If you publish solid media regularly, your content and social-media funnels should provide you with a steady stream of new leads.
If people always see engaging, high-quality images and videos of smiling people working with expert coaches, they’ll think of your business first when they have a fitness problem to solve.
But if you produce low-quality content—blurry photos, inaudible videos and so on—your competitors will earn the eyeballs instead.
Good news: You don’t have to be a professional photographer or videographer. Cheap technology makes it very easy to significantly upgrade your content.
The short list below includes one piece of equipment everyone already has, and the other gear can be obtained for less than $100.
You can, of course, find many versions of the products listed below. The equipment was selected for price and basic functionality only, and I don’t get any kickbacks on this stuff. Substitute any similar products you prefer!
Cell Phone
Recommended: Any current smartphone you already own
The cameras in phones—especially the latest models—are incredible. You can use any smartphone to make spectacular videos and photos. You do not need to invest in a DSLR or mirrorless camera. You can, of course. They produce outstanding media. But you can make do with a cell phone for now.
Key Feature: Clean lenses. Use a lens-cleaning cloth and solution from time to time. The best camera is useless if it’s got a smear of peanut butter laced with protein powder across its lens.
Protip: Enter this in Google: “[YOUR PHONE MAKE AND MODEL] camera tips.” Example: “iPhone 15 Pro camera tips.” Then run through a few of the top articles and videos. In about 10 minutes, you’ll learn how to use lots of basic and even a few advanced functions to create better images.
Tripod Without Light
You need a tripod. There is a time and place for off-the-cuff, jiggly but natural, selfie-style filming. But excessive movement can make videos unwatchable. A simple, lightweight tripod that doubles as a selfie stick will solve your problems.
You can get a tripod with a light—see below—but I like having a small, no-frills model for use when you don’t need a light and a USB cable dangling off the tripod.
Recommended: Sensyne 62-Inch Tripod—$20
Key Feature: The articulating head so you can film vertically or horizontally. Vertical videos are all the rage at present, but YouTube is still a thing, so your tripod should allow you to create in both portrait and landscape orientation.
ProTip: Let clients use the tripod to film PRs: “Be sure to tag the gym when you post that or send me the video!”
Ring Light Tripod
Recommended: Weilisi 10-Inch Selfie Ring—$30
Light makes all the difference in the world when filming videos or taking photos. A small, cheap, USB-powered light isn’t going to turn your gym into a professional studio, but it will dramatically improve your video content—especially interviews/testimonials, food videos, monologues and so on.
Filming your next client testimonial in a gym with mediocre lighting? Turn on the ring light and your happy client will stand out!
This light has color and temperature settings that allow you to change the look of a photo or video. For example, baked goods often look better with a cooler light setting in the range of 5500K. Or maybe you want to catch a person’s eye on social by giving a video a purple hue. Experiment with the light’s settings to create different looks.
Key Feature: Adjustable brightness, color and temperature.
ProTip: Any time you hang a cord off a tripod, you create a tripping hazard. Be mindful of cables, and get a small sandbag you can put on the base of the tripod so it doesn’t topple easily. This guide is about minimizing costs, but you will see the irony in placing a $1,000 cell phone in a $30 tripod.
Mic
Recommended: Mini Mic Pro—$23
Mics on cell phones are not great, and they’re almost useless when recording voices in a noisy environment like a gym. No one on social is going to struggle to hear you. People will just scroll on to a better video.
To significantly improve audio quality, you only need a basic set-up: a receiver that plugs into the phone and two wireless lav mics.
Your monologues will sound outstanding with a mic, and you’ll be able to record great interviews, too. The days of echo-filled, inaudible client success stories are long gone.
Key Feature: Two mics—perfect for interviews.
Protip: These mics are designed to be clipped onto clothing so you can use both hands freely. There is literally no reason to hold the mic in your hand except to look trendy. Feel free to do so, but know that this is a style decision by the influencer crowd, not a technical decision. Also, the “fluffy mic cover,” often called a “dead cat,” is for reducing wind noise when recording. It might look cool, but it’s not essential indoors.
Level Up!
I’d strongly recommend you pick up these three pieces of gear today if you don’t already have them. Use them for every piece of media, and teach staff members how to use them if you delegate content creation.
With a tripod, a small light and a mic, you’ll be able to take your content funnel from a D to a B+ fast—and that’s going to generate more leads.
