to pay according to the number of followers an influencer has and for the duration of the screen or link share. But most influencers create their own rate so there’s no one-size-fits-all pay scale. Lesser-known micro-influencers may charge by the hour to create content for you while celebrity influencers design pricing according to their engagement rate.

Most influencers list their email on their Instagram Bio or can be contacted via their blog. If you’re really interested in working with someone but don’t find a contact, it’s perfectly acceptable to DM them. Be upfront as to why you’re reaching out and be sure to have an offer ready.

Note: don’t get caught off-guard or feel cheated because, by law, all influencers must disclose when their posts are sponsored. In their Disclosures Guidance for Online Influencers, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) mandates that any type of “material connection” be disclosed by an influencer to their audience. That includes posts sponsorships from payment, gifts/free stuff, and professional and familial business connections.

Fitness #Hashtags

With a sea of hashtags to choose from, it can often feel daunting trying to narrow down the hashtags you should be using on your business’s Instagram. Here are some sources that offer up some creative inspiration as you target your Instagram Followers:

NEW #ontheblog: Top Fitness Hashtags For Instagram Followers, Likes & Engagement https://t.co/XuDZ1OjDvW #fitnessmarketing #instagrammarketing pic.twitter.com/EoZQWxAC0S

— Wellness Creative Co (@wellnesscreativ) September 24, 2019

And, if you want an exclusive Exercise.com resource: 100 Most Popular Fitness Hashtags on Instagram

Branded Apps = Increased Profits

The role of branded apps in generating revenue

According to smartphone stats, “Smartphone internet usage statistics reveal that three-quarters of the global population will exclusively use smartphones when accessing the internet by 2025.” (CNBC)

You hear all the hype surrounding branded apps – how they build your business, increase visibility, and boost revenue – but how does having a branded app do these things? Here’s the low-down:

• Identify the target audience. A branded app is key in marketing strategies because it helps in determining your target audience. Designing an app that’s appealing to the masses really isn’t possible because not everyone wants (or even needs) your services. So, figuring out who does is pivotal in reaching them. Integrate your app with social media for an even bigger ROI.
• Ultimate marketing tool. Decrease marketing expenses, communicate directly with customers (as an alternative to email) via in-app messages and push notifications, generate extra revenue with paywall content, maximize selling with automation features, use app data to customize services toward client needs, and be discoverable in iOS and Android Marketplaces.
• Customer loyalty. Marketing isn’t always the answer but connection is: with a branded app, drive client communication and feedback. Branding promotes image, offers personalization, and increases competitiveness.
• Membership Management efficiency. Apps offer real-time data that let you assess and navigate membership behavior, enabling you to deliver more of what your clients want.

Apps give the local gym an advantage as more people are conducting “near me” searches when they’re in the market for a particular service. Gym owners can also use streaming to keep members engaged, can benefit from in-app communication, and can manage renewals, payment automation, and wearable integration.