People often ask me, ‘Oh you're actually a yoga instructor as well?’ Yep, in addition to training and coaching Yoga teachers how to run profitable, rewarding businesses, I am also a 500 RYT teacher. This is a critical question for people to ask me—and any other coach for that matter—because it’s important, I believe, that the person you choose to hire and work with does actually have experience and success doing what you want them to show you how to do.
To that end, in this article I’m sharing the exact emails, ad copy and sales page copy I used to fill a series of seven classes recently. Please feel free to modify and use these templates in your own business if you like. Along the way I’ll also offer some explanatory notes.
If you’d like some more direction about the timing of this campaign and how to plan a similar one for yourself, I’ve got a free video called ‘6 Weeks to Full Classes’ that you can stream here: https://www.amymcdonald.com.au/videos/6weeks-m33ca No opt in required.
Before we jump into the templates, some context. I live in a small town of about 10,000 or so, at the outer limits. The two largest employers in the town where I live are a prison and a bacon processing factory. So, if you’re reading this and already thinking my templates won’t work because you ‘live in a small town’, would you like some bacon with that excuse? I got you. You can do this. Let’s get stuck in.
My Email List
You don’t need a massive email list if you are looking for only a handful of students. When I started advertising these classes I had 90 people on my list. Now I have 84. (Note: unsubscribes are normal. You should expect people to unsubscribe from your newsletter when you send your subscribers emails. This is a good thing. It’s like dating. If someone isn't into you, you don't want to buy them a second dinner. Think, ‘If you're not going to buy my Yoga classes it’s a good thing that you unsubscribe from my newsletter’. You’re simply not the right fit for each other.)
Here are the emails I sent out, one a week over three weeks. Please feel free to alter them and use them to fill your own classes.
Email 1
Hey there <<First Name>>,
Guess what? I'm DELIGHTED to announce that I'm offering Hatha Yoga classes during Term 3!
I'm offering a block of 7 classes on Wednesday nights at 7pm.
Classes start July 25th and run through to September 5th.
If you book for the term with the early bird, the 7 classes are $140. You can use this link to book: INSERT LINK TO SALES PAGE.
Space depending, you can also attend casually for $25. Please let me know if you are interested in casual classes.
So excited to seeing a bunch of you again: I hope you can make it!
Warmly,
Amy
PS: Please pass this email on to friends and family who might be interested in some quality Yoga on a Wednesday night!
Thank you!
Email 2
Hey there <<First Name>>,
Are you joining me for winter Yoga?
I'm offering a block of 7 classes on Wednesday nights at 6.30pm.
Classes start July 25th and run through to September 5th.
If you book for the term with the early bird, the 7 classes are $140. (This runs out TOMORROW)
You can use this link to book: INSERT LINK TO SALES PAGE
Space depending, you can also attend casually for $25. Please let me know if you are interested in casual classes.
There are 5 places left, so please register soon to save yours.
Warmly,
Amy
PS: Please pass this on to friends who might also like some warming winter Yoga.
(Here I also pasted in the poster I’d made as a jpeg so people could forward it to their friends.)
Email 3:
Hey there,
I'm looking forward to classes starting again THIS WEDNESDAY night.
If you've already booked in, I'll see you at Embody Pilates at the Mill for a 6.30 start.
If you have not yet booked in, it's not too late.
To sign up for the term, use this link: INSERT LINK TO SALES PAGE
If you would like to attend casually this week, class is $25 and please bring your own mat if you have one. (We are filling up fast!)
As always, if you have any questions, please let me know.
See you soon!
Amy
As you can see, these emails are succinct and direct. Sometimes Yoga teachers feel squeamish about sending out multiple sales emails. They worry about being pushy or salesy. I find that being clear, direct and succinct is the best way to address this. Be assertive and email with intention. Think of it like a massage, a tentative massage is ALWAYS icky. A massage therapist with firm hands, consistent touch and clear communication gives a great massage! So be confident, clear, warm and direct and your emails won’t come across as icky, either.
In these emails I’m also using ‘scarcity marketing’. This is a technique to incentivize people to buy because ‘time is running out’ or ‘there is limited supply’. This type of marketing is incredibly effective but it must be done with integrity. If you genuinely only have 5 spots left or 2 days before registrations close, include it in your email copy. But never hype up the scarcity to make your emails more compelling. Remember: ‘Satya’.
My Website
It’s quite common, especially among new Yoga teachers, to run a Yoga business without a website. I’m not condoning that: I believe having a sharp, simple website with great photos and an online shopping cart function is important. But if you’re not at that stage yet, don’t worry. You can use a shopping cart, like Paypal or Moonclerk, and with a small amount of finessing create a sales page within that platform to direct people to sign up for your classes.
In this campaign I ran I sent people directly to a Moonclerk payment page that I had altered slightly. I’d created a simple image in Canva that showed me doing Yoga with the text ‘Yoga With Amy’ on it. Then I included the following copy. Again, please feel free to make it your own and use it for your own sales pages.
Fancy some Yoga to keep you warm this winter?
New classes starting
July 25th
Emdody Pilates, the Mill Walker Street, Castlemaine
Enjoy intelligent, safe and strong Yoga with Amy McDonald, 30-year Yoga practitioner. Have fun, stay warm, refine (or start!) your practice and make some new friends! Everyone welcome: beginners to advanced. (Bad Yoga jokes complimentary!)
Wednesday nights 6.30 - 8
25th July - 5 September (7 classes)
For info call Amy: MY NUMBER or email amy@amymcdonald.com.au
My Ads
I also ran a Facebook and Instagram Ad to fill up the classes. I ran it for 3 weeks to an audience within a driving distance from the venue (35km). Because I’m in a small town, I didn’t select gender or other defining characteristics. Anyone living within the 35km audience was shown my ad.
I spent $107.22 on the ad over the 3 weeks, which worked out to 70 cents per landing page view and secured 4 of my students. Here it is if you’d like to use the copy. Remember to use the image that matches the image on your webpage.
And also
I also printed out 20 posters and put them up around town. The posters had the same copy as the webpage and a variation of the same photo on the website and in the ad.
In summary, the marketing to fill up a class doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. But being consistent and conveying the same simple message on a variety of platforms is important. Good luck filling up your classes, too!
Want more support?
Check out what it would be like to work together here: https://www.amymcdonald.com.au/coaching
And enjoy more free training with my podcast, Abundant Yoga Teachers, here: https://www.amymcdonald.com.au/abundantyogateacherpodcasts