3 Golden Rules of Social Media for PTs
Social media is one of the first places a potential client decides whether you’re the Trainer they're looking for.
Obviously, nothing beats an in-person introduction or referral – we’re “Personal” Trainers, after all – but social media is a shop window into your ability to help people reach their fitness goals.
And many PTs are shutting the curtains.
It’s not that they’re bad Trainers or that they don’t care. They’re just using social media in a way that serves themselves or their personal network. However, that’s not their target audience.
Posts highlighting personal bests and Stories about the latest scientific research aren’t inherently wrong. They’re just not especially helpful if the goal is to attract and reassure potential clients.
I’ve spent the past five years travelling the world, meeting successful trainers who easily generate USD100k a year. Most of them have fewer than 10,000 followers. From them, I’ve gathered three golden rules for personal trainers to follow when it comes to using social media professionally.
#1 Be Relatable Before Impressive
When I first decided to use social media properly for my business, I did something that surprised a few of my closest friends – I blocked them. And plenty of fellow fitness professionals in my network, too.
Not because I didn’t value them, but because the thought of being judged by them was influencing what I felt comfortable posting. I wanted the freedom to speak plainly and test ideas. Most of all, I wanted to focus on the people I was actually trying to help — without sounding like I was stupid because I discussed simple concepts.
It worked. It took the pressure off and allowed me to create content that clearly communicated my value as a PT. I didn’t grow a huge following, but I built a community of people who trusted me and found me helpful.
The reality is that most trainers aren’t short on knowledge. They’re short on relevance.
Clients don’t open Instagram looking for debates about shortened contractile ranges or RIR differentials. They trust you already know about these foreign and complicated things, especially if you’ve listed some certifications in your bio.
They just want to know why something hurts, why their progress has stalled, and how you can help them reach any number of goals that most of the time are lifestyle-focused, not performance-driven. In other words, are you telling them in everyday terms how you can improve their everyday lives?
Posts that speak to solving their problems tend to convert better than posts designed to prove how much you know. Comments from fellow PTs don’t pay the bills; DMs asking about your services do.
The key is to make complex ideas feel accessible. (And if that’s a struggle, it’s worth asking yourself why.)
#2 Show Authority, Don’t Perform It
Once someone understands what you’re offering, the next thing they’re trying to work out is – can this person actually help me?
This is where many trainers drift into performance mode — screenshots of research papers, comment-section arguments, long captions full of complicated terminology. (See Rule #1.)
None of that shows a client how you deliver results.
List all the certifications you can fit in your bio, but point people to posts which explain what they mean. Why did you take a course? What changed because of it? How does it improve the service you provide? And, who is that service for?
If your diary is closed for a weekend course, your content should answer the question: ‘Why is this trainer worth waiting for?’
When you are working with clients, record the process (if they’re comfortable with it). Show that when people come to you, they get a remarkable experience with genuine results. Potential clients need to see that training with you is different from what they’ve seen on offer elsewhere. Prove that you’re not just another PT shouting out reps between checking their phone and checking their hair; you’re engaged and committed to the process.
Show, don’t tell. No one needs a lecture. They just need to know you know and love what you’re doing.
#3 Build Trust Through Social Proof
So, you have a potential client who understands what you’re offering and they believe in your ability to offer it. Things are looking good. There’s still one final question to answer: ‘Has this worked for someone like me?’
Social proof seals the deal. People place a lot of trust in the opinions of strangers. It makes no logical sense, but it’s effective.
Posting client results is great, but don’t limit them to before/after pictures. Talk about pain reduced and capabilities regained; energy boosted and confidence built.
Don’t present social proof as marketing theatre either. Staged and scripted testimonials aren’t going to convince serious customers. The most effective content is natural and contextual (see Rule #1 again).
Short video clips work best, especially when they focus on the process, not praise.
A client casually describing a meaningful experience can do more than any caption you could write yourself. Good social proof doesn’t shout; it calmly reduces uncertainty.
Using Social Media Like a Professional
Personal Trainers are problem-solvers. Consultants. Qualified professionals paid for our ability to assess and address the individual needs of the person standing in front of us.
If we’re serious about that responsibility, our social media content should reflect it.
Posting physique photos and enthusiastically debating in comment sections might build you a following. Maybe even a reputation. It just might not be the right one.
If you want to be famous, that’s fine. There’s definitely an article somewhere on “3 Golden Rules of Social Media for Influencers”.
But if you want to communicate your value clearly and convince genuine, engaged, paying customers that you can help them, make sure your content is relatable, reliable, and reinforced by your clients.
This article was provided by Benny Price, COO and Level 2 Educator for RTS Global, the international arm of Resistance Training Specialist® — the world’s leading education in Exercise Mechanics™
RTS promotes objective decision-making in the assessment, design and delivery of exercise, equipping fitness professionals with a framework for creating more precise and client-specific training experiences.
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