Marketing 201: Promote Yourself

Learn how to begin shame-free—not shameless—self-promotion.

By Sage Rountree

What to Promote

Al Lipper, who advises teachers and studios through Centered Business, says most teachers fail to "describe what they do in a compelling way." Your audience needs to hear what's in it for them. "Be able to describe what you do in 15 seconds or less, and make sure it describes how you solve a problem for someone with what you do," he says. For example, if you teach senior citizens, you might want to emphasize that your classes can help them improve flexibility and balance.

Try promoting free offerings rather than paid ones. This emphasis on seva is both yogic and good business, and it's a great way to get comfortable describing your services or products. If your studio offers free classes or a bring-a-friend discount, mention it. Create a blog where you post class sequences or articles about yoga, then direct your students to that address. You can add photos, videos, or podcasts to add value to the site—it's free both for you and for your students, it shares your work with others, and it drives students to you.

Nardini has just finished work on an e-book on marketing for teachers, The Karma of Money, which will soon be available at sadienardini.com, a website that offers many giveaways. "If teachers adopt this kind of abundant attitude," she says, "and give as much as they're asking for through free giveaways and online postings, they will see the number of students they have, as well as the numbers on their bank statements, significantly increase."

Sage Rountree, author of The Athlete's Guide to Yoga, coaches runners and triathletes and teaches yoga for athletes in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and nationwide. Find her on the Web at sagerountree.com.

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