Simple content marketing for people who don’t love social media

For business owners and professionals looking to showcase and promote their work, it can feel like there is huge pressure to be constantly posting updates online. Whether you specialise in exercise, fitness, active wellbeing or coaching, the perceived importance of filming videos, keeping up with trends and spending hours crafting content to reach new clients has exploded in the last few years. However, most of you joined the profession and started your own business because you enjoy working with people, not because you wanted to be a social media influencer.

The good news? Effective content marketing doesn’t have to mean daily posting or acting on camera. It can be simple, sustainable and firmly rooted in what you already do best: helping others.

Here are a few tips that can help you stay visible and connected with the people who need you most.

Many physical activity professionals tell us they feel pressure to be constantly online. Whether you specialise in exercise, fitness, active wellbeing or coaching, the perceived importance of filming videos, keeping up with trends and spending hours crafting content to reach new clients has exploded in the last few years. However, most of you joined the profession and started your own business because you enjoy working with people, not because you wanted to be a social media influencer.

The good news? Effective content marketing doesn’t have to mean daily posting or acting on camera. It can be simple, sustainable and firmly rooted in what you already do best: helping others. 

Here are a few tips that can help you stay visible and connected with the people who need you most.

Be clear about who you help 

A strong, simple message makes it easy for potential clients to recognise themselves in your services. Consider: 

• Who do you enjoy working with most? 

• What challenges do they face? 

• What difference do you help them achieve in their lives? 

Your core message should feel something like this: 

“I help [people like this] achieve [outcome like this], even if [common barrier like this].” 

Once your message feels right, use it consistently on your social accounts as well as flyers, business cards, email footers and when introducing yourself. This will help to build strong recognition of you and what you deliver.

Share one useful insight each week 

You already brilliantly answer questions from your clients every day.  

“How do I stay motivated when I’m busy with work or family?” 

“What do I do when an injury means I can’t train as normal?” 

“What can I do outside of class to improve my strength?” 

Those answers can become really valuable content, so think about posting: 

• tips for building healthy routines 

• myths you often help clients overcome 

• how to stay motivated through setbacks or changes in routine. 

Choose one idea per week and keep your post short, practical and authentically in your own voice. 

As well as posting on your own social media accounts, you can share on local community group pages, include it in an online update to existing clients and print it out and display in your sessions for clients to photograph and share. 

Let client stories speak for you 

With permission from your current clients, posts that include photos of progress, quotes and small wins can become powerful recommendations for your services. They show potential clients what’s possible and remind current clients how far they’ve come. This builds trust more naturally and authentically than any polished marketing campaign.

Repeat what works 

If a post, tip or something else that you share engages and helps people, use it again. New people will see it, others will be reminded, and you won’t need to constantly reinvent content. Consistency and quality in what you are posting is far more effective than volume and posting for posting’s sake. 

Set boundaries around your time 

It’s very easy for the pressure to post to take over your life, so to protect your wellbeing and avoid content fatigue: 

• batch-create your posts once a week or fortnight 

• schedule them to publish automatically 

• limit your own scrolling to specific times 

• focus only on the channels where your clients already are – you don’t need to be on every platform. 

Despite the hype, content marketing isn’t about chasing viral trends, it’s about being present and approachable so that when someone is ready to take a step towards activity, better health or improved performance, your name feels familiar and trusted. 

Remember that small, steady actions, grounded in your expertise and values, can have a big impact over time.