Most gym owners have the same thought at some point: “I need to post more content. I just don’t know where to start.”
So they post a few times. Maybe they go hard for a week. Then they burn out.
Meanwhile, other gym owners post only three times a week and their DMs stay full. That’s because they post three specific types of content that move people toward buying, and they do it consistently.
Here’s the breakdown.
Conversion Content: The One Most Owners Skip
Conversion content is anything that makes a prospect more likely to buy from you. It moves people down the funnel. And it’s the type most gym owners avoid because it feels salesy and doesn’t go viral.
But you can’t pay rent with likes.
The best place to start is what we call the Essential Three: your three pinned posts on Instagram. When a prospect is checking out your gym, they’re almost certainly going to visit your Instagram first. Those pinned posts are your shot to answer three questions:
- What is your gym, who is it for and what do you offer?
- What does a class actually look like?
- What’s the next step to get started?
These posts stay at the top of your profile forever. Do them once, and do them well.
Beyond the pin posts, social proof is your strongest conversion tool. Instead of screenshotting Google reviews, showcase real members and their results.
A simple format that works: a photo of a member holding a blank whiteboard, with the result added as text afterward. “First pull-up at 62.” “Lost 18 pounds in 10 weeks.” Build a carousel of these and drop a CTA at the end (“DM us if you want results like this”), and you’ve got a conversion machine you can run over and over.
If you want something even simpler, use what’s called a 5-1-30 post. The formula: Call out a specific number of people, with one specific promise or offer and a specific timeframe.
Something like: “Looking for 5 busy professionals in [city] who want to lose 10 pounds in 30 days! DM me to get started.”
Post these in your local Facebook groups, send them as emails and vary them up. One gym owner ran the same basic 5-1-30 post in a local Facebook group every month for three years, and it kept working.
Connection Content: People Buy From People
Your biggest advantage over the big-box gyms is you. Connection content is anything that makes people like you. It doesn’t have to be polished.
Mike Bouranis of Stoked Athletics filmed a staff meeting where his coaches had a vertical jump contest. Just a fun moment that showed who they are.
Joe Strada of Unleash’d posts about his love of White Monster. His gym is a serious strength training gym—and his members either love White Monster too or they get the vibe. He’s not trying to reach everyone; he’s signaling exactly who his gym is for.
Elvis Fisher posted a video of himself pretending to sing karaoke.
None of these are complicated. But each one builds a real connection with the right kind of person.
Pro tip: Post this type of content on your personal Instagram and use the “invite collaborator” feature to tag your gym. You get reach on both accounts with one post.
If video feels intimidating, start with a carousel: five to ten images that tell a story about who you are and what makes your gym different.
Value Content: Prove You’re the Expert
Value content builds authority. The easiest way to create it: Answer the questions you get asked every week.
If you run a strength gym, you’ve probably been asked a hundred times whether lifting will make women bulky. That’s a piece of content. If your members are asking about GLP-1s, that’s a piece of content. If you’ve got a contrarian take on cardio, squatting for older adults or nutrition, write it out. Say something different from what everyone else is saying.
The goal is simple: Show prospects that you know what you’re doing and that you have a clear point of view.
The Weekly Posting Formula
Post one of each type of content, every week:
- One conversion post (social proof or a 5-1-30)
- One connection post (something that shows who you are)
- One value post (answer a common question or share a contrarian take)
The connection content makes people like you. The value content makes them trust you. The conversion content gets them to act.
That’s the whole system. It works because it covers all three things a prospect needs before they buy, and it doesn’t require you to go viral to fill your gym.
If you want help building a full marketing system for your gym, including four funnels that work together, book a call here.
