We all feel a sense of achievement when we’ve accomplished a major milestone. If we aim to lose some weight or get fit, it feels like the greatest thing in the world. But often there is something that stands in our way, and it’s a big thing. That thing is motivation! Everyone suffers from a lack of motivation now and again, and it’s hard to get back on the treadmill once we fall off it. For people specifically looking to transform their lives there is only one thing you can really do to stay motivated, and that is to track your progress, and I don’t just mean by using a fitness or weight app, but actually to document it for people to see. Going public with your goals can be a really strong tool in helping you stay on track. Our egos are a very big deal. Here is a guide to making a fitness blog that doesn’t just increase your motivation, but also increases your followers.
The first thing to do is to get into the habit of documenting your every move. If you are not an avid tweeter or you don’t make vlogs, now is the time to give it a go. The equipment doesn’t have to be fancy, and you can use your phone to make quick vlogs and upload them. Keep it short, like 30-seconds at a time to keep followers updated and upload them on a regular basis. The progress is much easier to follow, whether you are undergoing a weight loss transformation or you are aiming to increase your muscle mass. Before and after shots is what people want to see at the end of the process. Long after you have finished the blog, people will still be coming back to it if they want to search for the best “before and after” shots of people who have undergone a major transformation. This is something that will be a big draw for those that are looking for quick ways to lose weight on YouTube, because people constantly type in search terms like “lose weight fast.” And by using a YouTube thumbnail maker to have that as your primary image, it will make people want to click on it and see how you did it. If you want people to keep following your progress, you need to engage with them in some way, and this could be by empathy (if you’re losing weight you need to show your progress to inspire other overweight people) or by educating them. People don’t want adverts for products; they want to think that they can do what you do too! This is what will get you followers.
While people need to be emotionally invested in your journey, they will only keep coming back if you give them a reason to do so. A way to do this is to say what your intentions are before you do the next blog or vlog. So whether this means you are aiming to increase your strength by powerlifting or you aim to lose an extra 5 pounds, this is the cliffhanger that will make people tune in. So, the next vlog will be of you powerlifting or stepping onto the scales for the big reveal. Vlogs don’t have to be the typical talking to camera type setup, they can be as intriguing as a soap opera, and as you have the extra dimension over a soap opera character, i.e. you are real; it will encourage empathy and will inspire others to do the same thing!
But there is only so much you can do to keep people coming back, which is why it needs to be interspersed with other content to keep people inspired. If you are on a weight-loss journey and you only talk to the camera about the exercises you are doing, people may question other aspects that you are not revealing to the camera, such as the food you’re eating. Much like TV, if you are likable and revealing, it will increase your popularity. The difference between TV and the internet is that you can develop a much better relationship with your audience. People can comment on the clips if there is something that is unclear. And if you are doing a clip of what type of things you eat, along with a demonstration, people may ask for other food suggestions, or there may be a lot of requests for one thing, which is something you can then do on your next blog.
The other thing to really think about when putting yourself online and showing a journey in the most honest terms possible is that on occasion there will be times when you don’t hit your weight loss target, or you won’t be able to lift that barbell. These are moments you may feel that you shouldn’t share because it could portray you as “weak” or as a “failure.” This cannot be further from the truth! In fact, these are the moments that will give you the most motivation of all. Don’t forget that this is your journey, and we all fall down sometimes! You may even find a support network in your followers, and for many people who start a blog, they find their followers to be confidantes which could even develop into friendships. It is important to show all of these aspects of your personality, not just to gain followers, but it is a document of your process which you can look back on, years from now, and see that everyone hits the wall sometimes.
Doing a vlog or blog on undergoing a dramatic change in your body works not just as a way to increase followers, but it is a massive motivational technique for you. It can feel like therapy to some, for others, a very public way to document changes, much like people who use their social media accounts to document every meal they have and so they can pinpoint exactly when they have fallen off the wagon. It can be a very effective tool, and you need to remember that it can inspire others to do the same.
