Opening a yoga studio is similar to any other fitness or personal service business. Perhaps, one merely starts as an instructor in someone else’s business. Perhaps, one gets a business loan to rent a studio and hire other instructors as well. Perhaps, one builds the business on the side, teaching yoga during evenings and weekends while working a more conventional job. There is no one right way to get your business off the ground. And, of course, the business model you choose will expand over time.
5 Ways to Market a Yoga Business
Marketing a yoga business is no different than marketing any other business where one offers personal services. Although the content and philosophy of yoga may be remarkably different compared to becoming a bodybuilding and fitness instructor, the marketing follows a similar route.
Here are some ideas successful yoga teachers have used to market their business:
1. You could attend community events and meet new people where you can share your passion for yoga.
2. You could visit yoga studios and get ideas on how other teachers market their business, and you can even introduce yourself to the business owner and ask for tips, making it clear that you are not a competitor but planning to set up your own business in a different town or a different part of town. When yoga teachers who run their own business meet someone who does not threaten to limit their own business, they are actually eager to share what they have learned through trial and error.
3. You could create marketing collateral like business cards, brochures, flyers, and so on. Dispense these freely whenever you meet people socially. However, before you start, spend a great deal of time thinking about what is unique about your business, and what logos, slogans, and even colors will represent your unique approach to yoga.
4. You could create an online presence consisting of a website, a blog, and a social media network. Connect these online resources to your existing print materials, as well. For instance, if you hand out your business cards at a social event, the recipient should be able to go to your website, follow your blog posts, and even befriend you on your social media pages.
5. You could study marketing and sales literature, getting a good idea of a wide range of ways people have been able to promote their small business. In promoting any business, advertising is probably the fastest way to get attention, so consider studying how to advertise economically yet effectively.
Final Thoughts
While it may feel awkward and difficult to go from the high ideals of yoga philosophy to hawking your wares in the marketplace, remember that this is merely a perception. Instead of thinking of this as labor, consider it a labor of love. Instead of thinking of promoting yourself as marketing, consider it sharing your passion. And instead of thinking of selling your services to those who respond to your marketing efforts, think of it as sharing your own story of personal transformation.