by Amanda Kingsmith | Dec 3, 2017 | Blog
When it comes to the new year, most people are interested in being better. It’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t understand the benefit of turning a new leaf, and using this opportunity to make some new year resolutions. Now is the time to craft your 2018 goals. Of course, this will look different from person to person, but the overall intended results will be largely the same. No matter how you like to exercise, you most likely hope to be in better shape. No matter if you craft artwork, get a promotion or open a business, it’s likely you’d enjoy financial security, or more disposable income. No matter who you are, it’s likely that you hope to enjoy social health and social adventures to some degree.
I’ve compiled a list of goals and the means to help you get there, to help you spur your creative planning. Of course, January is not quite here yet, but it’s best to craft these now while you have time to think, and aren’t in the ‘indulgent relaxation’ mode which the festive period usually provokes. (more…)
by Amanda Kingsmith | Dec 1, 2017 | Blog, Business
Every yoga practitioner has a favourite pair of pants.
For me, while I love a good funky print, my top yoga pants are almost always my black leggings.
One of my most memorable readings from business school compared a good business strategy to the little black dress. But, as every inversion-junkie knows, dresses have their limitations.
A Black Leggings business strategy, on the other hand, shares its best qualities with your favourite pair of pants:
- It’s Simple. It has a clear purpose and direction. It doesn’t lack anything essential, but it also doesn’t have anything unnecessary.
- It’s Timeless. As in, it doesn’t chase fads.
- It acts as a Starting Point. It can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion (or, business climate).
- It’s reliable in extreme conditions. In the heat, in the cold, in hanumanasana, in a wide-legged forward fold…a good pair of yoga pants will hold up. In fact, your favourite leggings should be so reliable you don’t even need to think about them. Ditto for your business and marketing strategy.
- It allows you to find your edge. You should feel so confident in your business strategy that you can step up to your edge and grow. Find room to continually test your boundaries (physical, mental, real, and perceived), and surpass even your own expectations of what is possible.
What That Looks Like:
I’m going to use Power Yoga Canada (PYC) as an example*. As part of PYC’s strategy, they have decided to exclusively teach a Baptiste-style power flow based off of a sequence called Journey Into Power. That works extremely well for them; students know exactly what to expect when they go to a PYC class.
Let’s run through the checklist.
- It’s Simple. It is clear to students, teachers, and investors what someone can expect when they walk into the studio.
- It’s Timeless. It doesn’t matter if another style of yoga such as Bikram or Ashtanga quickly spikes in popularity. By sticking to their guns, PYC is able to keep enforcing their brand across studios.
- It acts as a Starting Point. The Journey Into Power Flow is the foundational sequence at PYC, but it can be dressed up or down for deep flow classes, core classes, workshops, and jam classes (with music).
- It’s reliable in extreme conditions. It doesn’t matter if the Queen comes to practice at PYC. She doesn’t, but if she did, the instructor wouldn’t have to think twice about teaching to the Journey Into Power flow.
- It has allowed PYC to find its edge (continuously). By being clear on what they offer, PYC has been able to grow to 8 studios and counting, develop new teacher training modules, and offer specialty classes without confusing their brand.
Another studio might differentiate themselves by being price competitive, another might choose to constantly bring in high profile teachers, and another might strive to be the most relaxing studio in the city. Choose a strategy that fits with what you want to accomplish, and keep your eyes on your own mat.
I would love to hear about your yoga business in the comments below! Also, how can you re-imagine your strategy to fit within a Black Leggings framework?
Laura Fraser is a yoga teacher, digital media specialist & hand-lettering artist. You can learn more about Laura here.
*I just want to be transparent that while I teach for and completed my teacher training through Power Yoga Canada, I am not an owner and cannot speak on their behalf. These are my own observations from years of being part of their awesome community.
by Amanda Kingsmith | Nov 29, 2017 | Blog, Business
Running a yoga studio can be an incredibly rewarding career, but it can also come with a lot of challenges. One of the biggest challenges that a lot of people find themselves running into is how to start to grow the business and take it to the next level. After all, even if your studio is successful, you are always going to want to push it even further. In order to help you do just that, here are a few things that you can do to grow your yoga business naturally and effectively. (more…)
by Amanda Kingsmith | Nov 27, 2017 | Marketing & Branding, Show Notes
Download the Episode or Subscribe on iTunes!
On this episode of the podcast, I am joined by the CEO of Ardor SEO, Kris Reid. Kris is from Australia originally but is joining me from Cambodia, where he currently calls home. Kris has been working in digital marketing and SEO (search engine optimization) for a number of years and shares how he got into SEO and started Ardor.
On this episode, we focus on some basic SEO concepts and skills, like backlinks, SEO vs. SEM, keyword research, and the importance of page ranking to help with marketing. We also talk about white hat vs. black hat, and what Google looks for when they are ranking your website. Kris also dives into some tips on how to improve the SEO on your website, the importance of a morning routine for an entrepreneur, and how to market yourself confidently as a yoga teacher.
Enjoy!
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by Amanda Kingsmith | Nov 24, 2017 | Blog, Business
Your Facebook page is an extension of the community you work so hard to create in-person. It’s a place to celebrate your studio, your teachers, your owners, and especially your students.
Here are 10 ways a yoga studio can create a stronger Facebook page:
Give credit (be in integrity). There are so many beautiful quotes and graphics floating around. If you use one and it’s easy to credit the author or the source, do so. If you’re sharing a photo that a student took at your studio, ask them if you can share it and then give them credit too.
Post quality images. The best photos of our yogis and of our studio are taken during the day, when sun streams into the room. I almost exclusively take photos mid-day for this reason. The quality of your photos will impact (possibly unfairly) a potential customer’s impression on the quality of your studio. Don’t be afraid to delete old, blurry photos.
Show the studio (even the nooks). If someone who has never been to your studio is on your Facebook page, chances are they want to know what it looks like. Show off your studio through wide shots of the space, and don’t be afraid to include photos of your lobby and front desk. Also, avoid any potential confusion by making it a hard rule not to post photos of other studios. If you’re trying to highlight your incredible teaching staff, only post photos of them outside, or at your space.
Emphasize your point of differentiation. Often, your personality will come through naturally. If your yoga studio is more serene, that can be what you choose to capture in your images.
Be humble. Everyone who works for your studio — from the Energy Exchange, to the teachers, to the owners — are all human. Just because social media allows us to present picture-perfect versions of ourselves, doesn’t mean we have to. Speak with your audience, not down to them.
Have a personality. You’re a person interacting with your Facebook community. Post what you think they’ll want to see, and actually be excited about the things you’re sharing.
Please, don’t hide diversity. I say this as a student, as a teacher, as a advocate of men practicing yoga, and as a visible minority: If the only people you are posting images of are toned, white, females, you are going to intimidate potential customers, and possibly even alienate your current ones who don’t fit that mold. Being inclusive of everyone on your Facebook page will make your studio a more welcoming space.
Link to your Facebook page on your website. And tell people about it! I refer students to our Facebook page when they are looking for details on upcoming workshops and events.
Don’t flood your students with information. Be clear, and be intentional with your message. Try to keep the text of your post short enough that students won’t have to expand to see what you wrote. Provide a link to any secondary information.
Involve your students: After a busy class, I’ll sometimes ask if students want to stick around for a photo. Or, if I see a student practicing a pose after class, I’ll ask them if they would mind me taking a photo for our social media. Always get permission, and offer to tag them in the post. The key is to celebrate your students just as much as your teachers.
The books pictured at the top of this post are Baron Baptiste’s 40 Days to Personal Revolution and The Fruit Feast.
Laura Fraser is a yoga teacher, digital media specialist & hand-lettering artist. You can learn more about Laura here.
