An email list is one of the most valuable marketing tools you can have for your yoga business. Having direct access to your customers and potential customers email inbox can bring far greater rewards than social media.

When you send an email out to your list you can personalize it, offer extras and perks, create specific email campaigns or keep in touch before and after trips. You’re speaking directly to the person, rather than creating a post that could be lost amongst a sea of others.

Reasons to have an email list for marketing your yoga business

Building your social media channels is still important, but organic reach across social media has been on the downward trend for awhile, so it's important to consider where you want to focus your time and marketing budget. Having an email list gives you another option and one that could prove to be even more valuable.

1. Direct contact

You have direct contact with people who have chosen to sign up to your email service. This is more than just liking a page on Facebook or following you on Instagram.

2. You're not at the mercy of social media

Emails get more attention than social media posts. People generally have fewer emails than that appears in their social media news feeds. Social media algorithms are constantly changing and the reach of your posts can be severely affected, but your email will always appear in a customers inbox.

3. Include more information

Social media posts are generally short, but through email, you can provide a lot more information. You're not limited by the platform you're using.

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4. Personalize

Emails can be made to feel much more personal than a post on social media. You can change the greeting to the person's name, but it's more than that because you can write the email in a way that makes it sound like you're talking directly to the person, rather than making a broadcast post on social media.

5. Segmentation

Some email service providers give you the option to segment your email list, based on the subscribers' previous actions. For example, if someone doesn't open an email, you can follow up with a similar one to try again. If they do and click on a particular link in the email, you can then follow up in a different way. It can take some time to set up, but once you have it sorted your conversion rate can be drastically increased.

This allows you to target repeat customers as well, because you can separate your list into people who have been on previous retreats, those interested in upcoming retreats, those who come to your regular classes, etc.

So how do you start building an email list for your yoga business?

The first step to building an email list for your yoga business is to choose an email marketing service. This is a service that helps you manage your list and create email campaigns to send to those on the list. Regular email services aren’t built to send emails to multiple people or to have customised designs. An email marketing service also allows you to send out automated emails based on the actions of the person on the list, so you can direct customers or potential customers through a pathway designed to get them to a specific selling point.

Key things to look for in an email marketing service:

• Easy social media and website integration
• Automated emails
• Different campaign options
• Reporting

Some of the most popular email marketing service options

MailChimp 

Free up to 2000 emails but fewer options for customising pathways for your students to follow and segmenting your list.

AWeber

Free 30 day trial, then from $19 per month for up to 500 emails and increasing. Great reviews and often seen as a step up from MailChimp.

ConvertKit 

From $29 per month for up to 1000 emails and increasing. Built more for professional bloggers who are more likely to be looking to segment their email list.

NamasteLight 

They plant a tree every time you send an email campaign. Up to 100 emails are free then it’s from $20 per month and rising.

Constant Contact 

Free 60-day trial and then from $20 up to 500 emails.

Choosing the right email marketing service for your yoga business is entirely based on what you’re looking to get out of it. Many businesses start out with a free option like MailChimp, and if they are making conversions from the list or want to do more complicated things like segmenting the list, then they may choose to move to a paid service.

Most email marketing services have the option for you to import a list, so don’t worry about losing all your subscribers if you do want to change at a later date!

How to grow your yoga business email list

Once you’ve chosen your email marketing service you’ll want to start growing your email list! There are plenty of ways to try and get subscribers. Ideally, you want subscribers who are truly interested in what you’re doing, so that you can provide the best value to them and hopefully see sales and conversions to later yoga retreats or events.

Here are just a few ideas to get you started on building your yoga business email list:

Opt-ins on the pages of your website

If you have a sidebar you can add a sign-up form there, as well as at the end of pages and posts.

Consider freebies

Although you may see a higher unsubscribe rate from this, offering a freebie in exchange for people signing up to your email list is a great way to grow it quickly. Think of something easy for you to create but that is valuable for your audience. For example, a downloadable pdf or e-book, or maybe access to exclusive FB group.

Add an opt-in to bookings

When people book a yoga retreat or event with you then give them to option to join your email list.

During retreat

Get people to sign up during the retreat to stay in touch after the retreat ends and keep up to date on future retreats.

Things to do with an email list

Now you’ve begun to build your email list you need to think about what you actually want to send to your subscribers.

Here are a few ideas:

Newsletter

Send a regular newsletter to your subscribers. Think about the intent of your newsletters that it has value, and isn’t just a spammy email. It could include links to get yoga articles, products, or events coming up, as well as news about your yoga business.

Announcements and special offers

If you have an upcoming retreat you could send an announcement to your email list that lets them know what’s happening, and even include discount codes or details about early bird specials.

Create interest over time

Build up to retreats and upcoming events. Keep your subscribers in the loop as you plan your next retreat, not just when you’ve finished planning. The planning and marketing stage can be more fluid than you think!

Build trust

Create a conversation and communicate with your students. Show the personable side of your business, invite questions and provide answers. Maintain the relationship that was the reason for the person subscribing to your yoga business email list and grow and build on that trust.

Essentials to consider

Grow your email list organically

Allow your list to grow organically. Although it may be tempting, don’t but email addresses. You aren’t going to find the value there that you will with your customers and people who sign up to receive your yoga business emails because they want to.

Focus on repeat customers

Being able to target customers who already know and love your brand is key. Focus on gathering emails from people who are already connected with your yoga business, especially in the beginning when you first set it up.

Mobile optimised

Make sure your emails are mobile optimised, as an increasing number of people will check their emails on the go.

Keep it updated

Check the reports for your sent emails and remove people who don’t open after many emails, or send an email giving them the option to unsubscribe.

Consider the subject line

One of the most important things about sending emails to your subscribers is crafting a subject line that will make them want to open it. Write a few to start with and then narrow it down. Stay away from things that look like spam - “free, guarantee, urgent, order now”. Make it noticeable, witty, intriguing and actionable.

Check analytics

Check deliverability, open rate, click through rate if you included links, conversion rate if you included sales links to see what worked and what didn’t, to help you with crafting future emails.

Schedule in advance

There are no set rules for when to send an email to your subscribers but some days and times are known for being better. An email sent on Friday is less likely to be opened, as people are in weekend mode. Monday morning they may get a lot of emails and skip over yours. Consider timing it for when your customers may be on their commute or reading emails over breakfast. Trial and error are key!

Although it may seem like just another thing on your to-do list, building an email list for your yoga business can really pay off in the long run. It’ll help you to stay in touch with your customers outside of social media, and to target your marketing efforts at the right people.

Check out our free resources for more tips for your yoga business!