As yoga teachers, there is so much to learn.
There is the deep study of movement and the body in your teacher training program (and beyond).
There is ongoing inner development that must occur in order to stand at the front of the class and offer true insight to a group of people.
Then there is a learning that happens through trial and error, experimenting with different cues, and methods to find your style as an instructor.
But, many yoga teachers don't know that when they signed up for this career they were also becoming entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Any successful yoga teacher knows that in order to make this profession sustainable you spend just as much time on the administrative and business side of your teaching as you do leading classes.
And you have a choice here.
You can curse that fact that suddenly you are no longer simply a yoga educator, but a marketer, hustler, bookkeeper etc.
or you can make "the business of yoga" fun.
You can take the perspective that marketing allows you to keep your finger on the pulse of what your students respond to and use it to share insight and information that is truly helpful to them.
You can become a "guru of hustle", making connections with students and studios in your community and learn how to speak confidently about what you bring to the table.
You can do some serious #adulting and learn how to more intelligently manage your budget and expenses as you find out what it takes to finance a small business.
But you have to decide to make it this exploration a fascinating and enjoyable part of your experience because if you don't, you probably won't want to stick around in this career for very long.
I have been leading Business Bootcamp's for Yoga Teachers for years and apart from questions on how to get teaching jobs and what to charge, confusion around websites and social media is something teachers always want to talk about.
Here are a few of my tips to help you use your time and money wisely online:
1. Don't break the bank on a fancy website.
I know it may be tempting to think that the teacher with the most beautiful website is the one who is going to have people knocking down their door for private lessons and popular studio classes, but it isn't true.
Unless you are running an online business or trying to sell a product, the majority of people who are going to visit your site for the first few years already know who you are and like you enough to check it out.
Don't get me wrong, a nice website is nice, but if your main reason for having one is to list your classes, host your online resume and share few articles, you don't need to spend as much moola on your website as you did on your 200 hour YTT program.
Chances are, unlike that training, an expensive website will never pay for itself so do your homework before making a big investment.
2. Invest in great photos.
That being said, if you are going to have a website or a social media presence as part of your business, treat yourself to some brand new photos by an awesome yoga photographer.
A simple website on one of the many low cost monthly web services can look incredible and professional if you have great photos. Take the time to find someone who's work you find beautiful and aligned with what you are trying convey.
(Shout out to my two favourite yoga photographers www.kendell.ca in Hamilton, On and www.bhcportraitphotography.com in Hawaii - Love you guys)
3. Pick one social media channel at first. You might think that the more places you are online, the more people will find you. However, unless you have a dedicated team to help or you really LOVE all things social media, stick to one channel that helps you stay connected with your yoga students.
Personally, I am most active on good ole' Facebook.
Over the years I have tried other platforms but when it comes to using social media to connect to my yoga tribe, Facebook is the one that seems to be most popular.
However, that might not be true for your audience. If your main student body is younger, maybe Snapchat or Instagram is a better pick.
The bottom line is; if you use social media you have to be consistent and make sure it is a tool your students actually engage with or it will just become a time suck.
What is your experience nagivating your yoga business online? Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below.
If you are looking for a resource to help grow your teaching business, check out my book for teachers here and my indepth online business bootcamp here.
Photo credit: One of my fav shots by Kendell