How I Turned Summer (The Slowest Season) Into My Studio's Most Engaging Period
Summer is the slowest season for most yoga studios. Except for the studio I first went to. Summer is when I fell in love with yoga.
The Summer Sizzler to be exact. This was a 2 month unlimited yoga pass that has since become a tradition at that studio.
When I opened my studio in April, I knew that summer was just around the corner and that I needed to think of some kind of promotion to ensure folks maintained their habit of attending yoga classes.
I went through every iteration of an unlimited pass but couldn't think of a name as cool as "summer sizzler".
So, I decided to try something totally different.
Summer Yoga BINGO: Gamifying Studio Attendance
40 days of unlimited yoga + a BINGO card to fill out.
Yes, I game-ified coming to yoga classes.
And it's been working because it's FUN!
Instead of seeing summer as a "slow season"—I'm choosing to invite my students into their practice in a way that's a little bit different, helps them explore classes they may not otherwise attend, and keeps the studio top of mind in the community.
Even without directly marketing every day, the classes have been well-attended!
Why Yoga Studio BINGO Works
The BINGO works because I've created a space where the only competition is with themselves and the more classes they attend the better the prizes are.
Prize Structure:
A full blackout gets a Joyful Yoga Hooded Sweatshirt
An X gets a Joyful Yoga t-shirt
A line gets 3 drop in passes
I've included BINGO spaces that invite sharing on social media and bringing a friend to class which has brought new faces into the classes as well.
While I won't make a lot of money, the BINGO is a marketing strategy for the studio that means we have classes available all summer and students eager to practice which is strengthening our community as a whole.
The Key Marketing Insight: Experience Over Explanation
The key here is thinking more creatively about marketing. Instead of going the usual route of TELLING everyone how awesome your work is, let them EXPERIENCE it for themselves.
Here are some ways you could apply a challenge similar to this in your marketing strategy for various niches:
For Coaches
Run a challenge where you take your signature framework and break it down into daily bite-sized practices. Give people something to actually DO each day, not just learn about. Build in ways for participants to share their experiences with each other, and reward completion with something that deepens your relationship - like a strategy call or extended access to your community.
For Fitness + Movement Professionals
Create a 'movement dice challenge' where people roll dice each day to pick their workout. Each number corresponds to a different type of movement you teach - maybe 1 is balance work, 2 is mobility, 3 is strength building. Instead of telling people about all the different ways you approach fitness, they get to experience it through whatever the dice lands on. People can share what they rolled and how it felt, which builds community around trying new things.
For Healing Practitioners (Reiki, Intuitives, Body Talk)
A 40-day intuitive/energy/wellness challenge where you send an email daily with a new practice or idea that allows your audience to explore your work in micro-doses. This could be a paid offering and the incentive for completing might be a free reading with you.
How to Create Your Own Experience-Based Marketing Challenge
Pro tip: I used AI to brainstorm all of those challenge ideas. I even used it when I created my BINGO for the studio, I input my schedule and had AI create the BINGO card for me.
Here's a prompt you can use to brainstorm a fun challenge idea for your business:
"I'm a [type of wellness practitioner] and my signature approach/methodology focuses on [describe your main framework or method]. I want to create a challenge that lets people experience my work rather than just learn about it. The challenge should break down my approach into small daily practices over [X days/weeks]. Each day should give participants something specific to DO that demonstrates how I work. Help me brainstorm challenge ideas that would let people taste my methodology and build community through shared experiences."
Now, go create something fun for your people to experience! Be sure to send me the invite so I can join your challenge.
