Yoga is more than a physical practice. It’s lifestyle choices, business opportunities, and for some teachers, a means of income.
And, in case you were sleeping under a rock recently, yoga is a massive trend. If you aren’t doing hot yoga or pilates, who even are you?
The fact that it’s so popular means one thing – instructors can’t stick to the yoga poses and call it a day. There’s so much competition, even coming from YouTube and the free online tutorials.
If a yoga instructor wants to stay relevant and actually have enough clients to make it worthwhile, there has to be some effort outside of the classroom. Below, we’ll explore why yoga instructors shouldn’t skip their portfolios!
Article Contents
Perfect for New Clients
New clients should be the aim – unless your class is full, you’re lucky.
Even if your class is full, as a yoga instructor, you should always be looking for ways to grow your client base and have a list of people waiting to join as soon as someone leaves (yoga and pilates waiting lists seem to never end!).
So, first impressions matter. With new clients, portfolios are essential. And it’s not like they’re even that tricky to do.
You can use a portfolio website to create a professional, high-quality, mindfulness portfolio that people actually want to read.
It’s your chance to showcase what you offer, from beginner classes to advanced flows or specialized workshops.
A well-structured portfolio with aesthetic images of your classes, happy students, and a description of your teaching style gives potential clients an idea of what they are signing up for.
A portfolio is ultimately a website, so in this case, the domain should also be given importance.
Choosing a strong domain doesn’t require much creativity or deep thought—just a tool that provides available options and a variety of domain extensions.
More Marketing Opportunities
Portfolios are the new marketing opportunity. One thing we’re noticing is that a lot of these new yoga and pilates classes only use their Instagram to advertise.
Now, Instagram is so powerful, especially for the aesthetics of yoga and pilates, but it isn’t the only answer. Don’t make everything digital!
Not every type of business can use Instagram and Facebook, and not every type of customer will. For that small gap in the market, you need something eye-catching and engaging.
A portfolio serves to help you obtain that content. Have a call for a morning yoga flow Instagram reel?
Why not take a snippet from the portfolio instead? Need to send a newsletter email too? Simply add a class highlight or testimonial.
A polished portfolio means taking your marketing wherever you want without worrying if being cohesive feels unattainable.
We’d also argue having a portfolio enhances collaborations. Whether you are working with wellness brands or gyms, having a proper portfolio speaks volumes about your work ethic. It is like saying, ‘I’m a yoga instructor, and I’m a brand that can be capitalized on.’
All above, can assist in building a strong first-touch connection with clients. It’s a crucial step for fostering trust and long-term relationships.
Another angle is utilizing client appointment scheduling makes this process seamless and stress-free.
By offering an organized and accessible way to manage appointments, reschedules, and reminders, you demonstrate professionalism and reliability from the very start.
Clients appreciate the convenience of a smooth booking experience, which establishes a positive impression and sets the tone for your working relationship.
With scheduling software, you can focus on providing exceptional service while effortlessly maintaining clear and consistent communication.
Launching New Classes
Do you have an upcoming class or new program? If yes, then that is a reason to get the word out.
Use your portfolio as a marketing tool to highlight teaser videos, promotional visuals, or testimonials from ‘beta’ participants – sort of like we were talking about above.
An appealing portfolio means you can illustrate everything about this class, the poses, the instructors, and the calming environment.
Lack of detail when introducing new products or services can lead to misunderstanding and misinterpretation – and, above anything else, a lack of clients.
A good portfolio is all you need to draw your audience’s attention. It’s the difference between “Come try my yoga class” and “Join me for a transformative journey designed to improve flexibility and reduce stress.” Notice how different it sounds?
Selling the Business Offline
People tend to forget the importance of offline marketing.
Consider physical versions of social media pages like lookbooks, corporate presentations, or even local functions. In-person marketing, where you need something tangible, can become easier with a portfolio.
Imagine attending an exhibition focused on wellness in your community. While fellow instructors pass out useless basic flyers, with you, you take out a professionally made, high-quality portfolio, bursting with images from your class, testimonials, and action shots. So who will they remember? You.
Online marketing is often viewed as the king of advertising, but there is a whole world of untapped potential with offline marketing.
Building Confidence as an Instructor
And let’s not forget confidence, which is perhaps the greatest benefit. Having a portfolio is a powerful asset because it visually captures achievements and milestones.
It serves as proof of the impact that you have made, the unique value that you add to the community, and the extent to which you have progressed in your career. More often than not, the instructors love it more than the clients.
Confidence is a tangible thing. When potential clients and collaborators see how someone is proud of their work, it is tricky for them to be less impressed.
Showcase your work and have confidence in what you’re doing! It’s so nice to see how you progress as a business with your portfolios.
Outpacing the Competition
At the rate the new yoga and pilates classes are popping up, you need to outpace the competition. And, in case you haven’t guessed already, your portfolio should be good enough to get you new clients.
With a portfolio, you distinguish yourself and demonstrate that you’re a professional in your field.
While others are running at full throttle, you have a brand that is neatly packaged and beautifully designed.
And, again, don’t do what everyone seems to be doing and rely on social media to grow your brand.
People are much more likely to work with you if your readiness and appeal are higher. You need to be able to explain why you think you ought to be hired or why people should join your class.
In the market with a huge number of yoga instructors, this strategy helps you to stand out.
There is a common saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. When that saying is applied in a business sense with pictures depicting a feature list or a testimonial, a potential client or customer might just be impressed by it rather than convinced how the business can serve their needs.
It is focused on making an impression and illustrating teaching philosophy, character, and personal attributes.
Of course, we wouldn’t say to only have a portfolio. You can run online classes, do social media campaigns, etc. Or, in our opinion, the best way to stand out is actually to follow the crowd.
There are so many trends like hot yoga, meditative yoga, etc, that people are more interested in than standard yoga classes!
Conclusion
A yoga portfolio is essential rather than optional. And it’s not like they’re tricky to make – you can make a good portfolio in a day once you have your content ready.
So, what are you still thinking about? Grab your mat, get into position, and begin making a portfolio that will boost your yoga business and your general brand.
