One of the most critical ways yoga instructors may enhance their business (and life) is by learning how to promote themselves effectively.

However, the majority of us become stuck in “marketing ourselves.” It might not be easy to put oneself out there. Self-promotion is difficult. While we want our product to be well-known on the one hand, on the other hand, we don’t want to come across as sales-y or gimmicky.

With a thorough understanding of marketing, you’ll be able to take your yoga career from merely surviving to thrive!

What Is Marketing?

According to Entrepreneur, marketing connects you with potential consumers to sell your product or service to them. Therefore, communicating the value of your goods or service is integral to marketing.

In other words, the heartbeat of your yoga business is marketing. The goal is to establish a strong relationship based on offering value and eventually invite them to join your services.

Why do yoga teachers need marketing?

With so many yoga instructors on the market, marketing is one of, if not the, most crucial business techniques you can use right now. It will allow you to stand out from the crowd of competing teachers attempting to promote their brand and services.

Another primary reason many people learn yoga is that it’s a low-cost hobby that helps them unwind and relax. However, this isn’t always the case because most yoga instructors aren’t earning enough money to live a good life. So not only will you serve more individuals by employing a solid marketing strategy, but you’ll also increase your revenue.

Where do you start?

Before you think about how to market yourself, figure out what kind of yoga you’ll teach. It will influence everything you do as a yoga professional, from instructing to building your website to offering workshops and retreats.

Understanding your niche will aid you in understanding your target market. In addition, your marketing efforts will be much more effective if you have a clear and focused place.

 Reasons why it’s essential to have a niche as a yoga teacher:

• It’s simpler to stand out in an oversaturated teaching environment.
• Prevent burnout by teaching something that means something to you.
• Improves marketing by allowing you to identify and contact your target market precisely.
• Authenticity would be a significant component of your life, and this will attract more authenticity to it.

Once you’ve identified your area of interest, you may begin promoting yourself as a yoga professional. Let’s start by learning how to market oneself in the internet age.

Online Marketing for Yoga Teachers

Before you start utilizing internet marketing, make sure you’ve completed the following tasks:

• Becoming a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher gives you credibility. Members also get unique benefits and discounts.
• Make a yoga CV. If you’ve registered with the Yoga Alliance, include your RYT status!

Create a Yoga Website

Create an essential website. There’s no need to make things more complicated than they have to be; you can easily accomplish this task in just six simple steps. Websites are an essential component of any marketing campaign.

Consider it a minor investment in yourself, as every yoga instructor requires a website. However, if you put in some upfront time and effort, you’ll see the advantages immediately.

Start an Email Newsletter: 

Email is the most effective approach for yoga instructors to market their services. Every day, everyone reads their email. To create a newsletter schedule to send out a weekly update to your audience.

• You may also share your teaching schedule, current yoga themes, photographs, and other relevant information on your site. Sign up for newsletters of yoga teachers you like to learn how they do it.

Blogging: 

Start blogging to build your brand. Share content that’s related to your niche. Keep the content interesting and engaging. Blogging is one of the yoga studio marketing ideas that make customers swarm like bees because once they see that you are pretty knowledgeable in your field, that develops trust and builds brand identity.

PRO TIP:

Guest posting is a fantastic way to gain exposure.

Social Media

Ensure to include links from your website to your social media platforms. People can follow you on their preferred social networking site after visiting your site.

Here are the four social media channels we suggest you use to market yourself:

Facebook

With 1.7 billion users worldwide, establishing a presence on Facebook may be one of the most impactful social media platforms you employ.

Tips for maintaining an active online presence on your Facebook page:

• Create a commercial page that isn’t linked to your one.
• Create a Call-To-Action Button: This will redirect visitors to your website or email newsletter subscription page.
• Invest in Facebook ads: Once you’ve invited people in your network to “like” your page, you’ll want to use a few advertisements. You may target your demographic and appeal to a broader audience by investing in some promotions.
• Boost your posts: Unfortunately, just because a person “likes” your page does not necessarily imply that they will see your content. You may enhance your postings by advertising them, thus appealing to a larger audience.
• Post engaging content daily: Suggestions: Don’t forget to share fantastic high-resolution photos, discuss current yoga trends, and ask your fans questions.
• Join other FB groups: This is a tremendous opportunity to meet other individuals who might become your potential clients or readers in the future.

Instagram

Instagram is one of the most popular social media sites. Even though Instagram is limited to photos, you can still send your followers to external URLs that you include in your bio. Although Instagram and Facebook are linked, they attempt to keep things separate on each platform.

It’s possible to input up to 2,200 characters and 30 hashtags.

Tips for a successful Instagram page:

• Create a company profile. This tool allows you to see information about your followers and postings, and popular rate content.
• Post often. Keep your stuff fresh and exciting. You may submit photographs of anything yoga-related or relevant to your field, even if you’re limited to photos and some text below.
• Try Instagram Stories! Stories is a new Instagram feature that mixes still pictures and brief video clips to make an entire video film. Only Instagram users can use Stories, which lasts for 24 hours.
• Keep a link in your bio. You may always redirect this link to your opt-in page or lead magnets if you like.

Pinterest

Pinterest is a frequently under-estimated social networking platform for international and local businesses. It’s quick to deploy and simple to use, boosting site traffic immediately.

Tips for using Pinterest:

• Create a business account. Business accounts are crucial to getting started since they provide extra features such as Analytics.
• Make sure to pin your links frequently and add at least 20 pins to each of your boards. Re-post other people’s content from other pinners. Your feed should contain about 80% of other people’s pins and 20% of your own.
• To make your photos, use Canva’s “Pinterest image” option to generate them. They’re sized correctly for the app, and you can add your pictures after that.
• Make sure your images are “pin-able” using a WordPress Plugin like JQuery Pin It.

Twitter

Twitter is lightweight blogging software. First, however, you must develop your writing style to be “to the point,” with only 140 characters in each Tweet.

Tips for getting the most out of Twitter:

• Create a corporate profile that promotes your company.
• Follow all of the right people.
• Re-tweet exciting material from your network, including the person’s handle in the message, so they can follow you back.
• For marketing efforts to bring people to your website, use a Website Card.
• Use Analytics to figure out whom you’re talking to and adapt your approach.

But don’t forget….! Another yoga marketing idea is to market yourself online:

Online Classes

With the growing number of online teaching platforms, more yoga instructors have a chance to express themselves. (yay!) Teaching classes online allows you to reach new students and clientele and gives you an extra source of income.

Here are a few of the most well-known sites on which to advertise your lessons:

• Namastream
• Udemy
• Cody

Once you’ve started on one or two of these platforms, use your social media and website to market your services. Of course, there will be some marketing for them on their behalf, but it’s a good idea for you to take the lead and post for them.

Pro tip:

 A part of gaining a following and announcing new classes is done through social media marketing. 

Offline Marketing for Yoga Teachers

Online marketing is critical, yet you can’t overlook offline marketing! To some people, it may be seen as out of date, but the feet-on-the-street word-of-mouth marketing technique is still effective, especially for a yoga instructor.

Working at a studio

Working in a local studio has its benefits! You will be gaining teaching experience, learning the inner workings of running a business, and meeting many individuals. In addition, the studio takes care of marketing for you!

Any opportunity you can to lean on their marketing approach, take it. Make sure to re-post or share to your internet platforms and website. This is an excellent method to market yourself while establishing credibility in the community by being a respected instructor. In addition, you’ll be able to vouch for the studio’s credentials once you start promoting yourself.

Also – don’t underestimate the power of building your tribe through connecting with your students.

Every encounter you have is essential. Keep first names in mind, chat with them after yoga class, and demonstrate your genuine interest in their lives; things will pan out. Your students will appreciate your honesty and may bring a friend back to your lessons. One by one, you’re growing your army!

Teaching Workshops

Running workshops are a fantastic method to share your expertise or supplement your business if you have a unique skill or deep knowledge about an aspect of yoga. You can collaborate with studio operators to use their space or partner with another instructor to put the workshop together once you’re networked with them.

Here are some yoga marketing ideas for projects to get you started:

• Arm Balances and Inversions
• Yoga Philosophy: Breakdown of the Yamas & Niyamas
• Therapeutic Yoga Techniques
• Ayurveda 101
• Adjustment Workshop for Teachers

Another fantastic way to supplement your income as a yoga instructor is to conduct workshops.

Community & Donation Classes

Yoga studios may provide donation classes weekly to assist people of all abilities in being able to practice yoga. It’s an excellent method to promote yourself in the community while also gaining teaching expertise!

Take each opportunity seriously. Even if you aren’t making money, every class you lead is another opportunity to market yourself and share your talents. If you can’t work with a yoga studio, post an event on Facebook for all your friends and family!

Use all of your online tools to spread the news and build momentum. Maintain some regularity in the timetable so that your pupils may look forward to something each week!

Pro tip:

To get the most out of an event like this, it’s best to curate creative yoga classes that will generate buzz throughout the neighborhood. Make it enjoyable so that even a yoga instructor would enjoy taking part.

Assist at a Yoga Teacher Training or Retreat

Volunteering for a yoga retreat or training is another fantastic way to improve your business reputation. If you’ve just completed your training locally, inquire about how to volunteer in the next teacher training.

If you’re planning a trip, many well-known yoga instructors have a certification and application procedure for people who wish to work or participate in a workshop.

Assistances will give you a unique experience and can be added to your yoga CV. Not only are you marketing yourself during the training, but also after the training, you may market to others about it.

If you can get an opportunity with a well-known instructor, this will help you develop more recognition in the business.

Team Up With Others

Do you have a friend who’s a healer in some way? Do you know someone who practices chiropractic? A massage therapist? Acupuncturist? Collaborating with someone from a related line of work or one that complements yoga can result in a win-win partnership!

You may also engage in joint sessions or collaborate to reach a larger audience. You are marketing yourself at the same time they are, and you may extend your efforts to include their marketing and vice versa.

Let’s Wrap up

If you want to live a fulfilling life with yoga as your primary source of income, then learning how to market yourself is a crucial step.

There are many ways to get involved in the industry and build a name for yourself. It takes time, dedication, and a willingness to put yourself out there, but it is worth it to live your passion!

We hope this guide has given you some helpful information and techniques to market yourself as a yoga teacher and run a successful yoga business. Remember to keep your head up and hustle – your big break is just around the corner. Namaste!