How to use TikTok as a personal trainer

With more than 1 billion active monthly users, TikTok’s
popularity has grown exponentially since it launched in 2016. Nearly 1.5 million UK firms are already using the app to
promote their business and engage directly with their customers—so
creating a TikTok as a personal trainer could be invaluable to your brand.

TikTok is unique compared to some of the other popular
social media apps around today. TikTok’s
algorithm is better designed to help users go viral. As a TikTok user,
you may come across accounts on your ‘For You’ page with which you share no
connections and have few interactions, but TikTok’s clever algorithm will have
highlighted them as relevant based on your other interests.

This is ideal for personal trainers trying to promote their
business as it means there’s more chance of reaching users that might not be directly
connected to you, but are looking at general gym or fitness content, allowing
you to connect with a wider audience.

That being said, you may be wondering how best to utilise
TikTok as a personal trainer if the app is entirely new to you. Read our blog
to learn how to use TikTok as a personal trainer and hear from a pro who’s been
there and done it.

How to use TikTok as a
personal trainer

Frank is a South London-based personal trainer and
Insure4Sport ambassador with more than 10 years of experience in the fitness
industry. Frank provides 1-2-1 guided gym sessions, nutrition and fitness advice,
diet and meal plans, and boxing training to a wide range of clients. 

With more than 40k followers and 1.5 million likes on
TikTok, it’s safe to say Frank has learnt how to grow a successful platform,
and it’s even brought more clients to his business.

Frank first became a personal trainer after studying an L2/L3
personal training course and working in a gym as a fitness instructor.

“My love of fitness in my personal life and being an avid
gym goer allowed me to utilise my own experience, and I wanted to push others
into reaching their own personal fitness goals,” he said.

How do you use TikTok to promote your PT business?

Frank said: “I upload a variety of helpful,
instructional videos on TikTok that help people understand particular exercises
in the gym. I also show the fun side of me as a personal trainer and my
personality through many of my videos which have gained a lot of traction. This
has helped increase my visibility and gain more booking enquiries.

“TikTok is a great platform to generate potential
clients and bookings as you can target a wide range of people. You can use
current trends in your videos, which will help reach a certain audience, and
hashtags related to the fitness industry. 

“Sometimes,
the hardest part of social media is knowing where to start. It isn’t easy—TikTok can be tricky to navigate if you want
to generate views. Some trends are hit-and-miss, and some videos may gain more
visibility than others. What I have found to be the best technique is to show
my personality and the fun side of my business, being as relatable as possible.

“Initially, you need to create an account that directly
correlates with the fitness industry and personal training, so that it’s easy for
people to see what services you offer. I’d suggest having a solid page of
videos, whether that be tutorials or trends that you can upload onto
your page.

“Then, make sure to use hashtags related to the fitness
industry and follow similar and relatable accounts. Make your content unique so
that it has a purpose and stands out. People often want to hear about things
that can benefit them, so make sure you give them that.”

However you start, there’s evidence that putting the work in
can lead to tangible results. Take Frank as a perfect example of this. “I
have had great success through TikTok and many enquiries from potential clients
who have eventually booked with me, all from seeing my videos,” he added.

5 tips for using TikTok as
a personal trainer

1. Build a unique brand

When setting up your TikTok profile, remember that this may
be the first impression prospective clients will have of you. Your profile can
showcase your expertise, lead people to your website and other socials, and
give potential new clients a way to get in touch with you.

When making your videos, you can also use branding to make your
content immediately recognisable amongst the many other videos users will see.

Utilising other features on your profile, such as pinned
videos and TikTok stories, can also help prospective clients view your latest
fitness content and get an introduction to you. Your pinned videos, in
particular, can be valuable in showcasing your business, your expertise, and
even testimonials from your current clients.

2. Make the most of TikTok trends

Once you’ve
built your profile, the best way to increase your reach is to pay attention to
hashtags and current trends. Research regularly what other fitness accounts are
sharing and what’s getting the most views.

Putting
your own spin on a current trend, whether it’s a sound, topic, or hashtag, is a
great way to get your content in front of users who are interested in fitness.

3. Be consistent

Just like
with most social media, consistency is key. It works in TikTok’s favour to have
as many users as possible consistently using the app, so accounts that post
regularly are generally rewarded with more views.

TikTok
for Business even recommends posting 1-4 times daily to test out what
works best for your account and the content you’re posting. Posting that often
can be challenging, so there’s nothing wrong with starting small and figuring
out what’s doable for you.

4. Grow your network

As you grow your following, getting in touch with other fitness
creators is a great way to expand your network. Building strong relationships
with other creators can benefit both parties; whether you film videos together
or run joint live streams, it can help increase the reach for both of your
channels.

5. Engage your audience

Lastly,
TikTok is a brilliant app for connecting with your followers. You can reply to
their comments, encourage them to ask questions on certain topics, and run live
streams to give advice or taster classes.

Utilising your comment section can help drive up engagement and give prospective clients an idea of what it would be like to work with you.

TikTok is a useful tool for personal trainers, but the more
your client base grows, the more potential risks there are involved in running
your business.

Whether it’s damage to your equipment or an injury to yourself
or one of your clients, specialist personal trainer insurance can give you the peace
of mind you need should the worst happen.

Specialist insurance for personal trainers and fitness
instructors through Insure4Sport can protect you against third-party claims,
theft and loss of or damage to any sports equipment you own, and even loss of
earnings should you suffer a personal injury that results in your inability to
work.

Learn more about specialist personal trainer insurance
through Insure4Sport here, or get a quick quote today.