Branding your studio is so important, particularly in such a booming industry as yoga. Whether online or offline, your branding will make or break your business. You have to be able to stand out from the dozens or even hundreds of yoga studios in your area.
But don’t fear, we have some tips to ensure your studio branding is setting you up for sweet studio success.
As a studio owner, you know that running a yoga business is hard work. Yoga teachers don’t end up as studio owners because they don’t have anything better to do. Becoming a studio owner can be grueling work and present a lot of challenges along the way. Make this story of becoming a studio owner a part of your brand. Your members will find new ways to connect with you when you let them in on your life.
So what led you to become a studio owner? How has your life changed since immersing yourself in the yoga industry? Your story sets you apart from every other studio owner out there—so embrace it! These may seem like details for the “About” section on your website, but your story will brand you more unique than any other facet of your branding. Unlike other elements of branding, this provides an opportunity for your students to connect with you as a person. You can reinforce your brand by sharing your story on social media, in a blog post, or in person with your new students.
You can’t be everybody’s yoga teacher, nor should you. In this market, you have to offer something specific to build your business. It’s a yoga student’s market, so yoga teachers have to niche down to have a shot at success in such a saturated industry.
Plus, when you niche down you start attracting “your people”—the people who are excited to be a part of your studio and who you really want to be doing business with. Your studio’s brand will fair far better when you’re an expert in one niche rather than a yoga teacher of all trades.
Here are some questions to answer to help clarify your niche:
Don’t be afraid to think out of the box. People have built successful studios off of specific concepts––yoga for empowering women, acro yoga, yoga in nature, even yoga with goats. Here are 100 more yoga niche branding ideas.
When you pick your brand colors, you need to be mindful that each color stirs certain feelings and associations in people. These visual factors play a strong role in keeping your brand in the minds of viewers. Do some research into the meanings of each color and decide from there which ones are in alignment with the feelings you want your studio to communicate. Be intentional about your brand colors because these are the colors you commit to. To be a memorable brand, you have to be consistent with your visuals.
Your brand voice is also elemental to your brand. Certain words and messaging resonates with different people. How do you want your prospective members to feel? Write down a list of words that you’d use to describe your studio brand. Then consider the tone of your voice and how you’ll speak to your audience––will you use formal language or informal? Will you be soothing or sassy? These are all things to consider before writing the content for your website. Language is important in conveying your identity.
As a new or small studio, it can be difficult to grow. But it really is all about who you know. Getting to know other yoga teachers and studio owners out there builds your name and reputation. Supporting other practices and sharing the teachings of others in the industry will encourage reciprocity. When yoga students see you engaging with the greater yoga community and getting support from other teachers they trust, they will assume you have an awesome studio. Plus when you’re connected to the yoga community, students can learn about your brand faster. Cross-promoting your studio with other local studios gives you access to a larger demographic.
Not just in the mindful, meditative way, but be present with your brand in front of the public. Social media should be a big part of your branding strategy. Many brands think of social media as an item on a to-do list to market a business successfully online. But social media is not just a nice addition to your brand; it's an extension of your brand.
There are more eyes on social media sites than there are on your website. So instead of leveraging people off of social media to your site, engage them directly where their attention is. Your social accounts should be just as active as your studio. Be sure to link all of your social accounts to your site and make it easy for people to find your various social channels when they're on your website.
In addition to being present on social media, you should be present in your demographic’s inbox too. Marketing to yoga students via email is a great way to brand and stay in touch with your people. Email is still a great way to engage and build your brand. Most email marketing software has analytics that allows you to track the performance of the emails you send out.
While these are important steps to take when initially establishing your brand, it’s important to note that branding is an ongoing process and does not stop after you’ve “figured out” who you are. Just like yoga, your branding needs to be reinforced with continued practice and education. Be sure to use software that makes reinforcing your brand easier—not harder! fitDEGREE offers a custom branded mobile app for the ultimate studio branding experience. Check it out and uplevel your studio branding game!
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If you are serious about growing your yoga business, you need to be ready to harness the power of referral marketing. So how exactly do you do that? It’s not always as simple as just asking your customers to spread the word about your studio–– you need to motivate and incentivize people to help you grow your studio.
In the fast-paced and busy lives we live, it can be easy to slip into a routine and lose sight of the things we're grateful for in life. Studies have shown that being able to consciously note what you’re grateful for and actively practicing the habit of thanking the people in your life can improve your mental and physical health. As a yogi, you’re aware that yoga isn’t just a practice of the physical body–– it’s a practice of the mind, body, and spirit. Every time you step onto the mat, you’re engaging in an energetic lesson that goes beyond just your muscles and breathing–– it’s a practice that can spark gratitude. And as many experienced yogis can attest, when you put out love and gratitude into the universe, it comes back to you.
