Why you need more than social media to grow your yoga business

Do you feel a bit lost when it comes to social media? Or feel like you’re spending too much time on it, but are just spinning your wheels, wasting your time? This post is going to help you get unstuck and find a different way forward!

Just because everyone else seems to be using social media, it doesn’t mean they’re actually getting good results from it. Even if some people rave about how it’s the key to a successful business, we beg to differ. Granted, you could put some of your marketing efforts into social media but it’s definitely NOT where all your focus should be.

In this post we’ll explain why social media isn’t the be-all and end-all, and give you some tips on what you can do instead to take your business where you want it.

Why we don’t offer a social media package

The simple answer: we don’t rate social media as a truly effective marketing strategy. It’s far more important to focus on your website and email marketing. These are the real tools you need to pull yourself out of the digital ditch that social media has thrown you into.

Now, you might be thinking, “Surely there has to be some benefit to social media?” And we agree, there is. It can be great for real-time conversations, quick messaging, polls and content sharing, and is ultimately an easy way of reaching your audience. But it can take a huge amount of effort to maintain if it’s your only method of growth. As soon as you’re not there, that conversation ends. And that’s less than ideal.

Ok, we understand that what we’re saying is almost a form of blasphemy in today’s society, so here’s a few more reasons to help put our point across.

Why social media is NOT an effective marketing tool

1. It flattens your experience

Social media can leave you with a very 2D view of how everything works. Imagine your first handstand. Whilst the end result was a success (hopefully), it was the process that went into learning it that gave you the biggest lessons! The same goes with growing your business.

2. You don’t own your hard work

When you post to a social media platform – unlike on your own website – you’re practically giving away your content to that platform. So, publish your content on your own website and keep what’s rightfully yours. You deserve it.

3. It can be hard to communicate

The purpose of social media is to be quick and easy to consume, but this can be seriously limiting when you’re trying to really connect and discuss deeper issues with your audience through a tiny character limit and one small photo. After all, yoga isn’t something you can rush. It should be practised with mindful care and attention – just like your communications.

4. It promotes addictive behaviour

In order for social media to really see major growth, it relies on you demanding the attention of an audience and creating a following for you and your brand. It may feel great while you’re riding the wave, but once you hop off, you’ll realise how caught up with ‘vanity metrics’ you’ve become. These likes, follows and shares may even start influencing what you do and how you teach.

5. It’s difficult to accurately measure

If you share an event for a yoga retreat or post a blog on social media, for example, it’s hard to know whether people who engage with your content become customers. There’s no real gauge of how effective your posts are, so you’re really just going on a hunch. Because of this it’s hard to improve, or see what can be improved, to help you focus your energy in the right places. Remember: if you’re not measuring it, it’s not marketing!

6. It’s a consciousness cul-de-sac!

As I’m sure you know, it feels real when you’re immersed in the virtual world, but it isn’t. People often use social media as a way of finding what they think is missing, or searching for an experience they’ll never find. It’s easy to get lost in the digital world and, unfortunately, this can lead to feelings of fatigue, unworthiness and even anxiety and depression.

It’s no coincidence that you’re having issues getting into the flow of using social media, when it’s made up of all the qualities that go against what we know and love about yoga and its philosophy. Quick and simple messages being chucked out thoughtlessly in the name of ‘growth’, but at the expense of your own mental state.

Ok, that got quite deep, but it’s important to know the truth behind the effects and downsides of social media before you commit so much more of your time to trying to make it work. On that note, have you seen The Social Dilemma yet? It’s definitely worth a watch!

So, let’s move on and look at what you can do to grow your yoga or wellbeing business without relying on social media for your growth.

What we recommend instead of social media

1. Perfect your messaging

It’s super important to be clear on what you’re offering and how you can help people. The best way to do this is to refine your messaging and communicate these aspects as clearly as possible.

Consider getting more personal with your audience. Social media leaves little room for personality within marketing and is often quite faceless. So, it’s a great idea to include your own journey and the story of how you got to where you are on your website. People love to know the story behind a brand, as it helps them connect to you in a more personal and relatable way. (But try to avoid navel gazing!)

If you need help getting clear on what you offer and how it helps people, take a look at our Brand Strategy Package. We’ll help you unpack your brand at a deeper level and refine your messaging to make sure you’re resonating with the right people in the right way.

2. Develop your branding

A strong brand is key for helping your audience remember you, whether they’re on your website, your emails, your social networks or any other marketing channel. Your brand needs to be instantly recognisable and consistent across all channels.

It may seem like a small detail, but your logo is absolutely crucial for creating a memorable impression of your brand in the blink of an eye.

Don’t forget: your logo needs a strapline and your business needs a ‘one-liner’ so that your potential customers can instantly see what you do. Check out our Logo & Style Guide Package if you need help developing your brand.

3. Blog to your heart’s content

As mentioned earlier, posting to your website means you’re publishing content that you own yourself, that will be there forever. In fact, if you aim to create at least some ‘evergreen’ content on your site, this means it will actually become more valuable over time.

You should aim to publish regular, high quality, original content in your blog that’ll stay relevant for years to come. This is a great way to keep people coming back to your website, and also gives you ready-made content to share in your email newsletters.

If you aim to publish posts that grow in relevance and popularity over time, this can be a great way of putting your time into something that can really help you grow, and is totally measurable.

4. Grow your email list

Once you’ve got your website set up right, with your messaging, branding and blogging all in place, then you can focus on email marketing.

Email marketing is still the most effective marketing channel and presents an awesome way to directly reach your audience. It even gives you an opportunity to personalise each email and add a nicer, more personal feel to your communications. As this recent Forbes article explains, “Email is the marketing channel most consumers say they want businesses to use to communicate with them.”

There’s no doubt that it’s more effective to promote yourself to engaged subscribers on your email list, than to send out a random social media post in the hopes that it might land in front of the right people. If they’re even paying attention…

The article goes on to say that “Email marketing still promises to deliver the highest ROI [return on investment] of all marketing channels.” Now, we don’t know about you, but if we’re putting a lot of time and effort into something, we want to be sure we’re getting the most out of it as possible!

So, go with what’s proven, start building your email list, and grow that community of engaged subscribers.

You’re on your way!

We know this might be a lot to take in, considering we’re often being told the perks of social media and how it’s all you need to be successful with your business!

But we think it’s so important not to lose sight of the other tried and tested marketing methods that are out there and ready for you to master. Plus, if you don’t feel comfortable using social media, you don’t have to!

As always, we’re just a click away if you need any help with your marketing efforts. So, book a free consultation and let’s get you set up.

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