This Is the #1 Most Important Marketing Tip for Yoga Teachers

Are you a yoga teacher looking to build your student base, your following, and your reach? Who isn’t, right? According to a study by Yoga Alliance and Yoga Journal, 34% of Americans (80 million people) are interested in trying yoga over the next 12 months. So how do all of these potential students find you?
 
The one tool that yoga teachers have to really attract students to their classes, workshops, retreats and training is their WEBSITE. As a yoga instructor, your website is your best marketing tool.
 
But what about social media, you say? Even with the best Facebook and Instagram account, you still need to have a solid, up-to-date website to refer potential clients and students to. Having a great website is the first step to successfully marketing yourself. But it doesn’t end there . . .
 
Read on to discover the marketing tip that will set you apart from the rest.
 
It may be no surprise that having a great website will help you thrive in your yoga career. However, as a yoga business adviser, what I often find is that yoga teachers are paying more attention to their social media, and not putting enough time and emphasis on their most valuable marketing tool – their website.
 

Is your website still relevant?

What I have found in working with yoga teachers is that their websites become outdated. Why? Because a yoga teacher is always evolving, and given that your teachings evolve along with your evolution, it’s important to update your website to reflect these changes.
 

Experienced teachers often rebrand themselves because what was a reflection of them 10 years ago may not be a reflection of them today.

 
Often times, the website gets built . . . and then left behind. It no longer reflects who you are as a teacher or maybe even what you are currently teaching. Perhaps you’ve expanded your offerings, teaching schedule, etc. but haven’t yet added these developments to your website.
 
If any of this sounds close to home, then it’s time for a website review.
 
This article will give you the guidance and instruction you need to determine where your website needs updating and how best to execute it so you can be as successful as possible in marketing yourself as a yoga teacher.

Here are 5 signs your web presence needs an overhaul along with questions and action items to help you freshen it up:

1. Your offerings have expanded or changed

Most yoga teachers start with a basic site when they first start teaching. The site is more of a business card with basic information like your class schedule and contact information. But as a teacher gets more and more experience, they come up with new offerings to add, like workshops, events, maybe even retreats, and online classes. If you’ve got them, these additional offerings should be reflected on your website!
 
Along with more information comes the need to be sure that your site can be easily navigated. This means reorganizing how a website is laid out, and re-evaluating which offerings are most essential for website visitors to see first.
 
Questions for reflection:
-Do you offer much more than what your current website reflects?
-Can people easily navigate your offerings in a clear way on your site?
-Are your top offerings highlighted on your home/landing page?
 
“But I don’t know how to do all of this.” Don’t worry – keep reading.
 
 

2. Your branding is non-existent

Branding is the colors, fonts, images, maybe logo (if you have one), and visuals that together reflect a feeling and style of the services and experience offered. It’s something people will recognize and connect to across your website, social media, retreats and classes.
 
People need to see promotional materials multiple times before making a decision. You want to have a ‘marketing look’ that is both consistent and recognizable across all your marketing materials. And you want this branding to authentically represent what you are offering students.
 
Experienced teachers often rebrand themselves because what was a reflection of them 10 years ago may not be a reflection of them today. A website should be a direct reflection of YOU. When you have decided on what key styles and elements make that up, be sure those are used on your website and across the board with other areas you present yourself online and in real life.
 
Questions for reflection:
-Is your branding on your current website relevant to who you are and the experience you offer today?
-Do you have consistent colors, fonts, images, wording, and design elements in all areas of your business/teachings?
 
Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t worry – keep reading.
 
 

3. Your technology is old – time to upgrade

Is your website on an outdated platform that does not allow you flexibility to add more features as you expand your business? There can be numerous reasons for wanting more out of a website – everything from offering online videos, to selling products and services online, to having a membership site where students can access a premium version of your services like online classes, or one on one Skype calls, etc.
 
Technology can allow for a multitude of ideas and offerings to come into reality when the right platforms and tools are in place. I’ve seen extremely creative offerings that teachers have integrated into their websites for the world-wide community of students they reach. Not all teachers desire this, but for those that do, having more than a basic do-it-yourself click and drag website is typically necessary.
 
Questions for reflection:
-Have you been considering offering more from your website and/or having online payments accessible for your student base?
-Does your site have features that allow you to deliver content and services to your students as you develop them?
 
Don’t worry, we’ve got some suggestions on how to make all of this happen -keep reading.
 
 

4. Keep it fresh – like you

Your website is the first place people go when they want to find out more about you. If it’s been a while since you spent some quality time with your website, it’s always good to check back in. Make sure all the content is correct and up-to-date. Photos should still be relevant, professional, and reflect who you are as a teacher.
 
Also, as technology evolves at a quick rate, it’s good to check in with the platform and tools being used to create and maintain the site. If it has been a few years, there may be new ways to make navigating and editing your site easier.
 
Questions for reflection:
-Is everything on your site current and an up-to-date reflection of you?
-Are there ways to make it easier to edit your website or tools that would make things perform more smoothly?
 
 

5. You want to build more online relationships with your students

Long gone is the day of ‘billboard’ websites that show a list of ‘things’ that you do: your class schedule, your bio, your events. The problem with this type of site is they do not have a clear message of what you do for the student. They also don’t clearly say what you want the reader to do once they are on the site.
 
If you want to build your student base online, you need to engage them. This means that once they visit your site, you want to spark their curiosity and interest with a clear and authentic message of what you can do for them, like what problems you can help them solve, for example.
 
Next, you want to have a “Call to Action” (CTA). A CTA is a button or pop-up telling readers what they should do next. Do you want them to sign up for your newsletter, read your blog, or call you for a consult? You want them to stay on the website, get interested, and then contact you in some way so you can build a relationship with them from there.
 
Questions for reflection:
-Have you been wanting to build a larger student base online or connect with your students more online?
-Does your site have a clear message of what you offer students?
-Does your site have CTA’s that clearly state what the student should do if they are interested in learning more about you and what you offer?
 
 
Websites are the hub of any business. They are your interface with the larger world. You want your website to be a beautiful, clear, professional representation of you and your teachings. People are always looking for yoga teachers.
 
80 million people are interested in trying yoga this year. That’s a lot of people looking for just the right teacher for them. That may be you! But they can’t find you if you don’t put yourself out there. Your website is a true representation of your yoga business. It’s one of the key players in your success as a yoga teacher. Take the time to make it your personal best, and watch your yoga career take off!
 
 

So let’s do this! Here are a few tips, tricks, and suggestions to help you get this accomplished

(These tips were added to this article by the YouAligned.com editors. We want you to succeed. That’s kind of our thing.)
 
We’re not web developers (maybe you are), we’re yoga teachers. So hire a web developer / web designer to help you make these updates so you can focus on doing what you love most – teaching yoga!
 

Focus on what you’re great at and hire someone else to do the rest.

 
Check out upwork.com and find a freelancer you like, and that you can afford. You can put in the amount of money you’d like to spend and search for developers that are willing to do the work for that rate. What you want is simple, so it shouldn’t cost you much. Look for someone that can do both web development and web design. Having someone who is good at both will be a huge help.
 
Not up to hiring someone? You’re in luck. You happen to be a yoga teacher – so trade, trade, trade. Post a flyer in your local coffee shop that says you will trade private yoga instruction for some simple web work. Boom!
 
 

Now get inspired

Go to all your favorite yoga teacher’s websites and take screen shots of the things you like most(ie. style, layout, presentation, etc). Your new web developer / web designer will need this for inspiration.
 
Pro tip: Search yoga related hashtags on Instagram and view the profiles of the most popular images (these will be at the top of the feed). Click through to that person’s website in their bio. Chances are, these are yoga instructors and chances are, they have really nice websites.
 
 

Keep your branding simple

Don’t worry about having some fancy logo. Pick 3-4 of your favorite colors (they should look good together) and tell your web person to use these throughout your website. Continue using these colors on your social accounts and in any flyers you make to promote your local classes. Keep it simple.
 
 

Add something more to your site

Make some free YouTube videos and add them to your site so people can take a class from you when they can’t attend one of your classes live. Ask people to subscribe (you’ll get their emails this way) in order to access these free classes.
 
Make sure you put a link to your website on all of your social media accounts with the same call to action “Take free classes with me here: www.yourwebsite.com
 
 
We hope this gave you some good ideas and helped you breathe a little bit knowing that you CAN do this!