The Secret to Instagram Growth for Your Gym

Our heroes today are Carlmichael and Keeanoush, jiu jitsu black belts and founders of Ground Game Theory in Miami, FL. These two built their Instagram following from 0 to over 13,000 followers and leveraged it to help them open their gym. Most interesting to me is their ability to evolve the content they produce on their profile. What began as standard technique instructions has since morphed into an educational platform for a new and exciting way to train jiu jitsu. All this and more ahead.

Leveraging Instagram to Build a Strong Brand Presence

Instagram stands as a powerful tool for growing your brand, showcasing your school’s culture, and connecting with a wider audience. Here’s a thorough breakdown on effectively utilizing Instagram to bolster your jiu jitsu business:

Create Diverse and Engaging Content

• Experiment with Different Formats: Start by experimenting with different types of content. Use a mix of memes, technique demonstrations, live trainings, and student testimonials. Each content type engages different segments of your audience, so diversification is key.
• Consistency is King: Regular posting helps maintain engagement levels and ensures your audience remains interested. Frequent updates about your classes, upcoming events, and community highlights keep the conversation flowing.
• Leverage Reels and Stories: Given the visual nature of Instagram, utilizing short-form and engaging videos through Reels and Stories can capture attention faster and maintain higher engagement. These elements, especially if they include quick, actionable tips or behind-the-scenes looks, can elevate your presence.

Engage with Your Audience

• Maintain Active Conversations: Reply to comments, encourage questions, and create polls or Q&A sessions in your stories. Building a rapport with your followers can transform passive viewers into active participants in your community.
• Tagging and Collaboration: Utilize tagging in your posts to loop in students and collaborators. This not only broadens your network within their circles but also shows appreciation and builds community excitement.

Utilize Psychological Marketing

• Emphasize Social Proof: A broad follower count can attract local audiences by establishing your credibility and expertise. Showcase testimonials and success stories of your students to reinforce your authority in the space.
• Host Giveaways and Challenges: Encourage followers to participate in challenges, giveaways, or promotional events. This could involve something simple, like tagging friends in your post for a chance to win a free class or merchandise.

Community Building through Open Mats and Events

Creating a thriving community within your academy is as critical as your social media presence. Here’s how to turn open mats and events into powerful community-building tools:

Host Inclusive Open Mats

• Invite and Participate: Frequent participation in and hosting of open mats can showcase your skills and openness. By attending different gyms’ open mats, you not only improve your grappling by rolling with diverse practitioners but also showcase your skillset to potential leads.
• Engage in Friendly Competitions: Use these opportunities to engage in friendly matches. Demonstrating technique and approachability can attract interest and participation from onlookers and your opponents alike.

Create Events and Invitations

• Run Invitationals and Competitions: Organizing invitationals and competition events can set the stage for excitement and camaraderie. Competing members from other schools bring diversity in technique and can pique interest within your local community.
• Lead with Learning and Growth: Remember that these events aren’t just about winning; they are opportunities for everyone to learn. Promoting them as such allows people to let their guard down and approach the competition as an educational experience.

Adopting Innovative Training Methods

Transitioning your training strategy and methodologies to newer, effective techniques can distinguish your academy from others. Here’s a practical approach based on dynamic training methods:

Implement Constraints-Led Training

• Train Through Problem Solving: Shift from static drilling to dynamic problem-solving games. For instance, isolate a problem, like leg entanglements, and restrict strategies to focus solely on problem-solving within that context. It facilitates deeper understanding and skill mastery.
• Allow Natural Learning Progression: Invite students to kinesthetically solve problems with minimal verbal instruction. The physical experience often cements technical concepts that mere repetition may not. As practitioners engage actively, they often internalize the “why” behind their actions.

Harnessing CRM Software for Optimal Operations

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, such as Gymdesk, can streamline operations, making administrative tasks less burdensome and allowing more focus on training and growth:

Automate Administrative Processes

• Streamline Payment and Waiver Systems: Simplify payment via automated billing, and digitize waiver acknowledgments. Avoid old-school practices like manual credit card entries or physical signatures to smoothen the initial customer experience.
• Automate Communication: Utilize email marketing and SMS features to keep communication consistent and efficient. Reminders, schedule updates, or event invitations can reach your members quickly via these automated systems.

Conclusion

Building a successful jiu jitsu school demands more than just martial arts mastery. It involves embracing digital platforms, fostering community, and persistently exploring innovative approaches to teaching. Ultimately, the success seen by Ground Game Theory in Miami is a testament to how technology, social media, and modern training concepts can merge to create a thriving, distinguished renown. For further insights or inquiries about promoting your school, you can reach out to these experienced practitioners through their Instagram at Ground Game Theory.