Do you make the most of it in your social media updates?
A consistent tone makes your followers feel comfortable so they’re more likely to interact with you. It’s something most yoga teachers never think about – you just start writing – but it pays off to give it some thought!
It’s just like at a party. You wouldn’t want to get stuck with that guy who’s only about his 20% off workshop. What you do is ask questions, tell stories and engage with people. None of us want to be the person talking to everyone only about our workshops and projects. Instead, you want to talk with a unique voice that is evident in all your social media marketing.
Examples how yoga teachers are using their personal voice on social media
Have a look at some examples of famous yoga teachers and what they are doing on Facebook:
Elena comes across as knowledgable, professional and warm.
“Join Zeyneb Uras, Konstantinos Charantiniotis, and me for a full week of yoga, meditation, contemplation, coaching and sunshine. We cannot wait to see you.”
Kathryn knows how to motivate her students. Her social media posts are funny, motivating, relatable.
“Sweat-a-Day = check!!
How are you staying active today?”
Sadie is one of a kind – don’t try to copy her unless this style really fits your personality. Her voice on social media is authentic, fierce, direct.
“Cranky Yogi Series: How to Eat Pizza and Still Have a Great A$$! Here’s a quick fitness kick in your #asana from my #CrankyYogi series. I tell it to you straight, I b*tch about some of the ridiculous things I see in the fitness and yoga worlds, and then I drop some knowledge on you. Hope you enjoy these little reminders and flows! #yoga #anatomy #quick #fitness #tips #cardio #core #calories #sadie #workout #real #world”
As you can see you have lots of options how you present yourself on social media. You can be personal. Approachable. But also spiritual and serious. Or intimate and open. Or authoritative and motivating.
Be a showoff if your character is something like a street-savvy hip hop yogi, but be aware that humble usually goes farther in generating customer loyalty.
How to create your personal voice for social media
To create a voice and tone for your social media activities, begin by brainstorming some adjectives that describe you and how you want to engage and communicate with your students. Find the adjectives that best describe your brand, and you will have found your voice.
If you find this hard, try this approach: if no one was listening, and I asked you tell me why you kick ass as a yoga teacher, what would you tell me? If you don’t know, you can also ask someone who knows you well.
With adjectives in tow, you can now take your voice and work it out into specific ways by deciding on the tone you’ll use in social media.
Here is an example:
Your voice is: compassionate, personal, warm, funny
Write like this: “Hey yogis, my new workshop schedule is finally online! I can’t wait to see you there.“
Not like this: “Click here for the workshop schedule.”
Once you find a voice and tone for your brand, check it against these values: authenticity and consistency. You want to make your fans and followers feel comfortable. Friendly interaction and availability are what will make you stand out on social media, which in turn encourages your followers to contribute and engage with you.
Social media is all about connecting with your audience. Make sure that you connect to your followers on a human level, and not in a businesslike way. Your goal is to create the most ideal first impression for new students.
If they see hard selling, too many random off-topic updates or memes and little engagement, they’re going to have a poor perception of your personality.
That tainted perception bleeds into their view of you as a yoga teacher – something I hope my tips above will help you to avoid.
