From subbing to doubling her income with Nyk Danu

“Once the class started running for one session, I ended up doubling my income and the students didn’t pay any more for the class.” — Nyk

When I saw Nyk sharing this idea of registered classes to other students of mine, I had to know more!

After learning about this, Nyk was able to run pre-registered classes independently of yoga studios and actually double her income without raising the prices for her students. She did this in not only one community but has built it up in two different communities proving that the system works.

If having consistent students, small class sizes and guaranteed income sounds good to you, keep reading!

What is a registered yoga class and what are the benefits?

You are likely familiar with themed class series but did you know you can also run general registered classes?

Registered classes have a start date and an end date and are often 6 to 12 weeks in length. But unlike themed classes, they aren’t specific to a theme. It’s just like a group class at a studio but instead of allowing drop-in students, students have to pre-register for the class series.

When you have a pre-registered class, you are able to know your income weeks in advance and there is more consistency with your students. You will establish strong relationships with these students and they will see more results as well.

Where to host registered classes?

Nyk shared that in one instance the space she was teaching a lunch-time yoga class was closing and her students wanted to continue. In that moment she took matters into her own hands and walked around outside and found a local church that was nearby. This allowed her to find a space close to the previous class location so it was convenient for her students and allowed her to keep the same time for class and double her income!

In another instance, she wanted to take this idea of a registered class into a new location. For this, there needed to be some education and work up-front to grow the student base.

Here is the process that Nyk used for a starting a registered class from scratch:

Step 1:

Find a location where you want to grow a class base.

Step 2:

Host a free event. For Nyk this was a yoga night at the community space. She advertised in the community newspaper and invited the neighborhood. She had tea and yoga books and it was a meet-and-greet type of an event.

Step 3:

Have an offer to share at the free event. For Nyk this was a 2-for-1 deal so that people could bring a friend if they registered for the first 6 week class series. For the first 6 weeks you won’t make as much money as you typically would if you offer this discount but you will have double the people in your class and ideally they will rebook with you. **Nyk offered this at the free yoga night and the first class filled up in 30 minutes so she added another one (back to back classes to cut down on driving) and it also filled!

Step 4:

At week 4 of your discounted deal, start talking about signing up again for the next 6 weeks.

Places to host registered classes:

• Churches
• Studios
• Community Centers
• Event Space

How to market your registered yoga classes to get repeat sign ups?

Remember that as a yoga teacher, you’re offering more than just an asana practice. You are holding space for students, you’re providing a sense of community and this is amplified when it comes to offering registered classes. When you have a group of students that show up consistently, you are creating a strong sense of community.

This also allows you to keep your classes smaller and you can know more details about your students. You can tailor classes to these specific students, know what modifications they might need and serve them in a way that you couldn’t in a larger group class.

“You’re really creating a community, we just happen to be gathering around yoga.” — Nyk

All this comes together in the marketing for these registered classes. When you know you’re creating a strong community, it’s easier to invite students and it makes it easier for them to continue with you.

Start with 6 weeks sessions but you can gradually increase the length of time to 12 week sessions based on what the students need. It is important to remember not to commit too far in advance so 12 weeks is a good break. This also allows for you to run the registered classes like a school year. You could break it up like this:

• Winter sessions: January — March
• Break for a few weeks
• Summer sessions May — July
• Break for a few weeks
• Fall sessions: September — November

Mentioning the next session sign ups:

• 6 week sessions = after 3 weeks, begin to mention the next 6 week series
• Longer sessions = the last 2 to 3 weeks, begin to mention the next series

The more frequently you offer these sessions, the students will start to ask when they can sign up for the next series. Offering the current students advanced registration for a week before you open it up to other students is a great idea that Nyk utilized and it worked well.

“This was all trial and error. I learned along the way.” — Nyk

When it comes to marketing, it’s all about doing the work, then doubling down on what’s working. Reflect on what’s working every 3 to 4 months and do more of that and less of what’s not working. This is the best marketing strategy you can have but in order to know what’s working, you have to do the marketing!

What to do if you move to a new city as a yoga teacher?

It’s tough to offer registered classes in a brand new city but it’s possible. This happened to Nyk in her yoga journey but she didn’t let it stop her. Here are some things she did to help with this process:

• Know that you will have to start again and build up your name
• Show up to the studios where you want to teach
• Be the sub that they can rely on and your name will be recognized by the studio and the students
• Look for opportunities to establish relationships with event spaces or studio owners you align with
• Attend the yoga studio owner or manager’s class so they can see your face and know your name

Your next step

If the idea of a registered class resonated with you, it’s time to make it happen. Find a place, know what type of class you want to teach and get the details in order. I would suggest starting with a themed class so that marketing is easier for you as you get started.

The key is to get started today, not tomorrow. Identify the class theme, the location and the price. Then market the 6 week class series and fill it up!

Until next time, give yourself permission to be creative and seize opportunities and grace along the way. Talk to you soon!

About Nyk Danu

Nyk (C-IATY, CYA-ERYT 550) Lives on Magical Vancouver Island in the enchanted city of Victoria where she teaches Therapeutic Yoga. As Yoga Therapist her niche Is helping people with back pain. Nyk teaches Yoga to Misfits people who don’t think they are ‘yoga people’. Nyk is also a Yin Yoga Teacher Trainer having over 500 hours of Yin Yoga training with Paul Grilley. Nyk has also completed three years of Chinese Medicine studies. Her personal practice and her Yoga classes are rooted in Buddhism, Taoism and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Nyk’s Links:

• Nyk’s Website: https://nykdanu.com/
• Nyks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nykdanuyoga/

For more stories like this, listen to the Marketing Yoga with Confidence Podcast.

About Amanda McKinney (Marketing Coach for Yoga Teachers)

Amanda McKinney is a Marketing Coach with a passion for empowering yoga teachers to earn more money doing what they love. She does this through her podcast: Marketing Yoga With Confidence and Online Offerings. All of which focuses on building confidence and community with an extra dose of encouragement every step of the way.