What comes to mind when you hear the word social media? It may be where you post vacations, the food you eat, workouts you like or check out what friends are doing. Platforms like Instagram can be leveraged to showcase you as a reputable trainer.
The world of social media (because it’s practically a world of its own) creates a great opportunity for you as a trainer to position yourself on informing those sifting downwardly on the phones of your services and expertise.
Why Bother With Hashtags?
As a trainer you want your images, information, services, or whatever you may feel pertinent in marketing yourself, to be viewed by likeminded individuals. Using the correct hashtags puts you that much closer to that goal.
Photos are the heart of Instagram, but hashtagging enables you to target more of the demographic you are looking to capture.
Say you just wrapped up a kick butt session with a new client steaming to be uploaded for your friends and fellow trainers to see.
Let’s be honest we all like to show off our talents and abilities; this feels even better when they are recognized by those close to us or even stranger that stumbles upon your “leg session with Jim”. and garners a great deal of activity (likes, comments, shares, etc).
Hashtagging is using the pound symbol (#) followed by terms SPECIFICALLY related to the activity or actions being performed.
In our example with Jim, say we had him focus on barbell squats, leg extensions, and leg curls.
The key to proper hashtagging is to use words that convey what is actually occurring in the image or video in a hierarchal format.
Let’s use “leg day” with Jim as an example.
Three Steps to Fitness Hashtagging
1. Hashtag the body part being worked out, being legs: #legday.
2. Hashtag the names of movement being performed: #squats #legextensions #legcurls.
3. Hashtag the broad terms, phrases, and ideas can be used that relates to fitness and exercise.
Commonly used are: #exercisemotivation #fitnessmotivation #diet #mealplans #personaltraining #grouptraining.
These are just a few but popular examples used that targets your images and videos to those that are into what you are into, which is #personaltraining and #exercise and #cardio. I think you get my point. Give it a go and watch those “likes”, “comments” and “views” shoot through the roof!
[info type=”facebook”]Share your best hashtags and Instagram posts with us in the NFPT Facebook Community Group and on Instagram. If you’re not certified yet, come talk with NFPT here, we would like to meet you![/info]
Mr. Dassin is an NFPT certified trainer, NFPT author, and fitness model. A staunch humanitarian and intellectual, Stephen boasts over 15 years of experience in the areas of health and fitness. Stephen’s approach to personal training is methodical in nature; his methods take an interpersonal and scientific based view of the connections of the human mind and the human anatomy and it’s capabilities. His passion for fitness is unparalleled. His athletic background fueled his poise in becoming knowledgeable about nutrition as well. This added fuel to his desire to help others achieve their own individual goals in the area of fitness such as himself. Join Stephen on his journey, not just a fitness journey but the greatest journey of them all: Life.
