What's up w/ the Whatsapp?
The Whatsapp group is where I post all of the information about the two group classes I teach: Qi Gong and Movement play. I share where and when class is happening, how much it costs, and sometimes a bit about what the focus will be. I also share information about any upcoming workshops or residencies, which are opportunities to dive deeper into the movement, health, and lifestyle practices I offer. Lastly, I share a poem every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This form of marketing is unusual, so here’s a bit more background information as to how this came to be and why I prefer this way of communicating with current and potential clients, students, and customers.
After a few years of working as a holistic personal trainer, I realized that traditional forms of marketing just didn’t work for me. I was starting to teach more group classes and I didn’t know how to reach people and get the word out in a way that was:
a) enjoyable and fun
b) ethical and not sleazy
c) effective
After playing around with a few different ideas, I decided to follow the example of a friend of mine in NY. Kyle Fincham, a very nontraditional movement teacher and facilitator, uses a Whatsapp group to promote his classes, and I liked the way these updates didn’t feel like they were trying to sell you something, but rather just letting you know what was going on. Kyle is also the inspiration behind my own habit of sharing poetry.
Letting people know about my work through an informal Whatsapp group feels very ethical to me. I simply post the QR code in cafes and gyms and other venues, or send the link to someone when they ask, and they can join or not as they wish, as well as leave at any time. I also love sharing poetry (and believe it’s relevant to my work for reasons discussed here) and the process of selecting a sharing a poem every Monday/Wednesday/Friday is genuinely enjoyable for me and something I look forward to.
It’s also exciting to me whenever I see someone else has joined. There’s a sense of mystery about it all - who is this new person? Where did they see the QR code? Will they ever come to a class? Similarly, when multiple people ‘heart’ a poem a share, often I don’t know who those people are, and I get to enjoy the experience of having brightened a strangers day.
This form of communication is also very practical and efficient, given that I travel and teach in multiple locations and multiple cities. It would not be easy to constantly update my website with that ever-changing information, but posting updates in Whatsapp group a few times a week is simple and effective.
People often ask me what the ‘best’ form of exercise is, and my response is often “The one that you’ll stick to over a long period of time.” I believe it’s the same for marketing. I’ve found a strategy that I genuinely enjoy, and so I’m intrinsically motivated to keep doing it, and there is a slow and steady trickle of increased exposure happening that makes me optimistic. My hope is that this Whatsapp group will keep growing to hundreds of people throughout the multiple locations I intend to work in, so that it becomes a very effective marketing tool, in addition to being a very enjoyable one.