3 easy steps to successfully marketing your dance studio
Marketing any small business is difficult. Should you outsource to an agency or a consultant? Do you hire a marketing coordinator? An entire marketing team? Dance studios are important to our communities and need a strong, loyal base of local and regional students in order to thrive. To build that clientele, dance studio owners must compete with in-school activities, out-of-school activities, family time, and so much more.
How do you reach local families and show them the power behind your dance school, remind them of the importance of dance, and demonstrate the valuable lessons your students will learn when they walk through your doors?
Marketing your dance studio doesn’t have to be an overwhelming challenge. Read on as I explore the basics of marketing and offer suggestions for how you can put these principles to work for you.
What is MARKETING, and Why Does it Matter?
As experts in dance, we may not be experts in marketing. And marketing IS confusing - is it advertising? Is it social media? Is it emails? So, let’s break it down. What is marketing?
Below, I’ve outlined three easy steps to market your dance studio...but this is only the beginning! Marketing is constantly evolving, and I’ll try to keep you in step by constantly updating this blog. Keep checking back here for more information on how to market your dance studio, and don’t forget to register for my marketing seminar at this year’s Dance Teacher Web Conference & Expo in Las Vegas! SIGN UP NOW BY VISITING https://www.danceteachersummerexpo.com/biz-more-seminars.
As promised, here are three easy steps to market your dance studio on your own without hiring outside agencies or consultants.
How to MARKET
Step 1
NETWORK NETWORK NETWORK!
Fortunately for your business, your target audience is pretty broad. Do you live in the area? Do you have children? Do you know someone who has children in the area? GREAT! Identifying your audience will be EASY!
Did you know that Word-of-Mouth Marketing is still the #1 form of marketing? Even in the age of social media, word of mouth is *still* how to drive business.
So how can you use this to drive business to your dance studio? NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK!
I know… I know... You spend your nights in the dance studio. But if you have just ONE night where you can leave the dance studio to your teachers, use that time to get out there and network with the community. Here’s how:
- - Make friends with businesses in the area around your studio. Invite them to tour your studio.
- - Join the local or regional Chamber of Commerce. Attend monthly meetings.
- - Make connections with school officials. Ask if you can augment their Fine Arts department by leading a free dance class.
- - Get to know the parents in your neighborhood. Host a happy hour at your house.
- - Build collaborative relationships with community leaders. Give free tickets to your next performance to the local softball coaching department.
Step 2
EMAIL EMAIL EMAIL!
Email Marketing wears multiple hats. There’s email automation, by which you can send your email campaigns via Constant Contact, MailChimp, or another platform. Or, maybe you send weekly newsletters from your personal email address to a distribution list. When you go to those network events, get business cards and ask folks to sign up for your studio’s mailing list to receive news about upcoming events and performances. Constantly grow your email contact list organically.
Did you know that you can start using MailChimp for free? The popular email marketing platform offers a basic plan with free and easy-to-use templates.
Find more information on how to use MailChimp to connect with current clients here.
Step 3
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
Set SMART goals for your social media platforms and the content you share via those channels. SMART stands for:
- - Specific
- - Measurable
- - Attainable
- - Relevant
- - Time specific
Once you’ve developed those SMART goals, how do you reach them? It’s important to understand your audience, distribute consistent messaging that aligns with your dance studio culture and values, and post images that accurately represent your dance studio. Treat your social media accounts as an extension of your studio's voice and mission!
I hope this post gave you a solid foundation for starting your marketing journey. As I said earlier, this is just the beginning, and I’ll be with you every step of the way as you work to strengthen your clientele base and share your passion for dance with the world!
Marketing isn’t easy. Marketing IS time-consuming. We’re all in this together! And we’re here for you! If you have questions, please fill out the form here, and I hope to see all of you at the DanceTeacherWeb Conference & Expo next month!
