The Top 22 Social Media Posts for the Fitness Industry
Fitness graphics, how they are used on websites, and how many times you should post.
The following is a list of basic fitness-related social media posts along with suggestions concerning which social media networks to use them on and the frequency at which they should be posted. I suggest using no more than 3-5 in any given month.
ARTICLE GRAPHIC
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS: Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
SUGGESTED FREQUENCY: 1-5x Weekly
SUMMARY: Article Graphic Posts are the header pictures from the articles posted on your website, or specific graphics that include the name of your article and your logo. The descriptions in the post should include the article name and a short description of the article along with a link to the article itself.
CHALLENGE GRAPHIC
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS: Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
SUGGESTED FREQUENCY: 1x Weekly or Biweekly
SUMMARY: Challenge posts can be pictures or videos challenging your followers to perform a certain exercise or workout using a specific weight, time period, or number of reps. This can include a prize or not. You should always ask people to post their results and give specifics about what qualifies as meeting the challenge.
PHOTO CONTEST GRAPHIC
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS:Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
SUGGESTED FREQUENCY: 1x Biweekly or Monthly
SUMMARY: Photo Contests require that your followers submit photos of themselves performing movements, feats of strength, or some form of artistic impression. Your post to announce the photo contest should include a good example of what you’re looking for. Give details about what types of photos will qualify for the contest and how and when people can win. You can include a prize or simply state that the winner will get posted on your feed or website as the official winner.
FOLLOWER QUESTION GRAPHIC
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS: Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
SUGGESTED FREQUENCY: 1x Weekly
SUMMARY: Follower Questions are attempts to engage your followers by asking a question about something that interests them. This could be related to their favorite exercise, workout, workout equipment, workout location, gym, food, etc. Ideally you’ll include a photo or video related to the question.
MOTIVATION GRAPHIC
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS:Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
SUGGESTED FREQUENCY: 1-2x Weekly
SUMMARY: Motivation Graphics are extremely easy to make, get lots of engagement, and are very shareable if you use the right quote. Always quote your source and use an interesting picture that relates to the quote somehow.
MOTIVATION VIDEO
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram
SUGGESTED FREQUENCY: 1x Biweekly
SUMMARY: Motivation videos are cinematic versions of the Motivation Graphic. Ideally you’ll use high quality video clips related to the quote combined with professional narration and graphics. They usually require some amount of video editing skill to execute properly.
EXERCISE TIP GRAPHIC
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS: Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
SUGGESTED FREQUENCY: 1-2x Weekly
SUMMARY: Exercise Tip Graphics should feature a graphic explaining key points about the proper form for an exercise. Usually the simpler the cues the better, unless the exercise is exceedingly complicated at which point you’ll need more detail and instruction.
EXERCISE TIP VIDEO
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS:Facebook, YouTube, Instagram
SUGGESTED FREQUENCY: 1-2x Weekly
SUMMARY: Exercise Tip Videos should feature narrated or graphically represented cues about a specific movement. Ideally, these videos are less than two minutes long and provide a demonstration of the exercise combined with a step by step tutorial about the key points of performing it correctly.
WORKOUT GRAPHIC
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS:Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
SUGGESTED FREQUENCY: 1-2x Weekly
SUMMARY: Workout Graphics can feature an interesting picture or a simple colored background combined with specific guidelines for a workout. The guidelines should include the workout name, exercises, set schemes, and rest periods. Be sure to include your logo and use your regular font.
WORKOUT VIDEO
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS:Facebook, YouTube, Instagram
SUGGESTED FREQUENCY: 1-2x Weekly
SUMMARY: Workout Videos should include a demonstration of each exercise in the workout combined with instructions for the set schemes and rest periods. Ideally you’ll also include your logo sting, lower third graphics for each exercise, and a call to action at the end. These could be narrated or explained step by step, or they could simply show the demonstrations with background music.
WORKOUT PLAN Graphic
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS:Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
SUGGESTED FREQUENCY: 1x Monthly
SUMMARY: Workout Plan posts are the same as Article Graphics in that they include a primary picture from your Workout Plan webpage or a specialized graphic that includes the workout plan name and your logo. Include a description of the workout plan featuring the objective, implements, and possible benefits along with a link to the webpage.
WORKOUT PLAN VIDEO
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS:Facebook, YouTube, Instagram
SUGGESTED FREQUENCY: 1x Monthly
SUMMARY: Workout Plan Videos are a good way to increase the perceived value of the workout plan webpage. This is a video that explains the workout plan, including the methodology, implements, techniques, duration, difficulty level, and other specifics. This should be done by the trainer who created the plan talking to the camera. Ideally it will also include your logo sting, a lower third featuring the name of the trainer or workout plan, and a call to action at the end of the video.
RECIPE GRAPHIC
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS:Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
SUGGESTED FREQUENCY: 1-2x Weekly
SUMMARY: Recipe Graphics feature an attractive picture of the featured dish. If the dish itself is unattractive, you can replace the finished product with an attractive picture of one or more of the ingredients. You could also include the name of the recipe and your logo, but the picture itself should be enough to attract attention. Include a the name of the recipe, what and who it’s ideal for, and a link to the webpage in the description.
BRANDING BANNER GRAPHIC
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS:Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
SUGGESTED FREQUENCY: 1x Biweekly
SUMMARY: Branding Banners are graphics featuring an attractive image combined with your company name, logo, and company slogan or campaign slogan (usually less than 6 words). They are similar to Motivational Graphics but should feature a slogan that is unique to your brand and current marketing efforts. Include a link to your website in the description.
MOVEMENT ARTISTIC GRAPHIC
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS:Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
SUGGESTED FREQUENCY: 1-2x Weekly
SUMMARY: If you want to show off, but don’t want to seem like you’re showing off, the Movement Artistic Graphic is the way to go. You can apply all the crazy filters you want to create an artsy image that displays what you’re capable of.
NEWS GRAPHIC
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS:Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
SUGGESTED FREQUENCY: 1x Weekly
SUMMARY: The News Graphic could be used to promote an occurrence in your company (such as an upcoming event) or it can simply be used to add credibility to your business (such as an award for the “Best Fitness Trainer”). It’s usually not that interesting, so restrict your use of this type of post to instances when you really have news.
EVENT PROMOTION GRAPHIC
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS:Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
SUGGESTED FREQUENCY: 1x Weekly
SUMMARY: This is similar to the News Graphic, but this picture will need to include details about the event (e.g. date, time, location, host, etc.). It should also include the name of the event, your logo, and an interesting picture related to the content that the event is going to feature. Be sure to always include a link to a place where people can sign up for the event.
EQUIPMENT GRAPHIC
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS:Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
SUGGESTED FREQUENCY: 2-3x Weekly
SUMMARY: Taking a picture of a piece of equipment may seem mundane, but people love them. It’s easy to like and share a picture of something that you like yourself, which is why these pictures are usually popular. Take a close up pic of an alternative piece of equipment (like a kettlebell, atlas stone, mace, etc.) and watch the likes flow in. You can also apply different effects to add more interest if the picture itself looks a little boring.
LOCATION GRAPHIC
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS:Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
SUGGESTED FREQUENCY: 1-2x Weekly
SUMMARY: Location Graphics simply show a place that you’ve been. If you visit a different gym or a popular tourist spot, be sure to snap a picture and include hashtags related to the location. If it’s a popular training facility, be sure to follow or like the gym’s social media networks so you can tag them in the post.
SALE PROMOTION GRAPHIC
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS:Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
SUGGESTED FREQUENCY: 1x Weekly/Biweekly
SUMMARY: Sale Promotion Graphics should only be used if you’re promoting something more than, “Buy my stuff.” They should include some kind of discount or special offer for your followers. If you want to instantly ramp up some sales, you may also want to limit the duration of the sale (24 hour flash sales are popular). Be sure to include specific information relating to the deal in the graphic itself and a link to the product/service
Need more posting ideas? Just check out your biggest competitors and look at what they’re doing! Take the concepts you like and make them your own.
Quick tip page in the description.
PRODUCT GRAPHIC
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS:Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
SUGGESTED FREQUENCY: 1x Weekly/Biweekly
SUMMARY: Similar to the Sale Promotion Graphic, the Product Graphic simply shows a product or a feature of the product and describes what it does. This should be used infrequently as your followers probably already know what you offer and are used to seeing the product on your other posts. Be sure to include a link to the product page.
FEAT OF STRENGTH GRAPHIC
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS:Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
SUGGESTED FREQUENCY: 1x Weekly
SUMMARY: The Feat of Strength Graphic simply shows you or someone related to your brand doing something impressive. This could be a difficult bodyweight movement (Dragon Flag, Human Flag, Pistol Squat, Handstand variation, etc.), a standard lift using an extraordinary weight (heavy barbell deadlift, squat, or press), or an interesting complex movement (Double Kettlebell Turkish Get Up, Anyhow Squat, Sots Press, etc.). Be sure that what you’re claiming is a Feat of Strength is really impressive, and make sure you have extremely good form; haters like nothing more than someone bragging about something they shouldn’t be bragging about.
