My love for health and fitness began in grade school when I started playing sports. As I grew up, that love turned into a desire to inspire and motivate others. So in 2016, my fiancee and I started Elite Aesthetics, a personal training gym in Tempe, Ariz. I always thought I needed to have some special connection with an established fitness company or celebrity to start a fitness blog. I learned you don’t need to land your own TV show or be a pro athlete to tell your story. After two years of blogging, my credibility in the health and fitness industry has grown exponentially. Here’s my advice on how to start a fitness blog and turn that empty page into an empire.
7 pro tips on starting your own fitness blog
-
Decide who you’re talking to.
-
Tell it like only you can.
-
Look beyond dot com.
-
Don’t be afraid to be annoying.
-
Be a stickler about posting.
-
Invite comments.
-
Kill them with kindness.
Keep reading for details on how to get your fitness business moving.
1. Decide who you’re talking to
The first thing I say when somebody asks me how to start a fitness blog is “What story do you want to tell?” and “Who are you talking to?” Identifying your audience is the foundation of a successful fitness blog. If you start your blog as a weight loss diary, stick with it. Maybe you want to share your journey to your first bodybuilding competition or market your expertise on nutrition. Don’t randomly write a post about your stressful work day or your annual family gathering — you’ll lose your audience. Stay consistent with your blog identity.
Your audience respects your knowledge; don’t lose them with random posts.
Once you’ve identified your audience, decide what type of content to focus on. Will you be posting video content, 30-day challenges, clean eating recipes, exercise guidance, etc? Trying to do it all will hinder your ability to establish yourself as an expert in one area. And the truth is, your audience will appreciate your loyalty to a single focus.
This doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate a video here and there on your recipe-style blog — just don’t do it frequently.
2. Tell it like only you can
Rise above the redundant world of fitness blogs by owning your area of expertise and finding ways to differentiate yourself. Don’t be like every other fitness blogger and write about recycled topics. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen blog posts titled “5 tips for a better butt.” I love the topic, but there are way too many similar posts just re-written and re-formatted.
The best way to differentiate your blog is to be honest and be YOU!
There’s no one else out there like you, so showing your true self will make your blog stand out from the saturated niche of fitness blogging.
3. Look beyond dot com
One of the first decisions you’ll have to make is what to call your blog. Rather than try to score a relevant .com domain, consider one of the new domains — like .fit, .fitness or .club. They’re more specific to what you do, which means your blog address will be easier for clients to remember.
If the title of your blog is “Jenny’s Fitness Journey” you’ll want to check the availability of the domain name that matches it. Readers not only identify with your name and blog title, but also with your web address. Because they haven’t been around long, you’re more likely to find the web address you want with one of these new domain names. For more tips on naming your blog, read “How to choose meaningful, memorable blog names and related domains.”
Get a domain name for your fitness blog now:
4. Don’t be afraid to be annoying
No one likes to be annoying. However, when you start a fitness blog you can’t be concerned about irritating your readers with too much content.
If you aren’t sick of posting, you’re not posting often enough.
Do you think the most popular fitness blogs increase their audience by sitting back and hoping readers come across their pages? Heck no! They're posting content daily on every social media channel in existence and they aren’t sorry about it! Remind yourself of this every time you come out with new content. Bite the bullet and post, post, post!
5. Be a stickler about posting
Now that you know you need to post frequently, ensure you have content planned ahead of time. Life gets in the way but you can avoid missing out on your daily post if you’re proactive about it. Skipping out on a post even for one day will show a lack of passion to your readers. In addition, you don’t want to be scrambling to write a blog post last minute. A sloppy post damages your unique touch and credibility with your readers.
Keep content on reserve for when life throws you a curveball. That way you won’t miss a post.
If you know you’re going on vacation, schedule your content ahead of time to cover that time period. You always want to be engaged in some capacity.
6. Invite comments
Start or end some of your posts with questions. For example, if you’re writing a blog about changes in your diet this week, prompt your readers by asking questions. For example, ask something related to your post: “What lean proteins are in your current diet? ” Using the word “comment” will entice your readers to discuss the topic further.
Add a quick phrase like “Comment below!” after your questions to stimulate response.
You can also strengthen your blog engagement by featuring guest bloggers. Choose other writers that will complement your blog with a similar tone of voice. Not only does this show you respect each other’s expertise, but you will get the opportunity to cross-promote your blog as well. Think about offering a trade; your guest blog post for another’s. It’s a win-win solution.
7. Kill them with kindness
Let’s face it, there will always be readers who’ll need to prove you wrong or disagree with your statements. There’s no way to avoid this; your blog can’t be everyone’s cup of tea.
The best thing to do is acknowledge their comments and stay humble.
A negative comment might boil your blood a little and prompt an argument, but you need to rise above it. Acknowledge their comment by thanking them for their insight and end it on a positive note.
For example, if someone makes a comment “I tried this diet and I gained weight.” Then you might consider a response like this: “Hi (name), our bodies all work in different harmonies — therefore, what works for some may not work for others.” It’s a simple response that doesn’t invite further discussion and a tactic I use with my own clients.
How to start a fitness blog — be yourself
So there you have it — all I know about how to start a fitness blog. Establishing a fitness blog and acquiring an audience takes time, patience and a desire to share your passion. Your dedication is what will drive your blog, so remind yourself everyday why you started. There’s an audience out there waiting to be motivated and inspired.
