If you’re a yoga teacher attracting local students to your studio, you may be looking for opportunities to generate more income from your business. You may already have an online presence - a website, Facebook & Instagram postings, maybe even TikTok videos. But an online presence doesn't necessarily equate to an online business.
You may be driving students to your brick and mortar studio, but there are more income opportunities waiting for you to tap by offering online classes, monthly recurring memberships, webinars and live online coaching.
Many yoga teachers know this but simply don’t know how to get started. Is that you? Read on as we will delve into the steps to take to get your profitable online yoga business off the ground.
We’re going to talk about 3 elements of a successful online yoga business - yes, only three! Which means…you can do this!
Start Right with a Positive Mindset
Don’t be tempted to skip this part. Believe it or not, your frame of mind is the foundation of your business! Here are three ways to up level your mindset from teacher to online yoga business owner:
Don’t underestimate yourself
Many yoga teachers would love to expand their influence but suffer from feelings of insecurity. It’s easy to look around the web and see yoga experts with more experience and knowlege than you. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t be an expert in your field. You can still lead your followers to achieve the goals they desire. You have had success and you are knowledgeable and you are experienced. You may not be the best in the world, but that's okay! You just have to be a little ahead of your students. And remember, your students will learn from you, but you will always learn from them too, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Don’t be afraid of competition
Yes, there are many online yoga teachers out there, probably in your local area, and around the world. But there are many more potential students who need your expertise. Many people have a vague idea of what yoga is, but have no idea of the many types of poses, postures and benefits they offer. It’s a good idea to niche down your expertise and offer specialized teachings in whatever type of yoga you are most interested in. Do you love to work with kids? Pregnant women? Are you a hot yoga specialist? You will find competitors in all these areas. But the fact that there is competition just means you’re on the right track!
Don’t be afraid of the tech
A well-supported fully hosted membership website platform takes a huge amount of stress out of the technology equation. When it comes to choosing an online platform for your yoga business, the safest bet is to choose a service that includes everything you need from the start. This includes hosting, online course functionality, a membership option, easy video display, and the ability to provide support material to students. You might also look for a community feature to allow your students to interact with you and each other. SubHub is an all in one membership website platform that lets you easily create courses, membership and free blog content. It also offers hosting and hands on support without plugins or coding.
Create Loyal Followers with a Membership Website
What kind of content and how to display it on your website is the next order of business. A membership website with options for courses and an easy way for your students to pay will offer you and your tribe the most flexibility and ease of use. Follow these simple guidelines and you’ll be well on your way to offering exactly the kind of yoga content your audience is looking for.
Varied formats
You’ll want to provide a mix of free content, online courses and membership content. Always provide some free videos on your homepage so Google can find you. Online courses are a great way to present content and can be evergreen so you don’t need to be present as your students take the lessons. Membership content allows you to charge a recurring fee for your expertise. And you can sweeten the deal with discounts, coupons and free trial memberships.
Consistent value
Be sure your students and members are getting value for money to keep them engaged. Add new membership content on a regular basis such as podcasts, videos or blog posts. Have upsells available such as live group calls and individual coaching sessions for members. These can be in person sessions or over an online service like Zoom.
Start simple
One membership level or one online course may be enough to get started. The SubHub platform allows you to offer your course or courses for free with a monthly or annual membership so you can provide a mix of content without getting too complicated. Don’t forget to sign up for a Stripe and/or PayPal account to handle payment processing. These are the most accepted payment processors out there, easy to set up and fully integrated with the SubHub platform.
Polls and Surveys
Successful online yoga business owners don’t play a guessing game with their content. They don’t go to the trouble of creating an online course without knowing what their ideal client is looking for. But how do you determine what your audience wants? Ask them! Facebook group polls and surveys will help you determine what content your audience will respond better to. It might be content for beginners, courses focusing on specific pain points like digestion, or a by muscle group. They may like on-demand videos or live virtual instruction, supplemental meditations or printed support material.
Get the Word Out with Consistent Marketing
There’s no point going to the trouble of creating your online yoga business if your followers don’t know about it! This is where your funnel comes in. (Don’t let that word scare you!) A funnel is simply a flow of information that potential students and members can follow to engage with you. Here are some simple steps you can take to create an effective online funnel:
Entice with free content
It starts with free content on your yoga website and a little on-site SEO (search engine optimization). This prompts Google to present your website in search listings when prospects are looking for your services.
Engage with paid offerings
Once they’ve found your website, great! Now your job is to show them what you offer and convince them they’ve come to the right place. If they are not ready to buy yet, you can still capture their name and email address. Then contact them later using an automated email sequence. The SubHub platform offers a convenient integration with Mailchimp and Zapier, so you can easily market your paid services by email. For those who are ready to buy, make sure you have easy to follow navigation and clear, upfront links to your paid subscriptions and courses.
Market and repurpose
In the meantime, take advantage of social media opportunities to keep your position as expert at the forefront. Repurpose some of your free videos from your website by posting them on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Facebook lives can provide a spontaneous gathering of your followers and solidify your status as expert in your field.
Keep it going
Rinse and repeat! Keep the funnel consistently working and you’ll always have new students looking for exactly what you have to offer.
When should you start this process? Now! There has never been a better time to get your online yoga business up and running. The audience is ready, the technology is available, and the marketing doesn’t have to be complicated. Get started today with a free 14-day trial with SubHub.
