Workshops are a key part of the yoga business. It’s a great opportunity to bring in teachers, styles and ideas that are new to students and will help them expand their practice. Workshops, especially ones geared toward beginners or ones that offer a unique style of yoga, can also be a good tool to boost your student base.
But, making a workshop take off isn’t foolproof. Like any other aspect of a yoga business, there’s a fair amount of smarts and elbow grease required to get your workshops full of excited students! Here are some tips.
Plan (way) ahead
Starting the process of creating a workshop isn’t an overnight sensation, especially if you want to bring in a big-name teacher . You need to start far enough in advance of the workshop date to give yourself time to market it, build interest and iron out logistics. Ideally, you should give yourself at least 2-3 months to plan a major workshop or event. You can start building interest even before that, by sending out a newsletter or posting on the studio bulletin board.
Pound the pavement
Put fliers up outside the studio. Ask local businesses if you can advertise your event on their bulletin boards. Reach out to local papers, too, and see if they would be interested in including your event in a “things to do” round up. If there are local holistic practitioners or book groups with a focus on similar themes, let them know about your event. You never know what’s going to bring up the student base for a workshop or event.
Get your teachers excited
If students hear about a workshop from an enthusiastic teacher, it’s a great way to encourage them to come. Having a regularly scheduled meeting with your teachers to let them suggest workshop ideas is a great way to give them a chance to make their voices heard. And, whichever workshops you do put on, let them know as far in advance as possible so they can promote it in their classes. You can even send out an email with a more detailed blurb on the event to give them more information.
Be smart about social media
Make sure your events get plenty of airtime on your studios social media, but don’t flood your timeline or Instagram account with promos. That can be a turn-off for students. Instead, curate the information and number of photos or posts to the ones that pack the most marketing punch. For example, on Facebook, you could load an image with the name, date and workshop details as soon as you announce the event. Then, you might want to post a reminder shortly before the cut off for advance registration (if you have one).
You might want to post more as the event gets closer. Keep those posts light (think things like “Want to fly? Check out our aerial workshop this weekend!”) that get students excited, but make sure you still include all the relevant details. It can also be a good idea to post a photo the day or week after, just to build excitement for students who might want to come to a similar workshop the next time you host one.
Get feedback
Ask students what they did and didn’t like about the workshop. You can ask on social media, or leave a comment box someplace visible after the workshop. It’s also a good idea to reach out to any guest teachers for their opinions as well.
These are just a few suggestions for making your workshop rock. Remember, too, that not all workshops are equally easy to promote. When you are planning events, make sure that they are a good match for your existing student base. If you have a lot of advanced classes, an arm balance workshop might be a great idea, but if most of your students are new to yoga, you might have better luck with a workshop that breaks down simpler poses.
One last important thing to bear in mind is pricing. It can be hard to put a number on the effort and time a teacher invests in leading a workshop. So, check around to see what other studios in your area typically charge for workshops of a similar style and length. You don’t have to undersell to get interest, but it helps to have a ballpark estimate.