While many people in the yoga industry (and many other industries, honestly) are terrified at the thought of automation, it can truly become one of the best moves you’ve ever made for your business.
Automation is something that can look scary from the outside, but once you have a better understanding of it, it can work for you in a powerful way.
Marketing automation quite literally works around the clock – which would become incredibly expensive if you were paying a person an hourly rate for the job. Think of automation as a staff member, it’s efficient, saving you both time and money in the long run.
You might have heard the saying “done is better than perfect!”. And we agree. It’s time to get all the half-completed marketing campaigns done so that they can turn into profitable sales funnels! So let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how to implement yoga studio marketing automation.
Why does automation matter?
Automations do the heavy lifting based on how your clients are interacting with your business.
They also save you an incredible amount of time by working around the clock to stay in touch with your clients when it is most important.
While it can be very intimidating, if you start with automations that are smaller and easier, you can eventually work your way up to harder automations that can increase your profitability.
Which automation is an absolute must?
Automated messages allow you to connect with your clients at the right point in their client journey. While automation can be used in many instances, these are the most crucial touchpoints that should be automated:
- Intro to membership – It’s important to send your newly subscribed client a message to confirm their new membership subscription and welcome them to your studio family.
- Milestones – are a great way to reward your clients and give them a sense of accomplishment. For Eg. there could be a reward waiting for them at the front desk after their 50th class attendance. Notifying them of this with an automated message makes them feel valued at your studio. Which is just one of the ways to retain yoga students long-term.
- Reviews – Reviews are a powerful form of marketing. Sending an automated message to your client after their 15th class (or thereabout) means they have had a fair amount of experience at your studio and are still new enough to be excited. This would be a good time to ask them to leave a review.
- One visit left on a class pack – An automated message at this point could encourage them to purchase another class package.
- Bring a friend for free – this one can go out to all your clients when your studio is looking for new clients. This gives them one free pass to bring a friend (when there is availability in a class). It’s a nice gesture that is fun for your clients and could win the studio another client. Automating this process means the friend might have to log in online, which makes remarketing to them easier later down the line.
The absolute must automation for a more profitable yoga studio
While the automations listed above are the ones we recommend every yoga studio implements to start off with, there are others that will make your business even more profitable.
- Upsell from class packs to memberships – when someone has finished their class pack, you can let them know it’s time to buy another class pack, but you can also upsell them to your membership option.
- Upsell from intro to behavior-based package – if someone visited twice on the intro, they’re probably not going to buy a membership. So you can rather upsell them to a class package.
- We miss you: 30 days since their last visit – make sure your clients feel valued and that their presence is missed at your studio. For members, a simple “we miss you, come back soon” will do. But for those with class packs, you could also offer them a discounted class pack.
- We miss you: 60 days since their last visit – another reminder for your clients to visit your studio again soon.
How to set up automation
There are two ways to go about setting up automation. There’s the easy way and the hard way. But the hard way comes with a long-term payoff that you won’t regret down the line.
- Option 1: You learn how to automate using your email marketing software. It will take a large chunk of time upfront, but once you have set them up and have an understanding of how to do it again, there is a huge payoff in the future. You’ll be able to set up any automation your business needs going forward.
- Option 2: You can contract out your automation to a professional. While this is easier and will save you time, it means you’ll have to pay someone for their time. And if you want more automation in the future, you’ll need to pay someone for that too. BUT, it will be a lot quicker than doing it yourself and takes the stress out of automating your marketing. This is particularly useful for those under a time crunch, or those that do not have the technical skills to get it done.
Platforms for automation
While email marketing is one of the more popular forms of automation, it has been proven that the read rate of emails is extremely low, at just 21%. We would recommend getting your yoga students to sign up for your SMS marketing to keep up to date with what’s happening in the studio and receive your automated texts.
If you are struggling to get your clients to sign up for SMS marketing, offer a reward such as a free class in exchange. Having their number on your SMS list is far more valuable than the one class you gave away in order to receive it.
How to move forward with automation
You should start by doing some calculations on how much manual time you (or someone on your team) spend following up with customers each week. If it is a time-consuming job at your studio, automating the process will save you time. If nobody is following up with your clients, then you are missing out on an easy and effective marketing opportunity.
Then you’ll need to do some mapping. Map out how you are currently following up with your clients, and test whether this is effective or not. This will give you a better idea of just how important automation is, and how it will make your work life THAT much easier.
If you already have automations in place, compare that automation to the ones listed above. If there are any you are missing, consider adding them to your business for a more seamless experience for both your staff and clients.
Marketing automations for yoga studios
Every yoga studio owner knows that it is easier to get someone who has already been through your doors to come back than it is to get new feet in the door. And that’s exactly why marketing automation is so important. Staying in contact with your clients with a personalized automated message can ensure that clients stay engaged with your business. Plus, when it comes to yoga, your studio will always be top of mind.
Are you ready to level up your yoga studio? Implement automation to save you time and save you money! And if you’re unsure where to start, ask us in the free Yogapreneur Collective network!
