How to create and sell digital products for your yoga business

By Hannah Moss

Profitable yoga business: Digital yoga products

Digital products can help yoga teachers earn passive income. Learn how to create and sell online courses, memberships and 1:1 packages.

In this article you'll find...

How to create and sell digital yoga products

If you like to see the big picture first, here’s your at-a-glance roadmap before we unpack each step.

Decide the role of digital products in your yoga business
Get clear on why you want to offer digital products, e.g. to reach students who can’t attend in person, create more flexible income streams or build a global community.
Choose your first digital yoga product
Decide whether you’ll start with an on-demand course or workshop, a membership, 1:1 mentoring or simple downloads like e-books or audio classes.
Pick the right format for your content
Choose whether your product will be video, audio, PDF/text or a mix, based on your strengths, tech confidence and how your students like to learn.
Define your niche and unique value
Clarify what makes your offering different from all the free online yoga content, e.g. a specific topic, your teaching style or the depth of your guidance.
Weigh up the pros and cons for your business
Check you’re ready for the time, skills and ongoing commitment involved, and make sure the benefits (reach, income, community growth) align with your goals.
Choose your delivery software and launch simply
Decide whether to use software on your own website, a third-party platform or a bespoke setup, then create, price and launch your first product.

If you’re a yoga teacher or you run a yoga studio, you might be thinking of stretching beyond the physical mat into the digital world. The beauty of offering yoga online is that it opens up endless possibilities for creating digital products that can help you share your unique teachings far and wide, while also generating a sustainable income stream.

Whether you’re looking to expand your offerings or create a new revenue source, digital products could be the answer. In this post, which is part of our Running a successful yoga business series, we explore the different types of products you can create, the best ways to get started, and the software options available to make it all happen.

Why digital yoga products?

Digital products have become a powerful tool for yoga teachers and studios. The world is moving online and the yoga community is no exception. By creating digital products, you can reach students who can’t make it to your in-person classes, offer on-demand access to your teachings, and even create new learning opportunities that go beyond the physical practice.

But what exactly is a digital product? In the context of yoga online, digital products can range from pre-recorded yoga classes and workshops to e-books, courses and guided meditations. The potential for creativity is endless. What’s more, they can provide passive income, allowing you to earn money repeatedly from a single piece of content.

Types of digital yoga products you can offer

There’s a wide range of digital products you can create, each offering different benefits and opportunities. Here are some of the most popular options:

On-demand courses and workshops

These are perfect for offering in-depth teachings on specific topics, like yoga philosophy, anatomy, pranayama, or other subjects that are often only touched upon in regular yoga classes. They can consist of a one-off class or workshop or a series of lessons/modules contained within an online course, all of which allow the student to practise at their own pace.

Examples from our clients: David Keil of Yoganatomy offers Online Yoga Anatomy Courses and Workshops for both students and teachers. Amy Nobles-Dolan of Yoga With Spirit offers a Yoga Philosophy Master Class.

Monthly memberships

Memberships are a fantastic way to build a loyal community. By offering exclusive content – whether it’s weekly yoga classes, live sessions or a library of past classes – memberships provide recurring revenue and a steady stream of engaged students.

Examples from our clients: Yoga With Spirit offers an online membership with two payment options. Ravi Yoga offers two different online membership options.

Pro tip: Make sure you’ve got an established customer base before starting a membership, otherwise you could put all that work in without having any members signing up, which can be very demotivating.

1:1 services and mentoring packages

Digital products don’t have to be one-size-fits-all. If you offer personalised services like yoga teacher mentoring or private pranayama sessions, you can package these as digital products. These sessions could be delivered via Zoom or other video conferencing platforms, providing a personal touch in an online setting.

Examples from our clients: Maria Boox offers two Yoga Mentorship options as well as three Pranayama packages.

Downloadable guides, e-books and PDFs

These products are low-cost to create and can provide a wealth of value to your audience. Consider creating an e-book on yoga philosophy, a downloadable guide on mastering advanced poses or a series of printable sequences for home practice.

Examples from our clients: Joey Miles has created a series of very successful audio downloads as well as posters based on the Ashtanga Primary Series, which he sells through his website, Ashtanga Yoga Leeds.

Formats for digital products: Which one is right for you?

Digital products can come in a variety of formats, including audio, video, PDF or text. Choosing the right format depends on your strengths, comfort level and the needs of your audience.

Audio: If you have a soothing voice and clear diction, audio could be an excellent format for you. Audio is also easier to produce than video, as it doesn’t require you to worry about being on camera. You could create guided meditations, audio yoga classes or lecture-style recordings on philosophy or anatomy.
Video: While video is a popular format for yoga online, it can be challenging to get right. The general standard for video content is very high these days, meaning poor video quality can quickly look unprofessional. Good lighting, high-quality audio and a well-thought-out script are essential to make your video content stand out.
PDF and text: If you don’t feel comfortable creating video or audio, text-based products such as e-books, manuals or workbooks can be just as effective. These can be particularly useful for courses or workshops that require in-depth study and reference materials.

“The first time I tried to create a short, simple video, I was amazed at how many takes it took! I kept forgetting the words and no matter how natural I thought I was being, when I watched it back it always seemed stiff and forced. This is why it’s so important to be prepared, write a script outline, and watch each video back as well as showing it to trusted peers to get feedback.” – Hannah

Standing out in a crowded online space

The internet is filled with free yoga content, so why would someone pay for your digital product? The key is to offer something unique and valuable that people can’t easily find for free elsewhere. Think about your unique teaching style, your areas of expertise, and what makes your approach to yoga different. Whether it’s a comprehensive course on a niche topic or a unique blend of practices, ensure your offering stands out.

The pros and cons of creating digital yoga products

Creating digital yoga products can be incredibly rewarding, but it’s not without its challenges. Let’s break down the pros and cons.

Pros

Passive income*: Digital products, like on-demand courses or e-books, have a one-time creation cost but can generate income repeatedly. Once they’re made, you can sell them indefinitely.
Community growth: Memberships not only bring in steady income, but they also help you build a strong community over time, which is a vital aspect of growing your brand – and an important metric you should be measuring.
Flexibility and reach: Digital products allow you to reach a global audience. Students from around the world can access your teachings anytime, anywhere.

*N.B. Although we use the phrase ‘passive income’ here, in actual fact it’s not entirely passive, because you can’t simply set and forget. It’s more like 80% passive, because you still need to deal with customers and potentially update your product, so the other 20% goes on customer service, updates and maintenance.

Cons:

Ongoing content creation: If you opt for a membership model, be prepared for continuous content creation, unless you’re doing live-only sessions. This can be time-consuming and require constant inspiration.
Learning new skills: Creating digital products requires a range of skills – from scripting and presenting to editing and sound engineering. Before the rise of YouTube, each of these tasks would have been handled by a specialist!

“Something our clients have often done successfully is to hold a live event, or series of events, record them and then turn them into an online product. That way, you don't have to create the content twice and you also have the benefit of a live audience, which mimics being in a class environment. This helps make your delivery much more natural, especially as most yoga teachers feel very comfortable in a live class environment.” – Guy

Software options for delivering digital products

To sell digital yoga products, you’ll need software to manage sales, delivery and customer access. There are three main options, each with its own benefits and challenges:

1. Software on your own website

This option is usually cheaper and keeps users on your website, but it does require more work to set up. Plugins like MemberMouse or WooCommerce can handle memberships, while LifterLMS or LearnDash can manage online courses.

The benefit of using these options is that everything is integrated within your website, giving you more control over the customer experience. Using an LMS (learning management system) for your online courses means the flow-through of the course is already built in, and you can easily add quizzes, downloads, etc. It can also be easily connected to your chosen payment systems and membership software.

If you’re thinking of offering a membership programme, it’s crucial to use specialised membership software to control access. This way, the user only has access to the product they’ve bought, and if they stop paying they automatically lose access to the content.

2. Third-party platforms

Platforms like Udemy, Thinkific and Teachable handle everything for you, including hosting, payment processing and user management. This convenience comes with ongoing costs, though, as well as being separate from your website, which can be detrimental to the user experience.

The key here is integration. It’s usually difficult or impossible to make third party services integrate with your website. However, if you use a plugin or other installed software, this can all be seamlessly integrated.

3. Bespoke systems built from scratch

If you’re looking for something completely custom, you can hire a professional to build a bespoke system tailored to your needs. This option can be expensive, but it allows for maximum customisation. The key is ensuring all the components work seamlessly together.

For example, we designed Yoga With Spirit’s Yoga Philosophy Master Class from scratch, based on her existing website and branding, which integrates with MemberMouse and Stripe. For Maria Boox, we used a suite of WordPress plugins to control user access to her Chakra Course, as well as Gravity Forms and Stripe for payments.

Tips for creating and marketing your digital yoga products

Keep it simple: The more types of digital products you offer, the more complicated your setup will be. Try to keep things as simple and consistent as possible. This not only makes it easier for you but also creates a smoother experience for your customers. For example, does your setup require a login and dashboard so customers can access all their products, order history, etc.? If your digital products are only simple downloads, then this wouldn't be necessary.
Focus on quality: Whether you’re producing audio, video or text-based content, quality is non-negotiable. This means good lighting and audio for videos, well-written scripts and professionally designed PDFs.
Create a strong script: A good script is essential for both audio and video products. It helps you stay on track, ensures you cover all the important points and keeps your content engaging.
Know your audience: Understanding who your audience is and what they want is key to creating successful digital products. Tailor your content to their needs, preferences and level of expertise.
Offer a unique value proposition: What sets your digital product apart from the free content available online? Make sure you’re providing something unique, whether it’s your unique teaching style, a specific niche or a deeper level of content.

Pro tip: Make sure you have email marketing integration for your memberships or standalone digital products, so people can sign up and you can contact them with important updates about their memberships as well as upcoming events, offers, etc.

Examples of our clients’ digital products

Yoga With Spirit

As already mentioned, Amy Nobles-Dolan delivers yoga online via a suite of digital products, including her Yoga Philosophy Master Class, Yoga Membership and a one-off Full Primary Series Ashtanga Class. Here’s a sneak peek into the bespoke design we did for the master class:

Ravi Yoga

Ravi Dixit offers an on-demand membership and an online membership (which includes all live online classes). You can sign up for a week’s trial so you can try before you buy, and this is all controlled by Momoyoga, their third party booking system. The on-demand video library contains a growing collection of yoga classes and tutorials:

Ashtanga Yoga Leeds

This is the sales page for one of Joey Miles’ audio downloads. It includes a description of the product, an audio sample of the track, details about the audio file and a Buy Now button (add to cart):

CosmetiChroma

Although Karen Mann isn’t a yoga client, we recently helped her set up online courses for her cosmetics business using the LifterLMS WordPress plugin. The screenshots below show the introductory screen, plus the first lesson of one of these courses. The course navigation, course progress bar and completion buttons are all features of the plugin, which we’ve styled in her own branding.

Digital Products: CosmetiChroma Lesson 1

Expand your reach and build your community

Digital yoga products offer an incredible opportunity for yoga teachers and studios to expand their reach, build community and generate new income streams. Whether you’re creating a comprehensive online course, offering memberships or packaging 1:1 services, there’s a digital product that can suit your style and goals.

Remember, the key to success is creating high-quality content that offers unique value, choosing the right software to deliver your products and keeping things as simple as possible for both you and your customers. So, get ready to roll out your digital mat and take your yoga business to the next level!

What’s next?

In the final post in this series, we turn our attention to physical yoga products. What kind of products can you sell and what’s the best way to create and market these? Read Physical yoga products: Are they worth selling? to find out more.

In the meantime, get in touch if you need help creating and marketing digital products for your yoga business. Many of our existing clients were uncertain where to start and, with our help, are now enjoying a steady stream of income as the fruits of their labour!

book a free consultation