If you think that the word aesthetic is something that Gen Z and Millennials have invented over some pictures on Instagram, the history might shock you.
Aestheticism or the aesthetic movement dates back to the late 19th century when a group of people stressed the importance of art being beautiful over functional. Unlike others who wanted art to be political, they wanted art to be “art for art’s sake”.
Sounds superficial, but there is something to be said for deriving happiness from simple beautiful elements.
Instagram and its media-centric approach to content creation and sharing brought this concept back to the mainstream.
Instagram Aesthetic is a thing and can play a vital role in building a successful brand on the platform for most niches. The health and fitness industry is one such industry.
The Instagram designs for your brand have a crucial role in building your brand image on this platform. In addition to these designs being visually consistent and aligned with your brand identity, you also need a strong Instagram aesthetic to stand out.
Before we explore why and how to crack the code to a fitness-centric Instagram aesthetic, let us take a look at the connection between Instagram and this industry.
Instagram is everyone’s fitness diary these days. Fitness is one of the most popular topics on the platform. That is why Instagram is an ideal place for all brands targeting fitness-centric audiences.
The growth of the fitness industry is no coincidence, and we must not underestimate it anymore.
There are over 2M hashtags around fitness content (such as fitness tips or fitness motivation), while gym membership has 69k posts. Even products like yoga mats boast of 2M hashtags.
This means that the user base and the brands are serious about Instagram being the best place for fitness brands to grow, engage, and turn users into customers.
But the expectation of an Instagram user from a typical fitness-centric page differs slightly from other business pages. They are mostly not just here for the product but for the lifestyle, the image, and the aesthetic that the brand promotes.
Aesthetics look like window dressing. In reality, they are a connection that binds you and your customers in ways that content cannot do easily.
On Instagram, users have an overload of information at every click. Most of it goes over their head, while some of it stays in for over 10 seconds. So what is it that sets the latter apart from the former?
Well, it is the first impression your audience has.
The aesthetic you choose to display on Instagram tells your audience :
All these are important considerations for a user with abundant choices.
We know Instagram is overrun with fitness brands, influencers, and fitness-based content creators. Having a unique Instagram aesthetic can help you stand out and connect with your target audience seamlessly.
And to ensure that you do it well, here is a list of a few Instagram aesthetic ideas that work well for fitness brands on Instagram.
Do you know how we talk about brand voice and content tone? Brand aesthetics on Instagram have the same purpose. It unifies your content, makes communication easier, and conveys the right message to the customer. You want this so that you can turn your Instagram followers into paying customers, eventually.
A unified Instagram aesthetic can also boost brand awareness if you develop something that resonates with your brand’s visual identity.
Let us take a look at the aesthetic adopted by the major fitness brands on Instagram to gauge the field.
When you think of someone who follows a fitness lifestyle, concentration and discipline are two things that you know they appreciate. So if your ideal customer profile is that of a person who appreciates simple things and approves of consistency, this is the aesthetic for you.
The monochrome Instagram aesthetic may seem too simplistic, but its beauty lies in that. For a monochrome theme, you can use a singular color or chooses from the same color palette so that all your content speaks the same language,
To connect the Instagram aesthetic to your brand’s visual identity, the colors you choose must be related to your brand. Otherwise, you may have a successful aesthetic in your hand without it helping your brand awareness efforts.
Varley has adopted a monochromatic color palette and uses colors from the same family for their Instagram feed themes. These colors also tie well with the brand’s colors, presenting a unified visual experience for the customers.
The fitness industry on Instagram is more about the people than about the product. As the popular saying goes, it is not about pushing products; it is about convincing people about a lifestyle. And you can do that by showcasing your products, yes, but usually, actual customers work way better.
And what better example can be there for this than the pioneer in fitness marketing – Nike? Especially Nike Women’s Instagram handle.
The brand does a great job of connecting with its target audience by consistently showcasing images of achievers, path-breakers, and pioneers in the industry. The Instagram aesthetic that Nike follows ensures that the customers see these people and get sold on the possibilities and lifestyle first, before the product pitch even begins.
Everything on the brand’s Instagram handle is about women. And they tastefully designed the content to reflect well on the brand’s identity.
Much like the monochromatic Instagram aesthetic, this is also a perfect fit for a dedicated, focused, and seasoned fitness enthusiast. Of course, the rustic theme also appeals to the adventurous and daredevil who sees their fitness journey as a bigger part of their lifestyle.
And when you want to appeal to this audience, you need a theme and aesthetic that brings out these qualities in your brand’s personality.
Ideally, bold, dark, and strong colors work well for this Instagram aesthetic. The idea is to capture and deliver content that captures the rawness of the fitness world and showcases things as it is.
The Instagram aesthetic adopted by Ten Thousand is a great example here.
Of course, that does not mean that this aesthetic does not have the space for vulnerability, as we see from the example below.
What is a fitness page without motivational quotes, right? But of course, it would take enormous courage to turn that into the whole base for your Instagram aesthetic. The good news is if you do it well, it works brilliantly.
More often than not, customers turn to social media for that little push to make their dreams come true. Now, you can persuade them via images, products, or routines, or you can turn to the good old-fashioned motivational style.
The text-based Instagram aesthetic has worked well for many industries and changing it specifically for a fitness brand is a genius move. It attracts your customers, keeps them coming for more, and motivates them to choose the lifestyle you are pushing them into.
Also, quotes have high shareability on that platform, so choosing this aesthetic can have direct benefits for your brand’s reach on Instagram.
While the quotes-based aesthetic focuses on the text, you can still infuse your brand’s identity via the font selection, brand colors, and overall theme that you pick.
Check out this popular fitness page for inspiration.
As you see from the above examples, you can create different types of Instagram aesthetic to make sure that your brand’s Instagram page paints the most accurate picture of your brand. The key is to create visual consistency while also engaging your audience effectively.
