If you were to consult Instagram, you’d probably think that personal trainers are a dime a dozen these days.
With all the fit models posing, influencers posting exercise videos, and brands using fitness enthusiasts to flaunt their stuff on social media, it can be hard to wade through all of these “personal trainers” and know what’s good and what’s bad.
As a certified fitness professional, you’re probably not entirely entertained.
Sure, accessible exercise is great, but how are you, an actual professional with a certification, supposed to get quality, safe information out there to people if hundreds of thousands of trainers, knowledgeable or not, are taking to the internet to spread their own information?
We’ve got a few tips to help you out.
Check out some of Insure Fitness Group’s guaranteed ways to help make yourself stand out as a certified fitness professional among the sea of fitness enthusiasts out there.
Be Upfront About Your Certification
One of the biggest things that’s going to set you apart from some of your competition is your actual certification.
Seriously, your hard work and dedication that went into earning that professional certification mean that you should be able to let people know you have the documentation to back it up.
We don’t mean you need to be a braggart about it, but your certification is going to provide you with some serious credibility, which, to be honest, a lot of your social media competition might lack.
Don’t be afraid to talk about your certification, what led you to your certified fitness professional journey, and how your certification can help you best advice your clients.
Be Consistent With Your Brand
Personal brands work when you really own what you’re about.
An effective personal brand is consistent, strong, and influential. Make sure when you’re establishing your personal fitness professional brand you know who you are and what you’re about — don’t waste time fooling yourself into thinking you’re something that simply doesn’t work with you. That’s likely going to be a dead end.
For example, some successful Instagram fitness professionals build a brand off of a tough machismo in an alpha-male environment.
Some fitness instructors take a more relaxed, laid back approach as part of their brand. Others take a strict technical approach to their brand.
You know what?
That works for them. Some people simply build a specific brand because it works for them.
If you want to build a successful certified personal trainer brand (for both your in-gym presence and your social media presence) build it toward your strengths by being authentic about who you are and what’s important to you.
Once you understand who you are, what you’re about, and how you want to build your fitness brand, run with it!
Be Knowledgeable & Noteworthy
What’s really going to set you, a certified personal trainer, apart is the quality of your knowledge and the noteworthiness of the content you’re putting out.
By being an expert in your field, you’ll far outpace any Instagram-famous fitness enthusiast who doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
Invest time in continuously learning, researching, trying new things, and creatively becoming more knowledgeable about your industry and your skill.
Make sure you’re taking on each new day with the vigor to become better at what you’re doing, then, gift that knowledge to your clients and your social media followers. Quality information goes a much longer way than social media flash, glitz, and glam.
Our March trainer spotlight, Eric Broser, also has some insight on how important and vital to your professional fitness career it is to stand out as a qualified personal trainer.
“SOMETIMES IT SEEMS THAT ANY FITNESS ENTHUSIAST WHO HAS WON A COMPETITION OR FOLLOWED A TRENDY WORKOUT REGIME CAN CALL THEMSELVES A “COACH.” A TRUE COACH SHOULD COMBINE YEARS AND YEARS OF RESEARCH, EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, CERTIFICATION, AND THEIR OWN COMPETITIVE TRACK RECORD BEFORE HELPING OTHERS TO ACHIEVE THEIR OWN GOALS.” | ERIC BROSER
Be the Trainer Who is Known for Supporting Their Clients
No matter how many clients you have, no matter how many followers on Instagram you get, and no matter how social media famous you become, always strive to be recognized as the certified personal trainer who supports their clients above all else.
That’s the entire nature of our business, right? To build people up and train them to safely become healthier versions of themselves — so why wouldn’t we take immense pride in that!
Make sure that people recognize that if they work with you, ask you for advice, or simply want to follow you on social media, you’re going to be the trainer that supports them and encourages them to find healthy ways to make themselves better people.
Be the Trainer Who Builds a Community – Not Just Their Rep
Sure, it’s important to have a solid reputation as a quality, helpful, and supportive personal trainer, but what really gets people interested in keeping up with you and heeding your advice is when you’re providing an authentic platform for people who want to learn more about fitness.
Build a community with your knowledge and reputation, don’t just try to build yourself up.
And listen, we know that’s a tough thing to advice because we’re aware that in this industry, it’s vital to ensure you’ve got a good reputation — especially if you want to make it on social media.
We always encourage you to build yourself up and make a strong name for yourself, but that kind of recognition will come easier if you’re taking the time to care about your clients and provide a space for them to learn together, talk together, and consult with you. A branded community can go a long way for a certified personal trainer who is trying to set themselves apart from all the fitness pros out there.
Be Genuine & Consistent
If you’re trying to set yourself apart from other fitness experts, whether it’s in-person or online, it’s vital to always check in with yourself to make sure you’re being genuine.
Ask yourself questions about your strategies, methods, techniques, and advice — are these things authentic? Are these things correct? Am I using my platform to spread a healthy message to the masses?
Remind yourself of why you got into this business in the first place and what your overall goal is – do you feel like you’re getting that message of authenticity across?
Another important thing to remember is consistency. In the gym, be a consistent source of support for your clients and be present for them always so they know they can have someone to count on. Be the trainer who becomes recognized for being a consistent support system for your clients.
If you’re trying to set yourself apart online or on social media, make sure you’re putting in consistent efforts here. If you only post every few weeks on your social media accounts, you likely won’t be able to reach people and set yourself apart as a certified personal trainer – people crave consistency.
Be the Trainer Who Has a Niche but Don’t Be Afraid to Stray Away
Trainers become famous and recognized for having specific niches.
This sort of plays into the brand conversation we were having earlier. If you’re trying to set yourself apart as a certified personal trainer, try to establish a niche and stick to it so you’re a clear choice for a certain audience.
Ask yourself what you’re all about.
Do you specialize in weight training?
Would you prefer a yoga specialty?
Are you trying to focus on total body transformations?
Whatever it might be, find your niche and stick to it so that people will recognize you as an expert within that niche.
That being said, don’t become so stringent that you don’t try or experiment with any other kind of training. As a certified personal trainer, you know that variety is more than just the spice of life, it’s the ingredient for better success in your physical fitness journey. Mix it up with your clients, provide them with other options outside your niche to challenge their physical fitness, and never be overly strict about what you’ll try, too.
