How you can use TikTok as a Personal Trainer

The rise of TikTok has been monumental, expected to surpass Instagram as the #1 app in 2022.

With that said, its new user base and growth rate are incomparable, experiencing a 59.8% growth rate in 2020, a 40% growth rate in 2021, and a forecasted 775 million monthly users in 2022.

The power of social media as a way to promote and grow your business, whether as a personal trainer or otherwise, is undeniable. With TikTok growing at a rapid pace and no signs of slowing down, there’s no reason NOT to be utilising it to your advantage.

So, are you a personal trainer considering the use of TikTok as a means of marketing your personal training services and growing your brand? In this article, we’ll uncover its importance while also providing you with some tips on how to get started!

What is TikTok?

In short, TikTok is a short-form video-focused social media application that allows users to create, share, and discover video content in a streamlined and algorithmic way. In other words, not only does it provide the creator with the ability to get in front of relevant and interested audiences but it provides the consumer with a platform to view only the content they’re interested in.

This is extremely advantageous for personal trainers because they can rest assured knowing that their content will be placed in front of consumers that are actually interested in health and fitness; a benefit not otherwise attainable on other social media platforms.

While TikTok was once a platform largely targeting the younger generations with content that consisted of singing, dancing, and lip-syncing, it has now expanded its reach on a broader scale. Today, you can find content shared on all topics and niche genres, from comedy and cooking tutorials to fitness training and medical advice.

To illustrate its inclusive user-base, let’s take a look at the stats; In Australia alone as of 2020, 8% of the population between the ages of 16 and 64 were users of TikTok. That’s nearly 2 million people total. Of those, nearly 17% were in their 40s. These numbers have since grown are expected to continue on this trajectory in the months and years that follow.

With the rise in popularity of TikTok persisting to show promise, more brands are transitioning onto the platform as a means of marketing and advertising. If you’ve recognized its value as well, eager not to miss out, continue reading!

Importance of TikTok for Promotional Marketing

Social media in general has proven to be a superior means of marketing in today’s digital ecosystem. TikTok is no different.

Not only because of its sizeable global user base but because of its ability to engage, capture, and retain attention, TikTok is a marketer's dream; after all, attention is the new currency.

By sharing creative and captivating content, both humorous and informative, on a consistent basis and engaging with your audience frequently, you all but inevitably begin to generate brand awareness via likes and comments; it’s the name of the game. Simply put, the more likes and comments (i.e. engagement) you get on your videos, the more residual growth you’ll experience in the future.

While organic content is often enough to succeed on TikTok, as a personal trainer, you should strongly consider running paid ads as well. Why? Because although it’s commonplace to run ads on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, not many brands and businesses have begun running ads on TikTok yet. In fact, only 4% admit that TikTok is a subset of their paid marketing strategy.

A gap in the market to take advantage of as a personal trainer? I think so!

The benefits of TikTok for promotional marketing are vast. From its sizeable global audience and algorithmic display, to its untapped potential for growth via user-generated content, viral marketing, and influencer collaboration, all at the fraction of the cost (largely free) of traditional marketing, your ability to grow on TikTok is truly uncapped.

Not to mention it’s fun!

As a personal trainer coming from a traditional industry that has been saturated for some time, TikTok is the breath of fresh air you’ve been looking for.

Tips for Using TikTok as a Personal Trainer

Whether you’re promoting your personal training business for in-person sessions or looking to expand your online programming services, TikTok can be an incredible tool to employ for doing so.

However, in order to be successful and capitalize on the size of its user base, you must first understand how to use the app to your advantage. Luckily, because of its trend-following model of TikTok, it’s quite easy to do your research and see what type of video is trending at the time.

Some examples of videos that have shown long-lasting promise include:

• Duets
• Challenges
• Reaction videos
• Informative content with text overlays (explainers, how-to's etc)
• Humorous skits
• Inspirational / motivational videos with music overlay

Once you’ve learned how to use the app and how to capitalize on what works, it’s now time to find your niche and start posting! Below are several tips for you to consider when creating content on TikTok for your personal training business.

Tip #1: Have Fun and Be Creative

Because TikTok content is intended to be entertaining and easily digestible, it’s the responsibility of the creator to do so. Luckily, creating the videos are quite easy. By having fun and getting creative, your personality will show through the content.

Not only is humour and creativity popular on TikTok but it’s also a way for you as a personal trainer to illustrate your own personality and training style.

Tip #2: Use Relevant Keywords

Because TikTok functions via an algorithmic video feed, it’s up to you as the creator to show up on your targeted audience's feed. One way to do so is by using relevant hashtags in the description of your video.

This won’t only drive engagement but it will get you in front of the eyes you most desire.

Tip #3: Launch a Fitness Challenge

TikTok challenges are a massive trend right now and it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. Some of the most popular challenges, in fact, are fitness challenges!

Get creative and make your own fitness challenge; yet another great way to boost brand awareness and increase engagement.

Tip #4: Post Frequently and Consistently

The TikTok algorithm has proven to reward those who post frequently and consistently. As such, it’s recommended to post at least 1-4 times daily. Find a posting schedule that works for you and commit to that schedule without fail.

If you come up with additional video ideas, don’t hesitate to post them; the more content the better!

Tip #5: Collaborate with Others

As mentioned earlier, “duets” are a huge video trend right now. Simply put, a duet is a video format whereby you record your own video alongside another video that plays in unison.

By collaborating on TikTok with other influencers, you further reach new audiences and thus grow your personal training business.

Tip #6: Link Your Website in Your Bio

While TikTok is a video-sharing application, it’s not all about the content. By placing a link to your website in your profile bio, you give yourself yet another outlet for generating leads. If you can take a portion of your audience OFF of the app and ON to your website, you’ve won!

Is TikTok A Good Tool For Personal Trainers?

As illustrated throughout this article, TikTok is a fantastic way for fitness businesses and personal trainers alike to break through their respective industries and begin to reach new and larger audiences.

By creating a profile, researching the current trends, and following the tips outlined above, you as a personal trainer can begin to promote your personal training services and experience growth like you’ve never imagined.

While traditionally, personal training has been a difficult business to differentiate yourself in due to the saturation of trainers available, TikTok allows you to break this cycle and explore new outlets for promotion.

If you want to check out some more marketing tips for personal trainers check out these articles on our website!

So, if you haven’t already, get to posting! Growth awaits you on the other side. If you have just started your personal training business and are looking for affordable public liability and professional indemnity insurance, check out our instant quote generator to get an estimate on your policy!