Proposal for Core Cycle Studios:
Why the Instructors should all have a Social Media Presence
(Specifically, an Instagram page)
July 5th, 2018
Proposal for Core Cycle Studios:
Part I: Introduction and Context
To be a successful fitness instructor, you must be able to set yourself apart from the crowd and stand out from the competition, creating a successful social media brand for yourself as a fitness instructor is the best way to do this.
As a fitness instructor, you might be tempted to create ads to promote your classes to draw in new clients because most fitness instructors are paid based on how many people they can bring into the studio. When there are more clients in your classes that means more business for the studio overall.
When you’re trying to figure out how to make an ad to promote your class, an initial Google search on how to run ads would likely direct you to creating an ad to promote on various websites or even on a social media platform. Many of us are familiar with the term “Social Media,” but often we don’t know what it really means. This then raises the question; what exactly is social media?
As a fitness instructor, you might be tempted to create ads to promote your classes to draw in new clients because most fitness instructors are paid based on how many people they can bring into the studio. When there are more clients in your classes that means more business for the studio overall.
When you’re trying to figure out how to make an ad to promote your class, an initial Google search on how to run ads would likely direct you to creating an ad to promote on various websites or even on a social media platform. Many of us are familiar with the term “Social Media,” but often we don’t know what it really means. This then raises the question; what exactly is social media?
Social media has been defined as:
“A group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0 and allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content” (Kaplan 2010).
“A group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0 and allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content” (Kaplan 2010).
In other words, social media is a web-based platform that allows users to create individual profiles in which they can create and/or upload their content. Social media means people can be social with one another on the web by sharing and interacting with different forms of digital media. It means that people have a way to be expressive in the online community.
The range of platforms that currently exist, that one would consider to be social media, is very large. The most relevant platforms include Instagram where users can upload videos and photos, Facebook which allows people to share bits and pieces of their lives in a combination of text & visual elements, and Twitter that allows people to share content that is generally more focused on text. There are many other platforms that fall into the category of social media. This would include sites and apps that allow people to make profiles, to follow and engage with other people on the platforms, provide ways for users to post their own content, or share the content that someone else has curated or posted. Essentially, a lot of the online activities we take part in would fall under the umbrella of “social media.”
A conceptual article written on the phenomenon of social media categorized social media platforms among several dimensions; they wanted to simplify the way to categorize social media so they created further simplifications to explain the functions of all of social media into two categories: “nature of connection (profile based versus content based) and level of customization of messages (the degree to which a service is customized to satisfy an individual's particular preferences)” (Zhu 2015). Instagram would be considered a creative outlet platform, along with YouTube, because it lets users share their interests in a creative visual manner (Kaplan 2010).
This proposal will be focusing mainly on the importance of Instagram as a social media platform that can be used promotionally to reach wide audiences. Instagram is different from the other social media platforms because according to a study done by Kaplan and Haenlein, Instagram is thought of by users as a “social medium” that guaranteed they were “quickly informed and up to date” (2010). A survey conducted by Pew Research confirmed this to be true when they polled that 2/3 of Americans are getting their news from social media (Shearer 2017). This stat alone means that social media is relevant and important if it is the way that people are getting their information.
Before you worry about running ads to advertise your class, this proposal will provide you with the information you need in order to set up an Instagram page to represent yourself as a fitness instructor. Traditional ads, like TV commercials, are not as beneficial to business and individuals as having a strong social media presence (Zhu 2015). Platforms like Instagram are more successful for promoting yourself as an instructor because users can interact directly with you on social media platforms, which makes you more personable.
The range of platforms that currently exist, that one would consider to be social media, is very large. The most relevant platforms include Instagram where users can upload videos and photos, Facebook which allows people to share bits and pieces of their lives in a combination of text & visual elements, and Twitter that allows people to share content that is generally more focused on text. There are many other platforms that fall into the category of social media. This would include sites and apps that allow people to make profiles, to follow and engage with other people on the platforms, provide ways for users to post their own content, or share the content that someone else has curated or posted. Essentially, a lot of the online activities we take part in would fall under the umbrella of “social media.”
A conceptual article written on the phenomenon of social media categorized social media platforms among several dimensions; they wanted to simplify the way to categorize social media so they created further simplifications to explain the functions of all of social media into two categories: “nature of connection (profile based versus content based) and level of customization of messages (the degree to which a service is customized to satisfy an individual's particular preferences)” (Zhu 2015). Instagram would be considered a creative outlet platform, along with YouTube, because it lets users share their interests in a creative visual manner (Kaplan 2010).
This proposal will be focusing mainly on the importance of Instagram as a social media platform that can be used promotionally to reach wide audiences. Instagram is different from the other social media platforms because according to a study done by Kaplan and Haenlein, Instagram is thought of by users as a “social medium” that guaranteed they were “quickly informed and up to date” (2010). A survey conducted by Pew Research confirmed this to be true when they polled that 2/3 of Americans are getting their news from social media (Shearer 2017). This stat alone means that social media is relevant and important if it is the way that people are getting their information.
Before you worry about running ads to advertise your class, this proposal will provide you with the information you need in order to set up an Instagram page to represent yourself as a fitness instructor. Traditional ads, like TV commercials, are not as beneficial to business and individuals as having a strong social media presence (Zhu 2015). Platforms like Instagram are more successful for promoting yourself as an instructor because users can interact directly with you on social media platforms, which makes you more personable.
Part II: Literature Review and Available Models
What it means to be a public figure has changed over the years. Earlier consumers had limited information available to them about their favorite celebrities and their personal life (Rais 2015). Social media has given a personality to someone who was once just a “face” and is making it so that anyone can become a public figure (2015). Social media has transformed the relationship between fans and public figures, “what used to feel like an untouchable figure” is now reachable through numerous platforms “from a DM on Instagram to a retweet on Twitter” (Arnay 2018). As modern culture is shifting their focus “on individuals rather than ideas or institutions,” the public’s interest tends to fall on the “soft news” details of public figures lives (Cohen 2015). Public figures are making their livings on social media by giving their audience all the intimate details of their lives. The culture has shifted their media consumption from fictional television & movies to an interest in the details of people’s actual lives.
Social media accounts are becoming a mix of both personal information and sponsored content. In an experimental study conducted in 2012, it was demonstrated that when a product is endorsed by someone, the viewing audience has a higher purchase intention when they have a stronger tie with the person that endorsed the product (Chang 2012). Once you have created your social media presence you will be able to use your Instagram account to endorse products to your followers. In addition to promoting your fitness classes, if you have a favorite athletic apparel brand this would be the place for you to promote that brand to your followers.
A larger number of people are influenced by “friendship networks,” where the user can create a chain of ties from the person promoting the product/class and a mutual friend (2012). People tend to go with their gut and trust the people who are closest to them, whether it is in general life or on an online platform. “This highlights the potential impact of user-to-user interactions in social media advertising,” that becoming friends with the people who follow you (or getting your friends to follow you) will have a greater positive impact on the results of your promotions (2012). Data supports that once you are “perceived as trustworthy and respected” you will be able to generate the most funds (Wilson 2015). Thus, the importance of building trust with the audience can make or break the success of an Instagram page.
My favorite way to make my followers feel like my friends is to go like and comment on their pictures after they comment on my photos. This method shows my followers that not only do I care to see their pictures and what they are doing with their lives, but I also want to reward them for coming back to my page to comment more.
As a fitness instructor with a social media platform, you will be attempting to influence your followers to attend your classes. You will be acting as a social media influencer. To be an influencer, you must first establish credibility in your specific industry. As an instructor already working for Core Cycle Studios you are a step ahead in this regard because you have proven your credibility by your current ability to teach in a studio. Your Instagram account will be used to influence other people’s perception of Core Cycle Studios; “Consumers are very much aware of their influence over other people and the collective power that they...may exert over product owners” (Muntinga 2011).
Influencers are reshaping the market as we know it today. A huge factor into why influencers can have this kind of impact on the field is due to the established trust they can create with their followers (Hughes 2018). MuseFind found that 92% of customers trust a social media influencer more than an advertisement (Weinswig 2016). The established relationship between the influencer and the follower is much more mutual than the previous relationship celebrities used to have with their audiences. Jennifer Li simply explains this that “as a follower, I can just as easily unfollow an influencer as I can follow them” so when a follower doesn’t like the message that an influencer is pushing on their page they are easily able to unfollow them (2016). This is not something that is being overlooked by brands, they understand it is the choice of the audience to follow someone, so they want to work with influencers who have established and created strong ties with their followers. You should keep this in mind as you are developing your presence as it is inevitable that people will unfollow you at some point. While you shouldn’t let this determine exactly what you do with your account you should take notice if a lot of people unfollow you after posting something. Ask yourself, ‘what might be the reason that they unfollowed me?’ If the reason is something you can easily fix, like avoiding talking too much about politics, then you should make those changes.
Companies and brands are taking advantage of the ability to work with influencers and even act like influencers on their own platforms, the need to create a relationship built on trust, motivation, and education permeates its way into brand accounts. A popular fitness trend that is sweeping the nation is Cross Fit. With over 2.5 million followers on Instagram and a whopping 39 million posts in the hashtag #CrossFit, Cross fit is showing the importance of creating a nationwide brand.
Social media accounts are becoming a mix of both personal information and sponsored content. In an experimental study conducted in 2012, it was demonstrated that when a product is endorsed by someone, the viewing audience has a higher purchase intention when they have a stronger tie with the person that endorsed the product (Chang 2012). Once you have created your social media presence you will be able to use your Instagram account to endorse products to your followers. In addition to promoting your fitness classes, if you have a favorite athletic apparel brand this would be the place for you to promote that brand to your followers.
A larger number of people are influenced by “friendship networks,” where the user can create a chain of ties from the person promoting the product/class and a mutual friend (2012). People tend to go with their gut and trust the people who are closest to them, whether it is in general life or on an online platform. “This highlights the potential impact of user-to-user interactions in social media advertising,” that becoming friends with the people who follow you (or getting your friends to follow you) will have a greater positive impact on the results of your promotions (2012). Data supports that once you are “perceived as trustworthy and respected” you will be able to generate the most funds (Wilson 2015). Thus, the importance of building trust with the audience can make or break the success of an Instagram page.
My favorite way to make my followers feel like my friends is to go like and comment on their pictures after they comment on my photos. This method shows my followers that not only do I care to see their pictures and what they are doing with their lives, but I also want to reward them for coming back to my page to comment more.
As a fitness instructor with a social media platform, you will be attempting to influence your followers to attend your classes. You will be acting as a social media influencer. To be an influencer, you must first establish credibility in your specific industry. As an instructor already working for Core Cycle Studios you are a step ahead in this regard because you have proven your credibility by your current ability to teach in a studio. Your Instagram account will be used to influence other people’s perception of Core Cycle Studios; “Consumers are very much aware of their influence over other people and the collective power that they...may exert over product owners” (Muntinga 2011).
Influencers are reshaping the market as we know it today. A huge factor into why influencers can have this kind of impact on the field is due to the established trust they can create with their followers (Hughes 2018). MuseFind found that 92% of customers trust a social media influencer more than an advertisement (Weinswig 2016). The established relationship between the influencer and the follower is much more mutual than the previous relationship celebrities used to have with their audiences. Jennifer Li simply explains this that “as a follower, I can just as easily unfollow an influencer as I can follow them” so when a follower doesn’t like the message that an influencer is pushing on their page they are easily able to unfollow them (2016). This is not something that is being overlooked by brands, they understand it is the choice of the audience to follow someone, so they want to work with influencers who have established and created strong ties with their followers. You should keep this in mind as you are developing your presence as it is inevitable that people will unfollow you at some point. While you shouldn’t let this determine exactly what you do with your account you should take notice if a lot of people unfollow you after posting something. Ask yourself, ‘what might be the reason that they unfollowed me?’ If the reason is something you can easily fix, like avoiding talking too much about politics, then you should make those changes.
Companies and brands are taking advantage of the ability to work with influencers and even act like influencers on their own platforms, the need to create a relationship built on trust, motivation, and education permeates its way into brand accounts. A popular fitness trend that is sweeping the nation is Cross Fit. With over 2.5 million followers on Instagram and a whopping 39 million posts in the hashtag #CrossFit, Cross fit is showing the importance of creating a nationwide brand.
“By 2005 there were only 13 CrossFit-affiliated gyms, or "boxes." But in the last nine years, the movement exploded. Today CrossFit-affiliated boxes number more than 10,000” (LA weekly)
Companies have a new level of entry. The fourth wall is broken down by social media because users are now able to talk and engage directly with brands. It is companies like Cross Fit that have realized this great potential and are now using it to their advantage to continue to remind people all around the nation of what they can achieve with the help of a Cross Fit workout.
Even well-known clothing companies like Lululemon are utilizing social media to hire employees. Miranda Fenrich, an Instagram influencer, was offered a job working for Lululemon because they were impressed by her Instagram page (Fenrich 2018). Miranda often posts gorgeous yoga photos in the mountains of Canada with inspirational quotes beneath the pictures. Although there will be people who will copy this same formula to try and gain more followers, Miranda often goes into a further explanation after the quote to analyze what it means to her and why she included it with her post. Being an influencer has positively impacted her life because she finds herself “trying to be the person [she] shows on media platforms in real life” (2018). Even when there are days when she is not feeling like her usual inspirational self she taps into the inspiration she gets from her own followers to be the person she is trying to represent to her 82,700 fans (2018). Another influencer, Matt Giordano (@theyogimatt) also noted that it’s the inspiration he can provide that consistently brings him back to the platform (Giordano 2018). Although being an influencer is a job just like any other, “it takes constant attention, effort and dedication,” he reminds himself of the people who look up to him, his students and his friends, he knows that he has had a positive influence on so many other’s lives that at the end of the day the benefits outweigh the negatives; “[his] energy is not wasted, and it’s important to share [his] life with others” (2018).
The average American is used to seeing tabloids line the shelves of shopping lives providing all the dirty details of the “stars” lives. It can be so tempting to know so much about someone else’s life and while some wouldn’t choose that destiny, individuals like Matt and Miranda have made their living by being open about their personal lives. In our modern society “being famous means agreeing to give up your privacy,” although ‘giving up’ might not be the right term because all these influencers are making the conscious decision to post publicly about their livelihoods (Rais 2015). Social media is putting the tools for fame directly into the hands of the individual, allowing a “common person” to be the “superstar they always looked up to” (2015).
While you will be able to experience a plethora of benefits from being an influencer, that doesn’t mean there are not some draw backs to the job. For Katie May social media is a place to share her passion for her yoga practice, but it hasn’t always had a positive impact on her life (May 2018). Katie has over 56,000 Instagram followers that she has built over the past three years. For the first two of those three years Katie (@cupcakesandyoga) spent all her free time taking yoga picture, the only places she would want to go to were ones where she could take yoga photos (2018). Then she closed her account for a few months because social media put such a strain on her personal relationships, those closest to her “were feeling underappreciated and devalued” by her Instagram-yoga hobby (2018). It wasn’t because “they didn't appreciate what [Katie] was doing but because they saw it as self-servicing and completely time consuming” (2018). Katie was inspiring thousands of people to live a positive healthy lifestyle, but ultimately what mattered to her was that those closest to her were happy (2018). She did note that it wasn’t totally the fault of social media that she got into that situation, she “let fame get to her head” because she wasn’t “fully nurturing and caring for [her] real world” (2018). After her much needed break, with the blessings of her loved ones, Katie is once again enjoying using her influence to pass a positive message along to her followers. Her favorite thing about the platform is the community it has helped her build, it’s provided her with “a beautiful, encouraging, support system of likeminded people.” The other influencers in her yoga community push her to improve her practice and “tap into [her] creative and artistic side” (2018).
Even well-known clothing companies like Lululemon are utilizing social media to hire employees. Miranda Fenrich, an Instagram influencer, was offered a job working for Lululemon because they were impressed by her Instagram page (Fenrich 2018). Miranda often posts gorgeous yoga photos in the mountains of Canada with inspirational quotes beneath the pictures. Although there will be people who will copy this same formula to try and gain more followers, Miranda often goes into a further explanation after the quote to analyze what it means to her and why she included it with her post. Being an influencer has positively impacted her life because she finds herself “trying to be the person [she] shows on media platforms in real life” (2018). Even when there are days when she is not feeling like her usual inspirational self she taps into the inspiration she gets from her own followers to be the person she is trying to represent to her 82,700 fans (2018). Another influencer, Matt Giordano (@theyogimatt) also noted that it’s the inspiration he can provide that consistently brings him back to the platform (Giordano 2018). Although being an influencer is a job just like any other, “it takes constant attention, effort and dedication,” he reminds himself of the people who look up to him, his students and his friends, he knows that he has had a positive influence on so many other’s lives that at the end of the day the benefits outweigh the negatives; “[his] energy is not wasted, and it’s important to share [his] life with others” (2018).
The average American is used to seeing tabloids line the shelves of shopping lives providing all the dirty details of the “stars” lives. It can be so tempting to know so much about someone else’s life and while some wouldn’t choose that destiny, individuals like Matt and Miranda have made their living by being open about their personal lives. In our modern society “being famous means agreeing to give up your privacy,” although ‘giving up’ might not be the right term because all these influencers are making the conscious decision to post publicly about their livelihoods (Rais 2015). Social media is putting the tools for fame directly into the hands of the individual, allowing a “common person” to be the “superstar they always looked up to” (2015).
While you will be able to experience a plethora of benefits from being an influencer, that doesn’t mean there are not some draw backs to the job. For Katie May social media is a place to share her passion for her yoga practice, but it hasn’t always had a positive impact on her life (May 2018). Katie has over 56,000 Instagram followers that she has built over the past three years. For the first two of those three years Katie (@cupcakesandyoga) spent all her free time taking yoga picture, the only places she would want to go to were ones where she could take yoga photos (2018). Then she closed her account for a few months because social media put such a strain on her personal relationships, those closest to her “were feeling underappreciated and devalued” by her Instagram-yoga hobby (2018). It wasn’t because “they didn't appreciate what [Katie] was doing but because they saw it as self-servicing and completely time consuming” (2018). Katie was inspiring thousands of people to live a positive healthy lifestyle, but ultimately what mattered to her was that those closest to her were happy (2018). She did note that it wasn’t totally the fault of social media that she got into that situation, she “let fame get to her head” because she wasn’t “fully nurturing and caring for [her] real world” (2018). After her much needed break, with the blessings of her loved ones, Katie is once again enjoying using her influence to pass a positive message along to her followers. Her favorite thing about the platform is the community it has helped her build, it’s provided her with “a beautiful, encouraging, support system of likeminded people.” The other influencers in her yoga community push her to improve her practice and “tap into [her] creative and artistic side” (2018).
Part III: Analysis and Synthesis
This might seem to you like it’s too good to be true, that so many people are just waiting on their phones to be influenced, but as Pew Research showed us, over 2/3 of American’s are getting their news from Social Media. If 2/3 of people are checking their phones and Instagram has 500 million daily active users, then that means there is an available audience on Instagram. Thus, when all those individuals are checking their social media platforms you should have your posts available for them to potentially see as a reminder to be active. It is up to each fitness instructor to create their own image of health and fitness on their page, combining more inspirational and educational content on their accounts that reflect a healthy lifestyle. The director of MAMC Social Media within the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida Social Media talked about this potential massive impact Instagram can have:
“When you’re scrolling through your feed and seeing other people exercising, you’re more motivated to get to it! When we realize that our friends and family are exercising ‘no matter what’ and are excited about their results, it has a stronger impact than any commercial on TV or through the mail” (Sinrich 2018)
As a fitness instructor in a physical studio you get to serve as this physical reminder to people to motivate them to join you in class.
I’ve had first hand experience with this as I am constantly getting messages from friends, family, and even strangers who tell me that because of my Instagram page they started being more active. The other day I received a message from a fan of my Instagram page who said they “especially love the posts when [I] inspire people to be more, to pursue harder activities.” You never know who your posts might resonate with, some people simply see my posts as a reminder to do their own physical activity and others see my posts as a motivation to start their own yoga practice. I have even had people who decided to become certified yoga teachers because they were so inspired by my journey as a yoga instructor that they decided to walk the path themselves. One of my followers from Colorado @alexandracaroline reached out to me via Instagram asking for advice because she had been considering the training process for a while. During an interview I did with Jennifer Casale, Jen reached out to Alexandra to ask her why she decided to get her Yoga Teacher Training: “She inspired me to do it. Best decision I have ever made! I am so thankful for that.” Being a part of this online community is a reason why I love to have an Instagram account.
Another thing I love about Instagram is the yoga challenges. In the online yoga community, Instagram Yoga Challenges are a great example of not only a reminder to be active every day but to also build the sense of community in an online world. In a challenge there is sponsors, hosts, and participants. The hosts organize the challenge and pick a theme, dates, and postures. They then must reach out to sponsors to obtain products to donate to the winner at the end of challenge. The participants must participate everyday in the challenge and follow the hosts and sponsors. During the challenge a great sense of community is built because the participants are so engaged with the hosts, sponsors, and each other. “Members of large network-based communities seek a reputation,” and your Instagram account can be a way to acknowledge other’s hard work both during and after challenges (Muntinga 2011). In addition, it is also beneficial for the brands sponsoring the challenge because when a user is strongly connected to a brand they are more likely to pass on a message to their friends (Wilson 2015).
Although there are still some draw backs to promoting your classes on Instagram. There is the chance that the audience that sees one of your sponsored posts might not be your ideal audience. It’s less in that it could potentially have a harmful “bad” coincidence, it is more that when you are paying for an ad you want to know that the right people are going to be seeing your message. Often times the advertisements that are run on the sides of webpages and the ads that are imbedded within social media platforms can be “displayed too nonspecifically” so often times users are seeing ads that do not concern them, so they begin to lose faith in the ads that they see (Villiard 2012). Your followers are going to respond better to a post you make rather than ‘targeted advertising’ because many users can be weary of trusting a targeted advertisement because of their concerns about online privacy (Knoll 2015).
I’ve had first hand experience with this as I am constantly getting messages from friends, family, and even strangers who tell me that because of my Instagram page they started being more active. The other day I received a message from a fan of my Instagram page who said they “especially love the posts when [I] inspire people to be more, to pursue harder activities.” You never know who your posts might resonate with, some people simply see my posts as a reminder to do their own physical activity and others see my posts as a motivation to start their own yoga practice. I have even had people who decided to become certified yoga teachers because they were so inspired by my journey as a yoga instructor that they decided to walk the path themselves. One of my followers from Colorado @alexandracaroline reached out to me via Instagram asking for advice because she had been considering the training process for a while. During an interview I did with Jennifer Casale, Jen reached out to Alexandra to ask her why she decided to get her Yoga Teacher Training: “She inspired me to do it. Best decision I have ever made! I am so thankful for that.” Being a part of this online community is a reason why I love to have an Instagram account.
Another thing I love about Instagram is the yoga challenges. In the online yoga community, Instagram Yoga Challenges are a great example of not only a reminder to be active every day but to also build the sense of community in an online world. In a challenge there is sponsors, hosts, and participants. The hosts organize the challenge and pick a theme, dates, and postures. They then must reach out to sponsors to obtain products to donate to the winner at the end of challenge. The participants must participate everyday in the challenge and follow the hosts and sponsors. During the challenge a great sense of community is built because the participants are so engaged with the hosts, sponsors, and each other. “Members of large network-based communities seek a reputation,” and your Instagram account can be a way to acknowledge other’s hard work both during and after challenges (Muntinga 2011). In addition, it is also beneficial for the brands sponsoring the challenge because when a user is strongly connected to a brand they are more likely to pass on a message to their friends (Wilson 2015).
Although there are still some draw backs to promoting your classes on Instagram. There is the chance that the audience that sees one of your sponsored posts might not be your ideal audience. It’s less in that it could potentially have a harmful “bad” coincidence, it is more that when you are paying for an ad you want to know that the right people are going to be seeing your message. Often times the advertisements that are run on the sides of webpages and the ads that are imbedded within social media platforms can be “displayed too nonspecifically” so often times users are seeing ads that do not concern them, so they begin to lose faith in the ads that they see (Villiard 2012). Your followers are going to respond better to a post you make rather than ‘targeted advertising’ because many users can be weary of trusting a targeted advertisement because of their concerns about online privacy (Knoll 2015).
Part IV: Proposed Solutions
Once you have established your social media presence, you will have to give your account time to grow. Just like building a fit sculpted body, creating a successful Instagram page takes time and consistent dedication. To give you a visual idea of how long, yet rewarding, the process can be I’ve included a graph to show you how I grew my account from 0 to 40,400 followers in two and a half years. Everyone doesn’t always experience the same growth patterns, but if you follow the guidelines I outline then you will expeirence growth in your social media presence.
The first step is to come up with a clever user name for yourself. If you’re a Barre teacher you could make your name something simple like Barre_Nanda or Nanda_Barre. The same thing goes if you are a cycle teacher, you can include “cycle” in your username. Try adding in “_” or “.” If there is a name you like that is already taken. Some other key words that you can play around with are: fit, active, healthy, fitness, exercise, instructor, etc.
From here there are a couple ways to move forward. The first option would be if you want to transition your current active personal Instagram into your fitness instructor Instagram. The second option is to create an entirely new Instagram account simply dedicated to your life as a fitness instructor. I would recommend going with the first option, while I personally did the second method with the knowledge I have gained I realized that it could have been better in the beginning if I simply transitioned my personal Instagram account into my yoga Instagram account because then you already have an established friend to follower relationship. However, I should note that going with either option will be fine. You are also going to need a public account because people don't want to request to follow you, they want to see what kind of content they can expect to see in their feed before they commit to following you.
Regardless of which you do the next step is the same, you can begin to think of your Instagram as an online resume where you can provide supplemental information for your clients. If you make a great healthy lunch that you would like to share with your clients, you no longer must message each of them personally, you can easily upload the recipe onto your Instagram page. On a similar page if you find that you are constantly reminding your cycle class about their posture when they’re on the bike, then you could make an instructional post with a diagram of the proper ways to sit on a bike. I’ve found on my page that the instructional posts are my top performing content in terms of both engagement and new followers.
The first step is to come up with a clever user name for yourself. If you’re a Barre teacher you could make your name something simple like Barre_Nanda or Nanda_Barre. The same thing goes if you are a cycle teacher, you can include “cycle” in your username. Try adding in “_” or “.” If there is a name you like that is already taken. Some other key words that you can play around with are: fit, active, healthy, fitness, exercise, instructor, etc.
From here there are a couple ways to move forward. The first option would be if you want to transition your current active personal Instagram into your fitness instructor Instagram. The second option is to create an entirely new Instagram account simply dedicated to your life as a fitness instructor. I would recommend going with the first option, while I personally did the second method with the knowledge I have gained I realized that it could have been better in the beginning if I simply transitioned my personal Instagram account into my yoga Instagram account because then you already have an established friend to follower relationship. However, I should note that going with either option will be fine. You are also going to need a public account because people don't want to request to follow you, they want to see what kind of content they can expect to see in their feed before they commit to following you.
Regardless of which you do the next step is the same, you can begin to think of your Instagram as an online resume where you can provide supplemental information for your clients. If you make a great healthy lunch that you would like to share with your clients, you no longer must message each of them personally, you can easily upload the recipe onto your Instagram page. On a similar page if you find that you are constantly reminding your cycle class about their posture when they’re on the bike, then you could make an instructional post with a diagram of the proper ways to sit on a bike. I’ve found on my page that the instructional posts are my top performing content in terms of both engagement and new followers.
Some other potential topics: recipes, posture tips, favorite workout gear, stretches to do before and after class, best supplements to take with your workout
Once you have made your page it will be easier for core cycle studios to share the content you put out. The more often you are posting about your classes offered at the studio, the more often Core Cycle Studios will be able to share your content. By having more of your class content on Core Cycle’s Page, you will likely have more people attending your classes because of the close relationships that Core Cycle has established with their fans the studio and thus the instructors teaching the popular classes will increase sales (Nobre 2014). A strong fan to business relationship translates to more sales (2014).
If you have a person that was happy with their experience with you as an instructor both online and in the studio, they may be convinced to join and spread a little free Press about your class to their friends (2014). This individual essentially becomes a brand ambassador for you because every time they post about how excited they are about coming to your class then they are going to want to discuss the class with their friends on social media (2014). As the brand representative and an instructor online engagement with customers becomes a way to “take care of the most loyal customers” (2014).
Now that you have an established account here’s how you need to move forward:
⦁ Post consistently, for me that's on average about one to two posts per day. I don’t recommend posting more than three times a day because that can be obnoxious for your followers.
⦁ For you posts focus on quality over quantity. It is okay if you don’t have access to a high-quality digital camera because you have your cell phone; natural lighting, simple backgrounds, and bright colors will really help. Also try to incorporate a mix of photos and videos. “In terms of the message itself, provocative or humorous content facilitates a message being forwarded” (Knoll 2015).
⦁ Appreciate your followers. So many of us get caught up in growing our following that we forget to appreciate the followers we already have. Whether that's 10 followers or 100,000 followers those people have decided to follow you for a reason. Respond to their comments, go and like their photos, engage with them. People really appreciate it when you show them support in return.
⦁ Be patient. We live in a society that craves immediate reward, but building your following is just like building any other brand, it's going to take time.
⦁ Lastly, be genuine and be yourself. There's something like a billion users on Instagram and only one of you. So don't be afraid to stand out from the crowd, do your own thing, people will want to follow you because you are being true to who you are.
If you have a person that was happy with their experience with you as an instructor both online and in the studio, they may be convinced to join and spread a little free Press about your class to their friends (2014). This individual essentially becomes a brand ambassador for you because every time they post about how excited they are about coming to your class then they are going to want to discuss the class with their friends on social media (2014). As the brand representative and an instructor online engagement with customers becomes a way to “take care of the most loyal customers” (2014).
Now that you have an established account here’s how you need to move forward:
⦁ Post consistently, for me that's on average about one to two posts per day. I don’t recommend posting more than three times a day because that can be obnoxious for your followers.
⦁ For you posts focus on quality over quantity. It is okay if you don’t have access to a high-quality digital camera because you have your cell phone; natural lighting, simple backgrounds, and bright colors will really help. Also try to incorporate a mix of photos and videos. “In terms of the message itself, provocative or humorous content facilitates a message being forwarded” (Knoll 2015).
⦁ Appreciate your followers. So many of us get caught up in growing our following that we forget to appreciate the followers we already have. Whether that's 10 followers or 100,000 followers those people have decided to follow you for a reason. Respond to their comments, go and like their photos, engage with them. People really appreciate it when you show them support in return.
⦁ Be patient. We live in a society that craves immediate reward, but building your following is just like building any other brand, it's going to take time.
⦁ Lastly, be genuine and be yourself. There's something like a billion users on Instagram and only one of you. So don't be afraid to stand out from the crowd, do your own thing, people will want to follow you because you are being true to who you are.
Part V: Conclusion
Influencers are becoming new forms of entertainment for society because they provide all the details of their lives for their followers. Due to this transparency that public figures develop with their audience they are becoming the most effective forms of advertisement. Influencer can establish trust with their followers that they can translate to better business. As a fitness instructor having an active social media presence will not only help you further engage with your current audience but it will help you reach new clients and expand your business. Remaining consistent with posting to your page and by engaging with your followers you will be able to create a successful social media presence.
Part VI: Bibliography
Arnay, M. (2018, April 01). How Social Media has Revolutionized the Celebrity- Fan Relationship. Retrieved July 5, 2018, from https://pennstateprssa.com/2018/04/01/how-social-media-has-revolutionized-the-celebrity-fan-relationship/
Chang, K.T.T., W. Chen, and B.C.Y. Tan. 2012. Advertising effectiveness in social networking sites: Social ties, expertise, and product type. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 59, no. 4: 63443.
Cohen, S. (2015, May). The age of celebrity politics. Retrieved July 5, 2018, from https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-28/may-2015/age-celebrity-politics
Fenrich, M. (2018, July 5). Email Personal interview.
Giordano, M. (2018, July 5). Email Personal interview.
Hughes, O. (2018, July 5). Email Personal interview.
Kaplan, Andreas M., and Michael Haenlein(2010), “Users of the World, Unite! The Challenges and Opportunities of Social Media,” Business Horizons, 53 (1), 59–68.
Knoll, Johannes. “Advertising in Social Media: a Review of Empirical Evidence.” International Journal of Advertising, vol. 35, no. 2, 2015, pp. 266–300., doi:10.1080/02650487.2015.1021898.
Lecaro, Lina. “Billy Shire, of Soap Plant, Wacko and La Luz De Jesus, Is the King of Culture in L.A.” L.A. Weekly, 10 Aug. 2018, www.laweekly.com/arts/billy-shire-of-soap-plant-wacko-and-la-luz-de-jesus-is-the-king-of-culture-in-la-9730090.
May, K. (2018, July 5). Email Personal interview.
Muntinga, D.G., M. Moorman, and E.G. Smit. 2011. Introducting COBRAs: Exploring motivations for brand-related social media use. International Journal of Advertising 30, no. 1: 1346.
Nobre, H., and D. Silva. 2014. Social network marketing strategy and SME strategy benefits. Journal of Transnational Management 19, no. 2: 13851.
Rais, Z. (2015, July 29). How Social Media has Changed the Concept of Celebrity? Retrieved July 5, 2018, from http://www.iamwire.com/2015/07/social-media-changed-concept-celebrity/120309
Shearer, Elisa, and Jeffrey Gottfried. “News Use Across Social Media Platforms 2017.” Pew Research Center's Journalism Project, 7 Sept. 2017, www.journalism.org/2017/09/07/news-use-across-social-media-platforms-2017/.
Sinrich , Jenn. “6 Ways That Social Media Has Changed Health and Fitness.” Aaptiv, 2018, aaptiv.com/magazine/social-media-fitness.
Weinswig, D. (2016, October 05). Influencers Are The New Brands. Retrieved July 5, 2018, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/deborahweinswig/2016/10/05/influencers-are-the-new-brands/#787820b27919
Wilson, M. (2015). The Celebrity Effect: An Exploratory Study of the Relationship between Celebrity and Charitable Giving using BBC Charity Appeals data. Centre for Philanthropy Working Paper. Retrieved July 5, 2018, from https://www.kent.ac.uk/sspssr/philanthropy/documents/celebrity-effect-cfp-paper.pdf.
Zhu, Yu-Qian, and Houn-Gee Chen (2015), “Social Media and Human Need Satisfaction: Implications for Social Media Marketing,” Business Horizons, 58 (3), 335–45.
Chang, K.T.T., W. Chen, and B.C.Y. Tan. 2012. Advertising effectiveness in social networking sites: Social ties, expertise, and product type. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 59, no. 4: 63443.
Cohen, S. (2015, May). The age of celebrity politics. Retrieved July 5, 2018, from https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-28/may-2015/age-celebrity-politics
Fenrich, M. (2018, July 5). Email Personal interview.
Giordano, M. (2018, July 5). Email Personal interview.
Hughes, O. (2018, July 5). Email Personal interview.
Kaplan, Andreas M., and Michael Haenlein(2010), “Users of the World, Unite! The Challenges and Opportunities of Social Media,” Business Horizons, 53 (1), 59–68.
Knoll, Johannes. “Advertising in Social Media: a Review of Empirical Evidence.” International Journal of Advertising, vol. 35, no. 2, 2015, pp. 266–300., doi:10.1080/02650487.2015.1021898.
Lecaro, Lina. “Billy Shire, of Soap Plant, Wacko and La Luz De Jesus, Is the King of Culture in L.A.” L.A. Weekly, 10 Aug. 2018, www.laweekly.com/arts/billy-shire-of-soap-plant-wacko-and-la-luz-de-jesus-is-the-king-of-culture-in-la-9730090.
May, K. (2018, July 5). Email Personal interview.
Muntinga, D.G., M. Moorman, and E.G. Smit. 2011. Introducting COBRAs: Exploring motivations for brand-related social media use. International Journal of Advertising 30, no. 1: 1346.
Nobre, H., and D. Silva. 2014. Social network marketing strategy and SME strategy benefits. Journal of Transnational Management 19, no. 2: 13851.
Rais, Z. (2015, July 29). How Social Media has Changed the Concept of Celebrity? Retrieved July 5, 2018, from http://www.iamwire.com/2015/07/social-media-changed-concept-celebrity/120309
Shearer, Elisa, and Jeffrey Gottfried. “News Use Across Social Media Platforms 2017.” Pew Research Center's Journalism Project, 7 Sept. 2017, www.journalism.org/2017/09/07/news-use-across-social-media-platforms-2017/.
Sinrich , Jenn. “6 Ways That Social Media Has Changed Health and Fitness.” Aaptiv, 2018, aaptiv.com/magazine/social-media-fitness.
Weinswig, D. (2016, October 05). Influencers Are The New Brands. Retrieved July 5, 2018, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/deborahweinswig/2016/10/05/influencers-are-the-new-brands/#787820b27919
Wilson, M. (2015). The Celebrity Effect: An Exploratory Study of the Relationship between Celebrity and Charitable Giving using BBC Charity Appeals data. Centre for Philanthropy Working Paper. Retrieved July 5, 2018, from https://www.kent.ac.uk/sspssr/philanthropy/documents/celebrity-effect-cfp-paper.pdf.
Zhu, Yu-Qian, and Houn-Gee Chen (2015), “Social Media and Human Need Satisfaction: Implications for Social Media Marketing,” Business Horizons, 58 (3), 335–45.