How Competitive is the Fitness Influencer Industry? Here's the Answer
A decade ago, you would be met with a blank stare if you asked someone what a fitness influencer is. Nowadays, you ask someone the same question, and chances are you’ll receive a rambling of top fitness influencers to follow. So clearly, the fitness industry and fitness influencer landscape has evolved drastically. The industry is currently at its prime, and the competition is high. The comprehensive guide we have for you will tell you all there is to the competitiveness of the fitness influencer industry.
Current Landscape of the Fitness Industry
The fitness industry has experienced dramatic growth over the years and, in recent years, has been at its prime. The ever-evolving industry has seen trends come and go over the years, but some have remained consistent, such as functional training and high-intensity interval training. Nowadays, a major shift towards holistic wellness is happening and is likely to stay for the foreseeable future.
Online virtual training has gained popularity since last year, and many on-demand fitness services are taking advantage of this change. Online, digital, and virtual fitness are in high demand, opening different avenues for fitness influencers to expand their brand. The number of influencers developing fitness apps and online workout guides is on the rise. At the same time, the boutique studio sector has also seen immense growth worldwide.
How Fitness Influencers Can Gain Followers
Gaining followers on your social media platforms and online space requires time and dedication. However, there are things you can do to make sure your following is always growing, with posting quality content being the main means. People will follow you for your content, so if that isn’t of the best quality, they’ll have nothing to look forward to. Make sure to consistently post good content on your social media pages and websites. Organized and aesthetically-appealing content will surely attract more followers.
Your content needs to be fresh and engaging; it shouldn’t seem like it was put together at the last moment with minimum effort. All your photos and videos need to have good lighting and high resolution. Individual posts need to be unique while maintaining the overall theme. And don’t limit your digital content to just photos and videos; host interactive sessions, write personal pieces or even newsletters about the fitness industry. Use hashtags, tag people in your posts, and always interact with your audience!
How Many Fitness Influencers Are There?
The number of fitness influencers on social media is increasing day by day. From major names in the industry to newer ones, people are highly competitive when it comes to surviving in the fitness industry. At the same time, it’s not unusual to see collaborations between influencer brands. The main website preferred by influencers who engage in influencer marketing is Instagram. Instagram has over 500,000 influencers, a substantial portion of which are fitness influencers. The statistics and instagram data compiled by Compare the Market health insurance indicate just how vast the fitness following on this platform is; the top influencers have over 20 million followers!
Then comes YouTube, where most major influencers gain at least 1 to 2 million views per video they post. TikTok is great for posting short fitness-related videos, and the platform's algorithm makes it relatively easy to go viral with one of your posts.
Strategies to Make Money
As a fitness influencer, there are a number of ways to make money. An efficient way to monetize your audience as a fitness influencer is by creating and selling digital courses and workshops. Each course can be structured to achieve certain fitness goals, such as beginners' workout guides and workouts to develop muscle mass. Similar to fitness courses, you can develop workout apps that monitor clients’ fitness routines and help them stay on track with their fitness goals. You can also publish e-books that talk about your fitness journey or discuss how to become a successful fitness influencer.
Another way to make money as a fitness influencer is through sponsors and affiliate marketing. You can promote fitness products such as workout gear and supplements of various brands and take a portion of the sales profit home. It’s necessary to carve out your niche in the industry so you can market products that align with your brand. Similarly, you can do affiliate marketing, where you promote products through affiliate links. You can include these links on your blog, social media profiles and post captions, and you’ll receive a percentage of the sales.
What do Sponsors Look for in a Fitness Influencer
Sponsors take into consideration many aspects before handing their products to fitness influencers. Sponsors may discuss with you the success rate of your previous collaborations. They will look into your advertising strategies and your follower base to see whether you have an audience dedicated enough to buy the products you market. A large following on major social media websites will increase your chances of landing a sponsor deal with major brands in the fitness industry. However, even if you have a medium or even small following, there will be brands out there that would like to collaborate with you. Once you land a deal, based on the number of sales you’re bringing in, sponsors will decide whether to continue their partnership with you or not.
Fitness Influencers Also Need to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
Being a fitness influencer has its own advantages, but at the same time comes with many responsibilities. Between statistics, followers, and money, it becomes easy for outsiders to forget that influencers have to put in just as much effort to stay fit. At times, handling a business and staying fit becomes overwhelming. It’s important for influencers to take care of their brand and themselves.
Becoming a successful fitness influencer isn’t easy to achieve. However, opportunities to develop your brand and start out your journey as a fitness influencer are endless. Once you understand how to survive in the industry, building your name in the fitness influencer industry becomes less daunting and easier to achieve.
