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Smart Summer Marketing
By Tracy Bauer
Fill summer classes with these effective and inexpensive
advertising techniques
Most dance school owners would love to fill their summer
classes and camps with a minimal outlay of marketing dollars.
It’s possible—with the right messages targeting the right
audience in the right media. These days, with many newspapers
charging up to $300 for a single black-and-white print ad,
it’s wise to look elsewhere for more effective and affordable
ways to promote your school’s summer programs. Here are a few
ideas that can dramatically increase your school’s summer
enrollment without the traditional burden of print advertising
costs.
First, it is important to note that the most likely customers
for your summer programs are current students and prospective
ones who have contacted you in the past. These people have
already expressed interest in dancing with you, so not only
are they the best prospects, they’re also the easiest and most
inexpensive to reach. You already know who they are and how to
get in touch with them.
Advertise to your current students by mailing summer brochures
or flyers to them. You can cut expenses even further by
handing out promo materials in class (although you risk some
of them ending up buried in the bottom of dance bags) and
having teachers verbally promote the programs in class. If you
have a list of email addresses in your student database, send
reminders by email at registration time and shortly before the
program begins.
Eye-catching posters placed in the lobby or windows of your
facility will also encourage people to inquire about summer
opportunities. During written or oral student evaluations,
suggest a summer class for those who hope to move up a level
the following year. Even a simple written suggestion for young
students, like “Hope to see you in our Princess Summer Camp!”
might be just the push they need to sign up. Another option is
to offer incentives to your students for referring their
friends. Perhaps they will save a few dollars on tuition or
receive a small gift of studio merchandise for every friend
they refer who registers. Positive word of mouth from friends
and family is always a cost-effective way to advertise.
If you’ve been keeping a database of people who have contacted
you with inquiries throughout the year, send your summer
brochure or flyer to everyone on that list. The short summer
season may be the perfect time for them to try your programs.
Mailing materials to the people on that list is much less
expensive than broadcasting your message to the whole
community through newspaper display ads. You can also send
updates and reminders via email or phone at little or no cost.
If you have not been keeping a list of leads and prospective
clients, start now! The key to growing your enrollment is to
follow up with the people on this list throughout the year and
at registration times.
Once you’ve exhausted your list of current students and leads,
you can still find inexpensive, effective ways to promote your
summer programs to the rest of the community. First, utilize
and update your studio website. If you don’t have one, you are
missing a huge opportunity to communicate with potential
customers. Many people prefer to search for information
online, at their own pace and convenience. A website is your
chance to include as much advertising information as you want
to in an unconstrained ad space while reaching those customers
who might have been hesitant to contact you. Print your
website address on your mailing materials and mention it on
your voicemail as well so that people know where to go to get
more information.
Another revolutionary and cost-effective way to draw people to
your website is through pay-per-click advertising. These are
ads that people see when they type a keyword like “dance
instruction” into a search engine like Google. Unlike banner
and print ads, these advertisements cost you nothing to post.
You pay for your ad only if someone clicks on it, which then
links them to your website. Even the price of a click is up to
you. Generally, for dance-related keywords, you can get
visitors for only 10 to 20 cents per click. The higher rate
you pay per click, however, the higher your position on the
list of advertisers for that keyword will be. That means you
pay pennies to reach a prospect who is actively searching for
what you offer—versus the hundreds of dollars you would spend
on a print ad that goes to thousands of people who may or may
not be buyers of your product. These user-friendly search
engines guide you through the process of setting up
pay-per-click advertising step by step. Google even offers
regional targeting so that the search engine shows your ad
only to people who are in the regions you specify. That way,
if your studio is in Indiana, people from Nebraska won’t be
clicking on your ad only to find out that you are not a viable
local option.
There are also simple ways to promote summer programs that
won’t cost more than a stamp or two (or nothing if you use
email). Send a press release to your local newspaper
describing the summer camps, master teachers, and performance
opportunities you’ll be offering. They’ll want to share the
news with the community. You can also have your literature
available in the lobby at your school’s spring recital for
audience members to pick up and share with friends and family.
Even dancewear retailers are often willing to display school
brochures for customers who agree to promote the store to
their students in return.
Once you’ve determined which media to use to promote your
summer programs, you’ll want to carefully consider the message
in your advertising. Rather than merely mentioning dates,
class schedules, and contact information, give them a reason
to choose your program. Describing the benefits your school
offers to children is more persuasive to parents than simply
listing what you offer. For example, promotional messages to
your current clients can emphasize how summer programs offer
their children the opportunity to try a new discipline without
a full-year commitment. Perhaps you’ll want to entice them
with the chance to make new friends at fun camps or
participate in special performances. You can encourage more
advanced students to stay in shape during the summer so that
they’ll be ready for fall auditions and class placement.
Whether you are advertising to your current clients or to the
community, use your marketing message to paint a vivid picture
of the summer experience at your studio. Get them excited and
intrigued even before they learn the details about pricing and
schedules. If you leave those details out of press releases
and marketing materials, people will have to contact you for
more information— which gives you the opportunity to sell them
on your programs personally. Such personal contact can turn a
tentative prospect into an enthusiastic customer for years to
come.
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