How to Use TikTok as a Personal Trainer

As a personal trainer a TikTok account can be utilised to expand upon your existing brand and attract a new demographic of clients. To ensure this social media is successfully integrated into your business follow these steps:

Earning a Level 4 personal training qualification will diversify the content you create on TikTok, allowing you to develop a specialism such as Advanced Sports Nutrition. This expertise can help cultivate a dedicated following who are invested in your expertise.

You can also download OriGym’s FREE course prospectus here!

Step One: Create High-Quality Personal Training TikTok Content

Create high quality personal training tiktok content

For some, highlighting a personal training business on TikTok will be a way to market their services, while others will use the platform to expand upon their brand’s existing identity.

Both of these goals can be achieved through the creation of high quality content that increases your reach and engagement online:

  • Reach – Refers to how many TikTok users see your content
  • Engagement – Refers to how many users interact with your content – e.g. likes, comments, and reposts

If you wish to learn how to use TikTok as a personal trainer one of the core principles to follow is the 80/20 marketing rule – 80% of the content you create should educate and entertain your followers, while the other 20% should promote your services.

We follow this strategy at OriGym, as evident from the following example which seeks to educate our followers on the importance of implementing Facebook Ads – Watch HERE

personal trainer TikTok example 1

The other content we create directly pushes the services we offer, promoting courses such as our Personal Training Diploma – Watch HERE

OriGym personal trainer TikTok example 2

Constantly trying to push your services in this manner is regarded as a ‘hard sell’ and won’t be as effective as the 80/20 approach. This is because users are more likely to engage with the content that directly benefits them – e.g. a post that can teach them something.

Therefore, solely creating content that promotes your services will limit the scope of your audience, as you won’t have anything of value to offer them in the immediate moment.

With all this in mind, let’s discuss how you should approach content creation as a personal trainer on TikTok:

Diversify Your Content You Post As a TikTok PT

Diversify Your Content You Post As a TikTok PT

Whilst having a ‘signature’ approach to content creation can help to establish a personal brand, constantly relying on the same style of posts could cause viewers to become bored of the repetitiveness.

To ensure that your reach and engagement levels remain high, you should therefore prioritise the creation of diversified content.

#1 – Create Educational Personal Training TikTok Content

Create Educational Personal Training TikTok Content

Some PTs may be somewhat hesitant to share educational content with anyone but their paying clients, but doing so allows you to establish yourself as someone with authority in the industry.

Once your viewers trust your ability to educate them, they will be more inclined to sign up for your training service and become a paying client.

When it comes to determining what kind of educational content to post, there is no limit to the guidance you can impart, including:

  • Personal stories that can inspire others  – Such as how you became a personal trainer 
  • Offering workout demonstrations
  • Training and nutritional tips for a specific event – bodybuilding competition
  • Providing gym etiquette advice
  • Recommending products or equipment for specific workouts – e.g. running shoes

Offering demonstrations is arguably the best way to do this, as this provides an education whilst directly marketing your personal training services. An example of a personal trainer on TikTok who does this well is D.M Fitness:

Dm Fitness personal training TikTok

In the video above, PT Dave demonstrates the Russian Twist his TikTok audience whilst simultaneously highlighting how he works with in-person clients. This educates his followers, whilst simultaneously acting as an indirect advertisement for this service.

To ensure that your videos are as informative as possible you could ask your viewers to leave recommendations in the comments section. That way you can create a response video, ensuring their question is answered – such as this example from ‘alexxasalazar7‘:

TikTok as a personal trainer stairs

Interacting with your followers in this manner will help to establish your authority in the area, and can help to cultivate a wider audience who also seek your guidance. Which brings us onto our next content creation tip!

#2 – When Using TikTok a Personal Trainer Should Frequently React & Duet

When Using TikTok a Personal Trainer Should Frequently React & Duet

Another way to diversify the content you create on TikTok is to interact with other creators on the app. This can be achieved through the duet and stitch features –

  • Duet – Allows you to react to a video on a split screen – e.g. you and the other creator’s content are side by side.
  • Stitch – Lets you incorporate 5 seconds of another creator’s content into your own video.

To access both of these features, select the ‘share’ button on the content you wish to interact with. Following this, swipe through the bottom row before clicking either ‘Duet’ or ‘Stitch’.

Personal trainer TikTok DUET 2

Incorporating these videos into your online presence can fulfil multiple purposes. For example, trainers could use the duet feature to help to demonstrate their expertise in a particular area, as evident from the following example from Squat University.

On the video you can see how the PT duets with another creator to offer advice on how to properly execute a squat.

TikTok personal trainer Squat Uni

Alternatively, you could use these features to highlight your values and principles as a trainer. Take KaioKen_Fitness for instance, in the video linked you can see how he combats dangerous information relating to weight loss, instead providing his users with valuable information:

Personal Training TikTok expert

Essentially, reacting to other personal training TikTok content can help to strengthen your own online presence on the platform, and may even attract a new audience who come from the other video.

#3 – Engage With Personal Training TikTok Challenges and Trends

Engage With Personal Training TikTok Challenges and Trends

If you’re wondering ‘how to use TikTok as a personal trainer?’, one thing you should prioritise is having fun!

For example, engaging with popular challenges can help present you as a fun-going individual, a key characteristic that some clients will value – To find examples of these popular trends, use relevant terms in the platforms search bar:

how to use TikTok as a personal trainer

Once you have selected a relevant search term, you will be met with a variety of fitness trends and challenges to engage with. For example, our research pulled up multiple results for the ‘Hip Mobility Challenge’ –

presonal training TikTok challenges

Think of engaging with these challenges as a way of shining a spotlight on your profile. Through your participation other users will be able to find and interact with your video, exposing your content to an entirely new audience.

To ensure that your content is visible in search terms relating to the specific challenge, be sure to incorporate appropriate hashtags into the post’s description.

What is deemed ‘appropriate’ will naturally differ from one trend to the another. For example, when it comes to the ‘Hip Mobility Challenge’ user ‘_camillemedina’ chose to include the following hashtags –

TikTok personal trainer bio example

The great thing about challenges and trends is that they’re always changing. This creates a never ending list of possible content for you to create!

#4 – Post Amusing Content On Your TikTok as a Personal Trainer

Post Amusing Content On Your TikTok as a Personal Trainer

Whilst comedy will always be subjective, posting humorous videos can help to attract a larger audience and boost engagement levels with your profile. This is supported by a study conducted by TikTok, which found that consumers predominantly used the app for entertainment purposes.

As a PT using TikTok some examples of humours content you could create include:

  • Embarrassing stories – e.g. mistakes you made when starting off as a PT
  • Minor gym fails
  • Funny takes on the industry – For example, ‘FrankDoesFitness’ post on the different types of trainers you’ll meet:

Joke personal trainer tiktok meme

In addition to using your own ideas, you should seek to capitalise on popular memes whenever possible.

This is sure to get a laugh out of your followers, especially if you can find a way to relate it back to personal training – such as this example of the popular ‘CapCut boat’ trend from ‘David_a_trainer

personal training business tiktok meme

Try to keep this humour as friendly and light hearted as possible. Making fun of former clients or other trainers could come across in bad taste, and may even land you in trouble.

When Using TikTok as a PT Be Sure to Use Every Feature!

When Using TikTok as a PT Be Sure to Use Every Feature!

Throughout this article we have discussed how to use TikTok as a personal trainer, but the app is so much more than just producing video content. If you want to get the most out of this platform you will need to use all of its features, including:

  • Live Features 
  • Carousel Photo Posts 
  • TikTok Now

This brief section will explore how to use these features, and discuss how they can benefit your personal training business.

#1 – The Importance of Going Live on TikTok as a PT

Going Live on TikTok as a PT

Going ‘Live’ on TikTok as PT will allow you to directly communicate with your virtual audience in real time – To unlock these capabilities you will need to have a minimum of 1,000 followers!

If you have platform of this size the Live feature can be accessed through the in-app camera, and will look like this:

The Importance of Going Live on TikTok as a PT2

Going ‘Live’ can also be financially lucrative – During your live session followers can send virtual gifts, which can then be exchanged for real money!

Be aware that you should only use this feature with a clear intent in mind. Going ‘Live’ without a clear purpose or reason could cause you to come across as unprepared.

With this in mind, here are some top tips for using the Live feature as a TikTok personal trainer:

  • Define a clear objective before hitting the Go LIVE button – For example, you may wish to host a virtual workout session for your viewers to follow at home.
  • Plan a structure – Much like a regular personal training session these Live workouts should be planned prior to going Live. You can then avoid any potential awkwardness that may arise when deciding what to do next.
  • Pick an appropriate time– There is no point going Live when a large chunk of your viewers will be unable to watch. You should instead pick an appropriate time that will guarantee a larger audience – e.g. after the typical working day
  • Promote Your Live Before Hand – Try to direct traffic to your Live sessions by promoting them frequently on your main profile – An example of this done well can be seen below ‘mpho_molopo’:

Personal trainer tiktok ad promo

A great way to end these live sessions is with a call to action (CTA) prompting viewers to complete a specific task that benefits you, such as:

  • Remember to follow my profile for similar content
  • Click the link in my bio to get started with your own online training programme
  • Remember to like and share my content

This action may seem simple, but having a CTA can help you to achieve professional goals such as gaining more online personal training clients.

#2 – Using Carousel Photo Posts as a Personal Trainer on TikTok

sing Carousel Photo Posts as a Personal Trainer on TikTok

TikTok’s photo carousel mode allows you to share multiple high-quality images for users to swipe through – Note: This content is only visible on mobile devices!

Whilst this feature may seem somewhat out of place on a video sharing platforming, it’s a great method for sharing a lot of information at once – think of this feature as creating your own presentation.

For example, you could use this feature to sell fitness programmes online – Instead of verbally bombarding viewers with information through video, viewers can pause your slides to learn at their own pace.

An example of can be found in TikTok PT Jordan Morgan, who uses the carousel feature to promote her 16-week body transformation:

personal training tiktok pics

This isn’t to say that the carousel photo feature has to be sales focused. You could also use this feature for entertainment/educational purposes too, such as highlighting progress photos showing client’s body transformations following training.

#3 – Offer an Inside Look at Your Personal Training Business With TikTok Now

Offer an Inside Look at Your Personal Training Business With TikTok Now

According to social media marketing experts at Sprout Social, consumers are 2.5x more likely to interact with short form video content than any other medium.

This is what makes the new feature ‘TikTok Now’ so engaging, as you will be able to capture 10 second videos or static photos to share with your audience throughout the day – Note: This feature will only be available once a day, with the app sending you a prompt when to post!

This feature can be accessed through the app’s navigation bar, clearly being labelled ‘Now’:

personal training business TikTok NOW

Your posts on ‘Now’ will only be visible to your followers, meaning you can use the feature to create content that specifically benefits them, such as:

  • Sharing promo codes – You could offer discounted rates on your personal training programmes. This will make followers feel that they are getting a deal specifically made for them!
  • Make Announcements – For example, you could announce sales, collaboration opportunities, giveaways, and other news that’s sure to excite followers.
  • Host Daily Q&As – You can prioritise your most dedicated followers and ensure their burning fitness questions are answered, rather than being ignored in a sea of comments.

‘TikTok Now’ is still relatively new, so be sure to get creative and find new ways of marketing your brand through this feature!

Now that you know what kind of content you should be creating as a personal trainer on TikTok, you can shift your focus to the finer details that can really elevate your standing on the platform!

Step Two: Use Consistent Branding Across TikTok as a PT

Use Consistent Branding Across TikTok as a PT

When using TikTok as a personal trainer you should strive to keep your branding consistent, ensuring that it’s always at the forefront of the content you create.

This isn’t to say that you have to be constantly plugging your own services, as this can have a negative impact on your overall sales, remember the 80/20 rule!

Instead, when attempting to brand on TikTok you will need to take a more subtle approach!

For example, at OriGym we feature clothing that is specifically worn by our staff members. In doing so, our branded logo is directly visible without being too forceful on the viewer:

tiktok personal trainer brand example

In addition to this, we have recently taken to branding our TikTok captions with our company’s signature colours. This again ensures that elements of the OriGym brand are consistently being reflected in our content:

tiktok pt brand colour

Your brand can also be reflected in your profile picture, as this will always remain visible when users are watching your content. For example, at OriGym we use our recognisable logo, which can be seen in screenshot below:

tiktok personal trainer brand logo

Your brand can also be reflected in the type of content you produce. If you can find a signature style that resonates with your viewers, replicate this to develop a niche that viewers can associate with your profile.

For example, you could carve out a niche creating content such as:

  • Reaction videos – e.g. Offering corrections to inaccurate information being spread by other users.
  • Interviews with clients – Other viewers will be able to see how you interact with your client base, and how you’ve helped them.
  • Gym demonstrations – Show your clients how to use gym equipment and how they can optimise their time on the machine.

Consistent branding can draw more attention to your profile, and can improve the general users’ experience on your profile. This is echoed by Marq, who found that companies who follow this method experienced 10-20% growth in revenue!

In short, branding can present your business in a more professional light, increasing the likelihood of a potential client making an inquiry.

If you enjoy learning how to use TikTok as a personal trainer, these other OriGym articles will also be of interest:

Step Three: Include a Link to Your Personal Training Business In Your TikTok Bio

Booking PT link bio

When featurning your personal training business on TikTok you will need to implement a process to generate leads, turning your average followers into paying clients.

One effective lead generating strategy for personal trainers is to redirect profile visitors to a landing page or website through a link posted in your bio. An example of what this could look like can be found, in the bio of ‘patdamiano_

Include a Link to Your Personal Training Business In Your TikTok Bio

For those who are unfamiliar, a landing page will direct a visitor to complete a primary action. For example, Pat Damiano’s encourages his followers to sign up for online coaching:

TikTok pt Linktree

Once selected, Pat’s followers will be redirected to the following page:

TikTok personal trainer example of landing

Incorporating a link into your TikTok bio is an effective way of generating leads as a personal trainer. In doing so, you can target a group of potential clients who are already invested in your brand and will be more likely to sign up for services such as:

  • Bespoke training packages
  • Holistic workout and nutrition plans – e.g. general weight loss
  • Pre-Recorded workout videos for clients to purchase

Once this link is active in your bio you need to direct your follower’s attention towards it, an easy way to do this is through a CTA. For example, you could mention the link in your video content, stating something along the lines of – “If you want to train with me click the link in my bio to submit an enquiry!”.

Alternatively, you could bring attention via the post’s description, a tactic also used by Pat Damiano:

how to use TikTok as a personal trainer CTA

For further guidance on how to optimise this feature, check out our in-depth look at creating a personal training landing page.

Step Four: Engaging With The Personal Training TikTok Community

Personal Training TikTok Community talking

Market research conducted by TikTok highlighted the importance of creating a sense of community among your followers. Their findings showed that:

  • 76% of users believe that brands that interact with their followers feel like part of a community
  • 73% of users say they form a deeper connection with brands they interact with on TikTok
  • 78% of users agree the best brands on TikTok are the ones that work with their followers

Essentially this interaction can strengthen the bond your followers have with your brand. This can increase the likelihood of them signing up for your personal training programmes, and sharing your content to expand your reach!

This ‘interaction’ can include a wide range of actions, such as:

  • Liking comments
  • Directly replying to comments 
  • Dueting with users that produce similar content 
  • Direct messaging to maintain contact 

This is often referred to as ‘community management’ and is imperative to ensure high rates of brand engagement – Not just with your followers, but with other trainers alike, who can bring attention to your profile.

The Best Way to Interact With Followers as a Personal Trainer on Tik Tok

The Best Way to Interact With Followers as a Personal Trainer on Tik Tok

The best way to establish a bond with your followers is to interact with them via your comments section. This can be done through:

  • Typing a response
  • Creating a video in response to their comment

Both methods have their perks, for example TikTok’s algorithm rewards content with a high number of comments – This signals that there is a high amount of user interest in your video, making them more likely to appear on user’s ‘For You Pages’.

But specifically, creating a video response can strengthen a bond users have with a brand as it makes them feel that a brand has created content specifically for them.

To create this content select the comment you wish to create a response to, then select the red camera button:

personal training TikTok reply

These video responses will be embedded within the comment section of the original video for all users to see. This will encourage even more engagement with the content you produce, as followers can jump from one video to another with ease.

The Best Way to Interact With Other Creators as a TikTok Personal Trainer

The Best Way to Interact With Other Creators as a TikTok Personal Trainer

There are many different ways you can interact with other content creators on TikTok. Similar to the points made above, you could respond to comments in other creators’ videos, or leave ones of your own.

This can been in the following example from ‘lauraghiacy’ profile:

Tiktok Pt comment

You could also create duets and stitches with popular creators to help establish yourself within the community!

Another option is to have other creators promote your brand of personal training on TikTok. This helps to establish trust, reassuring consumers that investing in your business is worthwhile.

TikTok’s business centre backs this claim, stating that:

“By partnering with TikTok creators, you can tap the true voice of consumers and create the authentic connections that turn businesses into beloved brands”

This essentially means that you can build a brand through creators social proofing your service. Think of this as extending your reach, as if one user promotes your service then all of their followers will be exposed to your profile as a result.

An example of this tactic can be seen below, where the user ‘spen_fitness’ gives a shout out to her trainer Naomi:

how to use TikTok as a personal trainer communicate

To engage in this kind of interaction, simply reach out to a content creator you’re interested in collaborating. To make this a mutually beneficial arrangement you could offer them something of benefit to them, such as a free PT session in exchange for a shout out!

Step Five: Using Ads on TikTok as a PT

Step Five - Using TikTok Ads as a PT

If you’re looking for a quick way to promote your personal training business on TikTok you may decide to launch an ad campaign through the app’s business management site.

Whilst it has been stated throughout the article that TikTok users prefer ‘subtle’ advertisements, this strategy is still effective. For example, a recent marketing study found that consumers interacted with these ads 4x more than Instagram counterparts.

Be aware creating TikTok Ads is a costly expense – The minimum ad spend is $200 (£166) with a minimum campaign level daily budget of $20 (£16).

With all of this in mind, let’s discuss how you can set up your own TikTok ad campaign!

#1 – Create an Account on TikTok’s Business Site

Sing up Using TikTok Ads as a PT

Create an account on TikTok’s business manager providing a mode of contact and password. Read the terms and conditions diligently and approve the verification code once it’s sent to you!

Once an account has been created on the business manager site, you can input personal information about your business. This will include:

  • Country/Region of your business – Ensures that TikTok provides you appropriate information relating to your local area.
  • Industry – Similar to the point above, this information will shape your experience on the business management site and tips you receive from TikTok
  • Phone Number – This is to allow TikTok to contact you with personalised information that optimises your ads.
  • Legal Business Name – The name you provide must be exactly how it appears in legal documents, otherwise your TikTok account will be denied.
  • Time Zone – This information will sync your campaign reporting and ad scheduling. Should this be inaccurate your ads may post at an ineffective time period.
  • Currency – Vital for your bills and budgeting feature

#2 – Set Up Billing Information for Your PT TikTok Ads

Set Up Billing Information for Your PT TikTok Ads

You will then be asked to provide all the relevant billing information for your proposed ad campaign, with automatic and manual options available.

Note – Your ads will not run until your billing information is approved by both TikTok and your banking provider. Be aware that this typically takes up to 24 hours to complete on average!

Whilst you wait for your banking information to be approved, you can begin building the advertisement campaign for your personal training business on TikTok!

#3 – Build Your Personal Training TikTok Ad

Build Your Personal Training TikTok Ad

You will then be asked what kind of Ad you want to create – For the purpose of this article we’ll discuss ‘Simplified Mode’ as this is specifically designed for individuals who aren’t experienced in advertising.

Following this selection you will be asked what the purpose of your advertisement is, with the following options available:

personal trainer tiktok ad purpose

Next, you will be asked to outline your ‘Ad Group’. This is a fairly detailed process, and will require information relating to these 5 categories:

  • Placement – Where you want your advertisement to appear on the App
  • Creative Features – TikTok’s algorithm can select the best possible combination for your creative assets (images, videos, and text) to deliver content that will perform to the highest standards – This is an optional feature!
  • Targeting – This is a term that relates to the chosen demographic you wish to target
  • Budget & Schedule – Here you will provide information on how much you would like to spend on a daily basis (must be a minimum of $20) and when you would like the ads to go out!
  • Bidding and Optimisation Features – Here you will set up how you want to be billed based on the impression your ad makes, e.g. per click or per conversion!

More information about creating an ‘Ad Group’ will be made available during the creation of your own ad, the information provided above is a simplified breakdown!

#4 – Your Personal Training TikTok Ad Is Now Live!

Personal Training TikTok Ad Is Now Live

After you submit all the relevant information you will be prompted to once again confirm your payment details, and submit your daily budget. This section will also ask you how long you want the ad to run for.

Once this information has been submitted your ad will enter the final stages of approval. Following the approval of your payments, your advertisement will officially become live on TikTok!

Step Six: Continually Review & Analyse What You Post on TikTok as a Personal Trainer

Continually Review & Analyse How You Post on TikTok as a Personal Trainer

Once you’re an established personal trainer on TikTok, you should be continually reviewing and analysing the content you create for the app. This will be of great benefit to you, as it will highlight what content your followers respond well to, whilst also indicating areas for improvement.

Understanding The Analytics of Your Personal Training Business on TikTok

Understanding The Analytics of Your Personal Training Business on TikTok

TikTok’s analytical tool can be accessed through the following steps:

  • Open your profile 
  • Tap the three dots 
  • Choose the ‘Creator Tools’ option 
  • Select ‘Analytics’

You will then gain immediate access to data charting the performance of your content as a personal trainer on TikTok!

An example of what this looks like can be found below, which offers a snapshot of how OriGym’s content performed across January-February:

Understanding The Analytics of Your Personal Training Business on TikTok

From the screenshot above you will see that analytics are broken down into 3 categories:

  • Overview – Provides insight into data such as follower growth, video and profile views, as well as the number of comments and shares you receive. This allows you to understand how your content performs, and what specifically users engage with the most.
  • Content – This section provides more detailed information on individual pieces of content. This includes average watch-time, how your viewers found your videos, as well as the locations of your primary audience.
  • Followers – Specific insight into your community of followers, including what times of the day/week they’re most active. This can help you to plan an effective posting schedule that targets your main demographic.

Users with access to the ‘Live’ will also be able to view analytics for this feature (available for the last 7-28 days). This will include total views, new followers brought in from live, and the number of gifts earned. 

As a personal trainer on TikTok you can use the analytics page to inform how you create content. For example, you may find that your engagement levels are high when you perform duets with other creators and can therefore implement more of these throughout your profile.

Before You Go!

You now have all the necessary tools required to be a successful personal trainer on Tiktok! Remember, everyone’s experience on this app is different, and to find what works well for your brand you will need to try various forms of content creation.

Remember, Level 4 personal training qualification will strengthen the content you create, and position you as an expert in a particular field. This can help to expand your reach, attracting more followers who want to learn more!

Alternatively, check out our FREE prospectus for more information about every OriGym course!

Enquire Now

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About the Author: James Bickerstaff

james bickerstaff origym authour
James holds a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing and Film Studies and has recently gained a MA degree in Film, both of which he attained from Liverpool John Moores University. After taking up the couch to 5K challenge on a whim, James found a new passion for running, which he combines with his love for healthy cooking and writing. All of this led him to becoming a copywriter for OriGym.   When he is not writing content for the site, James can be found researching new recipes, writing music reviews, reading and watching latest film releases.  

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