6 Ways for Fitness Brands to Use Instagram Reels

Creating reels to help market your fitness brand can be both fun and effective. The more creativity and effort you put into it, the more dividends you’ll begin to see. 

What are Instagram Reels?

Reels are a (somewhat) newly launched feature of the popular social media app, Instagram. Reels are essentially short videos designed to entertain and inform people by showcasing your creativity. 

Along with showing off a little creativity, Instagram reels work as a great tool to deliver branding and marketing content in a way that isn’t ‘sales-y’. 

How Instagram Reels Work 

While the concept of Instagram reels sounds similar to Instagram stories; in reality, they’re completely different. Instagram reels are up to 60 second video clips that can be created with numerous effects, including audios, speed changes, filters, and other creative tools. 

Reels are displayed on your profile feed as a post. This is unlike a story video, which is available only for 24 hours and doesn’t display on your profile feed. 

Additionally, you can track and see specifically who watches a story; for Instagram reels, you can only track how many times the video was viewed, not who it’s been viewed by. 

Unlike stories however, reels get pushed out to people who aren’t following you, which essentially turns each reel into a hook that lures people in. This is why Instagram reels can work great for brand management and content marketing, especially for fitness brands. 

Put simply, reels give you a medium to reach new audiences and build brand awareness, using short videos related to your industry that are fun, creative, informative––and sometimes promotional. 

Ways for Fitness Brands to Use Instagram Reels

There are a number of ways fitness brands can use reels on Instagram as part of their awareness campaign. Instagram, like any social media site, gobbles up new content like candy. Your job is to just get creative with it! Below are a few ideas to get you started. 

Workout Tips

The first and most obvious way to use Instagram reels to boost your fitness brand is to share workout tips with your audience. Short video clips can be an ideal way to cover your favorite exercise tips and tricks, without giving away too much. 

Targeted Exercises

If you can, start showing people how to perform individual exercises that might be challenging for an average person. Create organized reel content so that each reel or each couple of reels focuses on one specific exercise. 

Health & Fitness Hacks 

Another obvious tip is to use the Instagram reels platform to share your favorite health and fitness hacks. Clear up misconceptions or common myths about maintaining fitness and health, or offer modification ideas for particularly challenging exercises. 

Highlight Your Products and Programs

Instagram reels can be an ideal way of launching new fitness programs or products, by showing how they work and what they cover. You can also use the tool to inform your viewers about any ongoing programs and deals on offer. These would be more promotional in nature, so use sparingly and follow the 80/20 rule.

Share your Favorite Exercise Equipment

Instagram (like most social platforms) has evolved and become market-focused; it’s often less about personal stuff and more about business and selling, whether that’s selling a lifestyle or a product. 

For the product department, why not Instagram reels to share with people your favorite exercise equipment? For bonus points, you could collaborate with the brands that make them and use your platform to boost their sales too, fostering a mutually beneficial partnership. 

Give People a Face to Associate with Your Brand

We all find it easier to relate to something when we have a face or person to associate it with. Instagram reels can be an excellent way of giving people a peek into your life and ‘keeping it real’; you can start by sharing your own personal fitness routine, including your diet plan, your lifestyle, your workout, and anything else relevant. 

Are Instagram Reels Worth the Time Investment?

You have to decide that for yourself. Some brands love creating reels for their business, while other brands prefer to pursue more traditional marketing routes. Still others prefer to outsource their social media strategy entirely, so they can focus on the things they do best. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, so find what works for your brand and run with it.