Instagram for Yoga Studios: Attract New Students and Build Your Brand

Did you know 83% of Instagram users discover new products and services on the platform? In fact, two out of five actively use the platform to research new brands. Layer on the fact that fitness content is incredibly popular on this platform, and that makes Instagram a great way to market fitness businesses like yoga studios!

But that doesn't mean you can post a few pictures at random and get new clients. Yoga Instagram is competitive. It can be difficult to stand out. With a little elbow grease and some marketing basics, though, you can create and grow an engaging yoga Instagram page. Here’s how!

How To Set Up an Optimized Yoga Instagram Profile

Your first goal is to set up a profile that attracts and converts new clients. There are five key steps to this.

1. Handle

Choose an Instagram handle related to your gym name or yoga focus. Consider your brand persona while choosing. For example, you could use a yoga pun to keep your business ads lighthearted, or you can keep it simple by using your studio's name to grow brand awareness.

2. Profile Picture

Your profile picture should be either your gym's logo or something yoga-related, like a student doing a pose. Use an original, high-quality image to show visitors you run a high-quality business.

3. Optimized Bio

You can use your Instagram bio to help new users find your page. Add relevant search keywords, such as your gym's name, location, and the yoga styles it offers.

You can also add keywords related to class styles and teaching philosophy. For example, some users may seek gentle yoga, while others will be more interested in the more vigorous Ashtanga yoga.

4. Visual Branding

Next, work on creating a unified visual aesthetic across your Instagram profile. This will create a visual brand that helps users differentiate your page from others like it at a glance. Choose a color palette matching your studio's vibe and existing logo. Then, make posts that adhere to that scheme to create your visual brand.

The types of photos you post will also influence your visual brand. For example, busy class photos paint the picture of an active gym that offers good exercise. Photos of yoga students meditating may be more attractive to those interested in practicing mindfulness through yoga.

5. Link in Bio

Finally, make it easier for new visitors to learn more about your yoga studio by including links to further information in your bio. You can use a tool like LinkTree to share multiple links with a single click. Be sure to share class schedules, workshops, and teacher profiles.

Instagram Content Ideas that Resonate with Yogis

Now that you have a great profile, it's time to start working on your posts. Your goal is to consistently share content yoga students find valuable. This will help you increase your following, getting you in front of more potential clients.

Showcase Your Classes

Class photos make wonderful Instagram posts. They show future visitors what to expect from your studio. If possible, highlight your diversity so everyone feels welcome, and share photos from different types of classes to appeal to more people.

Teacher Spotlights

People choose yoga instructors as much as they choose yoga studios. Highlighting your teachers can help you take advantage of that fact to grow your business.

Teacher spotlights get new users excited about taking a class taught by a specific person. Share information about your instructors' backgrounds and passions to help potential clients find the right fit for their goals and preferences.

Yoga Inspiration

People follow yoga studio profiles to get inspiration to keep up with their practice. If you share yoga inspiration posts, including motivational quotes, pose breakdowns, and mindfulness tips, your page can become a resource for these people.

These posts can appeal to a broader audience than those in your immediate area. They can help you build a larger following, which you can leverage to improve business in various ways.

Community Focus

Emphasizing your unique community can help you stand out from other studios in your area. Instagram posts are perfect for this. You can share student testimonials, celebrate milestones, and highlight community events.

Instagram Growth Strategies for Yoga Studios

At this point, you're ready to start thinking about how to get your high-quality posts and optimized Instagram page in front of more people. Here are three techniques to help your business grow!

Strategic Hashtags

Including popular hashtags in your posts can help more people find them. Over 500 million users follow the "#fitness" hashtag alone. Millions of others regularly look at hashtags related to all aspects of yoga, mindfulness, and fitness opportunities in your area.

The key is to find hashtags that aren't too competitive to rank for yet are still popular with your target audience. You can figure this out through trial and error. Use a combination of niche yoga hashtags, broader wellness hashtags, and location-based tags to find what works best for your studio.

You'll want to look at how posts with different hashtags perform through Instagram Insights. But remember, many factors can impact post performance. Looking at your results over time, instead of on a one-off basis, can help remove this noise from your analysis.

Meaningful Engagement

Although your yoga studio's Instagram is a business page, you don't want it to feel cold and corporate. It should be clear that real people who care run the page, which can make people feel more comfortable with your brand.

Curate that impression by engaging with your followers in meaningful ways. That means responding to comments, participating in community conversations under posts, and even following back your best promoters.

One great idea is to share user-submitted posts of your studio or classes, also known as user-generated content. You can do this through Instagram Reels. Include a link to the user's Instagram page to encourage others to post about your studio, which is a great way to find new clients.

Partnerships

Finally, consider partnering with other like-minded brands to reach a bigger audience. For example, you might agree to post about a local health food store on your Instagram if it does the same for you.

Focus on complementary businesses when searching for these kinds of partnerships. Cross-promotion can help put your studio in front of the right audience.

Leveraging Instagram Ads & Features

The final step in building a Yoga Instagram powerhouse is taking advantage of the platform's native features and advertising opportunities.

Targeting

There are more than 2.4 billion Instagram accounts, which makes the platform an enticing option for paid ads. If you're going to pay to advertise your studio on Instagram, make sure you take advantage of the platform's targeting tools. These let you define your ideal demographics for ad campaigns so that you only pay for marketing that goes to people who are good fits for your business.

Ad Creative

Marketing copy and visual choices are two other factors to consider before paying to advertise on Instagram. You want impactful visuals that draw the viewer in at a glance, not a nondescript post people will quickly scroll past. You'll also need an engaging caption with a call-to-action that encourages the viewer to take the next step in your sales funnel.

Consider your target audience when creating Instagram ads. For example, if you want to appeal to hardcore fitness enthusiasts, your ad visual might show a sweaty yoga workout, and your copy could stress the fitness benefits of practice. But if you want to appeal to people who haven't practiced yoga, your visuals and copy will need a gentler, more welcoming touch. 

Instagram Reels

Instagram Reels show short-form videos and images that disappear after 24 hours unless you archive them. Young people are heavy users of Instagram Reels, so it's wise to use the feature to market your yoga studio.

Reels are great for showcasing the unique aspects of your yoga studio. You can use them to show how much fun your community has, highlight your challenging classes, or share user-submitted posts, among other uses.

Get More Members

Yoga studios and gyms often have trouble differentiating themselves from the competition. Focusing on your Instagram marketing strategy is one way to solve that problem. Your page can become a powerful tool for recruiting new clients, which is the first step to growing your membership.

But this isn’t the only way to increase your studio's visitors. Fitness businesses that partner with Wellhub see up to a 40% increase in visits.  Contact a Wellhub wellbeing specialist to learn more about how you can join our network and get new clients!

You May Also Like:

• Top Fitness Hashtags to Grow Your Social Media Accounts
• How to Grow Your Gym Business with Instagram Fitness Marketing
• Eight Creative Content Ideas to Amplify Your Gym's Brand

References: