How to Open a Successful Yoga or Pilates Studio (and Why You Should Get Off ClassPass)

Written By Taylor O'Dore

Opening a yoga or Pilates studio is a dream for many women who want to share movement, wellness, and community with others. But once the doors are open, the big question becomes: how do you attract students, keep them coming back, and grow revenue sustainably?

If you’ve been relying on ClassPass or other third-party booking platforms to bring people in, it may be hurting your business more than helping it. The good news is that with the right digital marketing strategies and a solid foundation, you can fill classes without giving away your power or your profits.

Step 1: Understand Your Local Market

Your studio has a finite radius of potential clients. People who live or work close enough to attend regularly. If they’re in that radius, they’ve likely:

  • Driven past your sign,

  • Heard about you through friends or family,

  • Or discovered you on Google Maps when searching “yoga near me” or “Pilates in [your city].”

This means visibility matters more than volume. You don’t need everyone—you need to reach the right people nearby.

Step 2: Optimize Your Website and Google Business Profile

Most students will first find you online. To capture them:

  • Google Business Profile → Make sure it’s fully optimized with photos, hours, reviews, and your website link.

  • Website Best Practices → Your site should clearly show your class schedule, intro offer, pricing, and an easy way to book online.

  • Intro Offer Strategy → A well-designed intro package gives people a reason to commit to more than one class, which increases their likelihood of becoming long-term members.

When people book their intro directly through your website, not a third-party, they invest more, show up more often, and get better results.

Step 3: Deliver a Great Class Experience

Marketing gets people in the door, but experience keeps them coming back. When students feel welcomed, challenged, and supported, they:

  • See results physically and mentally,

  • Share your studio with friends,

  • And feel motivated to upgrade to a membership.

This membership foundation creates recurring revenue that keeps your studio healthy, your teachers paid, and your community strong.

Step 4: Why You Should Ditch ClassPass

Here’s the hard truth: when you list your studio on ClassPass (or similar apps), you risk undoing all that hard work.

  • Students search for you on Google… but then check ClassPass to see if they can get a discount or free class.

  • Instead of investing in your intro offer, they come in once at a fraction of the price.

  • These students often don’t value the experience the same way as members, and many never return.

In my own business, getting off ClassPass was a game-changer. Within a year, our revenue skyrocketed because we stopped training students to expect discounts and instead built a true community of committed members.

Step 5: Build Your Studio with Smart Digital Marketing

If you’re opening a new yoga or Pilates studio, or trying to grow an existing one, the solution isn’t to hand your business to ClassPass. It’s to take control of your marketing.

That means:

  • SEO and Google Business optimization

  • And a website that converts

  • A clear intro offer funnel

With these foundations, you’ll never need to rely on third-party apps again.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re dreaming of opening your own studio or already running one, the path to success is clear: attract the right students, deliver an amazing experience, and keep ownership of your customer journey.

Skip ClassPass, invest in your digital presence, and watch your yoga or Pilates studio grow on your own terms.

Taylor O'Dore