Welcome to our blog post, dedicated to health and wellness professionals like you who are passionate about offering a wide range of services to support your clients’ well-being.
Today, we will explore the incredible potential of in-person retreats and how they can beautifully complement your existing offerings.
Whether you provide coaching services, yoga classes, online and in-person programs, or workshops, incorporating retreats into your repertoire can take your business to new heights.
Let’s dive into the benefits and considerations of hosting in-person retreats and discover how they can create transformative experiences for your clients.
The Magic of In-Person Retreats
Imagine stepping into a serene and rejuvenating environment, far away from the stresses of everyday life. That’s precisely what in-person retreats offer your clients.
These immersive experiences allow participants to fully focus on their well-being, gaining deeper insights and experiences that may not be readily accessible in their regular routines.
From serene natural surroundings to purposefully designed activities, retreats provide a unique opportunity for individuals to disconnect, unwind, and explore their personal wellness journey.
Creating an Intensive and Holistic Experience
One of the remarkable advantages of hosting in-person retreats is the ability to design a comprehensive program that covers multiple aspects of health and wellness.
By bringing together a group of like-minded individuals in a dedicated setting, you can create an immersive experience that allows participants to delve deeper into their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
From yoga and meditation sessions to workshops on nutrition and self-care, retreats offer a holistic approach that fosters profound transformations and breakthroughs for your clients.
Building a Supportive Community
As a health and wellness professional, you understand the importance of community and support on the wellness journey.
In-person retreats provide an incredible platform for participants to connect, share experiences, and build lasting relationships. The sense of camaraderie that emerges during retreats creates a supportive community that extends beyond the event itself.
This engaged and loyal community can continue to benefit from your offerings long after the retreat ends, amplifying the impact of your services and fostering a network of individuals committed to their well-being.
The Pros and Cons
While in-person retreats offer numerous benefits, it’s crucial to consider the pros and cons before taking the leap. Let’s explore both sides of the equation.
On the positive side, in-person retreats can significantly increase your revenue. These exclusive and immersive experiences often command higher price points, allowing you to generate more income while providing exceptional value to your clients.
Additionally, retreats offer a unique selling point that sets you apart from competitors, attracting clients seeking transformative experiences.
On the flip side, hosting in-person retreats requires careful planning and coordination. From securing accommodations and organizing meals to arranging transportation and marketing the event, there are various logistical challenges to overcome.
Furthermore, retreats are geographically bound and may limit your reach compared to online offerings. Targeted marketing efforts are necessary to attract the right audience willing to travel and invest in the retreat experience.
Embracing the Potential
Despite the considerations, the advantages of hosting in-person retreats outweigh the challenges. These immersive experiences offer unparalleled opportunities for personal growth, community building, and revenue generation.
By carefully planning and implementing strategic marketing techniques, you can create transformative experiences that leave a lasting impact on your clients’ well-being.
Conclusion
Thank you for joining us on this exploration of the power of in-person retreats for health and wellness professionals. By embracing the magic of retreat experiences, you can elevate your services, create a supportive community, and expand your revenue potential. Remember, with careful planning, attention to detail, and
a touch of adventure, you can design retreats that offer your clients unforgettable journeys toward well-being. Embrace the potential of in-person retreats and watch your business thrive.
Remember, your clients deserve the best, and by incorporating in-person retreats into your offerings, you can provide them with extraordinary experiences that enrich their lives.
A lot of people may seem a bit worried and hesitant when talking about paid ads, this brings up a lot of questions like “Is it worth it?” or “Is it just going to be a waste of money with little to no return of investment?”, but in reality, paid advertising can be beneficial for growing your wellness retreat business. It’s important to understand when and how to use it effectively, there are a lot of tools that can help you navigate through this.
Investing money in your retreat business can lead to a positive return on investment and help speed up growth and I’m here to guide you through this process.
We’ll need to know when it is right to advertise or who is in a prime position to invest money in paid ads.
Paid ads can be beneficial for a retreat business in three scenarios:
When starting out. Starting fresh is a great way to fuel your business with ads. Create buzz, build visibility, and go along with that momentum. Ads are a great accompaniment to other marketing. You’re probably going to be doing a lot of different things when you’re starting out, but paying for ads, it’s going to allow you to get more eyes on you so that you get more of that initial visibility.
I think the best thing about ads is that it allows you to get in front of way more people way faster than you could for free. Now, unless you have something that goes viral, probably paying is going to get you in front of more people in a short amount of time. So when you’re first starting and you want to have that initial momentum, I think investing in a little bit of smart advertising can give you that visibility.
Not necessarily a guarantee of bookings, but just to get eyes on you, to get your name out there and get that initial momentum. It’s really great.
When other marketing efforts are already working well organically. In the context of a retreat business, adding paid advertising can be beneficial when your organic marketing is already successful. By amplifying what’s already working well, paid ads can help you scale and expand your services. If you’re already seeing direct bookings and inquiries from channels like social media, email, or search engines, it’s a good indication that spending some money on ads will likely be effective.
Wanting a more passive approach to marketing. If you’re looking for a more hands-off approach to your marketing strategy, paid ads could be the solution. This is especially true if you’re limited on time or simply don’t want to invest a lot of time into marketing.
While paid ads are more passive, they still require testing, tweaking, and monitoring to ensure success. With a small amount of time invested in ads, you can still increase your reach and get in front of potential customers.
If you’re not keen on regularly posting on social media or networking, then investing in ads may be the right option for you. It can expedite your growth and help automate the process.
How do you make it so you’re not wasting unnecessary money?
To achieve your advertising goals, first, you have to understand clearly what they are and to establish support systems that align with them. For instance, if you’re running an ad campaign to garner bookings or fill retreats, directing potential customers to a free lead magnet may not be enough. Although the leads generated from the lead magnet may be added to your email list, the lack of a proper conversion mechanism may lead you to believe that your ads aren’t working.
Second is nailing your message, it is very crucial to the success of your ads. While the algorithm and platform used are important, over 70% of your ad’s outcome is determined by your creative approach. This includes the written text, images, videos, and the offer or sales page that you are promoting.
All of these elements must be optimized to achieve maximum impact. Your message and the words you use are of particular significance. If your message is compelling, the technical aspects such as targeting and platform will only enhance your results. Remember, the creative aspect is what makes your ads truly effective.
Next is to commit to testing, it is a crucial element of any advertising strategy. It’s an ongoing process that requires dedication because you never know what’s going to work. Even if you believe that you have the perfect message, it may not be well-received, or it might not convert. That’s why you must be willing to invest time – a few weeks or even a couple of months – to examine and tweak the data accordingly. Remember, when you run ads, you’re purchasing data.
Consider the first month or two as data acquisition. You’re not wasting money; you’re investing in the data that you can later analyze to discover what’s working and what’s not. If you’re not willing to do the work, it’s best not to invest in ads as it’s a necessary component of achieving success.
Lastly, it is important to understand the platform. When it comes to advertising on social media. This makes up 30% of the process, while copy, creative and messaging make up 70%.
To gain a solid understanding of the platform, consider watching videos or taking online courses. You could also hire someone to manage it for you or teach you how to do it. Jumping into a platform without a proper understanding will lead to wasted money.
Regarding boosting posts, keep in mind that this approach is not ideal for testing different audiences, copy, and creatives. Boosting a post means investing a small amount of money to increase its visibility. If you want to achieve more than just getting it out to people, it is recommended to fully understand the Facebook ads platform and use it to its fullest potential.
Conclusion
Paid advertising can be a powerful tool to help grow your wellness retreat business in three key scenarios: when starting out, when other marketing efforts are working well, and when you’re looking for a more passive approach. To ensure success, it’s essential to understand your goals, message, and platform, and to commit to testing. Keep in mind that using boosted posts for testing may not be the best approach.
If you run or plan to run a retreat in the future, here are some important things to know. It’s not as easy as it used to be. This blog was inspired by various conversations with students and clients.
Word of mouth marketing does not work anymore
It used to be relatively easy to fill a yoga or wellness retreat prior to the pandemic with word of mouth marketing and referrals being the main source of bookings. So much so, that retreat hosts were pretty relaxed about marketing, relishing the fact that their retreats sold so easily!
But there has been a shift…more and more retreat hosts are contacting me and their story is similar.
Confusion and an underlying panic is creeping in.
“Why are my retreats not filling up? I’m doing nothing different compared to previous years! Why??”
To add salt to a wound, even successful retreat businesses with 9000+ Instagram followers are noticing their posts are getting a mere 0.2% engagement! How is that even possible?
I know it sounds all like doom and gloom but hear me out…this is a BIG opportunity to build a truly sustainable retreat business. A successful business adapts to changing market conditions and the ones that don’t close up shop.
Now more than ever you need to embrace high impact and time saving retreat marketing strategies so you can remain competitive in this market.
So how do you do this?
Your list is your greatest asset
Building an engaged email list is the first step in any marketing strategy.
If all of your followers are on social media and with organic reach so low your pool of interested parties drops substantially. You should be funnelling those followers into your email list.
Chances are that you have a list of some kind.
If not, get one now! Having a list allows you to communicate directly with your customers and followers without having to go through social media networks or other third parties.
It’s simple really:
The more people on your list, the more people you can reach out to when new content is published.
The more people on your list, the more people you can sell to.
The more people on your list, the more likely they are to trust you and buy from you.
When building upon your list, there are three things that come to mind:
High value content is the most important piece of the puzzle.
The more content you have, the more followers you will gain and stay to consume your content
Driving traffic to your list sign up page (preferably using a lead magnet) will help spread the word about you and your business.
A big part of what I do is helping retreat hosts build high impact and smart online marketing foundations and processes. Part of this process is to help them build their lists. The reason for this is because when you have a list, you can send them content that will help them learn more about what they need to do next. With an open rate of 40% that is a much higher level of engagement than social media.
The only way to get people to buy from you (or join your retreats and programmes) is by giving them more value than anyone else does.
And the only way to do that is by having a list of people who want more from you!
Focus on creating high value content and embracing an efficient and repeatable process so you can stay on top of it.
Takeaway:
Some people think email is dead. They’re wrong. Email offers you a direct way to engage with your clients without having to rely on someone else’s platform. An email list is not just an asset to help manage customer communication and data, but it also gives you a way to create an intimate relationship with your customers that no other marketing method can offer.
Stop Wasting Time & Money On Social Media For Your Retreat Business
To be on social media or not when it comes to promoting your retreats, is the question! For many, myself included, social media feels heavy and is not aligned with our values. It can cause serious internal conflict.
This article will lay it all out for you, give you insights into running your business without social media (because that’s what I do), the pros and cons of using social media in marketing your retreats and give you clarity on whether to include it or not.
It is ultimately your decision.
I decided to quit social media
It has been 2 years since I decided to quit social media in my personal and business capacity.
It was consuming me, taking me away from spending quality time with my family and causing me endless anxiety.
You can read about when I finally took the decision in Leaving Social Media and what pushed me over the edge.
It was one of the pivotal moments in my life that paved the way for more peace, tranquillity and freedom and I haven’t looked back!
Let’s start with the pros and cons of using social media to promote your retreat:
Pros of social media for promoting your retreat
Reach people who otherwise would not know about you and your retreats
Engage with people who interact with your posts and videos – you can get really close to them
A space to share what it’s really like to experience your retreats using amazing photos and videos
Cons of social media for promoting your retreat
Extremely time-consuming having to constantly create for social where a post might live only for 5 hours
You never get off the hamster wheel of creating posts
Not everyone (me included) likes to share personal stuff on social
Addictive nature
Can affect your mental health
An alternative system to social media for visibility, reach and leads
Note: This is my personal insight and system. Yes, there are some extremely successful retreat businesses using social media. I just want to show you an alternative way if you feel being on social media is not for you. It’s not for everyone but it works for me.
After being off social media for so long and not including it in my own marketing, I know it is not a necessity. As a way to generate visibility and leads, I have developed an alternative system and it looks like this:
Create a powerful lead magnet that your ideal client needs and wants.
Create a thank you page that encourages people to subscribe to my YouTube channel.
This is a great little tip, when someone downloads your lead magnet, they then see a thank you page that encourages people to take another action. To subscribe to my YouTube channel. I get an email subscriber and a YouTube subscriber!
Run social ads to promote my lead magnet
(yep I use social for this because there are still so many people on it, and I know my target audience really well.) I spend 150€ per month on social ads (imagine paying someone to do your social media for this price! Not possible) and I get on average: 4 new people to my email list per day + 2 YouTube subscribers per day
Annually that is: 1440 new email subscribers + 720 YouTube subscribers 1800€ spend on ads
I focus the energy and time I would spend posting on social media on creating long form value packed content for my YouTube channel and blog.
This happens weekly. Why? Because if I want to get traffic to my site for free for years to come I need to make sure I have content that people are searching for on Google and YouTube. Check out the free workshop I hosted Secrets To Ranking High In Google | Learn SEO For Retreat Businesses if you want more direct organic traffic to your website.
TIP: The videos I create get transcribed and converted into written blogs using a transcription service such as otter.ai. I am doubling my chances of ranking on Google and YouTube.
I also engage weekly or monthly with my email list.
Depending on their preference (yes I ask them) by sending value packed content that I know my audience wants to know about.
My email open rate is over 40%, compare that to social media:
“The current average reach for an organic Facebook post is just 2.2%, but could be as low as 1.1% for some brand pages.
To put this in perspective, if I have a Facebook page with 1500 followers, my posts may only be shown to as few as 33 people.”
With this system I do not have to worry about algorithm changes or the low reach I might have experienced with social media AND I can leverage 2 search platforms, YouTube and Google. This sends me organic (free) traffic for years to come!
My audience is ALWAYS my source of content ideas, so I listen to their conversations at ALL times. As a result, I spend 80% of my time in my business creating content that is relevant and useful to keep this engine oiled, efficient, and automatic.
Conclusion
Social media can be a useful tool to promote your retreat online and some people love it! And that is great. But for some, the thought of having to post regularly causes anxiety and panic.
The good news is that there is another way, as I have demonstrated in my own business, to retreat clients and students. If you are that person I hope I’ve put your mind and heart at ease and lifted that weight off your shoulders. You just have one decision to make – will social media be part of your online marketing for retreats or not?
As a yoga or wellness retreat host should you have a dedicated retreat website or is a retreat sales page that sits on your main website enough?
This is one of the questions that came up when I was sharing tips to increase your retreat sales page bookings.
Let’s discuss what they are, the pros and cons of each and when you should use them.
Hi, if you’re new here, I’m Tiffany and I’m an online marketing strategist and tech specialist. On this channel, I share all my best tips and strategies for marketing wellness retreats. So if you are a retreat host make sure you subscribe below.
A full retreat website
This is a website dedicated to your retreat business.
It generally would have a Home page, about page, sales pages for your retreats, pages about the location, accommodation, food, testimonials, blog and a contact page.
The only thing you are promoting is your retreats.
Pros:
You have a lot of space to really promote your retreat experiences
There is no conflict with other offers that could potentially distract your visitors
It creates authority and trust because you showcase that this is what you specialise in
Cons:
More content to flesh out to create the necessary pages. There is a lot more work that goes into writing, designing and building a website
If you have another website for your yoga, coaching or wellness business then having 2 websites is much more work to manage and keep up to date.
Who is this best suited for:
A retreat dedicated website is best suited for those who just focus on running retreats as a business such as:
Retreat centres, planners and hosts who runs many retreats a year
A retreat sales page
This is a one page that promotes your retreat. It can sit on your main website as an additional offer.
You would condense the information about the retreat experience, facilities, food, location and accommodation onto one page. The retreat sits alongside your other offers such as yoga classes, workshops, coaching sessions, services and so on.
Pros:
1.Can be added on to your existing website
2.All of the information about the retreat is on one page making it easier for the visitor to digest the information instead of navigating around a whole website to gather the info
3.Less work to get it written, designed and programmed because it is just one page.
Cons:
1.Other offers on your website can compete for attention. Somebody will arrive on your website and get distracted by all of the shiny offers and not take action.
2.It can be challenging condensing all of the information on the page that drive enquiries and bookings
Who is this best suited for:
A stand alone retreat sales page is best suited for those who offer retreats alongside their other offers. For example, yoga teachers, coaches, wellness professionals who run retreats just a few times per year. It is not the main part of their business.
But what about listing your retreat on third party directories? If you feel you want to go that route I recommend you watch the Pros and Cons of Retreat Directories video, linked above. This is yet another option that could work for you.
I hope this gave you some clarity as to which option would suit you best. And if you should be creating a whole retreat website or just a stand alone retreat sales page.
2022 was a year where travel was back on the cards and thankfully so!
Most likely due to the travel hiatus and being restricted in movement, travellers will be focusing their attention on experiences that have a lasting and positive impact.
2023 will be the year for self-improvement and transformative wellness retreats as predicted by Conde Nast Traveler. Travellers on these holistic retreats in 2023 will focus on overcoming grief, finding purpose, and moving their bodies, according to the same source.
These trends will be heavily focused on travellers looking for health and wellness retreats, so pay attention and consider how you can fine-tune your offerings to what travellers are looking for.
The following roundup of 2023 Travel Trends is based on both the Conde Nast Traveler article and Booking.com’s Travel Predictions for 2023.
1. Different Ways To Travel
As the world reopens and travel restrictions ease, we will be exploring different ways to travel. This could mean shorter trips, alternative destinations, or new methods of transportation. We will embrace the new normal of travel and find creative ways to explore the world.
You could offer weekend retreats among your week long retreats to satisfy the need for shorter trips, and even open up local markets.
2. Eccentric Food Will Be A Priority
One of the memorable experiences of a yoga and wellness retreat is the food itself. Usually sourced locally, organic and healthy. So you’ll be happy to hear that in 2023 the food itself will play a big role as people travel for foodie experiences.
47% of Booking.com survey respondents highlighted the need for eccentric eating experiences.
How to apply this trend to your retreat:
Include food tours, cooking classes and creative dishes to satisfy your guests.
3. Increased Demand For Spiritual Retreats
The popularity of yoga retreats, meditation programs, prayer retreats, and holistic wellness experiences could surge this year because many people (44%) are also seeking spiritual experiences while travelling.
4. Blending Work With Holidays
Remote work has become more and more accepted and has become a reality for many.
It would be great to offer working retreats that combine yoga, meditation, healthy food, and time for work. Yes, retreats are typically seen as a way to get away from everyday life and work. However, this more innovative approach to working holidays may allow for longer retreats.
How to apply this trend to your retreat:
Consider offering 3-4 week working holiday retreats.
5. Travellers Will Seek To Disconnect While on Holiday
On the flip side of remote work, many travellers in 2023 might actually want to completely disconnect and relax instead. A digital detox is a 21st-century term. It is a period of time during which a person refrains from using electronic devices such as smartphones or computers, regarded as an opportunity to reduce stress or focus on social interaction in the physical world.”
According to 66% of respondents, their holidays should be free of work and technology.
6. Employees Want That Their Employers Invest In Retreats Abroad
In 2023, 51% of respondents stated they want their employers to pay for company retreats out of the savings made possible by remote work.
Remote workers still long for a connection with their coworkers, and they view team-building activities like corporate trips and retreats as a chance to do this outside of the confines of the workplace. These kinds of work travels, according to 44% of respondents, benefit from team building.
How to apply this trend to your retreat:
Instead of marketing your retreat to individuals, you could approach companies that employ a large number of remote workers. They will be needing to bring their personnel together and what better way to do this than in a beautiful and wellness focused setting.
7. Travellers Are Budget Conscious
With a potential recession on the horizon, travellers are carefully considering their travel expenditures for 2023, with 50% of respondents stating they still view holiday spending as a top financial priority.
68% of travellers are cost-conscious, choosing experiences over costly travel expenses like luxurious lodging.
How to apply this trend to your retreat:
With this in mind, ensure you offer payment plans to make the investment in your retreat accessible.
8. Travellers Will Want To Use Trips For Self-Improvement
In 2023, travellers will be looking to improve themselves and their skills. They will be planning their trips based on the lessons they will pick up along the way.
58% of individuals desire to travel for this reason, thus skill development is one area they are giving priority to.
How to apply this trend to your retreat:
Include classes and workshops in your retreat itineraries. E.g. cooking classes, Human Design Chart workshops, Aromatherapy classes, Functional Movember or Breathwork workshops.
9. More People Are Thinking About Hiring Travel Agents For Their Next Getaway
According to Forbes, a recent Virtuoso survey found that 76% of travellers, including millennials and Gen Zers, are willing to spend more money on travel advisors to make their trips easier in 2023.
According to Travel Pulse, working with a travel advisor can save travellers time and energy because these advisors can handle transportation logistics and check pandemic-era entry requirements for various countries.
How to apply this trend to your retreat:
Reach out to travel agents and get your retreats on their books.
10. Travelling During The Off-Season Is On The Rise
According to Forbes Advisor, off-season travel is all about avoiding large crowds during peak travel times for tourist destinations, such as holidays and summertime.
After a busy year of travel in 2022, when tourists clogged the streets of several European cities, Forbes reported that most Virtuoso travellers are willing to travel during off-seasons.
How to apply this trend to your retreat:
Open up some off-season retreat dates to fill up your calendar.
Conclusion
These 2023 travel trends will help to fuel the already thriving health and wellness industry, which is fantastic news for you. Use these trends to fine-tune your retreat offerings and marketing strategies, and you’ll be able to ride the wave and make a positive impact.
