How To Make Money as an Online Yoga Teacher
With the advent of technology and online resources, anyone with a room and a reliable internet connection can make money teaching yoga from anywhere. Imagine being able to teach classes to students all over the world, or conversely, to travel all over the world and carry your classroom with you!
Whether you’re an experienced yogi or simply looking to get started as a beginner yoga instructor, there are plenty of opportunities available to build a successful business while sharing your love of yoga with others.
In this article, we’ll discuss some of the best tips on how to make money as an online yoga teacher. With these strategies in hand, you’ll have everything you need to start monetizing your passion and sharing it with others. Let’s get started!
How Much Money Does A Yoga Instructor Usually Make?
A yoga teacher’s earnings can have a wide range like all professions really. Depending on the class’s popularity, a yoga instructor might get paid anywhere from $30 to $50 for each session or $20-$30 an hour. This isn’t that much anymore. But just like with any profession, starting out salaries are on the low side.
Although there are yoga instructors that make six and even seven figures a year, the average yoga teacher makes somewhere in the $30,000 range.
Steps Before You Start Making Money As A Yoga Teacher
Becoming a successful yoga teacher takes more than just the love of yoga. Here are some important steps to take before you will start making money as a yoga teacher:
Become Qualified
The first step toward a successful yoga instructor career is getting the appropriate certification. Though not always 100% necessary, it is recommended. There are a ton of 200-500-hour Yoga Alliance-approved teacher training programs both in person and online that can be taken.
Improve Your Skills
Prenatal Yoga, yoga therapy, and trauma-sensitive Yoga are just a few of the subsets you can choose to get certified. Earning one or more of these credentials can increase your marketability as a teacher and help you reach more students.
Find Your Niche
Finding your yoga teaching specialization is what is needed these days to make a name for yourself in the competitive yoga industry. Find your yoga teaching “niche” or an area of expertise where you can provide exceptional value to your students.
To find your specialty, consider your skills, passions, and experience. Yoga for triathlon runners or restorative Yoga for seniors are just a few examples of the types of micro niches that we are talking about. Finding your specialty is essential to set yourself apart from the crowd of yoga instructors out there.
Knowing your specific audience helps to know what their pain points are so that you can create material that resonate with them.
Define Your Target Audience
Defining your target audience is more than just understanding the demographics of age and gender; it requires delving deep into who will most likely to respond positively to your offerings and understanding who will most resonate with your particular style.
Consider the values and interest of those you would like to attract. Start asking yourself questions. For example:
- What is ‘yoga for triathlon runners’ main problem?
- What do ‘yoga for triathlon runners’ need help in?
- What gaps are their in the niche (‘yoga for triathlon runners’) that I can fill?
- What can I offer that makes me unique?
Of course, this list of questions can go on indefinitely, but the more you’re able to ask and answer, the easier it becomes to identify the customer base you’re speaking to the most and create content specifically tailored towards their needs and interests.
The better you know your customer the easier it will be to find out where they go to get their products and services. Knowing what type of marketing channel to pursue will be dependant on where your customer hangs out online.
Providing a Service
Understand what is your unique offer. Without knowing what it is that sets you apart from everyone else, it will be hard to differentiate what you do, to the person next to you.
If you do not know where to start. Start where you are, with a few options where you can offer the space for a wider range of students.
People value specialisation, and where you’re able to establish a niche, to offer something special that sets your teaching apart from others, that is where you build your reputation.
Build an Online Presence
Making money as an online yoga teacher is like walking the tightrope; it requires the perfect balance of strategy and skill. To make sure you don’t fall off, one essential component is to establish and maintain a strong online image and presence.
Online Yoga Marketing Channels
An online yoga biz is a great option for reaching people from around the world. The key will be how to get the word out. Growing your online presence organically, takes time.
Marketing is the name of the game for any online business. There are so many avenues that you could start with. Here are just a few.
- Starting a blog
- Vlogging
- Youtube Shots
- Podcasts
- Building a Course
- Start a Youtube Channel
- Sell yoga products on Amazon
- Start an Ecommerce website
- Writing an Ebook
- Build an email list
- Develop partnerships with yoga brands
- Approach third party yoga sites where you can teach
- Offer free online classes to get your name out there
- Offer yoga immersions, TTCs, retreats
- Build an app (though thats usually once you have a following)
There are many ways you can pursue this. And all you need is for one of them to take off. Doing a few will boost your chances of being seen amongst the competition. With that said; none of this comes overnight.
Social media platforms
Social media requires thoughtfulness, consistency and creativity to break through all the noise. Utilising platforms such as :
- TikTok
- YouTube
These will help increase the visibility of your business whilst also offering direct channels of communication between yourself and potential customers. Often, people just need to ask a couple of quick questions to settle their minds and make a decision, and being available makes a difference.
Build a website
This is really the cornerstone of any online biz. As a space that clearly markets you and your story, you can outlines the services you offer and include customer reviews, class schedules and prices.
Don’t shy away from learning and using SEO, Google or FB ads as a way to promote yourself. While that is a whole other topic discussion, whether or not you can leverage those channels is the difference between people finding you when they search for online yoga classes or whether you’re just another face on the back-pages of the Internet.
Let’s take a look at some online yoga strategies.
Strategies On How To Make Money As A Yoga Teacher
1. Private Online Classes
Offering private online classes is a great way to start get things moving. Word of mouth is often the most effective form of promotion for private sessions because it is not viable to run ads or promote easily without already being established (although if you already have an establish social media presence then you could easily jump in).
Prices for one-on-one yoga sessions typically run from $75 and $150 per hour. Some instructors can charge more or less depending on their needs and circumstances.
2. Yoga For Businesses
Teaching corporate clients is a opportunity that is ripe at the moment. There is lots of wellness talk in corporate environments these days.
3. Teach on other Online Apps
You can expand your base, boost your profile, and increase your exposure by teaching for other established brands. Alo moves and Omstars are just two examples of some of these types of online platforms. They each have dozens of teachers that offer both LIVE and weekly classes.
Networking and creating ties within the yoga community is the name of the game in this one.
4. Online Classes
Live yoga classes can be delivered on just about any device you can think of including Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, FB (the list goes on). Furthermore, websites like YouTube and Vimeo can be used to record lectures and make them available on demand.
5. Collaborate
Co-teaching, co-hosting events and workshops, co-hosting retreats and teacher-training programs, are ways that you can get into the market quick. You are going to have to position yourself right though to get your foot in the door here. Likely networking is going to be the way into this market.
Attending yoga events in your region or contacting other yoga instructors through social media or email might help you locate suitable partners. Find instructors or institutions who share your style. Provide a brief pitch to prospective partners outlining how working together would benefit everyone involved.
6. Host Donation-Based Classes
By making specific courses “pay what you can,” people of varying financial means can participate. Everyone likes discounts and this is a great way to get your name out there.
Classes supported by donations should have a recommended contribution level made known to students in advance. Make it easy for students to give without revealing their identities, and be open about how the money will be distributed.
7. Create An Online Yoga Shop
Creating an online yoga shop is a great way to build a yoga business. It can be as simple as setting up a store on platforms such as Etsy or Shopify and offering one’s own custom-made items related to yoga asanas, such as t-shirts, mats, cookbooks, journals and even mala beads.
The beauty of an online shop is that it paves the way to passive income. Once the website is launched and set up, you can focus on other online side gigs all the while earning money in the background. The key to this one though is finding a narrow niche that is not competitive.
8. Leverage Affiliate Programs
Another great source of passive income is through affiliate programs where you partner with companies who offer products or services. When someone purchases the product through a link you receive a commission from the sale.
Affiliate programs are easy to get started with and use banners and links in newsletters, social media, your website or through ads. Every time someone clicks is another chance at passive income.
9. Develop Packages And Subscriptions
While the saying: “Build it and they will come” is a nice idea, the reality is, if no one knows about it, how will they come?
Create an offer. Customised a program based on their health goals; focus on specific areas related to their interest such as meditation, breathwork, ayurveda, restorative yoga, natal-based yoga and so on; holistic lifestyle advice such as tips on nutrition.
Developing a packages or subscriptions service. This will get students committing to multiple sessions at once and allow you to plan for the future trajectory of the biz.
Build something so students can get for weekly or monthly plans, you can market discount subscription plans to entice people. Likewise, many courses can be developed to cater to different sub groups such as:
- online guided meditations
- pranayama immersion weekends
- 30 days of yoga challenge
Be creative on this one. Doing the same thing that everyone else does is a slow path. Be creative and people will notice you – I promise.
10. Build Partnerships
The yoga business is estimated to be worth over thirty-seven billion dollars. It’s no surprise that yoga teachers are looking for ways to make money online. One way to do so is by actively reaching out to potential clients. Here are some tips on how to get started:
- Connect with your existing network through social media or email. Let them know about your services and ask if they can spread the word among their contacts.
- Advertise yourself using online job boards, like Indeed, Craigslist, etc.
- Reach out directly to gyms and studios near you through an email or a phone call. Ask about any opportunities for freelance teaching work or contract positions available at their establishment.
- Offer discounts or special offers for first-time customers in order to cultivate interest whether thats posting on FB, community boards, Local yoga studios (and anywhere you can think of!)
- Don’t forget networking events! Attending these will allow you to meet those working in the fitness industry, potentially leading to referrals of future clients.
Retaining Clients
Now that you have a few clients, how do you keep them interested? It’s much more cost-effective to keep the customers you already have than to constantly try to find new ones.
Here are some tips on how to retain your students:
- Create a unique offer that they can not find anywhere else
- Host virtual meetups and provide opportunities for student engagement via forums or social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
- Connect with your students and ask questions to know their individual needs. When you know your customer you can better understand their pain points.
- Adopt an open door policy so they can reach out if needed.
- Create some form of loyalty programs where returning customers receive discounts or free gifts after certain numbers of classes taken or referrals made.
- Send personalized emails thanking them for being part of the community. Showing appreciation will make them more likely to continue taking classes from you rather than switching instructors or studios.
All of this will keep your student continually engaged with your brand.
FAQs
What Tech Do I Need?
No specific technology is required to build an online yoga biz. The only thing you need is a computer and an internet connection. It will depend on what channel you start to use to promote your services.
Luckily, this is all a rather straightforward process, and the internet is your friend: there is plenty of information available across the web as to how set up each of any tool you might need.
How Much Time Should I Spend Promoting My Online Yoga Business?
There’s no clear answer, though the secret to success is best understood not in the length of time but in how we manage it.
If you’re just starting out and don’t have many followers yet, or do not have a website then it will take time. On the other hand, if you already have thousands of followers already engaged with your brand, your focus is better placed on maintaining relationships rather than creating new ones.
How Much Money Can I Expect To Make As An Online Yoga Teacher?
How much you can make depends on many factors, including the type of classes you offer, how often, whether you charge per class or require clients to sign up for packages, and what other resources (such as downloadable materials) you provide.
Generally speaking, though, it’s possible to earn anywhere from a few hundred dollars a month up to thousands depending on how active and successful your business is. And thats where the key is be more than just a yoga teacher – be a yoga entrepeneur.
Conclusion
The task ahead might appear challenging but for those who are determined to take charge of their financial future, and to learn and incorporate all of these skills, then the opportunity to earn a living as an online yoga teacher is theirs and ready for the taking.
