How to Promote a Fitness App in 2024: Strategies to Increase Engagement and User Base

2024 can be considered a good year to start developing and promoting a fitness app, as various reports show how the Global Digital Fitness App market has chances to grow considerably from now to 2031.

Sure, the fitness app market can be highly competitive and scary at first sight, especially considering the number of downloads and revenue of giant players such as Peloton, Apple Fitness, and Fitbit.

However, a good strategy that combines organic and paid marketing can still make a difference and allow your fitness app to emerge from the crowd.

In this article, we will see how to promote a fitness app in 2024 and the best practices for app store optimization and paid user acquisition that you should master to become a valuable player in the fitness and health app industry.

We’re REPLUG, a Berlin-based app marketing agency. Contact us today if you’re looking for solutions to promote your app through mobile marketing.

1. Understanding Your Target Audience

When approaching a market, it is often helpful to think about niches, or in the case of fitness apps, segments and understand which of these you want to address.

Fitness apps categories could be:

Beginners: people with a fitness goal but don’t work out regularly. They’re probably at their first experiences with fitness apps.
Fitness enthusiasts: the ones who train frequently and want to improve their physical shape or reach higher fitness goals.
Specialized athletes: professionals who take training seriously and use fitness apps as an integration into their regular workout routine.

Also, consider that a wide range of fitness apps are out there. Fitness apps could include running, weightlifting, HIIT (high-intensive interval training), yoga, and many more.

Understanding your target audience’s fitness habits, preferences, and challenges is fundamental to effectively promoting a fitness app in 2024. Comprehensive market research provides the basics of this understanding.

In particular, you can:

Leverage advanced data analytics tools to gather insights from existing fitness app users.
Monitor fitness-related conversations and trends so that you can identify what motivates users, their challenges, and the types of content that resonate with them.
Use surveys and focus groups to gain deeper insights. Craft detailed surveys with questions tailored to uncover users’ fitness goals.
Stay updated with industry reports and competitive analysis to identify market gaps and emerging trends.

Using data analytics, app developers and marketers can gain deep insights into user behaviors, preferences, and engagement patterns in the fitness app. This begins with integrating analytics tools that track various metrics, such as workout frequency, duration, and user retention rates.

When you analyze such data, you can identify which aspects of the app are most popular and which areas need improvement. This allows for data-driven decision-making that enhances user satisfaction and engagement in the app.

One effective strategy is to use predictive analytics to anticipate user needs and preferences.

For example, suppose data shows users frequently engage in high-intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions. In that case, you can tailor content to include more HIIT workouts, personalized fitness plans, and related challenges.

2. Building a Strong Brand Identity

To differentiate yourself from the competitors, building a strong and resilient brand identity is crucial. One of the first areas you should intervene in is your Unique Selling Proposition.

To craft a powerful USP, identify your app’s core strengths and the unique value it offers. This could be anything from your workout tracking technology to a community-focused approach that fosters user engagement and support.

Once the USP is defined, it should be consistently communicated across all your marketing channels.

Maintaining consistent messaging and visual identity is another vital element for appealing to health-conscious consumers and ensuring your fitness app stands out. Here are some key tips that can be useful in this phase:

Define your brand’s tone of voice
Create a visual style guide
Align content with user values
Utilize consistent messaging across platforms
Engage with your community

Now, let’s analyze two brand identities from which to take inspiration in the fitness app industry.

Nike Training Club

NTC leverages the power of a globally recognized sports brand. Their identity is sleek, professional, and athlete-centric.

The app uses a black-and-white color scheme with neon pops for a modern and energetic feel.

NTC focuses on high-performance training with celebrity trainers and various workouts. This brand identity appeals to users who want practical, gym-quality workouts at home led by inspiring figures.

Aarmy

Aarmy stands out with its unique community focus.

Their bold brand identity uses military-inspired imagery to convey camaraderie and teamwork. The red, black, and white color palette emphasizes strength and determination. Aarmy’s core message is that “everyone is an athlete.”

This brand identity resonates with users who seek motivation and support from a fitness community.

3. ASO Strategies for Fitness Apps

Mastering the art of App Store Optimization (ASO) is part of a successful strategy for promoting your fitness app, especially to enhance its visibility and drive downloads.

Crucial factors that affect ASO include:

Keyword optimization
Compelling visuals and app descriptions
User reviews and ratings
Users’ feedbacks
in-app events

Let’s analyze them in detail.

Keyword Optimization

To effectively reach your target audience, it’s crucial to identify and incorporate relevant keywords that potential users are likely to search for. Here are some tips on how to optimize your keywords:

Research and selection: utilize tools like AppTweak and AppRadar to identify high-traffic keywords relevant to your fitness app. Consider terms related to fitness, health, workouts, and specific features your app offers.
Placement: strategically place keywords in your app title, subtitle, and description.
Localize keywords: if your fitness app targets multiple regions, localizing keywords to match the local language and search behavior can significantly improve visibility.

Compelling Visuals and App Descriptions

Visuals and app descriptions play a critical role in attracting users and conveying the value of your app. Here’s how you can make the most out of them:

High-quality icons and screenshots: your app icon is the first visual element users encounter. Ensure it is professional, eye-catching, and reflective of your brand.
Engaging videos: an app preview video can significantly boost conversions. Create a short, engaging video that demonstrates the app’s core functionalities.
Optimized descriptions: write a compelling app description that clearly explains what your fitness app does, its unique features, and its benefits.

Make sure you’re tailoring the app visuals, including the icon, to the specific niche your app is targeting. For example, if you have a fitness app for women, you want to use females in the screenshots.

User Reviews and Ratings

User reviews and ratings are vital for two main reasons:

Influence on rankings: app stores consider user ratings and reviews as key factors in their ranking algorithms.
Social proof: as Cialdini teaches, positive reviews could serve as social proof, influencing potential users to download your app.

Optimize the review request process and answer all the positive and negative user reviews.

Users’ Feedbacks

To encourage positive feedback, consider the following strategies:

In-app prompts: Use them to ask satisfied users for reviews. To avoid interrupting the user experience, request feedback after users achieve a milestone or complete a workout.
Provide quality customer support: respond promptly to user issues and feedback.
Incentivize reviews: you can offer incentives such as access to premium features, discounts, or exclusive content in exchange for honest reviews.

In-app Events

Using Apple in-app events can be a great way to create engaging, time-limited activities that attract and retain users. Here are some best practices that you should consider for in-app events:

Highlight unique workout challenges, live training sessions, or seasonal fitness programs through these events.
Use push notifications and personalized reminders to keep users informed and engaged.
Incorporate exclusive content or rewards for event participants to boost participation.
Use analytics tools to track user engagement and adjust your strategies for maximum impact, ensuring the app remains relevant and appealing in a competitive market.

ASO is a powerful tool, and one of its “superpowers” allows you to enhance your organic discovery and download rates. Mastering ASO makes you:

Increase your app visibility
Get higher conversion rates
Have regular and sustained growth

Check out REPLUG’s ASO services and boost your organic presence.

4. Paid UA Strategies for Fitness Apps

Mobile Paid User Acquisition, or PUA, is a strategic approach that involves investing in various advertising channels to attract new users to download an app, specifically a fitness app. It is critical to grow the user base and ensure sustainable growth.

Implementing targeted ads on platforms like social media, search engines, and mobile ad networks can help you reach a wider audience more efficiently and quickly than relying only on organic methods.

To maximize the effectiveness of PUA, it is essential to focus on targeting and creative strategies.

Targeting

To refine your targeting strategies, consider using the following channels:

Social Media Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and similar platforms offer robust targeting options. They allow you to reach specific user demographics based on interests, behaviors, and fitness goals. You can target users who follow fitness influencers, participate in health-related groups, or have shown interest in fitness products and services. Additionally, advanced targeting options like lookalike audiences can help you find users similar to your existing customer base, enhancing the precision of your campaigns. Paid Social Media Advertising is the perfect tool to reach your fitness niche.
Search Engines: using keyword-driven ads on platforms like Apple Search Ads can capture intent-driven traffic by appearing in search results for related terms. By targeting keywords like “best fitness app,” “workout plans,” or “home exercises,” you can reach users actively seeking fitness solutions. At the same time, these platforms can help you reach users looking to solve a specific fitness need; for example, you can have multiple campaigns targeting different muscle groups, e.g., “glutes training,” “abs workout,” etc.
DSPs & Programmatic Ads: employ automated technology to purchase ad space across various websites and apps. Programmatic advertising enables real-time bidding and precise targeting based on user data, ensuring your ads reach the right audience at the right time. This method leverages data analytics to identify high-value users and optimize ad placements dynamically.

Creatives

When promoting a fitness app, the creative part plays a crucial role in explaining the main app features and USPs. Consider implementing the following best practices to enhance your strategy:

Test UGC – User-generated content: especially if you invest a budget on Paid Social Advertising, UGC can make a difference. Having a creator tell his story, and talk about how your app changed their (fitness) life can increase the chances to get user attention. Don’t forget, however, that each platform has its style: a video that works very well on Instagram, would probably not work on TikTok.

Show the app functionalities: whether it’s UGC content or video animation, make sure you show the app interface, how simple it is to create a customized fitness plan, and how easy it is to achieve results by following the exercises examples (if your fitness app doesn’t have exercises examples, you might want to wait to promote it).
Use Engaging Visuals: high-quality images and videos that showcase the app’s features, such as workout demonstrations, user testimonials, and before-and-after transformations, can capture attention and drive engagement. Eye-catching visuals and compelling storytelling help create an emotional connection with potential users.

Personalized Messaging: craft personalized ad copy that speaks directly to the target audience’s needs and aspirations. Highlight the app’s unique selling points, such as customized workout plans, expert guidance, or community support. Tailoring the message to resonate with different segments, such as beginners, advanced athletes, or those seeking specific fitness goals, can increase conversion rates.
A/B Testing: test different creative elements, including headlines, images, videos, and call-to-action buttons, to determine which combinations perform best. A/B testing allows you to refine your creatives based on real-time data and user feedback, optimizing for higher engagement and conversion rates.

Effective Budget Allocation and ROI Measurement

Budget allocation and ROI measurement are critical in a fitness app’s successful paid user acquisition strategy.

Performance data should guide budget allocation across advertising channels to guarantee optimal returns. Utilize analytics to track cost-per-install (CPI), customer acquisition cost (CAC), and lifetime value (LTV) to make informed decisions about where to allocate your budget.

If your fitness app offers a free trial, make sure to analyze all the conversion steps of the funnel, from install to trial start to trial conversion.

Utilizing Mobile Measurement Partners (MMPs)

Mobile Measurement Partners (MMPs) are necessary for real-time performance tracking, allowing you to monitor and analyze your campaigns’ effectiveness.

MMPs provide comprehensive insights into user acquisition metrics, helping you understand which channels and creatives drive the most value. This data-driven approach ensures you can optimize your campaigns for better performance and higher ROI.

5. Social Media Strategies for Fitness Apps

A big part of effectively promoting your fitness app is choosing the platforms where fitness enthusiasts are most likely to be active.

These might include:

Instagram: ideal for showcasing workout routines, transformation stories, and engaging with a fitness-focused community through posts, Stories, and Reels.
YouTube: perfect for detailed workout tutorials (also lasting several minutes), fitness tips, and live workout sessions that can attract a dedicated following.
TikTok: excellent for quick fitness tips, challenges, and engaging content that can go viral and reach a younger, dynamic audience.

A best practice in fitness app promotion is creating a balanced content strategy that leverages organic engagement and paid advertisements.

To improve your organic engagement, you should consider the following:

Posting consistently: post high-quality content that resonates with your audience, such as workout tips, user success stories, or nutritional advice.
Building your community: engage with your audience through comments, direct messages, and interactive features like polls and Q&A sessions.
Establishing collaborations: develop partnerships with fitness influencers and experts to create authentic content that can expand your reach and credibility.

As for paid ads, some tips could be:

Use targeted ads: use detailed demographic and interest-based targeting to reach potential users most likely to be interested in your fitness app.
Create compelling visuals: invest in high-quality visuals and videos highlighting your app’s unique features and benefits, ensuring they stand out in a crowded feed.
Include a strong Call to Action: encourage users to download your app, join a challenge, or sign up for a free trial.

Learning from successful campaigns can provide valuable insights for your strategies. An interesting case in this term is Fitness AI.

Fitness AI

Thanks to REPLUG’s holistic approach, the fitness brand decreased the cost per install by 23.6% and the cost per trial started by 72.6%. It also increased the CVR from install to subscriber by 67.6%.

Here’s how REPLUG’s team was able to achieve these results:

App Store Optimization: an optimization project that lasts three months to increase their organic visibility, ranking, and conversion rank
Search Ads: paid activities focused on in-store advertising to support organic optimization while increasing the overall visibility related to users’ searches in the Store.
TikTok: paid activities through micro-influencers on a performance basis, taking advantage of user-generated content format to promote the app.
Subscription optimization: iterative testing of the conversion funnel (both web and in-app) to increase consistently the conversion rate from trial to paid users.

Check out other success stories on REPLUG’s website.

6. Influencer and Partnership Marketing

Partnering with fitness influencers and bloggers can boost your user acquisition and authentically promote your fitness app to their engaged audiences. How can you correctly manage influencer partnerships? Here is some advice:

Identify relevant influencers: look for influencers who align with your brand values and have a strong following of fitness enthusiasts.
Create authentic content: work with influencers to create genuine content highlighting your fitness app’s unique features and benefits.
Utilize Spark Ads on TikTok: TikTok’s Spark Ads feature allows you to boost organic posts from influencers.

Also, consider strategic partnerships with gyms, sports clubs, and wellness brands that can help you extend the reach of your fitness app.

Now let’s see two examples of brands that leveraged influencer and partnership marketing effectively:

Sweat With Kayla Itsines

This brand partnered with fitness influencer Kayla Itsines (15M+ Instagram followers) to promote Sweat’s app with workouts based on Itsines’ Bikini Body Guide (BBG).

Some key success factors of this campaign were:

Authenticity (Itsines embodies Sweat’s focus)
Targeted Reach (BBG fans)
Long-term value (ongoing partnership)

Orangetheory Fitness

Orangetheory Fitness partnered with local micro-influencers (regular Orangetheory participants) who shared fitness journeys and positive experiences on social media.

Success factors here were:

Micro-Influencer Trust (relatable, local)
Community Focus (welcoming atmosphere)
Scalability (wider reach across locations)

7. Engaging Feature and Gamification

Interactive features and gamification are crucial for boosting user engagement in fitness apps. They transform the fitness journey into a more enjoyable and motivating experience, helping users to stay committed to their fitness goals.

Here’s why they are important:

Increased Motivation: gamification taps into users’ motivations, such as the desire for achievement, competition, and social interaction.
Enhanced User Experience: interactive features create a more dynamic and personalized experience.
Higher Retention Rates: by making fitness fun and rewarding, gamified elements can significantly increase user retention, ensuring users keep returning to the app.

Fitness apps can incorporate various interactive features to make the user experience more engaging and enjoyable. These features include:

Challenges: such as daily or weekly challenges or community challenges.
Badges and Rewards: visual rewards, such as Achievement Badges, provide the user with accomplishments.
Leaderboards: you can show users a Global Leaderboard to allow users to monitor their progress compared to others.

Several fitness apps have successfully integrated gamification to enhance user engagement and retention. Here are a couple of notable examples:

Fitbit

Interactive Features: Fitbit’s app includes gamified features such as step challenges, badges, and leaderboards.
User Engagement: users can join step challenges with friends, earn badges for milestones like walking 10,000 steps daily, and see how they rank on leaderboards.
Results: these features have boosted user engagement and retention, motivating users to achieve their goals and compete with friends.

Nike Training Club

Gamification Elements: NTC offers workout challenges, achievement badges, and a points system that rewards users for completing workouts and meeting fitness goals.
Community Features: users can connect with friends, share their progress, and participate in group challenges, creating a supportive and competitive environment.
Impact: the gamified elements have helped Nike build a loyal user base that consistently engages with the app.

8. Tracking and Analytics

An MMP is critical for comprehensive tracking and analysis of your fitness app’s performance. Here’s why:

Install Tracking: MMPs accurately track app installs across different marketing channels. This allows you to identify which campaigns are driving the most downloads and optimize your budget allocation accordingly.
User Engagement and Retention: MMPs offer detailed insights into user behavior post-installation. By tracking user engagement and retention, you can understand how users interact with your app, identify potential drop-off points, and implement strategies to improve retention.
Attribution: MMPs enable precise attribution of installs and in-app activities to specific marketing efforts. This helps you determine the ROI of your campaigns and make informed decisions about where to invest your marketing resources.

Analytics are crucial for making data-driven decisions that enhance marketing strategies and app functionalities. Here’s how to leverage analytics effectively:

Adjust Marketing Strategies: you can use analytics to monitor the performance of different marketing campaigns, such as user segmentation (based on behavior, demographics, etc.) and A/B testing on ads, landing pages, and marketing messages.
Improve App Functionalities: analyze user feedback, track which features are most and least used within your app, and have behavioral insights to understand user journeys and identify patterns.

Monitoring key metrics is important to measure and improve your fitness app’s performance. Here are some of the most important ones:

Daily Active Users (DAU): the number of unique users who engage with your app daily. A high DAU indicates strong daily engagement and is a sign of a healthy app.
Monthly Active Users (MAU): the number of unique users who engage with your app over a month. Tracking the DAU/MAU ratio can help you understand the stickiness of your app.
Subscriptions: the number of users who commit to a recurring payment plan to access the app’s premium features.
Trial Start Events: the number of users who begin a free trial period of the app’s premium features.
Session Length: the average duration of a user’s session. Longer session lengths suggest that users find your app valuable and engaging.
Churn Rate: the percentage of users who stop using your app over time. A high churn rate indicates users are not finding long-term value in your app.

Check the list of Performance KPIs to measure in 2024.

9. User Retention Strategies

Users should always be kept engaged and committed. Implementing innovative strategies that meet their unique needs and preferences is essential.

Personalization and community engagement are potent tools for retaining fitness app users. Personalized workout plans can enhance customization and progress tracking. In the first case, you can use data such as age, weight, fitness goals, and exercise history to create customized routines that keep users motivated and on track.

Progress tracking will then provide insights into improvements in strength, endurance, and other metrics to keep users engaged and motivated. Challenges and reminders can help establish regular usage patterns and sustain motivation.

For challenges, you should consider using the following:

Themed Challenges, such as the “30-Day Fitness Challenge” or “Weekly Step Goal,” give users short-term goals to strive for and add an element of fun and competition.
Leaderboard and Rewards to display users’ rankings in challenges and offer rewards such as badges, discounts, or free premium features.

For daily reminders, you can choose between:

Personalized Notifications based on user preferences and behaviors. Remind users to complete their workouts, hydrate, or log their meals to keep them engaged with the app.
Motivational Messages to boost users’ spirits and keep them focused on their fitness journey.

Integrating your fitness app with other health apps can enhance user experience and help you create a holistic experience.

You can use:

Health Data Syncing to sync data from other health apps, such as step count, sleep patterns, and nutrition tracking.
Wearable Compatibility, to ensure compatibility with popular fitness wearables like Fitbit, Apple Watch, and Garmin.
Third-party app Integration, to partner with other apps to offer integrated features, such as meal planning or meditation sessions.

Regular updates and the introduction of new features can prevent your app from becoming stale. Some popular solutions in this case are:

Feature Enhancements: regularly update existing features to improve functionality and user experience.
New Workouts and Programs: To keep the content fresh and exciting, periodically add new workout routines, fitness programs, and challenges.
Bug Fixes and Performance Improvements: ensure your app runs smoothly by promptly addressing bugs and performance issues.

Conclusion

Once you have worked on your brand identity, promoting a fitness app in 2024, it’s all about balancing organic and paid strategies. The main focus of your app’s promotion should always be ASO and PUA.

As we discussed in the article, fitness apps are about keeping the users engaged. Focus on building challenges, rewards, and leaderboards, and consider using influencers and partnerships to boost your visibility.

Use tracking and analytics to adjust your strategies and adapt to the market’s conditions and fitness trends.

Have a fitness app to promote? Contact us today.