Once upon a time, TikTok may have seemed like a just-for-fun app that only tweens were using. Or maybe you still feel this way. However, that’s definitely not the case anymore—the TikTok fitness world is blowing up!

Now, lots of professionals, including plenty of personal trainers and other people who work in the fitness industry, are using TikTok to promote their business and expand their reach.

Have you been thinking about using TikTok as a marketing tool? Keep reading! Explained below is everything you need to know about using TikTok to sell yourself as a fitness professional.

1. Decide if TikTok Is Right for You

According to the latest TikTok user information, the app has approximately 30 million monthly active users in the U.S. alone. The biggest age group using TikTok is those aged 18-24, and the second-biggest group is aged 13-17.

Clearly, TikTok is geared toward a younger audience. That doesn’t mean older adults aren’t using it, though.

At the moment, there are a lot of young fitness professionals on the app who are targeting people in a younger age group. If your target demographic is more, ahem, mature, you could still make a splash on TikTok because you’ll have less competition. This could make it easier for you to reach TikTok users who feel that there’s not a lot of content on the app that’s made for them.

2. Learn How TikTok Works

If you think TikTok could be a useful tool for expanding your audience, it’s important to learn how the app works and how you can use it before you dive in and start using it.

TikTok is used for watching and creating videos. There are lots of different videos that people create a share on the app, including the following:

Challenges

These often involve performing a dance to a specific song or in a specific style, and it’s a great place to start! Find a challenge and try it out.

Duets

These videos provide a way for TikTok users to collaborate with one another—another great way to wade into the TikTok waters, with minimal prep.

Reaction videos

As the name suggests, this is all about posting your reaction to something (a product, another video, etc.). Maybe try reacting to a fellow fitness fanatics?

Humor

A ton of the app’s content veers into comedy. Think of some “funny because it’s true” jokes about fitness and personal training and use a quick, clever way to communicate it!

Knowledge-sharing

Small, bite-sized pieces of enlightening information. Consider all the nuggets of information that your clients are shocked to learn, and then choose a TikTok-friendly way to share it.

3. Create a TikTok Profile

Okay, you’re ready to start using TikTok as part of your social media marketing strategy. To do this, you’ll need to create a profile for yourself.

Setting up a TikTok profile is very easy to do. Just follow these steps:

• Download the TikTok app from the App Store or Google Play
• Tap the Profile or Notifications tab and follow the prompts given to sign up for the app (you’ll need to provide a valid email address and phone number)
• To add or change your profile photo, tap on the Profile tab, then tap Edit Profile
• From here, tap on the Profile Photo or Profile Video option, then follow the prompts given to add a photo or video from your library

Pro tip: Choose a username and photo that aligns with your other platforms so people recognize you!

Once you’ve done this, you’ll be ready to start making videos!

4. Check Out Other Fitness Content

To make a TikTok video, all you have to do is click on the “+” icon at the bottom of the screen and begin recording. From here, you’ll have access to a variety of filters, songs, and other features you can use to spice them up.

If you’re a little unsure of where to begin or what to post first, start by exploring the app and checking out other fitness content. There are lots of ways that fitness professionals are using TikTok. Some are sharing quick fitness tips set to music, for example, while others are participating in TikTok dance challenges.

Search using hashtags, and when you find content you like, check out what other hashtags they’re using. You can also watch some videos from big names in the fitness industry like Cassey Ho of Blogilates or NASM-certified trainer Laura Novack to get ideas for your first TikTok video.

5. Find Your Personal TikTok Style

The great thing about TikTok is that the videos you share are meant to be fun, entertaining, and fairly casual. It’s okay if you mess up during your dance challenge or don’t have your hair and makeup done perfectly — that’s part of the appeal!

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of videos to find the ones that you enjoy making the most and that resonate with your audience. With a bit of trial and error, you’ll be able to figure out your personal TikTok style and start cultivating a following around it.

6. Cross-Promote Your TikTok

Remember, you can use TikTok as a cross-promotional tool, too. It’s easy to share TikTok videos on other apps, including Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and Pinterest. There are integrations for sharing on these apps already built-in.

TikTok provides you with another platform to create social media content. When you share it on these other platforms, you can increase your engagement and the frequency with which you post. This, in turn, can help more people to find your profile and take an interest in the personal training or fitness-related services you have to offer.

7. Have Fun

Remember, your marketing materials don’t have to be super serious all the time. It’s okay to have fun!

Short, silly videos can help you to connect and engage with your social media followers in a new way. They show them that you’re fun and relatable and may entice them to start working with you.

Let your TikTok videos influence your other marketing strategies. Don’t be afraid to shake things up every once in a while.

Try These TikTok Marketing Tips Today

As you can see, there are lots of ways that you can use TikTok for fitness and fitness business marketing. It doesn’t matter if you’re involved in online personal training or if you own a fitness club or fitness studio.

Either way, there’s plenty of room for TikTok marketing within the fitness industry. Keep the tips outlined in this guide in mind and you’ll have no trouble making a name for yourself on the app.

Do you want to learn more about marketing for fitness professionals and personal training businesses? At Trainerize, we’re here to provide you with all the tools you need to succeed in the digital fitness world.

Check out our other marketing resources today, or find out more about what Trainerize has to offer.