The secrets to ‘Yoga with Adriene’s' wild success
If you aspire to run a YouTube channel, you need to know about Yoga with Adriene. There’s a high probability that you’ve already heard of her given her channel’s 11 million subscribers (!) and her seemingly endless playlists of yoga classes built around emotions, words of inspiration, hobbies, professions, etc. From themes, like balance and replenish, to times when you’re feeling dead inside [yes, really], to if your work requires manual labor, to anything you could conceivably Google alongside the word “yoga,” she’s got you covered. In a world where creators are advised to niche down and focus on smaller communities, Adriene is somehow able to reach an enormous amount of people.
Here’s how she’s built this empire, and what you can learn from her.
First, know that she’s not an overnight success. Girlfriend has been hard at work on her channel since 2012 publishing instructional yoga videos with steady consistency. She publishes a LOT of free fitness videos. They’re clearly high-value content, considering many people pay for workout content [just some examples of the countless options include Sky Ting yoga at $20 / month, Peloton app membership (doesn’t require the bike) at $12 / month, or Melissa Wood Health’s membership at $9.99 / month]. While Adriene does have an upgrade subscription option, MOST of her content is free, which is also likely how she’s able to maintain the title of most popular instructor on YouTube.
So yes, a decade’s worth of high value content published at a regular consistency will definitely do it [check, check, and check]. But what is it about Adriene that makes her stand out among the throngs of other yoga instructors on social media? Her vibe and energy are remarkably unremarkable. That’s not to say that she’s not effective or successful - because clearly she IS - but when you line her up alongside other popular fitness instructors out, she isn’t particularly extreme in any way.
For example, Kristen McGee, a popular Peloton yoga instructor who happens to be a mom of three - including twins - chants the zen | chill yoga mantras, yet she’s also ripped, splits her time between New York City and the Hamptons, and is an influencer with over 140K Instagram followers. Her aspirational life, from her body to her homes, is a draw for many of her devotees. In contrast, Adriene’s approach is far less dramatic yet perhap - and quietly - more impactful.
A quick search of Adriene reveals a ton of press coverage and profiles, largely around an unsurprising surge in popularity during the pandemic as at-home-fitness took on a life of its own. She has a great quote in this VOX piece on that: “I will intend to say this with so much grace,” Adriene says. “In a lot of ways, we were ready for this.” Which is to say that her empire reigned long before - and will continue long after - the pandemic. And what makes it an actual empire versus a kickass YouTube channel? Beyond the overload of gushing attention and practically zero negativity - it’s that she’s making money. Despite being free and openly not optimized for monetization - Mishler’s director of operations shares that they turn down $250,000 to $500,000 a year in ads - she’s got supplementary courses for sale as a tier up where users “pay what feels good,” and then an even higher subscription plan tier at $12.99/month or $129.99/year.
From the SEO optimized volume of free content working hard to reach the masses [and running ads], the next level of pay as you go, and then finally the pinnacle subscription option, she’s built an incredible customer journey funnel toward point of purchase. By prioritizing community needs first, she creates the emotional connection that leads them into fully committing to not only the yoga, but monetarily supporting her business as well.
In addition, Adriene is a living [digital?] embodiment of what yoga actually professes, which is no competition, inner journey, self-care, and no frills [or at least this is how she projects herself online - who knows what she’s like IRL]. Glancing across her YouTube playlist thumbnails, her poses are relatively basic and not intimidating looking, especially if you’re a yoga novice stumbling across her channel. Her outfits are all very relaxed, muted jewel tones, mismatched, and limited brand recognition besides Adidas, for whom she is an ambassador [we are fans of this full hoodie over her head look in her cozy yoga video].
Then on top of that, her voice matches her visuals. She’s soft-spoken, yet earnest and confident in her tone. She very much gives off an energy that she’s a local yoga instructor in a small mountain town, living a chill and simple life. And honestly, she might be ripped and she might be insanely wealthy, but her clothing and social platforms don't reveal that part of her story. She’s able to balance the perception that she’s a trusted expert in her field, but that she’s also approachable and just like the rest of us. She’s a cool, unassuming guide that won’t judge you or make you feel stupid as you attempt yoga for the first time [the most popular Yoga with Adriene workout is for complete beginners and currently has over 44 million views].
So if you’re feeling inspired to crush YouTube like Yoga with Adriene, here are tactical tips to employ when building your own channel:
Produce content that is valuable. No matter your subject area expertise, industry, or focus, you must identify how you uniquely bring value to your audience [our content strategy 101 can help you get a leg up here]. And don't stress about “giving everything away” - you can absolutely set your content up as tiers, similar to Adriene, where some is free and some is under a subscription or membership level. Be strategic about how your approach both in order to grow your audience AND monetize [we also love her 30-day yoga franchise she rolls out at the beginning of every year since 2015]
Time and patience is crucial. So often viral sensations or overnight influencers suck all the air out of the room when in reality, there are countless individuals who show up everyday for years and slowly refine their content, subscriber by subscriber. Adriene happened to have a unique formula in process for years - a high volume of FREE instructional yoga videos appealing to a broad range of individuals - when the pandemic hit and people needed something to turn to, she was ready. She had built an archive for years and a small empire well before she categorically “won lockdown” when the pandemic hit. Be patient
A mission of inclusivity. At M.T. Deco, we often encourage clients to consider zagging when others are zigging because that can open up opportunities. In terms of the fitness industry today, it is a world of extremes - maintaining a 20 year old body into your 40s, power yoga, the perfect body after baby, bootcamps, hot yoga, sweat dripping - which is also perpetuated by the proliferation of fitness boutiques and the influencers that shill them. Adriene’s channel is decidedly not that. Hers is a space of inclusivity, with a come as you are vibe, aka the equivalent of a digital hug. She leans into inclusivity over exclusivity and after the years of time spent on that effort, she’s built a very loyal following of that energy [the comment sections under her videos are LOADED with gratitude and enthusiasm for her]
SEO x target audience. Appealing to a wide spectrum of individuals is much harder than it sounds. It’s not easy to shoot yoga videos tailored to every individual under the sun - there’s literally only so much time in the day - yet with Adriene’s discipline, she’s literally achieved it through her enormous evergreen archive of content. By aligning yoga in such a broad and detailed way, she’s executed an advanced level of SEO optimization by creating thousands of potential ways for people to both discover her channel and to feel welcome coming into the fold. Brilliant!
According to the New York Times, despite Adriene’s popularity and sheer number of subscribers, she hasn’t found status within the broader yoga community. She hasn’t, for example, been featured in the pages of Yoga Journal. Which, besides being crazy, goes to show that keeping your head down, aligning your mission with the right target audience, and making content that will help them in their lives will work, even if you don’t have “official” backing or support from authorities [note for those of you obsessed with getting PR coverage 😏]. And honestly, we think it’s just a matter of time, although really who cares because what Adriene is doing for the greater good is bigger than that and we’re excited to see her continue to grow.