“Build it and they will come,” the saying goes. However, while that might work for Kevin Kostner in the film 'Field of Dreams', it’s an ineffective strategy for selling online.
So how do you find new students for your online classes? Through steady, strategic promotion. This means sending a regular email newsletter, being active on social media, offering free trials and discounts, and more.
That’s why we’ve put together this guide for everyone who wants to find more students for their online classes in 2021, and sell to them.
Nothing here is super-hard, we promise, and the advice is designed to be as clear and accessible is possible, based on what we find to work for the majority of independent fitness and wellbeing professionals.
>>Quick-start guide to Strydal [6 steps]<<
>>Complete guide to filming and creating videos<<
>>Case study: Berlin-based yoga teacher Sophie Schwarz<<
Without a doubt, email remains one of the most effective ways to market your business in 2021. Many people prefer to hear from you via email, and newsletters often deliver the best engagement rates compared to other marketing channels.
However, they can also seem a bit confusing when starting out: knowing which platform to use, what content to send (and how often), and which data privacy regulations apply. Which is why we’ve written a complete guide to launching a newsletter for your students.
>>Read our guide to launching an email newsletter<<
Many independent teachers use platforms like Instagram and Facebook to find new students and engage with existing ones.
However, if you’ve never done social media marketing before then it can be difficult to know where to begin: how can you promote your services without being too pushy? What kind of posts work best for attracting new students?
So we’ve gathered together six simple tips to steer you in the right direction, from ‘behind-the-scenes’ stories to shout-outs, calls-to-action and more.
>>Read our guide to using social media<<
We realise that many teachers want to offer free trials and discount codes. They’re a great way to attract new students, and encourage friends and family to join your classes.
They can also be very helpful at getting the attention of influential bloggers: why not offer a few free classes to attract some extra publicity and awareness this year?
Oh and if you're wondering how effective free trials actually are at converting people to paid plans – we've got the answer.
>>How to create free trials and discount codes<<
Once you’ve created your Strydal profile and decided what kind of classes to offer, your next step will probably be deciding which membership plans you want to sell.
While drop-in classes are great for a quick buck, monthly (and annual) memberships are where you generate a reliable income stream. Particularly when you’ve already identified your niche for teaching online (reminder: don’t neglect to do this).
Want to see some examples of which plans reliably sell? And get an idea of typical membership benefits, and how to price them for your students? Then check out the following guide:
>>How to create the best membership plans to build your business<<