Self-Promotion
Self-promotion is an important part of growing our classes. I made the decision to waive the minimum fee for yoga classes as we started out because I didn't want to discourage anyone finding themselves in a position of losing money as we are just getting going. However, the classes have not gown as much as I had hoped they would this season, and I think that is due in part to insufficient self-promotion. The minimum fee was meant to act as an additional motivator for everyone to dedicate time to self-promotion, so if we are to continue without the minimum fee for yoga classes through the next season, we need to do so in agreement that instructors will complete a specific set of self-promotion actions each month, including 'liking' and sharing their class Facebook posts, requesting student reviews, and some kind of personal engagement or extending of invitations.
'liking' & Sharing Facebook Posts
Each class has a dedicated post on the Coco Yoga & Wellness Facebook and Instagram pages every month. If you have a public Instagram page, you are invited as a collaborator, but it is not required to accept, as I honor that everyone has their own intentions with their profiles. I always share these posts in the Coco Yoga Community Facebook group, and may include in the Coco Arts Community group if there is sound healing, but that is as far as they reach if you do not share the posts on your own profile or in other Facebook groups.
While I think it's your choice if you like to share the monthly posts for your classes on your personal profile, I would like everyone to agree to "like" their class posts and share them in 2-4 Coco Area Groups and 1-3 Guanacaste or Costa Rica groups linked below. There are 22 groups listed, and you definitely do not need to join all of them. You could choose as a minimum to join just 2 local Coco groups and 1 Guanacaste/Costa Rica group if you want to keep it very simple, but I recommend joining several that you're most interested in.
Sharing these posts is a quick and easy way to spread the word about your classes, and considering there has been next to no sharing thus far, I think this one basic and consistent step will make a great impact in bringing more people into class. Please do not share in every group as it would be too much with everyone posting; just choose at least 2 and up to 4 Coco Area Groups, and at least 1 and up to 3 Guanacaste or Costa Rica Groups to share your class posts each month. You can use the same groups each month or post in different groups, as you wish, and you can share at any time throughout the month, it doesn't need to be at the start of the month necessarily.
Please share the original post that appears on the Coco Yoga and Wellness Facebook Page. Click the arrow icon at the bottom of your post and select 'Group'. There you can select multiple groups to share at once. It is important that you share the original post because the algorithm favors posts with more views, and these posts will already have the views from the page and groups where I've shared it--they will reach farther than a new post with the same information. For this reason it can be helpful to share on your own profile even if most of your contacts are not local to Coco. You are welcome to create your own posts in addition to sharing the original post, which is discussed below as Personal Engagement. Please share your posts with your name rather than sharing anonymously to stand behind your offering.
While I think it's your choice if you like to share the monthly posts for your classes on your personal profile, I would like everyone to agree to "like" their class posts and share them in 2-4 Coco Area Groups and 1-3 Guanacaste or Costa Rica groups linked below. There are 22 groups listed, and you definitely do not need to join all of them. You could choose as a minimum to join just 2 local Coco groups and 1 Guanacaste/Costa Rica group if you want to keep it very simple, but I recommend joining several that you're most interested in.
Sharing these posts is a quick and easy way to spread the word about your classes, and considering there has been next to no sharing thus far, I think this one basic and consistent step will make a great impact in bringing more people into class. Please do not share in every group as it would be too much with everyone posting; just choose at least 2 and up to 4 Coco Area Groups, and at least 1 and up to 3 Guanacaste or Costa Rica Groups to share your class posts each month. You can use the same groups each month or post in different groups, as you wish, and you can share at any time throughout the month, it doesn't need to be at the start of the month necessarily.
Please share the original post that appears on the Coco Yoga and Wellness Facebook Page. Click the arrow icon at the bottom of your post and select 'Group'. There you can select multiple groups to share at once. It is important that you share the original post because the algorithm favors posts with more views, and these posts will already have the views from the page and groups where I've shared it--they will reach farther than a new post with the same information. For this reason it can be helpful to share on your own profile even if most of your contacts are not local to Coco. You are welcome to create your own posts in addition to sharing the original post, which is discussed below as Personal Engagement. Please share your posts with your name rather than sharing anonymously to stand behind your offering.
Coco Area Groups
Guanacaste or Costa Rica Groups
- Guanacaste Women’s Beach Society
- Expats in Guanacaste
- Guanacaste Recommendation
- Tamarindo Beach Yoga, Meditation & Fitness
- Costa Rica Wellness Events and Retreats Network
- Yoga Lovers - Costa Rica
- Eventos de Yoga Costa Rica
- Spiritual Events Costa Rica
- Yoga Costa Rica
- Ecstatic Dance -Costa Rica
- Costa Rica Retreats and Wellness
While you are responsible for sharing only your own class posts, it goes without saying that the more engagement we have with all the Coco Yoga & Wellness posts, the greater the reach for your own classes. So without feeling any pressure or obligation, keep in mind that any likes or comments on the other posts, or sharing in stories, will add up and support everyone in our community. If you are not on Facebook, you can request the link to your post, so that you can share it with people through other avenues, and you can coordinate to have someone else share your class posts.
Requesting student reviews
We have started to get some good reviews coming in, and I think the more glowing reviews we have posted across Google, Facebook, and Trip Advisor the better. Please make every effort to get at least one nice review each month. When you have a student that you think might have some positive words to share, or someone has posed for a photo with you or in the space, please ask them to write a review and share the photo, and hand them a business card and sticker as a reminder. Let them know how it helps us connect with new students and build our community. Even if people come for just one drop in class, you should have a contact for everyone and you can always take a moment to write a follow up message that it was nice having them in class, and send a direct link to write a review. If everyone commits to bring in at least one review each month then we will make steady progress in building up our digital reputation.
TripAdvisor: Coco Yoga & Wellness
Personal Engagement & Invitations
The Facebook shares and review requests are important in terms of numbers, algorithms, and reach, but they can become easy automatic habits. It's important, too, to bring something thoughtful and personal in our energies to build our classes, even if the reach is smaller, it could be the most impactful. Try to do at least one thing each month on a personal level dedicated to your class. You could keep it digital and share a personal photo, video, or writing about your class or practice. or it could be something in real life, talking about class with a friend, inviting new acquaintances to drop-in, or sharing about your class in your other groups or networks. It could be posting a flyer in you condo complex or a restaurant you visit often. You are welcome to take some of the business cards to share, and I can print a copy of a flyer if you would like. At the start of this month I posted an information flyer at some local hotels: M&M, The Palms, Toro Blanco, El Colono, Puerta del Sol, and in the Pueblito Sur restaurant area.
Let's all commit to a steady practice in healthy self-promotion, and see where it takes us this season. I am open to discuss any ideas or feedback to help our community expand and connect people with yoga.