From Screens to Studios: How YogaSix Attracts New Customers

There can be many challenges to getting people involved with yoga. Some people may be unfamiliar with the concept or have their own exercise routine. Others could have a busy schedule and feel like they don’t have time for yoga classes. Costs and location availability are also considerations for some.

YogaSix has taken an aggressive approach to overcoming those obstacles by appealing to customers about the physical and mental benefits of yoga. It does so through digital marketing campaigns across multiple social media platforms to introduce people to the YogaSix brand. Local franchisees also target customers through grassroots marketing to attract everyone from newcomers to advanced yoga members.

YogaSix CMO Jeff Miller shares his thoughts on how the franchise develops and shares its messaging through marketing strategies and events. He also discusses how YogaSix supports its franchisees and how the systemwide collaboration helps the success and growth of the brand.

In what ways does YogaSix utilize digital marketing channels to engage with its audience?

We leverage digital marketing throughout the customer journey, from first-time yoga enthusiasts to long-time members. Our paid campaigns focus on lead generation using Facebook, Instagram, Google Search, and TikTok. We also create and share organic content on social media shot inside our studios and collaborate with influencers and content creators to authentically showcase the vibrant, empowering, and fun atmosphere of our studios. Our goal with all our digital marketing is to open the doors of our studio to more people and then celebrate our amazing YogaSix local communities.

What role does social media play for your brand, and what platforms have been most successful?

We have national YogaSix accounts on all the main social platforms and then our individually owned and operated studios have their own accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and many on TikTok. This gives us a large reach and most importantly hones in on the hyper-local nature of our business.

Social media is essential for our brand with over 200 studios, serving two key roles. Social media drives awareness and invites people into our studios, contributing significantly to new memberships. Locally, it celebrates each studio's unique community by sharing updates, workshops, teacher highlights, and milestones. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have been particularly impactful in reaching both broad and hyper-local audiences.

How do you handle local marketing initiatives to drive awareness at the grassroots level?

While we are a national brand, our focus is entirely local. We support studios with tools for local SEO and paid advertising, but grassroots efforts are at the heart of our strategy. We provide playbooks, campaigns, resources, and assets to empower studio owners to build authentic connections within their communities. Our goal is for every studio to become an integral part of its neighborhood. Our owners change lives every day inside the studio, and they earn the right to be a vibrant part of their communities.

How does YogaSix leverage its brand identity to attract both customers and franchisees?

The YogaSix brand is all about a modern and inviting approach to yoga. We lean into an energizing, empowering, and fun vibe that invites people into the studio. We open the door for people who may be intimidated to try yoga while also having high-quality teachers and unique class types to challenge more advanced yoga students.

The same vibe and brand identity attract new franchise owners with the additional benefit of attracting people who are drawn to our mission of fostering local community and making a meaningful impact in people’s lives.

What are some of the biggest challenges unique to your franchise?

I have been a part of a few great franchise fitness brands in my career, so I am not sure how unique our challenges are specifically to YogaSix. But the biggest challenges remain getting people off their phones and off the couch to start yoga practice that will help them physically and mentally. Encouraging people to take the first step toward a yoga practice is the main challenge. Yoga can feel intimidating, so we work closely with franchise owners to make it accessible and inviting.

Why do you think YogaSix stands out as a franchise opportunity? 

There are a lot of reasons, but the one we come back to all the time is that you really do make a meaningful impact in the lives of people through yoga at YogaSix. Every day, something transformative happens in our studios. Franchise owners get to be part of this magic, helping their communities thrive while building a rewarding business.

How do you support franchisees with marketing resources to ensure consistency and effectiveness across locations?

This is an area where YogaSix and Xponential Fitness really stand out. I mentioned that I have worked with other franchise fitness brands on the franchisee side and the franchisor side. The tools and platforms that we provide our franchise owners are best in class. Our Digital Stack platform as an example is a one-stop shop for marketing assets, templates, email campaigns, social media management, and reporting. This ensures consistency across locations while allowing customization for local markets.

How does YogaSix foster community among franchisees?

This happens both organically and by design. We are lucky that our franchisees love to talk and share information with each other. They have their own Facebook owners’ groups, group text threads, email chains, and more. We also foster this sense of community by hosting weekly and monthly group calls on specific topics and programs where owners see and hear from each other. On top of that, we organize 6-10 regional in-person trainings, where we invite owners, teachers, and team members to connect with our team and each other. Finally, we host our huge convention in Las Vegas in December where franchise owners celebrate the year, plan for the year to come, and learn best practices from each other. These touchpoints foster collaboration, learning, and a sense of belonging among owners.

What is an example of a marketing effort you have applied to your brand that has helped existing franchise owners?

Last year when I joined the brand, I wanted us to start our own signature event. I love having a tent pole event in which we can rally around together and really put a megaphone on for marketing. Last year we created YogaSix Day on June 6, of course. We created a special YogaSix Class for the day, hosted free classes, invited partners into the studio, and had some wild once-a-year new member offers. Our studio owners really dug into it, and it was our third-highest membership volume day of the year, only behind the standard end-of-January days. Our studios loved it so much that we are going even bigger for 2025. I told our owner network that I want my YogaSix legacy to be taking my grandkids to the 20th annual YogaSix Day.

What are your plans for growth?

We have just over 200 studios open and set to open more in early 2025. Even with that, we still have so much room for growth, especially in some key markets like New York, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area. On top of that, we just opened our first European studio in Frankfurt, Germany in Q4 of 2024 and our first studio in Tokyo, Japan in 2025. We have huge plans for taking the YogaSix brand of energizing, engaging, and fun yoga globally because everyone deserves to feel the “Strong Vibe and Calm Mind” of YogaSix.