“How do I fill up my retreat?”

This is a BIG question for every single yoga teacher who’s in the process of planning a retreat.

We know that selling out your retreat translates into feeling like your retreat was a total success.

Because what happens if you don't fill up your retreat?

You may end up canceling your retreat or, losing money in the process... or worse, you may end up feeling totally burned-out and never wanting to plan a retreat again - thinking "Nobody wants what I have to offer."

We really don’t want this to happen to you and that’s why we decided to write about it!

So, how do you make sure your retreat sells out? How do you know what type of marketing efforts will pay off and inspire your students to sign up?

Here are four tips that will help you get on the right path with your marketing and help you fill up your retreat without all the "selling" overwhelm.

1) Get clear on WHO the retreat is for

To make sure your retreat will be a success, it’s important to set the right foundation for your retreat from the very beginning by being super clear on WHO your retreat is for.

Who do you imagine joining you?

Who will benefit from going on your retreat?

What type of students do you want to serve with your retreat?

Think about who you’re most inclined to serve with your retreat. Is it postpartum mothers, high-achieving career women, or young people who suffer from anxiety and depression?

This is what’s called your “target market,” or what we call your Ideal Retreat Client. Being clear on WHO you’re trying to serve helps you get laser-focused on your message and reach the right people for your retreat.

A young career woman may have totally different needs and desires from a retreat than a new mom. Therefore, your retreat theme and your marketing message should be totally different depending on who you’re trying to serve.

2) Know what your students want and need

When thinking about ways to fill up your retreat, it’s essential to think about who’s on the other side: YOUR STUDENTS.

What do they want and need from a retreat?

Are you creating something that will genuinely be of service to them?

Remember to keep your students in mind when creating your retreat theme, picking your location, choosing the best dates, and planning your yoga classes... down to the most minor details, like the flow of your retreat schedule.

When you understand what your ideal retreat students really want and need, you can create something unique that they can’t resist, a retreat that’s in tune with the needs and desires of your students.

So, instead of trying to convince them to sign-up, your students will be eager to join because your retreat it precisely what they need.

You can survey your students and potential students, both online and in person, to learn what they want from a retreat. This is also a great way to get feedback on your retreat ideas and start building interest for your retreat.

Knowing WHO your retreat is for and what these students need is crucial to creating a retreat that will sell out. We actually created a free guide for you with tips on how to create a waitlist for your retreat (before your retreat is even announced to the public). Be sure to download it below.

3) List The Benefits

How will your students and potential students benefit from your retreat?

Once you’ve gotten clear on your ideal retreat students and know what they what/need, you're ready to create your “retreat theme.” This is the blueprint for your entire retreat experience and encompasses everything your retreat will offer your students.

But why is it essential to have a theme to fill up your retreat?

People always want to know what they’re going to get. They want to know how they will feel and what they will walk away with. So you want to communicate with your potential students WHY they should join your retreat.

What are they going to gain from the experience you are offering them?

Potential students may not be enticed to sign-up if you only list the dates, location, and activities in your marketing - whether on a social media post, your website, or a flyer.

If your retreat marketing is leaving your students uninspired or with questions about the benefits of your retreat, they're simply not going to book their spot.

And if you’re not sharing the benefits of your retreat… your marketing has done the opposite of what it should have done. You've unintentionally pushed potential students away.

So, think about how you can paint the picture of all the benefits your retreat offers.

For example: if you're focusing on serving moms of young children, the major benefits could be time for self-care, being pampered, having the luxury to sleep in for a couple of days, and maybe even a workshop on how to maintain a home practice with young kids around.

Consider not only the tangible benefits, like extra activities, yoga, food, and accommodations, but also the not-so-tangible ones, like spiritual connection, self-awareness, time to read a book, time to be present with yourself, time away with a loved one, and deepening a specific area in their yogic path.

4) Build the Buzz Early

This is by far the most overlooked -but a highly effective strategy- to fill up your retreat. Most yoga teachers wait until they have everything ready before they announce their retreat to the public (we were guilty of this, too in the beginning).

But, if you do that, you're missing out on building momentum for your retreat. What you're doing when you build early BUZZ for your retreat is creating a list of highly interested people who will be ready to sign up once your retreat is all planned out. Essentially, you're creating a waitlist! It’s that simple. And oh, so effective.

How do you build the early buzz for your retreat?

We created a free downloadable guide with 3 simple yet effective strategies to build the buzz early and create a waitlist for your retreat.