When’s the last time you were choked up by a story you read? What about a video you saw? Although still 100% necessary, text is easy to skim right over, but video is still making a huge impact.
Video marketing is one of the most powerful forms of marketing right now, and it gets more popular every day. Whether you’re looking to spread brand awareness of your gym, grow your membership, or just make your current members feel really special, video cannot be ignored.
On this episode of Gymwright LIVE, Justin Ross, owner of Monkey Reel Media, is going to break down why and how you can and should shoot amazing video content for your gym.
How To Shoot Amazing Video Content For Your Gym:
Choose 3-5 members that represent your ideal target client.
Schedule your member interviews when they come in for a class/workout beforehand.
Find a few areas within your gym that are ideal for filming videos.
Have your member seated or standing and at a 45 degree angle to the camera. Use a medium shot and rule of thirds.
Have your member preface the question in their response.
Capture b-roll with multiple angles
Include a brief (20-30 second) mission statement on what your gym is all about.
Use a basic editing software like iMovie or Movavi
Watch the video below and check out the detailed show notes on this page for more info on the points above.
We have also created this handy quick-start guide for shooting video. We recommend checking it out!
Table Of Contents
2:45 Why Should a Gym Owner Care About Creating Video Content?
7:19 What Gear Do I Need?
11:18 How Can I Get Comfortable On Camera?
15:08 What Kind of Videos Should I Make?
19:19 What’s the Best Way to Coordinate Video Shoots?
21:45 Background, shot composition, and questions to ask
2:19 Why Should A Gym Owner Care About Creating Video Content?
If you’re not taking advantage of video content which focuses on your community, your culture, and the things happening in and around your facility then you’re missing the mark.
There’s a major benefit to having video content exist on your gym’s website and on youtube and potentially even more so on your Facebook and Instagram accounts. Forward thinking businesses are focusing on video content and story telling which can easily be shared on Facebook which is paving the way for good content.
In more recent months, Facebook has changed their algorithms putting a focus on what’s happening in your community. You’re going to see less global viral videos, and more from the people around you. Now is the most important time to be taking advantage of video.
Video is an effective way for gym owners to tell their stories and the best part is, you don’t need a fancy script or any real talent for story telling. You just need to be able to accurately capture what’s happening in your gym.
Getting that in front of people is immensely valuable for the effectiveness of membership sales as people see your face, hear your voice, and get to know your personality – they’ve gotten to know you from afar so the relationships building starts before you ever speak to them.
Overall, its a great way to elevate your brand and perceived value.
Image Credit: Monkey Reel Media
7:19 What Gear Do I Need?
You need just several pieces of equipment to shoot amazing video content for your gym.
Smartphone: This is suitable for the type of content you’d make for your gym. Of course your could also use a camera/camcorder but it’s not necessary to purchase it if you don’t already have one.
Tripod: look for one with a smartphone adapter. If you already have a tripod, you can find a smartphone adapter sold separately.
Lavalier microphone: You can get these wired or wireless. These mics hook up to your shirt and plug right into your phone. Since most gyms are echoey and have tone of ambient noise, this is a must have. Having quality audio is the difference between a great video and one that you rush to shut off. Always prioritize good audio before anything else.
3 piece lighting kit or ring light: Having the right lighting will turn a good video into an amazing one. Natural lighting is always best if it’s in front of the subject and not shining behind him or her.
To learn more about the gear you need and why you will need it, check out our Video Shoot Guide.
Image Credit: Monkey Reel Media
11:18 How Do I Get Comfortable On Camera?
Think of comfort and personality on camera as a muscle you can build. For most people, it’s uncomfortable to be on video when they’re first starting out.
You should set out a goal and plan for you and your staff to get comfortable on camera. To make things easy to begin, start with a simple movement video. Record some basic content and watch it back. Better yet, get some peers to check out your video and offer any feedback on your performance. Feedback is key. Remember this show on deliberate Practice?
If you’re really ready to commit improving your on-camera and on-stage performance, try improv. Guest Justin can’t recommend it enough. Improve puts you in the most uncomfortable spot possible and it doesn’t take very long to see improvements to your performance. Just a little bit of practice goes a long way.
Image Credit: Monkey Reel Media
15:08 What Kinds Of Videos Should I Make?
Even before you decide what video to make, commit to always be filming. Do this even if you don’t know what its going to be purposed for. This extra content of people working out, talking to each other, getting coached is called b-roll. You’re going to use these for action and cutaway shots. Just stash it in Google Drive and you’ll have it there to cut into a promotional trailer or any video that you need more style to.
The video you should make first is social proof content or member spotlight videos. Identify several people at your gym who are great members with awesome and diverse fitness stories. Find a busy mom who’s making fitness a priority. Find a member who’s experiencing the effects of aging and is counteracting them with training at your gym. Find more stories than just weight loss so that when strangers to your gym see this on their feed, they can relate and are therefore called to see what your box is all about.
Image Credit: Monkey Reel Media
19:19 Tips For Coordinating Interviews
You can also schedule a day for client success stories on a Saturday morning. Have the set up all dialed in and book 15 min windows for people to come in so you can jam through a whole bunch of interviews.
It’s important to get a member’s interview prior to their training session so they 1) still look good and 2) so you can stage them to do movements that they might bring up during their interview.
Image Credit: Monkey Reel Media
21:45 Background, Shot Composition, And What To Ask
For the background, good practice in the very beginning is to identify the best looking areas of your gym to have video content. Always avoid filming against any flat surface like a wall. You cast shadows and give your video a one dimensional look. We’re looking to create depth. Also, by shooting in front of something interesting, your viewer is going to get a little bit of insight into what your gym looks like.
Choose a few backgrounds. Don’t always got to the same spot especially when we mash all of these together, it gives everything nice range.
For the composition of the shot, you’re going to want a medium shot. Have a client standing, seated, but always have a medium shot which is waist level to a little bit of space on top of the head.
Try to practice the rule of thirds where the subject isn’t in the center frame. They’re just to the left or the right which creates a nice cinematic look.
For questions to ask during the interview, you think about these questions: What brought you to the facility? What mental and physical benefits are noticeable since joining the gym? What stands out to you in the community and culture? And if those questions aren’t eliciting the reaction that you’re looking for, ask questions within questions. The whole point is to share someone’s journey.
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