Being authentic in today’s world is nearly extinct. But how do you stay authentic within the fitness industry surrounded by fitness influencers? I think the biggest struggle is showing our humanity. Especially as trainers and professionals, we cannot fail because then, who would want to train with us, right? But that couldn’t be farther from the truth. The fact is, our bodies get tired and even professionals have off days, even off-seasons. I think showcasing these and showing that raw form of, what some might call “failure”, makes us experts more approachable.
Keep reading to learn more about being authentic in a world of imagery and fitness influencers.
Build a Community
My first tip is to build a community, this is your brand’s tribe, your brand’s advocates, your fans – whatever you want to call them. They are lovers of what you do, your values, and what you are representing.
Currently, I have a small community on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and my app. They are a dedicated handful of individuals who have constant eyes on what I do and interact with questions, comments, and/or suggestions and send me love and support!
One of the biggest questions you might have is how to build your community. We will get into this with the next three tips below so keep reading!
Be Relatable
Be relatable to your audience. You don’t want to come off as superhuman, some superficial, perfect wonder(person) who has it all. That isn’t real and it certainly isn’t relatable. We all have our struggles, we have our own journeys. We can have a great life, sure, but nothing is ever perfect.
One way I am relatable is by sharing my fitness story. It didn’t start out perfect and it is still a struggle for me even after all of these years. But you guys know this about me and I think that is what a handful of people actually like in me, to see that I still have my own struggles.
Be Accessible
Being accessible means answering those messages, emails, and replying to comments. Now you can message me on social media and I am good about responding! As long as you aren’t being creepy.
You can also message me in my app and I will respond to you there. I love hearing from you guys and talking with you guys and that’s also a part of what makes me relatable, it brings me down to earth and shows my personality. Being accessible allows your community to see you as a person, even virtually on social media.
Engage
Lastly, I highly recommend you engage with similar communities by actively seeking out those opportunities on social media. That’s how other people can find and learn about you. it’s also a way to connect with other professionals and share tips, advice, etc. Some folks will be into it, some won’t – and that’s cool, no hard feelings.