Influencer
Top 10 Fitness and Health Influencers On Instagram
It is not uncommon to confuse fitness influencers with film stars and celebrities. Yes, some celebs are indeed influencers. However, not all influencers are megastars. Most fitness enthusiasts made a name for themselves through their commitment to health and wellness.
In this article, we’ll cover who are health and wellness influencers, some of the best names in the industry, how much money they make, a guide to becoming one, and the best health and fitness apps.
WHO ARE FITNESS AND HEALTH INFLUENCERS?
Health influencers are the people who are passionate about fitness and have a voice in the health and wellness circles. Well-respected and trusted by fitness enthusiasts, their opinions matter, and they use them to promote different brands and businesses.
Influencers use their credibility to influence followers to buy products and services they get paid to promote. Typically, a health influencer is an average guy or girl, who people can relate to, and this gives their opinion power to change buying behaviors.
HOW DO I BECOME A FITNESS AND HEALTH INFLUENCER?
Becoming a health and fitness influencer requires a passion for wellness and a desire to empower others.
Here are five steps to transform your passion into a profession and become an Instagram influencer.
- Choose A Niche
Being ‘Jack of all trades and master of none’ or a ‘generalist’ isn’t the recommended route. As an influencer, you shouldn’t aim to reach millions but rather target to influence thousands. People are more likely to follow experts than generalists. So, it is best to choose a niche and stay true to it.
As a health and wellness influencer, you can choose from many areas, like Pilates, yoga, Cross Fit, aerobics, weightlifting, cycling, marathon running, etc. The best is to pick a niche you are passionate about, as it makes your content more genuine and relatable.
- Master Your Niche
Influencer marketing is similar to all other promotional domains. To succeed, you must research your competitors and learn what works and what doesn’t. Shortlist successful names in your niche and decode their strategies. Study what kind of content they post, how often they do it, and how they engage with their followers.
The more research you do before launching your brand, the better the odds of success. Additionally, don’t just imitate them. Instead, try to find their shortcomings and one-up them.
- Set Goals & Create A Strategy
You can’t risk starting your journey unprepared. It is essential to define realistic goals before you begin. Set both short-term and long-term goals for your brand.
You need to be clear about two things. The first is the kind of people you are targetting. Second, the number of followers you aim to gain in, say, six months or a year.
Goals steer you toward the right way and keep you motivated. Once your goals are defined, you should start crafting the strategy. It is time to put your research into practice. Define the type of content you will post, its frequency, the time, and the kind of sponsor you plan to attract.
- Take The First Step
Many people wait too long to take the first step. Searching for the best workout equipment, membership, and attire, they run their desire dry. Instead of waiting for perfection, you should start your journey as soon as possible. Don’t show the world your perfect self. Share your pursuit of perfection, both the highs and the lows.
Once you begin, the journey will only get easy from here onwards. Taking the first step is the hardest part.
- Be Consistent
Being a fitness enthusiast, you would probably know the value of consistency. You can’t build a brand without discipline. You must post regularly and interact as much as you can. Your engagement rate will probably go down as you amass an audience. However, it should be incredibly high at the start.
In reality, the engagement rate is one thing that gives new influencers an edge, as most mega influencers are guilty of not being super-active and consistent.
TOP 10 FITNESS AND HEALTH INFLUENCERS ON INSTAGRAM
Below is a list of 10 everyday people who have become masters of their niche and are now influencing fitness enthusiasts worldwide. Their content, style, and origin may differ, but they all share one thing in common. They started from scratch and made their way to the top tier by being consistent.
Once a clinic worker in Venezuela, Michelle Lewin is now a global star in the fitness industry. A humble, relatable, kind model, her non-celebrity background made her highly influential among ordinary folks. Today, she empowers, educates, and guides 15M followers through her Instagram and has her line of supplements and two fitness apps: Fitplan and Mealplan.
Named in Time Magazine’s 30 Most Influential People on the Internet in 2016, Kayla Itsines, from Australia, is the founder of The Bikini Body Training Company and the author of the Bikini Body Guide eBook series. With over 15M followers, she is among the world’s most sought-after fitness influencers, popular for flexible workout regimes and diet plans.
Hailing from New York, Jennifer Selter is a nutrition, fitness, and lifestyle influencer. She stepped into the industry in her teens, working the front desk at a gym. Jennifer turned to Instagram to connect with like-minded people and fuel her motivation. Today, her content motivates 13.5M fitness enthusiasts worldwide. If you don’t know Jennifer, you would probably know #seltering, a hashtag thousands of women use globally.
Featured by Forbes among the top ten influencers in the world, Simeon Panda, a British national, has 8.1M followers on Instagram and is a name trusted and respected in global fitness circles. He has graced the covers of some top magazines and runs a successful fitness accessory and sportswear line.
Also known as, The Body Coach, Joe Wicks is another Brit, famous worldwide with over 4.5M followers on Instagram. Contrary to Simeon Panda, his claim to fame wasn’t strength training but weight loss plans. Joe’s Lean in 15 cookbook series is still popular today. His Instagram is full of fitness tips and meal prep plans for men and women of all ages.
Next on the list is Lauren Drain. A registered nurse-turned-top Instagram fitness model. A personal trainer and WBFF Bodybuilding Pro, Lauren has 4M loyal followers on Instagram, predominantly women and aspirant bodybuilders. Native to Tampa, FL, USA, she uses her influence to empower women to chase fitness goals with utmost belief, faith, and confidence.
The success of Emily Skye demonstrates the importance of following a niche. Called the perfect fitness trainer for mothers by many, she creates content and plans to help women get back in shape post-pregnancy. Emily hails from Australia and has 2.7M followers on her Instagram. She is also the global ambassador for the leading sportswear brand Reebok.
A bilingual fitness trainer from LA, Massy Arias has 2.7M followers on her Instagram. Her page is rich with before/after snaps and short fitness videos. Another influencer targeting moms, she has been featured on some top Latin American, European, and American media channels.
A Yogi from Sweden, Rachel Brathen is a top fitness influencer with 2M followers and a New York Times Best-Selling Author. She uses her fame and popularity to teach yoga to fitness enthusiasts worldwide and influence people to turn towards meditation.
A mother, fitness influencer, and personal trainer followed by 1.4M people on Instagram, Alexa Jean creates content for mothers and mothers-to-be. From the USA, she is famous for her short fitness videos and exercise routines for people with busy schedules.
HOW MUCH MONEY DO FITNESS INFLUENCERS MAKE?
Top fitness influencers like Jennifer Selter makes around $80,000 for a single post, while Simeon Panda makes on average $37,000 per post. Moreover, micro-influencers like Deanna Di Carlo, with over 56K followers, make around $300 per most. Even nano influencers like Carla Jian, with over 8K followers, earn on average $115 per post.
BEST HEALTH AND FITNESS APPS
There are many health and fitness apps on the market. Each with a definite purpose targeting a specific group of people.
As per Forbes, the following are the ten best health and fitness apps in 2022:
- FitOn – Best Celebrity Fitness App
- Strong Workout Tracker – Best for Gym Nuts
- Beachbody On Demand – Best for Weight Loss
- Seven – Best for Quick Workouts
- Nike Training Club – Best Free Fitness App
- Gymshark Training – Best for Solo Workouts
- Burn.Fit – Best for Data Tracking
- FitPlan – Best for Beginners
- MyFitnessPal – Best for Nutrition Tracking
- Jefit – Best for Strength Training
WRAP UP
We hope you find this article helpful and a source of inspiration. Start following the best influencers in your niche and study what they do and how they do it.
Remember, the hardest part is getting started. Once you begin, the journey gets easier with each step forward. Furthermore, you can also team up with a talent agency to better your odds of success. Here are 16 Leading Influencer Talent Agencies you could approach.
