Content Strategy: Marketing Your Yoga Business

  • Due to the importance of your social media accounts for maintaining connection with your students and potential students, consider boundaries of what is “too personal”, your “do’s and don’ts” for how you use both your business and personal accounts.
  • In your bio or About Me page, tell about you. In all other marketing, focus on the benefits to students by describing the positive changes they will experience and providing a call to action.
  • When targeting newer students, address potential concerns they may have such as a particular level of flexibility or body size.
  • Be cautious not to exaggerate or make unrealistic promises.
  • In your bio, describe the transformative event that instigated your becoming a teacher.

Do’s & Don’ts for Social Media

Your students will find your personal account too, so it’s important to make sure EVERYTHING you post stays within a professionally groomed circle. Do restrict what gets posted on your page. Watch closely and monitor for things that need to be removed… Do share something personal as a tiny window into your life. Photos of your dog and you napping, you and your mom getting brunch on Mother’s Day, etc. Don’t overdo it. Nobody needs to hear you flaring in anger for any reason…EVER. “This a**hole cheated on me…” is not a great post. Take that pain offline and work through it in the safety of a friend’s arms. Oversharing is never wise. –  Amber Scriven

What I Can Do For You as Opposed to What I Do

Yes, of course, people want to learn about you, but that’s what your About Me section is for… In marketing your service as a yoga teacher, the most important element to focus on is transformation, aka What-I-Can-Do-For-You… Focus on What-I-Can-Do-For-You, as opposed to What-I-Do. Let that be your mantra and watch as others begin to gravitate towards your teachings…

  • Explain or describe the benefits
  • State the positive changes one will experience
  • Exude confidence to gain trust
  • Present a call to-action

Remember, it’s not about you. It’s about those you seek to serve. When you remember that it’s your students at center stage, it takes the pressure off self-promotion. You aren’t selling yourself, you’re promoting transformation through yoga and that is worth spreading. – Michelle Linane

For New Students

When preparing a web site or promotional materials targeted to new students, some issues you may wish to address include:

  • The idea that one must or should have a particular level of flexibility to come to class
  • The idea that one must or should have a particular body weight to come to class
  • If this studio, class or teacher can accommodate and / or address particular types of chronic conditions and acute injuries
  • Being a beginner is a great thing to be
  • There are many styles of yoga; key points related to the philosophy of this studio, class or teacher
  • Poses that students may be fearful of and the studio, class or teacher’s approach to such poses

See 10 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Yoga Class for advice that can help students develop a wise approach toward their practice.

Accuracy & Ethics

Sometimes I find myself at the local cafe or health food store, reading over the yoga flyers that are posted there, and I”m often shocked by the exaggerated claims that some teachers make. In some cases, the claims are blatantly false and even dangerous. In other cases, the claims are exaggerations. The truth is that yoga is a profound and life-changing practice. It is helpful, directly or indirectly, for many issues, and there is absolutely no reason to exaggerate or make unrealistic promises. – Darren Main