If you’re like me, the idea of marketing gives me an anxiety attack. Facebook Ads, Instagram posts, Webinars, SEO, and email marketing…it all starts to feel overwhelming and, well, inauthentic. But at the same time, we must navigate this jungle of self-promotion in order to thrive in our yoga businesses.
Yogis, it’s time to demystify marketing and get back to the basics. Here’s how I define marketing:
Marketing: how you find and connect with your people.
It’s that simple. Let’s look at the two steps that will help you get to the heart of the marketing matter.
1. Identify your people.
When asked, “Who do you want to teach?” we invariably say, “Everyone!” While this is big hearted, you will never thrive (as a person, let alone as a business!) by becoming a watered down milquetoast version of yourself. I don’t want you to appeal to everyone; I want you to appeal ONLY to your tribe. Becoming specific about your “target audience” will set you on a path of finding the folks who are singing the song that’s in your heart. These the people who will truly benefit from your offerings, and appreciate your offering. (And if you need some help identifying your true, personalized yoga mission, check out my post “Business Tips For Yogis: Know Thyself,” which helps you clarify your yoga path.)
What this means:
- you may lose followers before you gain them
- some people will actively dislike what you’re doing
- you may no longer fit into your current studio situation or culture
- you may need to change your branding, etc in order to more authentically come into who you are
- you will be playing the long game.
When you get clear about your tribe, you are playing the long game. This means that you’re not picking up followers just to get likes or seem popular in the short term; you are dedicated to walking a path and creating long-term community based on your deepest truth. It won’t happen fast; but when you are really living your values, it will happen sustainably.
You don’t need to woo the world; you only need (as some brilliant marketer said) 100 true fans. If you have 100 people in your tribe who are willing to pay $500/year for what you do, you’re halfway to earning a six figure salary. All while being authentic to yourself and providing true value. It’s that straight forward.
2. Find & Connect With Your People
Now that you know who your people are, it’s time to figure out where they are. Generally speaking…
- Are they under 20? Snapchat.
- Are they under 40? Instagram.
- Are they over 40? Facebook.
But friends, it’s not all about social media. Think about where your people like to connect:
- Local haunts (coffee shops, wellness practitioners)
- Yoga studios (the students in front of you are your best marketing friends!)
- Cafes
- Reading blogs
- Listening to podcasts
- Watching webinars
- Journals, magazines, newspapers, periodicals
- Retreat centers
- Organizations and memberships
- Online groups, communities
- Etc.
How can you share what you are doing in these contexts in order to connect with the folks that will benefit from what you are offering? Look for win-win relationships where you can share what you do with the people who really need it.
And here’s the thing: marketing starts with you telling people what you’re up to. I can’t tell you how many times I see teachers fail to announce retreats or workshops in their classes (or fail to tell their friends) because they feel self-conscious. In order for people to find you, they have to first hear about you. Which means – I know it’s scary! – opening your mouth and letting people know. If you are feeling shy about self-promotion, get out of your own way by connecting to the value of what you are offering and sharing from a true attitude of service.
Your task: determine two marketing channels that you can use where you can find your people. And identify two people in your current network where you could create a win-win situation and develop some mutual support.
Also! Check out these additional resources: