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Mastering Marketing
By
Tracy Bauer-Durso
7
common marketing mistakes and how to avoid them
Do you
wonder why some studios prosper and
grow year after year while others struggle to maintain their
current students? Often a school that has trouble attracting
students offers a program that is as good or better than one
that attracts students with ease. Each might have a dedicated
staff, highly trained teachers, quality programs and classes,
exciting opportunities, and a passion for dance instruction.
Yet one studio is able to market its program in a way that
allows it to grow rapidly, while the other must rely on word
of mouth or referrals from existing students just to stay in
business no matter how much it advertises.
Even if the dance instruction being offered is top-notch, it
can be challenging to communicate this “inner excellence” to
the outside community in a way that intrigues them and
encourages them to contact you. No matter how much advertising
you do, you could be wasting your money if you are making any
of the following common mistakes in dance studio marketing.
1)
Promoting negative messages about competitors
This is a serious mistake. While it may seem advantageous to
tell people why they should avoid your competitors, you must
remember that other schools are part of your dance community
and that you will often share teachers and performance spaces
with them. Bashing them will only make your fellow dance
educators angry with you and give you a reputation for being
petty. Dance classes are an option, not a need, and few
parents want their children to be influenced by an unfriendly,
competitive faculty. In fact, negative comments may turn
people off from studying dance altogether. Instead, focus on
the positive aspects of dance and what makes your studio
special. It’s all in the rhetoric. People respond better to
“Simple payment plan, affordable costumes, and family-friendly
performances” than they do to “No hidden fees, expensive
costumes, or endless performances.”
2)Focusing
on the school’s features rather than on the benefit to
potential customers
Though it may seem that mentioning your wonderful teachers,
facility, opportunities, and programs is enough, new prospects
don’t care about the school as much as they care about
themselves. Instead of just listing your studio’s features,
explain how they benefit your target market with a headline
and supporting facts or testimonials that speak specifically
to their needs and desires. Spelling out what your school has
to offer your prospects gives your message more impact. “Gain
confidence, poise, and lasting friendships by studying with
nurturing teachers in a noncompetitive environment” is more
appealing and will receive more responses than “Ballet, tap,
and jazz for all ages. In business since 1980,” which focuses
more on the school than on the potential student.
3)
Puffery: Using baseless claims instead of compelling
information
Common examples of puffery include claims like “family owned,”
“excellent instruction,” “the only choice,” or “the best.”
These phrases not only focus on the school rather than on the
readers’ needs, they also don’t offer any compelling
information. Almost any studio can make the same claims. If a
business is family owned, does that make it better than a
school that isn’t? It seems unlikely. If a school has been in
business for 10 years, does that make it better than a school
that’s been around for 5 years? Does it mean it’s not as good
as a school that’s been around for 20 years? And how many
times have you heard a business claim that it’s the best?
People automatically dismiss these kinds of phrases because so
many businesses use them. How could everybody possibly be the
best? Puffed-up phrases don’t teach your prospects what they
really need to know about your school in order to make an
informed decision. When you avoid using generic phrases that
could just as easily describe your competitors, your message
is more believable.
4)
Listing a menu of the school’s dance programs as the only ad
copy
Most
dance studio ads include only the name of the school, a list
of classes offered, and contact information. However, people
already expect a school to offer ballet, tap, jazz, and
performing opportunities. Use the ad space to offer them more
compelling reasons to choose your school. There’s a lot of
competition out there. You want to stand out. What makes you
different? What can you say that others aren’t saying?
5)
Using the studio name and phone number as a call to action
Your marketing should give your prospects a compelling reason
to act now. If it doesn’t, they may notice you but
never contact you. Merely telling them you’re out there will
seldom get a response, and you don’t want to waste your
marketing dollars. Inspire your prospects to want to know more
by offering them a free brochure, trial class, or open house.
Then once they contact you, you can more easily convince them
to register.
6)
Photos that don’t represent the marketing message and support
the headline
Your photo must support the goal of your marketing message or
it is a waste of space. Most studio ads tend to have a picture
or artwork of a dancer. What does your picture say about your
school? If your school caters to young children, it would be a
mistake to use a performance picture of a teen with her leg
held up to her ear. If you want to emphasize a nurturing
staff, a picture of a child in costume is less effective than
one of a teacher working with a student. Consider the message
you send with the age, sex, and dress code of the people in
the picture you use. Be careful not to clutter your ad with
too many photos and
always
include a caption with the picture so that it relates to the
rest of the ad.
7)
Painting an inaccurate picture of what the studio offers
The reality of what makes your studio special, and the
experience people have when they study there, is a huge part
of your marketing. Be sure that you deliver the promises that
you make in your marketing campaigns. If your advertisements
promote a certain image and create specific expectations, the
school must live up to the reputation those ads generate. If
it doesn’t, people may be very disappointed in their
experience with you and spread negative word of mouth. For
example, parents may respond to a studio that advertises to
young children, then find that it caters to intensive dancers.
When they leave, they share their disappointment with others.
The world is filled with potential clients, and they sign up
for dance for different reasons. One school is unlikely to
please everyone, because different programs and policies
appeal to different people. Choose your position in the market
and deliver the vision you describe in your marketing
materials. Then the students that best support your vision
will be the ones that join your studio—and chances are they
will stay for years to come.
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