If you are trying to run a small business through fitness (in some form), you will need followers. And it would help if you made sure that those followers are loyal and supportive to help spread your message and grow your business.

So, let's get right to it. Here are a few ways to build a supportive tribe of fitness followers.

Real people.

You are most likely using social media to reach your followers. And because of the number of people out there doing the same thing, you know that the follower count you maintain can make a big difference.

So, of course, the temptation will arise to use bots or otherwise artificially inflate your follower numbers.

Please don't do it.

You may get a temporary boost. But any benefit you may derive from it will disappear quickly. Online consumers have become much more aware of false advertising and fakeness, and they'll be able to spot the bots right away.

Instead of wasting time and money on those scams, put your energy into connecting with real people. Those are the relationships you want to foster, as they'll be the ones to stick with you along the way.

Engage

Once you connect with real people, how do you get them to become loyal? Well, you obviously can't force people to be loyal. But you can offer services and information that will keep them coming back to you.

The first step in this process is to engage with your followers actively. It doesn't matter if you have five or fifty. If there is any way to open communication and interact with them, do it.

Have a Q & A session. Ask for feedback. Reply to comments on your blog or Instagram post. Answer questions on your YouTube videos.

Whatever you do, do NOT ignore a client who is reaching out. That is a sure way to lose followers. Nobody will be loyal to someone who doesn't answer a question.

Technical issues

Here is something I have found. You may get so involved in providing content that you don't take the time to deliver it properly. What good is a stellar workout session if the video plays without sound? Take the time to ensure that everything works appropriately across platforms before posting.

And please, please proofread your blogs and posts. I know people who are automatically turned off by spelling or grammatical errors. Is that being petty? Possibly, especially as that usually has nothing to do with the content's message. But if it bothers a potential follower, you owe it to yourself to try to address it.

Content

No blog about loyal followers is complete without mentioning content. Yes, it would help if you had content people are interested in, but you also need to provide them the incentive to return. And doing the same thing as everyone else might not be enough.

Be creative

It bears repeating to think outside the box. Take stock of what is already out there, and then see what you can do to find a new niche. If you have the ability, do some market research. Or take a few days to scroll through various sites.

Once you hit on an idea, stick with it. Don't try to diversify too much. If you can find one thing to do and do it well, you'll be able to support and grow naturally because you'll be offering something that nobody else does.

Be legit

Along with being creative, you want to have the credibility to back up what you are offering. For example, there are a lot of 45+-year-old women out there who are re-entering life as their kids become teenagers. They're looking to be healthier and return the focus to their well-being.

So, if you are offering nutrition or exercise geared to that age group, you better know your stuff. That doesn't mean that you must be in the same age cohort or family situation. But you do have to relate to those followers and know what will benefit them.

Additionally, when it comes to certain ages, they've been around long enough that they know fake when they see it. They're generally not impressed by flashy TikTok videos – they want substance that they can rely on.

And it's not just older women. Any loyal group of followers wants to see where following you might lead them. So, you need to walk that walk.

Connect

All of this boils down to one thing: making connections.

To build a supportive tribe of fitness followers, you need to connect with them. You should offer unique content that addresses a particular aspect of fitness. Then you need to engage and interact with your followers, so they return and bring their friends with them.

Loyalty is a two-way street. Show them that you care about their concerns, and they'll be ready to share your message with others.

If you want to see how I can help you reach your social media goals and build up a tribe of some of the most supportive people out there, contact me!