Instagram has become the must-have tool for digital marketing and its importance as a tool for  achieving new leads can’t be overstated.

With over half of Australia’s population, 51.5% as of May 2022, now on Instagram it’s there’s never been a better time to start marketing on social media, if you haven’t already. 

The majority of overall Instagram users (3.8 million or 28% of total users) are in the crucial 25 to 34 age bracket. 24.4% of users are aged 18-24, while 18.5% are aged 35-44.

So if your gym, dance studio, dojo or martial arts customers are aged within these brackets then it’s more than likely they’re on Instagram.

 How to set up Instagram for your business

While it might be an easy thing to plan for, actually setting up an Instagram account for your business can take a few steps:

1. Open the account menu

Navigate to your profile and tap the menu button (three horizontal lines) in the top right-hand corner.

2. Select the Settings menu

Settings appears next to the cog icon.

3. Switch from personal to professional

Select ‘Account’ the scroll to select ‘Switch to Professional Account' in the next menu.

5. Pick your category

Follow prompts before picking the appropriate category for your business in the dropdown menu, tapping 'ok' to confirm.

7. Select ‘Business’ and ‘Next’.

Follow prompts to finalise your choice.

9. Input your Contact details and tap Next. Or select ‘Don’t use my contact info’.

You have the option to follow the steps to connect your business account to a Facebook Page associated with your business. 

10. Exit

Once the process is finished you can exit the menu by tapping ‘X’.

How to promote your fitness business with Instagram

Instagram is the perfect space for brands to show their personality with an authentic voice while achieving real-time interaction with its followers.

Instagram users have been shown to respond to

1. Optimise your profile

First thing's first. Make your profile page as clear as possible so consumers can see who, what and where you are.

Provide updated contact details.

2. Create 'like-worthy' content

Instagram, being a visual platform, is all about beautiful imagery, whether it's moving or still. For consumers to interact, follow and ultimately become customers they need to be attracted to your content.

Images

Still images are the Instagram format and still play a key role in the way users interact with the platform.

However, they need to be as striking as possible.

Reels

Launched around two years ago, reels are now the platform's most-engaged-with content. These  videos are served to consumers via the Reels tab and allow users to like, comment and share.

They also include tools for text overlays, product links and captions.

The best way to get the most from a reel is to create some high-quality video footage (check out our YouTube for fitness guide for more info) and share widely using tags, hashtags, product links and actionable, achievable or relatable content).

Stories

Stories are Instagram's answer to Snapchat, a post (which can be a still image or a video) that appears as part of a feed.

The best way for brands to utilise Stories are to save them on their highlight reel, that way they'll still appear after the arbitrary 24hours.

3. Interact with the community

They don't call it social media for no reason. The best way to build a loyal following is to interact with fellow-users in a friendly, knowledgeable and relatable way.

4. Create (and stick to) your brand aesthetic

Similar to your overall brand look and feel, your Instagram aesthetic should follow a similar look and feel to the one you already promote.

This can be through using the same filter on all your content, the same tone of voice and or graphic style.

Consumers tend to appreciate when brands or personalities have a strong and recognisable look and feel to their content.

5. Authenticity is key

While it's true consumers like recognisable aesthetics, it's also crucial to have an authentic voice that reflects your brand.

It's best not to try to be someone you're not as consumers tend to be attracted to authenticity.

6. Don't overuse hashtags

While it was once in vogue to fill captions with hashtags, eg #blessed, the thinking is now quality over quantity.

Stick to around 4-6 for each post and be sure to test them first if you're not sure. Nothing's worse than tapping onto an outdated or meaningless hashtag - consumers don't like their time being wasted.