Posts Tagged Yoga Media

You don’t need to be a world-renowned teacher to create your own content and get it out there.  In fact, being relatively unknown can be an advantage since there is no precedent to compare it to and you can have greater freedom in expressing what you really want to teach.  Most teachers signed to big exercise companies have had to compromise their teaching so it can have more widespread appeal.

We at YTC are all for leveling the playing field so if you have an interesting practice or teaching you feel strongly would benefit others, here are some general guidelines to get you started on creating your own content:

1. Market Research

If you’re serious about eventually monetizing from the content you put out there, this step is crucial.  If you are a yoga teacher, it can be daunting to see the thousands of yoga DVDs and video clips already out there.  Be honest with yourself - are you really adding something new to what is out there?  Ask yourself, your students and your private clients what they like about your work.  Don’t take the feedback personally but see it as an opportunity to set yourself apart.  Other good places to research are amazon.com and youtube.  What is out there already and what is getting noticed?  Don’t be discouraged if you see something similar to what you had in mind.  You can still make it unique with your own take on it.  And it shows the demand is already there if someone else is doing it already.

2. Mine Your Expertise

After your years of practice and experience, the chances are you have a take on a practice which no-one else has.  Recovered from an injury through yoga? That is valuable information that could benefit someone else.  Do you have a killer handstand?  Or what about being a self-professed couch potato who has had to really persevere to establish a regular asana practice?  There is someone out there who would love to know what you know, how you’ve overcome your obstacles and how this practice will benefit them.

3. See Your Practice in Action in the Real World

If you are a yoga teacher already teaching public classes and private clients, that is a big advantage.  You get to see how your teaching affects different people, different levels of practitioners and how you can modify.  This last point is crucial.  In order to reach the biggest audience, don’t design your work for the most advanced.  Aim for the beginner/intermediate student.  This is where you can really see how well put together your class really is.  Any teaching should be a progression that can be followed by the most inexperienced student.

4. Keep Sequences Short and Sweet

A common misconception is that a practice has to be long - like 60-90 minutes -as you would in a yoga class at a studio.  For your own content (such as a physical DVD) shorter and sweet is best.  People are generally time poor and want to feel results in about 20-30 minutes.    For a video clip (an actual practice, not a trailer), think even shorter - 15 minutes at most.  More people will try it if it is not a large time commitment.  This means focusing on paring down your practice to its essentials.  If people want to go deeper, offer them another sequence where they can do just that.

5. Shoot and Edit a Little Sequence and Share It With The World

This can be a fun first step in getting your content and knowledge out there.  You can give people a taster of what your work is - make it fun and memorable.  Include an intro - who you are, what you do and why you created this practice.  Think very concisely - the clip should be no longer than 3 minutes.  Upload this to different video sharing sites like Tube Mogul or Traffic Geyser.  Be sure to link your clip to your website’s URL and have a name and email capture page on the home page so people can sign up to learn more information.  Create a newsletter using an email marketing company such as NamasteLight.  Their product and customer service is second to none.

We at YTC have an information based product which guides you step-by-step on how to create, shoot, edit and sell your own DVD or download.  Click Here To Find Out More!