Social Media: Can Yoga Teachers survive without it?

Do Yoga Teachers Need Social Media?

There is all this talk about Social Media going on everywhere lately. But where does the truth lie? Is posting on Social Media an absolute necessity, or can you survive as a yoga teacher without it?

Do you have to become an Instagram sensation yourself, if you are to expand your reach and grow your classes? My honest opinion is that no, you don’t need social media to succeed.

In my work as a marketer for a venue that hosts yoga retreats, I have met yoga teachers with more than 100,000 followers on Instagram who couldn’t fill their retreats, and I have also met teachers who didn’t even have an Instagram account and came with full groups.

There are a few things out there that count more than Social Media! What are they?

• Word of mouth
• Your email list

Word of mouth

Never underestimate good old-fashioned word of mouth. Your friends, family, your current students, the people who know you and appreciate your offerings can be your biggest assets in expanding your reach. They can be the ones that talk about you to their respective friends and colleagues, and truly make a difference in the number of students you have.

Always form connections, talk to people, share your thoughts and concerns, and  value their feedback and requests. Keep in mind that it takes a while for people to warm up. According to my experience, it feels like sometimes you have to be explicit and insist on people opening up and sharing their thoughts.

Try to expand your network by attending other classes, visiting and collaborating with other studios, attending conferences and workshops, and sharing ideas with fellow teachers. Talk to people in your local coffee shop. It’s a great communication hub!

Social Media?

Sure, Social Media is big today, but it isn’t everything. Plus, their popularity keeps changing. Instagram was—and still is—big for Yoga Teachers who make the most of it by posting impressive images. But TikTok is also on the rise, and young people, especially, keep engaging with it. Facebook is another staple, but you remain at the mercy of the platform.

Social media keeps changing their algorithms and the rules of engagement. Each media has its own rules, hashtags, guidelines, and restrictions. It’s an exciting game to play, but you don’t have a say in everything that happens.

Email is the Queen of business

Email will never go away, and your email list is yours. It’s free, and no one can take it away from you. It’s your best way to communicate with your students and all the people who have expressed an interest in your teaching.

You must start collecting emails early. Ask your students to give them to you and send them regular updates of what’s going on in your yoga world. Share your thoughts, dreams and offers. It’s the best way to tell them about the workshop or the retreat you are planning to do. Get their feedback and respond accordingly. Collect the emails of all the people you meet along the way who express an interest in yoga, and include them in your Newsletter.

Your Newsletter

Your Newsletter doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just a regular update on your classes and some thoughts about how you live yoga in your everyday life, and how it can help people. Always share useful information and make sure your emails look good. There are so many email platforms out there you could use.

Email marketing platforms like Mailchimp or Active Campaign offer basic programs for free—up to a certain number of emails—and they offer you the opportunity to monitor your emails easily and make them really pretty, as well.

Finding clarity

There is one thing that can make all the difference in everything you do in your career as a yoga teacher, and that is finding clarity.

From my experience, without clarity and focus, efforts are scattered and often wasted.

It’s imperative to be mindful of your actions, have clear goals and directions, and continuously improve your actions. Stop chasing shiny objects and focus on what really matters to you and serves your true direction.

Carving out your Dharma will help you with all your marketing efforts, including the ways you connect with people. There is no definite rule. You can make it with Social Media and you can make it without it. You decide what is best for you and in alignment with your values and principles. If you want some help finding Clarity, you can download a FREE Workbook.

I am always happy to connect, so please send me a reply with your thoughts or your questions about the use of Social Media by yoga teachers.

Join in the discussion. Share your thoughts in the comments.