If you are sending emails to your students, congratulations. This is one of the most powerful tools to establish, grow and keep a strong connection with your community.
How are you sending those emails? If you are using your email program (i.e. Outlook, Entourage and web based .Mac, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL, etc...), I always say that it's a great way to start, but probably not be the best way to stay.
Here's how you know if you have outgrown improvised newsletters and should consider upgrading the way you currently communicate with your students to a newsletter service such as Constant Contact:
1 - Your list of contacts has grown. You now have to break it down into multiple emails, which is not fun. Also, you want to make it easier for people to subscribe and unsubscribe, so that you don't have to spend time doing. Did you know that if you don't offer a simple way for people to unsubscribe your email can be considered spam? Did you know that if you ever forget to put names in the bcc line you are violating people's privacy rights?
2 - You want your newsletter to look nice! In the beginning it was the word, and the word was out. Ok, now you want the word to look as beautiful as you are. You want pictures of you, you want inspiring images, you want formatting, you want links. Right?
3 - You have lots of things going on and you want to promote them - new classes, new schedule, workshops, retreats, downloadable classes. If you are not there yet but want to get there, then this class is for you as well. A newsletter is the most affordable and most effective tool available to yoga teachers. Period!
If you are interested in trying out Constant Contact, we hold regular teleclasses to help you get started. If you are ready to try it on your own, there short tutorials on the basic functions as well as a 1800 technical support that is fairly decent.
You can sign up for a 60 day trial with Constant Contact for up to 100 contacts/names. If you would like to get a $30 credit, email us before signing up to the trial and we'll send you a special link.
Full disclosure: we are not affiliated with Constant Contact but we do get a referral fee of $30 for every person that signs up to the program after the trial period.
Want to experience us? Then join one of our free tele-classes. Open to all past, current and future participants, these calls cover a different topic every month. Whether you want a refreshment or a sample, be sure to check it out.
Here's the schedule for the remainder of 2007:
October: Can I learn to love Marketing?
Wed, Oct 24th
12:00 Noon Pacific Time (1:00 PM Mountain Time, 2:00 PM Central time, and 3:00 PM Eastern time)
November: Creating a vibrant referral system
Thu, Nov 15th
12:00 Noon Pacific Time (1:00 PM Mountain Time, 2:00 PM Central time, and 3:00 PM Eastern time)
December: Creating a Treasure Map for 2008
Thu, Dec 27th
12:00 Noon Pacific Time (1:00 PM Mountain Time, 2:00 PM Central time, and 3:00 PM Eastern time)
To register to any one of the calls click here. You will receive the conference calling number and code and a courtesy reminder 24 hours before the call date.
