Instagram is deceptive. While it might seem simple – take a picture, upload it, add a hashtag or two – there’s much more to building a successful presence as a yoga teacher. Whether you’re looking to become an influencer or just want to increase engagement on your posts, certain strategies remain essential.

With strategic optimization of your profile, you can significantly increase your followers and engagement. Let’s explore how to optimize your Instagram profile for maximum impact.

Getting Started with Profile Editing

You can edit your profile either through the Instagram app on your mobile device or on desktop by visiting instagram.com and clicking on your profile. From there, select “Edit Profile” to begin customizing your presence.

Optimizing Your Instagram Names for Your Yoga Business

Instagram gives you two distinct naming opportunities:

1. Your username (@YourUsername)
2. Your display name that appears in searches

Given the millions of users on Instagram, it’s hard to find a unique username that’s still available, but really try to find one without strange characters or spellings. This helps other users remember it better and tag you more easily. You also want to be as consistent as possible across your social media channels. Use the same username on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and other social networks.

For your display name (which appears below your profile photo), use either your name or brand so that people can find you through search. For example, I use ‘Susanne Rieker | Online Business Coach’.

Profile Visibility Settings

To grow your Instagram presence, ensure your profile is set to public. This allows anyone to discover and engage with your content. If you’re running a business or brand account, you should also switch to a Professional Account for access to enhanced analytics and features.

As a yoga teacher, you should also consider switching to a Professional Account. Instagram offers two types of professional accounts: Business and Creator. Here’s how to choose between them:

Business Account is best if you:

• Have a physical yoga studio
• Run regular paid advertising
• Want to use Instagram Shopping features
• Need to display your business category and address
• Want automated quick replies for DMs
• Have multiple employees managing your account

Creator Account is better if you:

• Are an independent yoga teacher
• Want more detailed follower growth insights
• Want access to the Creator Studio features
• Want more flexible profile display options
• Prefer simplified messaging tools
• Want to see your account’s performance on feed, stories, and Reels in one place

Both account types give you:

• Access to Instagram Insights (analytics)
• The ability to schedule posts
• Additional inbox features
• Contact buttons (“Book Now”, “Email”, etc.)
• The option to promote posts

To switch to a professional account, go to Settings > Account > Switch to Professional Account and follow the prompts. You can always switch between Business and Creator accounts, or back to a personal account, if you change your mind.

Choose a Great Profile Photo

Your profile photo creates the first impression when people visit your profile. For yoga teachers, this is particularly important – it’s your chance to convey both professionalism and approachability.

Many yoga teachers use photos of them in fancy poses, for example a handstand. This can work, but will people recognize you? Think about it – on your official account page, your profile pic is already small. Now, consider how small it appears as users scroll through their respective Instagram feeds. Also, it’s a proven fact that people connect more deeply with faces. That’s why I recommend a good headshot.

Use a professional photo, if possible. The more crisp, clear and professional your profile pic looks, the better. If it’s within your budget to hire a photographer for headshots, that’s great. If not, recruit a friend with a good camera to capture some quality images. Whatever you do, avoid using those sweaty selfies from your last yoga festival – they won’t create the professional impression you’re after.

You get extra points if you use the same photo across all your social media profiles so people can recognize you easily everywhere!

Pro Tip: Use Canva to Make Your Profile Photo Stand Out

Canva is a fantastic free tool that can help elevate your profile photo. Here’s how to use it:

• Upload your headshot to Canva
• Use the Background Remover tool (available in Canva Pro)
• Add a solid background in your brand color
• Or use a simple gradient that matches your brand palette
• Adjust brightness and contrast for optimal visibility at small sizes
• Export as a high-quality square image in JPG or PNG format

This technique creates a polished, branded look that helps you stand out in the feed. Plus, having your brand color as the background makes your profile instantly recognizable.

Additional tips for your profile photo:

• Image quality: Upload a high-resolution image (at least 320 x 320 pixels)
• Framing: Position your face in the center since Instagram crops to a circle
• Expression: Choose a warm, approachable expression that reflects your teaching style
• Lighting: Use natural light when possible
• Background: If not using Canva, keep it simple and non-distracting
• Seasonal updates: Consider updating your profile photo seasonally or to align with major workshops/retreats while maintaining a consistent, recognizable style
• Color coordination: Ensure any background colors you use complement your overall Instagram aesthetic

Crafting your Instagram bio

Your 150-character bio needs to work hard for you. One of the easiest ways to create a compelling bio is to use AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude.ai.

Here’s a proven prompt that will help you create a client-attracting bio:

“Help me write an Instagram bio. I help [specific target audience] to [achieve specific outcome] through [your method]. My unique approach focuses on [your special sauce]. Important details to include: [key offerings/credentials]. Please provide 3 different versions that clearly state who I help and what transformation I provide. Use emojis strategically.”

For example: “Help me write an Instagram bio. I help busy corporate women in their 40s to reduce stress and manage perimenopause symptoms through gentle yoga and meditation. My unique approach focuses on hormone-balancing breathwork and restorative poses. Important details to include: I offer both online and in-person classes, I’m certified in women’s health yoga, and I specialize in stress reduction. Please write this in a warm, nurturing voice.”

When crafting your final bio, follow this proven formula:

1. Start with WHO you help (be specific!)
2. State the TRANSFORMATION you provide
3. Show HOW you’re qualified to help
4. Add a clear CALL TO ACTION

Here are some strong examples:

“ Prenatal Yoga for First-Time Moms Helping you stay strong & calm during pregnancy 200hr RYT + Prenatal Certified Get my free trimester-specific sequences”

“ Yoga for Desk Workers with Back Pain Transform stiffness into flexibility in 10 mins/day Specialized in corporate wellness | PT background Book your posture assessment”

“Beginners YOGA for women 40+ I help women navigate hormonal shifts to: BUILD strength EASE tension QUIET the mind with yoga START HERE ”

Notice how each bio:

Speaks directly to a specific audience

Addresses a real pain point

Promises a clear benefit

Uses formatting and emojis to improve readability

Ends with a strong call to action

Avoid these common bio mistakes:

Just listing your credentials (RYT-500, E-RYT, etc.)

Being too vague (“Yoga for everyone!”)

Focusing only on your offerings instead of transformation

Forgetting to include a call to action

Using too many unnecessary emojis that don’t add meaning

Add a Link to Your Bio

One of the biggest frustrations with Instagram is that it isn’t exactly a great platform for driving traffic to your website. That’s because clickable URLs aren’t allowed anywhere except the single link in your bio and in Stories.

That’s why you’ll definitely want to add a link to the “website” field in your Instagram bio. This makes it easy for people to go straight from Instagram to your website, blog, or a specific offer. It doesn’t have to be a website – if you don’t have a website yet, you can also add a link to your scheduling platform for example.

If you have a lot of different links you want your followers to see, you have a few options:

1. Use Link Tree or a similar tool. These free tools help your followers discover all of your recent content easily. You can send your followers anywhere: your website, new retreats, articles, events, socials and more. You set it up on your computer and then simply add the link they provide to your Instagram profile. You can manage your links, add titles and even choose a theme.
2. Create a dedicated page on your website that showcases all your links, optimized for mobile viewing. This keeps everything on your own domain and gives you complete control over the design.

When people click on your bio link, they’ll see a screen with all your different links organized neatly, whether you’re using Link Tree or your own website page.

Pro Tip: Since Instagram prioritizes keeping users on the platform, direct bio link mentions often don’t perform well. Instead, encourage engagement by asking followers to DM you for more information or to comment for details. This approach typically gets better results, as Instagram’s algorithm favors posts that generate DMs and comments. You can then share specific links with interested followers directly in their messages.

Keep your bio link updated with your latest workshop, retreat, blog content, or offering, but focus your captions on generating genuine engagement rather than directing people away from the app. Whether you’re using Link Tree or your own website page, interested followers will naturally find their way to your link when they’re ready to learn more.

More Instagram Yoga Bios Inspiration:

After you’ve optimized your Instagram profile it’s time to look at your feed, but that’s for another post!