8 Examples of Instagram Marketing for Health and Wellness Brands

The health and wellness sector generates over 5% of global economic output.It’s an industry that has exploded in interest over the last decade and continues to grow.As people become more aware of the food they put into their bodies, the products they apply to their skin, and the health implications of regular exercise, businesses are looking to get a piece of the pie.This industry growth has spawned significant innovation in wearable fitness technology, health tracking apps, and all-natural foods and supplements. It has also forced more traditional health and wellness businesses, such as gyms and yoga studios, to adapt how they market to a social-media-crazed customer group regularly.Instagram is arguably the “holy grail” of social media platforms for health and wellness brands in 2022. I took a moment to assess the industry and identify eight health and wellness brands crushing it on Insta. If you’re looking for some inspiration for your strategy, you’ll find it here.

1. Whoop

They call themselves “The most advanced fitness and health wearable.”And if their fanatical fanbase is anything to go by, that statement is on-point!When it comes to wearables, Whoop is leading the pack on Instagram. With over 450,000 followers and a ton of engagement, they are ticking a lot of the “best practice” boxes.What I love about its Instagram profile is the consistent color theme and style. It’s primarily black and white with a measured splattering of color now and then. When they use colors, they are displayed in block format to represent data, which is another huge part of what Whoop is about. Its feed reminds me of a smartwatch interface, which is what they’re going for!

On top of a sleek feed that perfectly aligns with its product, Whoop produces a ton of Reels content. If you’re active on Insta, I’m sure you appreciate how important Reels are at the moment. The engagement levels are through the roof.

What can you learn from Whoop? Don’t overcomplicate your content. Simplicity is often better on Instagram, especially regarding colors and staying on brand.

2. Tonal

Sticking with the technology vibe, let’s look at Tonal - “an entire gym in your home” that “revolutionizes fitness and strength training with patented digital weight, machine learning, and expert personalization.”What I like about Tonal’s Instagram profile is its use of Stories and Highlights. They keep it simple, but all the important information you need to trust this brand is there - including press mentions, coach profiles, and customer reviews.

Even though Tonal is a tech company, it uses similar tactics to in-person gyms to personalize the experience and build a connection with its customers. The Coach profiles are the perfect example of this.

Now, instead of working out at home by yourself, you’ll be interacting with one of the Tonal coaches, just like Gabby.Another important Highlights category from Tonal is Customer Testimonials. As you know, nothing builds trust like the words of an impartial third party. Tonal re-shares customer posts to its Stories and then saves them as a Highlight.

The key takeaway from Tonal’s Instagram profile is to utilize your Stories Highlights section with critical information that builds trust with potential customers. If someone discovers your brand on Instagram, this is some of the first content they’ll see. Make it easy for them to find testimonials, product demos, and relevant team spotlights that humanize your brand.

3. Headspace

This sector isn’t all about fitness - your mind is a key part of your holistic wellness.Enter Headspace.Headspace is a guided meditation and mindfulness app. Its goal is to “help people stress less, focus more, and even sleep better.”Headspace’s logo is a simple orange circle. The orange is a soft, pastel tone that has a relaxed and calming sense to it. All intentional, of course!Its brand extends this color simplicity by using a variety of soft pastels (pink, yellow, blue, and green) in all of its marketing.As soon as you land on its Instagram profile, you’ll know exactly what I mean.

It extends this theme into its posts:

While Whoop uses colors to depict a “digital interface,” Headspace uses colors to portray feeling and emotion. Everything about this brand aims to be positive and calming. That’s precisely how I felt when viewing the above.Think about the colors and images you use on Instagram and how they trigger emotive reactions from your customers.

4. Golde

Golde is a superfood supplement brand - a section of the health and wellness industry that is booming at the moment. They make blends for matcha, mushrooms, collagen, and more.With over 120k Insta followers, there is a lot this brand is doing well. But what stood out to me more than anything is the diverse use of its products. You can use these superfood blends in so many different ways, and they make sure all of their Instagram followers appreciate that.For example, in the screenshot below, you can see the Pure Matcha product (it stands out because of the vibrant green color) being used on food, in a smoothie, and as a facemask.

If you’re selling a multi-use product, let everyone know about it. Don’t just post boring photos of bottles and packaging. Use your imagination.

5. Electric Yoga

I’ve mentioned on a few occasions how important colors are for conveying emotion and staying on-brand. But there are other ways you can bring your brand into Instagram content, too.For example, Electric Yoga subtly overlays its lightning bolt logo on photos like you can see below:

It’s important not to overdo it. Too much branding may be off-putting for customers. But if you make it subtle, using brand colors and your logo in content helps improve your brands’ memorability.

6. Nimble Activewear

Nimble produces high-performance activewear for women using sustainable materials. Since 2015, they have recycled over 1.5 million plastic bottles!“The recycled plastic bottles are broken into flakes, melted into pellets, spun into yarn, and knitted into our performance fabrics.”You’ll see that Nimble promotes its sustainable production efforts on Instagram as much as possible.

Even if your product isn’t closely associated with a cause, like Nimble, I’m sure your brand supports relevant initiatives that align with your customers’ values. If so, be sure to show it off on Instagram.

7. Planet Fitness

Planet Fitness has been featured in several of my articles because it’s a great example of social media marketing.For starters, you can’t miss the iconic purple (with a touch of yellow) throughout all its content. But it’s the use of humor that really epitomizes Planet Fitness more than anything.This brand is fun, high-energy, and vibrant - something you can’t miss when you land on its Instagram profile.

Not every health and wellness brand will want to portray this quirky style, but it shows just how powerful it is to have a bit of personality on social media. Have some fun with your content, and don’t be bland!

8. MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal helps people reach their nutrition and fitness goals by tracking activity and food consumption in an easy-to-use app.Its whole business is focused on educating people about what they eat, its nutritional value, and how you can use that knowledge to hit your personal goals.This “education” ethos extends to Instagram, where they share regular health and wellness tips to support the community.

Yes, health tips are closely aligned to MyFitnessPal’s business model, but almost any health and wellness brand could share similar content. The tips are paired with its brand color, logo, and a lifestyle image to make them easy on the eye.

Conclusion

The opportunities for health and wellness brands on Instagram are endless.But due to the continual growth in this sector, competition for attention is fierce.Consider the type of colors and visuals you use. Ensure they are on-brand and convey the emotion that your brand encompasses.Utilize your profile and highlights to earn the trust of potential customers.Have fun with various content types - photos, Stories, Reels - and show off your brand’s personality.All-in-all, make Instagram an extension of your core business, not an extra. Go deep into building a community, and the results will speak for themselves.