As you develop fun and exciting classes for your yoga studio, it’s important to consider ways for you to bring more people in outside of those classes. The more students you have, the more profit your business makes, and the more lives you can touch with your focus on authentic yoga—so what can you do to bring those people in?
Potential events for your yoga studio include open houses, after fives, themed classes, joint events with other local businesses or non-profit organizations, family friendly events, events with well-known teachers, events held outside, or events focused on a particular need like pain relief or meditation.
There are so many great ideas on how to bring people into your yoga studio through special events. Read on to find out more about each option and spur some ideas for your own business!
Host an open house or an “After Five” event.
One of the easiest ways to promote your business and bring people in is to have an open house or an “After Five” event. While they’re similar, they each provide a different benefit to your business. The open house allows for anyone to walk in and talk to you about your business. Make sure you have it on a day where you can bring in the most people and talk to them about what you can do and what services you provide. An “After Five”, on the other hand, is usually geared towards other businesses. Invite business owners to your yoga studio to talk to them about what possible partnerships you could explore.
- Try a themed class, anything from pop culture to a decade.
While you’re trying to bring people into your studio, consider creating a themed class that will appeal to a certain type of people. The key is doing a theme that allows people to dress up and participate without hindering their movement when participating in the class activities. What can you do? Consider a 1980s themed class hearkening back to the exercise videos of the time, or bring back those ‘90s kids with some grunge flashbacks. You can also do a theme that links into the current pop culture zeitgeist or whatever show is popular on the TV at the time of your class.
- Work with another local business or non-profit organization to create a joint event.
One of the best ways to bring new people into your business is to link with an already existing one. You don’t want to try to partner with your competition, but it’s important to work with other small businesses in the area if you can. Is there a coffeeshop down the street? Consider allowing them to set up a table in your yoga studio where you can have a class and coffee event. Consider working with a local non-profit where your proceeds can be donated to their cause, or encourage your classes to bring in canned goods or clothes for those in need. You can also work with a local pet shelter—animal yoga is all the rage, and continues to be popular. Why not help some local pets get adopted while you tout all the great things that your yoga studio can do for potential students? They may go home with a new family member and a studio membership.
12 Pros and Cons Of Owning A Yoga Studio
- Create a family friendly event.
Looking to bring in more people that may not attend your class regularly? Consider creating a family friendly event. Have parents bring in their kids and provide activities for all ages. You never know—you might have to add on another class schedule just for those children who are excited to learn more about yoga.
- Bring in a famous or well-known yoga teacher for a masterclass.
Another great way to bring in people, especially those who have been practicing yoga for a time, is by bringing in a well-known yogi or yoga teacher. If you find someone willing to come into your class and you can market their arrival with some success, you never know who might come into your class for the day. While they might have another studio they attend, they may find they like yours instead when they attend a workshop with someone they’ve seen on TV or on YouTube.
- Have a class outside or on location.
Especially in warmer climates or areas where it stays nice for a long period of time, you can consider taking your classes outside. Have a beautiful local park or riverside area? Practicing yoga in a place like that can bring another aspect to your class, and you may even bring in people walking by. Make sure to have information prepared if someone is interested that hasn’t signed up for your class.
- Focus your classes on a specific need or want.
If you’re looking to bring in new people, consider holding a class where you’re focused on some sort of goal, like learning to breathe better or helping with chronic pain relief. We all could benefit from some yoga that helps those office blues, so consider putting together an event that assists people sitting for most of their day to regain some mobility. You can also focus on meditation—while most classes include music (and you can use that as a theme, too!) consider creating a silent class where all your students stay as focused as possible. Encourage learning more about the body and focus on breathing during classes like this.
What is the key to holding a yoga studio event?
While your ideas are very important and having the right one at the right time is what makes or breaks your event, there’s one key to any event that’s incredibly important—your marketing. Your potential students or visitors can’t attend an event they don’t know about, so make sure you’re prepared to advertise and advertise well.
What are some ways you can advertise your event?
- On your website. Every business needs a business website, and a yoga studio is no exception. Make sure you keep your website up to date and include all the information you need to share about your upcoming events. You can make your website yourself, but make sure you’re editing and updating it as frequently as your social media pages.
- Social media pages. Along with your website, these are some of the most important ways to share your events. Make sure you’re consistent in your branding among all the different pages you have, and make sure you always link back to your website for further information and sign ups, if needed.
- Print advertising. While in our modern day and age you may not think this is important, people still use print advertising. Especially if you’re working with an older demographic, consider placing an ad in the newspaper or better yet, get them to write an article about your business.
- Radio advertising. Again, especially in a smaller community, radio can help you promote your business to another demographic. Local radio stations tend to have a certain listener base, and if you’re trying to reach them, consider purchasing some ads on the radio.
- Television advertising. Television advertising isn’t dead—it’s just shifted. Consider purchasing advertising for your local area on streaming apps. While this can get expensive, you can also get some demographic information to really drill down to the type of people you want to promote to—like those already searching for yoga videos on YouTube.
- Word of mouth. Word of mouth advertising is still a great way to get noticed. Share your details with someone who you know might be interested, and the rest will follow. Want to talk to your existing classes about it? Encourage them to invite a friend.
Whether you’re starting a 90s theme night or you’re working with your local businesses to create a fun and exciting open house, there are so many ways for you to bring people into your studio. Make sure you plan your events to bring in not just your existing students, but potential new students—consider your local demographics and cater to their wants and needs. Just make sure you provide information to them on how to sign up for a class—and, if you’re lucky, you’ll have many of those sign ups as a result of your event!
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no set space that you’re required per person for yoga, but there is a way to determine how to safely space your people for classes. For many yoga studios, you can expect about 21 square feet per person—room for a two by six-foot mat and some space to allow for free movement.
For many, teaching and learning from an authentic yoga teacher is important for their journey. For you to become an authentic yoga instructor, make sure you start learning not just how to do yoga but the history of yoga and the spiritual connections. Practice your meditation and turn it into a lifestyle where you can create positive, healthy relationships with your students.
To learn more about starting your own Yoga Business check out my startup documents here.
Please note: This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a legal expert to address your specific needs.
Meet Shawn Chun: Entrepreneur and Yoga Fan
I’m a happy individual who happens to be an entrepreneur. I have owned several types of businesses in my life from a coffee shop to an import and export business to an online review business plus a few more and now I create online yoga business resources for those interested in starting new ventures. It’s demanding work but I love it. I do it for those passionate about their business and their goals. That’s why when I meet a yoga business owner in public at a studio or anywhere else I see myself. I know how hard the struggle is to retain clients, find good employees and keep the business growing all while trying to stay competitive.
That’s why I created Yoga Business Boss: I want to help future yoga business owners like you build a thriving business that brings you endless joy and supports your ideal lifestyle.