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100 Ways to Market Yourself as a Movement Teacher

Market Yourself as a Hoop Teacher.

I love marketing. My earliest memory of its joys was crafting up elaborate signs for a roadside stall my sister and I set up on our Grandparent’s footpath. The product? Sad looking fruits, likely inedible, that we had picked from trees.

Yeah, the product sucked but the advertising was state of the art. That was a defining moment, I realised that the way we capture and build our audience was one of the most creative parts of business. Sadly it is often seen as hard work or worse…sleazy.

It is no surprise then that my first degree at University was Business Marketing. In essence, marketing became about understanding human behaviour: fascinating stuff. But you don’t need a degree in it to be passionate about sharing your shine!

Listening, asking, creating, sharing is the key. 

If you have no audience, no tribe you will be moving by yourself. Marketing yourself is not shameful it is about growing the circle.

I go into real depth with it all in my training but I thought I would share some tips of the promotional iceberg…here are just 100 ways you can market yourself as a yoga, dance, hoop, movement teacher, of course, there are so many more.

1. Know your special sauce and share it.
2. Teach everywhere you go.
3. Always carry your “business cards”…whatever they might be. Get creative but never dig through your bag looking for pen and paper. Offer a card, sticker, temporary tattoo, flier or something to remember you by.
4. Share your art via newsletter.
5. Write a blog.
6. Offer solutions to people’s problems.
7. Call places you really want to teach and let them know how fabulous you are.
8. Authentically make friends with influential movers and creators.
9. Ask for testimonials and share them.
10. Comment on videos, blog posts and Facebook updates of creative and influential peeps not just in the hooping/yoga/dance world.
11. Make your email signature fun and clickable.
12. Offer your hoops/merch and/or classes to charity auctions.
13. Collaborate.
14. Approach local stores and cafes asking them to post up your fliers.
15. Listen to feedback and respond.
16. Create a hoop/dance/yoga jam at your local market.
17. Put ads on creative blogs.
18. Attach a creative tag to your merchandise.
19. Sponsor events in your area.
20. Create online competitions.
21. Share after school activities.
22. Have a sale.
23. Learn about SEO and work it!
24. Create a YouTube channel. Make it magical.
25. Film a fun, introduction trailer for your YouTube channel.
26. Offer a class at your local community college or University.
27. Put advertising on your car or bike.
28. Be the face of your business.
29. Talk to your community.
30. Share a video of your class.
31. Become a guest writer on a blog, magazine or newspaper.
32. Share motivational speeches at schools, colleges and community groups.
33. Teach at dance and yoga festivals.
34. Go to creative business conferences and connect with other entrepreneurs.
35. Start a mastermind group.
36. Create kick ass content.
37. Craft an online press kit.
38. Tour the nation and rock out on every morning show.
39. Share your other skills.
40. Give stuff away.
41. Have a divine website.
42. Be poetically prolific on Social Media, but don’t let it consume you.
43. Go above and beyond with your customer service.
44. Make your About page shine.
45. Share beautiful images.
46. Show gratitude to your customers/clients/peeps.
47. Hold a regular and rockin’ movement jams.
48. Don’t be afraid to sell yourself (without being spammy)
49. Share your expertise in online forums.
50. Hoop/dance/practice in public.
51. Learn about pricing your products and services and get it right.
52. Clearly state terms, conditions and refund policies.
53. Share other hooper’s pics, videos and posts and credit them as well as link them.
54. Write a book.
55. Name drop. Nicely.
56. Host a hooper/mover/yogi from out of town.
57. Start an online forum/group.
58. Hold a 30-day challenge.
59. Have a fun voicemail message.
60. Share well edited, creative videos.
61. Ask your tribe what they want, give it to them.
62. Invest in an eye-catching design for everything, if you want to get noticed.
63. Make your hoops more fabulous than anyone else. But drop the comparison and competition. Just do you.
64. Go to movement events.
65. Apply to teach at music festivals.
66. Share exclusive deals with your customers e.g. discount hoops for all students.
67. Invite local reporters to your classes.
68. Get your friends and family to promote you.  
69. Do some shows in your area.
70. Write a simple and powerful web and promo copy.
71. Get on Google Plus.
72. Learn about the power of branding and use it to your advantage.
73. Hoop/dance/move for a Cause…create an event to raise awareness or money for causes you believe in. Invite locals.
74. Create a retreat.
75. Join other local businesses and collaborate.
76. Consider paid advertisements on Facebook. Study it first.
77. Send your hoops/invitations/merchandise to celebrities.
78. Link to hoopers, celebrities, people of influence, people you admire on Twitter.
79. Use hashtags. 
80. Ask questions on Social Media.
81. Raise the bar, go the extra mile, play bigger.
82. Be innovative.
83. Be visible.
84. Be consistent.
85. Invite your tribe to subscribe, follow and sign up.
86. Create video tutorials.
87. Share colourful images on Instagram.
88. Create sparkling vlogs.
89. Ask DJs and bands (or their promoters) if you can do a show to one of their songs when they visit your area.
90. Use Google analytics to find opportunities.
91. Offer lunchtime jams.
92. Busk.
93. Set up a hoop making/massage/dance/movement/props stall at the local market.
94. Sell your hoops in dance stores.
95. Trade your expertise, do a swap.
96. Hold a morning mummies class.
97. Advertise in school newsletters.
98. Start a podcast.
99. Make memes and quotes for Social Media.
100. Start a Google Hangout. 
And that is just the beginning, hard to stop at just 100.
One more…101. Go to parties. You are a hoop teacher, your job is to have fun! When people ask you what you do for a living TELL THEM…watch their jaw drop or the confused look on their face. Best conversation starter ever.

If you found yourself stumbling over any of those and your inner chatter told you that “you don’t have enough money/time/expertise” replace that now…

You have enough. You are enough.

And remember, if at first you don’t succeed…you know how it goes. Just like hoop tricks, marketing takes patience and play time. Enjoy!

CHANGE LIVES, INCLUDING YOUR OWN BY BECOMING A HOOP LOVE COACH. LEARN HOW TO TURN YOUR PASSION FOR HOOPING INTO ABUNDANCE.

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