For many people today, social media is just a part of the daily routine. This year 2.46 billion people were connected to some form of social networking site, a number expected to increase over the coming years. The fitness industry is continuing to benefit from social media, a short look at the hashtag #FITFAM shows evidence of this, raking in over 77 million posts on Instagram alone and continuing to grow as we speak. We’ve taken a look at how people are using social media today to support their fitness goals. Accountability plays a huge role in fitness motivation where social media provides the ultimate environment for this. Each and every minute people around us are uploading photos and videos and checking in to various locations on their social accounts, showing the world how they are contributing to their fitness goals. People are using the Facebook ‘Groups’ feature to connect with specific fitness subgroups to share information, progress and even organise workout sessions. Similarly, people can RSVP to Fitness Events such as CrossFit Games or Wanderlust Yoga using the Facebook ‘Events’ feature where they can find event information, receive reminders and even buy tickets to the event via Facebook.
Another huge player supporting fitness today is the role of influencer marketing. It is no longer just the Hollywood stars that we are seeing on our screen, it is normal, everyday individuals who are creating mass followings by sharing their fitness journey on their social accounts. Fitness influencers and ambassadors are being utilised by brands to promote their products to their huge following and it is having a great effect on business. People are more receptive to these figures as they are relatable real-life people whose achievements allow aspiring athletes to be more motivated to achieve their goals. Features such as Facebook and Instagram ‘Live’ or ‘Story’ is allowing us to connect with these people on a daily basis and as an audience this insight into their life is what we enjoy seeing. People have the opportunity to ask their idols questions and receive fitness advice as well as even do the same workouts from the videos posted to their accounts.
The conventional tools of Facebook continue to allow businesses to keep a constant dialogue with their consumers providing them with updates on new products and events. We are seeing a lot more effort put into branded video content, given its high levels of engagement, with 44% of small to medium business marketers investing in videos for Facebook. Given the nature of the platforms, Facebook and Twitter are still useful for more written content such as blogs as well as a predominant tool for customer service enquiries. While it is becoming harder to ignore the plethora of wellness posts across social media, it is conversely that much easier for consumers to learn and find inspiration across these platforms.
References:
blog.hootsuite.com/instagram-statistics/ sproutsocial.com/insights/facebook-stats-for-marketers/ www.statista.com/statistics/278414/number-of-worldwide-social-network-users/