Planning out social media posts can be tricky if you’re feeling uninspired or worried you don’t know the “right thing” to post. But fear not! You’ve got plenty of ammunition for different and engaging posts right inside your gym.

So here’s five proven posts to push you in the right direction.

The best part? These ideas can be used over and over again. Just swap out the example, the story, the demo or the question. Their reasons for generating engagement and driving business outcomes remain the same.

So here they are, five high-performing posts that will work on your gym’s social pages:

1. Video training tip

All the major social networks prioritize video traffic in their algorithms, which means video posts get put in front of more people!  So you definitely want to incorporate them into your social plan.

A video of a trainer explaining how to do a certain work out or showing off the equipment your gym offers is a great way to showcase their expertise and give potential members a good visual of what your gym has to offer.

This is also a great way to share a daily workout from a trainer. This creates consistency and community on your pages amongst followers who look forward to the workouts each day.  But it also shows prospects the level and quality of the coaching they could expect if they joined and paid for training!

In effect you’re getting a “two-for-one”; a great tip that existing members benefit from, and a subtle sales message showing off your trainers’ expertise.

2. Motivational post

While you want to focus on gaining new members, you also have to show some love to the community you have already built. A motivational post is the perfect way to do this!

Every gym goer hits a wall in their journey. They lose momentum and feel like they’d rather sit at home than go to the gym. You need to be motivating them to get off the couch and into your facility!

These types of posts are about supporting, not shaming. It’s actually reassuring to members to know that their motivational struggles are shared by many members, which is one more thing that makes them a community.

3. Fitness humor

Let’s be honest, if you survey a group of people, maybe a few will say they genuinely love working out.

The rest will admit that they struggle with it (at least during the workout!), but know that it is good for them and thus, strive on. And they certainly love the benefits. Humor can be a great way to acknowledge this.

Also, make no mistake that humorous posts serve a serious role.

Humor can break through the stiff, intimidating persona that gyms can have and make the facility and trainers seem more approachable to both prospective and current members.

4. Start a conversation

The posts that receive the highest engagement are ones that promote conversation.

Take a photo of your gym (this is a great way to show off all your fancy equipment) and ask your members what their favorite machine is or whether they love ”leg day” or “arm day”. Actually, if you want even better engagement, ask them which machine they dread!

Here’s some other ideas for conversation starters to get your community talking:

• Ask which song is getting them through the last 5 minutes of their workout.
• Run a giveaway or contest - comment, like or share to win.
• Tag a member who has been avoiding the gym to let them know they’re slipping.
• Ask what is their favourite time to hit the gym

5. Member spotlight

Your members are your greatest asset, so show them off! Prospective members will be inspired to see the progress and fitness journey's of real people when they scroll through your feed trying to decide if your gym is the right place for them.

Even better, people are more likely to share your content if they, or someone they know, are featured in the post and that means more exposure for your gym!

So get on that #TransformationTuesday train and show-off the great work your members have done!

For best effect, include the personal story in the caption. The more personal, the more reaction and reach the post will get.

Has the member been coming in after putting the kids to bed? Was the transformation in response to a health scare? Maybe they lost the weight on a dare? You get the idea.

Make your followers feel something and show you take an interest in your members’ journeys.

Test, learn, iterate

If you’ve been stuck in a rut with your social media accounts, take a breathe and stop overthinking your social media plan.  Start with these 5 posts and get the basics right. Use good quality images and videos and put some thought into the captions; really try and tell a story.

From there, see how engagement is, learn and tweak your future social media plan accordingly. Within a few months you’ll have it dialled in and have a foundation of engaged followers.