Yoga Studio Marketing: Branding

This is the first article in a five-part series that details exactly what you need to market your yoga studio and make it a success.

If you run a yoga studio, you're lucky in that you have well-defined niche possibilities and an easy-to-target audience; however, you're also faced with fierce competition for that same audience. In order to gain a foothold and elevate your yoga studio above the competition, you'll have to develop a concrete brand image with which to promote your business. Here's what you need to know about branding your yoga studio for success.

Importance of a branded image

When you have a well-defined market, branding is critical to success; and few markets are as well-defined as the yoga market. This is good in the sense that you know who you need to market to, but it can be limiting if you try to be everything to everyone within that market. That's why it's so important to develop a branded image that demonstrates how you are different from the competition, how you are better in one area than anyone else. You can then promote your company with this brand image to win over a specific market segment. If you can establish your company as the expert in one particular area, you'll do much better than if you try to market to several market segments at once. To concentrate your efforts is to concentrate your wealth.

How to identify your branded image

Identifying your branded image takes research and dedication, but the fruits of your efforts are incomparable. Start by learning as much as you can about your customers and about your direct competition. Seek opportunities that your competitors are missing and are also highly desired by your customer base; or, pick a particular segment your competitors market to and position yourself as being the best in that arena. Your yoga studio might follow the philosophies of a specific type of yoga, or you might cater to seniors, women, pregnant women, athletes, children or some other market segment. You might focus on improving whole lifestyles or flexibility or endurance - or anything else that yoga provides. Make a list of all the things that describe what you do, and choose your niche based on what you like to do, what is likely to succeed in the marketplace (based on your research), and what you believe you can best your competitors in. Now, make a list of all the words that describe your specific market segment to come up with a unique name for your yoga studio. Consider your audience, your techniques and ultimately the results of joining your yoga studio. If, for example, you cater to pregnant women you might want to name your company something such as "Mommy and Me Yoga Studio." You can be creative here and even make an acronym: MOMYS (MOmmy and Me Yoga Studio).

Branding through design

Skilled graphic design can transform your yoga studio's branded identity from a written concept to a visual motivator. This image is what the world will see, and the public will perceive the ideals and emotions that your image expresses. Most importantly, you want potential customers to see your logo at a glance and feel that you're the perfect solution for their problems. When you achieve this, you've developed a powerful yoga studio brand identity.