You’re posting consistently. You’re sharing great content. Your classes are amazing. But somehow, you’re still not reaching the people who need to find you.
Here’s the thing: hashtags aren’t just Instagram decoration—they’re your secret weapon for getting your fitness studio in front of the exact right people. And once you understand a few key strategies, you can dramatically increase the number of potential students who discover your classes.
Think of hashtags as Instagram’s built-in search engine, and you’re about to learn how to make sure your studio shows up when someone in your area is searching for their next yoga class, dance lesson, or fitness community.
While hashtags work across multiple platforms—Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube—we’re going to focus on Instagram, where they pack the biggest punch for fitness businesses like yours.
Quick Guide:
- Use all 30 hashtags per post for maximum reach
- Stay in the sweet spot: 10k-500k post volume
- Mix location, niche, and broad hashtags
- Create a hashtag bank for easy copy/paste
- Use hashtags in Stories, Reels, and IGTV too
What Are Hashtags?
A hashtag is a combination of letters, numbers, and/or emoji preceded by the # symbol (like #NoPainNoGain or #YogaLife). They’re keywords and phrases that categorize your content and make it discoverable to people who are looking for exactly what you offer.
When someone clicks on a hashtag or searches for one on Instagram, they’ll see a curated feed of all the posts tagged with that hashtag. This is how potential students stumble upon your studio—even if they’ve never heard of you before.
You can use hashtags in posts, Stories, Reels, and IGTV. Each one is an opportunity to be discovered.
How Do I Know Which Hashtags to Use?
Here’s where strategy beats guesswork.
Start with Competitor Research
First up: figure out which hashtags actually matter for your fitness studio. (Hint: #beautyblogger probably isn’t going to help your gym get discovered.)
A smart place to start is analyzing what’s working for others. Check out both local and national fitness brands by scrolling through their posts and Stories. Look for 5-10 universally applicable hashtags that fit your vibe—but avoid brand-specific tags that are custom-created for their challenges or events.
Want more marketing inspiration beyond hashtags? Check out our guide on 6 Smart Steps to Grow Your Fitness Business with Social Media.
Use the Instagram Search Bar
Type your keywords, location, and niche into Instagram’s search bar and see which hashtags pop up. For example, #BoulderFitness (9.6k posts) would be perfect for a Boulder-based studio, whereas #BoulderFitnessBlogger (9 posts) is way too small to be useful.
Follow the Sweet Spot Rule
Here’s the smart rule of thumb: aim for hashtags in the sweet spot between 10k and 500k posts. Why? Let me break it down for you:
- Less than 10k posts: Probably nobody’s searching for it, so nobody will see your content
- More than 500k posts: Your post gets buried instantly by the flood of new content
Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, and we recommend using all 30 to maximize your reach quickly.
Here are the best practices to follow when building your 30-hashtag strategy:
- Use no more than 5 hashtags that have over 200k posts
- Don’t use hashtags with under 10k posts (unless they’re location-specific or event-related)
- Vary your tags between niche, location, and broad keywords—don’t use 30 location tags and call it a day
Common Hashtag Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
Using the same 30 hashtags on every single post
Instagram’s algorithm can flag this as spammy behavior. Keep it fresh by rotating through different sets from your hashtag bank.
Only using mega-popular hashtags
Fitness has 400+ million posts. Your content will be buried in seconds. Mix in niche tags where you can actually stand out and be discovered.
Forgetting location tags
If you run a local studio, location-based hashtags are gold. Tags like #YogaSeattle, #ChicagoPilates, or #AustinFitness connect you with people who can actually walk through your door.
Not tracking what works
Keep notes on which hashtag combinations bring in the most engagement, then double down on what’s working. It’s okay to experiment—that’s how you find your winning formula.
Putting It All Together: A Real Example
Let’s say you run a boutique Pilates studio in Austin. Here’s how you might structure your 30 hashtags:
High-reach (5 tags):
#pilates #fitness #wellness #fitnessmotivation #workout
Medium-reach (15 tags):
#pilatesstudio #pilatesinstructor #reformerpilates #pilateslife #pilatesteacher #fitfam #austinfitness #atxfitness #strengthtraining #flexibility #mindfulness #healthylifestyle #fitnesscommunity #womenshealth #mindandbody
Niche/Local (10 tags):
#austinpilates #pilatesaustin #atxpilates #reformerpilatesaustin #atxwellness #austinwellness #atxstudios #shoplocalaustin #austinsmallbusiness #atxpilatesstudio
See how this covers different audience segments and discovery paths? That’s the strategy in action.
Here are some commonly used fitness-related hashtags to get you started:
- #fitness
- #gym
- #workout
- #fitnessmotivation
- #motivation
- #fit
- #bodybuilding
- #training
- #health
- #lifestyle
- #healthylifestyle
- #fitfam
- #sport
- #healthy
- #gymlife
- #crossfit
- #personaltrainer
- #goals
- #exercise
- #muscle
- #yoga
- #dance
- #pilates
- #barre
- #wellness
Pro tip: Once you’ve attracted followers with great hashtags, make sure it’s easy for them to take the next step. Include your class schedule link in your Instagram bio, and use Punchpass’s simple booking system to let them sign up right from their phone. Don’t sweat it — we’ve got you covered.
Create a Hashtag Bank
If you post to Instagram from your phone, you can use the “notes” app to save your favorite hashtags. If you edit and upload from desktop, Google Docs works great.
Within your hashtag bank, create different “buckets” for different types of posts. For example, if you post inspirational content for #MotivationMonday, you’ll only want to use that hashtag on Mondays. Keep your document updated with new hashtags periodically—social media is always evolving.
You can also use your hashtag bank to track custom hashtags that your fitness business creates for your brand, contests, challenges, and user-generated content. At Punchpass, we use #peopleofpunchpass to celebrate our amazing community of studio owners (that’s you!). Creating your own branded hashtag helps build that sense of belonging your students crave.
Just like you organize your hashtags, organizing your studio operations makes everything run smoother. Learn how Punchpass helps you manage schedules and bookings so you can focus on your classes instead of drowning in admin work.
Where Can I Use Hashtags?
Your in-feed posts are the most obvious place, but don’t stop there. You can also use hashtags on:
- Stories (limit is 10 hashtags)
- Reels
- IGTV
Want to know a few tricks for “hiding” your hashtags so they still work but look cleaner? In Stories, you can make hashtags super small and place stickers over them. In posts, you can add your hashtags as the first comment instead of in the caption—this both boosts your post’s engagement score and delivers all those searchable tags without cluttering your caption.
The Truth About Hashtag Results
Let’s be real: hashtags aren’t going to make you Instagram famous overnight. (Sorry!) But here’s what they will do:
✓ Increase your reach to people who are actively looking for what you offer
✓ Position your content in front of engaged, interested potential students
✓ Bring in new followers (and future clients) steadily over time
✓ Boost your engagement stats, which helps Instagram show your content to more people
Think of hashtags as the long game. They work best when combined with great content, genuine community engagement, and an easy way for people to actually book with you.
The studios that see the best results from social media aren’t just good at getting discovered—they’re also great at converting that attention into actual booked classes. That’s where having the right systems in place makes all the difference.
Ready to Turn Your Instagram Followers into Loyal Students?
You’ve got the hashtag strategy. You’re creating compelling content. Your studio is getting discovered. Now what?
The real power of social media isn’t just getting attention—it’s converting that attention into booked classes, loyal students, and a thriving community. While you’re building your Instagram presence, make sure you have the right tools to welcome those new followers when they’re ready to join you.
Punchpass makes it incredibly easy for potential students to go from discovering you on Instagram to booking their first class. Our simple, user-friendly booking software meets your students where they are—whether they found you through a hashtag search or walked past your studio window.
Here’s what studio owners love about Punchpass:
- Students can book classes right from their phones in seconds
- Automatic reminders mean fewer no-shows
- Easy payment processing (no chasing down payments!)
- Beautiful, mobile-friendly schedules you can link in your Instagram bio
- Customer management that actually makes your life easier
Want to dive deeper into growing your fitness business?
- Dance Studio Marketing: Ideas to Fill the Dance Floor
- How to Get More Reviews Without Being Pushy
- Old School Marketing Ideas That Still Pack a Punch
Ready to make your studio as easy to join as it is to find? Start your free trial of Punchpass and see how we help thousands of studio owners spend less time on admin and more time doing what they love—building community and changing lives.
Let us do the heavy lifting so you can focus on what matters most: your students and your passion.
Using Punchpass? Tag us with #peopleofpunchpass so we can celebrate you and your amazing community!
