When I speak with teachers about what makes a yoga business successful and the best yoga studio marketing strategies, I tend to notice that a lot of people fixate on one or two things. They somehow heard from someone else how this one strategy or way of doing something with their yoga studio marketing was what made them successful. Let me clear the air right now so that there is no misunderstanding:
There is NO one thing that will make anyone’s yoga business succeed. There is no one way of handling your yoga studio marketing.
I am going to share with you what I consider to be the top five yoga studio marketing tactics that in my opinion should be at the top of your list. But whether you read one of my articles that talks about a specific tip or marketing strategy or if you get some advice from someone else, just know its not this or that, it’s this and that. Getting stuck on one idea is like when you get stuck on one yoga pose because you really like it and are good at it. But then you don’t spend as much time on the other poses. Or you trick yourself into believing that you don’t like that pose as much so you dread having to do it. Your yoga studio business will be the same way. You can’t get stuck in just one area of how you approach your marketing. Sure, you may find that certain approaches may work better. Whether its your website, networking, fliers, Yoga SEO, writing, advertising, creating a DVD, social media, etc…just remember that it’s not this or that, it’s this and that. Any successful business will tell you it was the culmination of many approaches that added to their overall success. It’s the culmination of all the things you have tried with the time you put in that brings all the pieces of the puzzle together. And while it is good to do one thing really well, don’t think that one tactic will make or break you.
Just like when you practice Yoga and you have to be good at all the poses, same thing goes with your business. Sure, its ok if you are better at some things versus others, but don’t ignore it just because you are not good at it. More importantly, if you are not good at it then take it on as a fun challenge! Remember, everything was a challenge at first until you got good at it. Then you loved doing it! As I work with many yoga teachers who are just starting out with their yoga studio, I tend to see a common mistake being made which is that they somehow correlated their yoga practice with running a yoga studio as being one in the same and this is far from the truth. In fact, if you ask most yoga studio owners they will tell you that they get to practice yoga less. So one thing I try to remind my clients is that your yoga studio business is now going to be your new yoga practice. To try and find your yoga in the business. Remember, yoga is about aligning breath with movement. And the irony is that so many new yoga studio owners totally forget this and then run around like a chicken with their heads cut off trying to manage their yoga studio. Building a successful yoga studio is never easy but with the right approach it can be a lot of fun and you will learn a whole lot!
Ok, so if you are going to (or already have) launch a yoga studio, here are the top five yoga studio marketing strategies that you need to have at the top of your list:
1. Google Places – Most are now aware of Google Places but in case you are not let me give you a brief lowdown. Google tried to buy Yelp but they did not want to sell it. So Google decided to launch their own version called Google Places. If you notice on any local search you do such as “yoga Los Angeles”, you will see that the first seven or eight results look different from the rest. These are Google Places results. Most companies have been so caught up with trying to figure out their SEO but have not realized that Google Places has NOTHING to do with regular SEO. They are completely separate. So if you have not claimed your Google Places page make sure you do at www.google.com/places/
Now, some of you may be asking “Well how do I get my Google Places listing to page one?” Good question! Well, I don’t give up the secret sauce on that one. You’ll need to hire me for that : )
2. Yelp – Of course everyone knows Yelp and you need to make sure that your online reputation there is positive. I can’t begin to tell you how many clients I have that are losing business because they did not properly manage their Yelp account. There is a very specific way of how you need to approach Yelp and this too is part of my secret sauce.
3. Video – Video can be one of the most powerful tools in promoting your studio mainly because it really allows you to make a connection with potential new students. Now, of course everyone knows you can launch a YouTube video thats no new information. However, did you know there is a way to make it so that your video gets to page one or two of Google? That makes a huge difference in the amount of people seeing your video.
4. Groupon or Living Social – These new coupon deals work like gangbusters. You won’t make money on the initial deal but it will drive a lot of new students to your yoga studio and if your space and teachers are good, then you will make money on the renewal. Don’t look at the initial investment as needing to make your money back right away. See the big picture and build a relationship.
5. Facebook – Of course everyone knows about Facebook. But what many fail to realize are how to use it effectively. Hint: it’s not just about your wall posts!
Ok, sorry I have to be vague with some of the yoga studio marketing strategies but I do have a business to run. So if you have just finished your yoga teacher training and are ready to open and build a yoga studio, then remember to have fun and see your yoga practice in your yoga business!
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The Yogi Coach (Sergio DiazGranados) works with many yoga businesses and entrepreneurs supporting them with marketing, web design, SEO, and business strategies. Working with Gaiam for 3 years and in the wellness industry for 8, Sergio is well versed in this genre and loves to help yogi’s along their business journey. Visit YogiCoach.com to learn more
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