Every dance studio owner is constantly mulling over the ways that they can bring in more people. What is the point of a dance class if you barely have anyone there to dance with you? And the other obvious factor, more students means more income. Whether you are new to the industry or you have been pulling at straws to keep your business alive, you need to be on top of maintaining your clientele and bringing in new faces at all times.
There are many ways you can draw attention to your studio, and we want to help you grow and flourish.
Here are 10 tips that are sure to help you grow your dance studio.
#1 – Make Their First Impression Memorable
A customer’s first impression is everything. How much have you really thought about how your studio comes off to someone when they first walk in the door? Who is the first person they see? Is it you or someone else? If it’s not you, have you communicated to your staff what kind of vibe you want to send out to those upon entering? If you have not put a lot of thought to this, it is absolutely worth it. Here are some ways you can do this:
Establish systems. Make sure everyone knows when someone new will be joining you. These people should be welcomed and feel the joy it brings you and your staff to have them joining the studio. Find a way that keeps communication between you and your staff easy. This can be done through email or text, and there are also software specifically engineered for this purpose.
Put yourself in their shoes. Use your imagination. Walk into your studio and take in the surroundings. Does the energy feel warm? Why is that? Go in and sit in on a class and observe how the teacher and students are interacting with one another. How welcome would you feel if you were a newcomer? If there is anything that you would change, find a way to communicate this to your staff in an encouraging, rather than negative, tone.
Find ways to add some flair. When you think about your clientele, you have to admit, most of them probably like fun and sparkly things. Think about how you can make the environment enticing in a way that your students will be bedazzled upon entering. You don’t have to go overboard with confetti and balloons, but the environment should feel fun and exciting.
#2 – Maximize Your Social Media Presence
Using dance studio management software can help you get hooked up with all the right social media outlets. However, if you already have these up and running, you may need to take it to the next level. Here are some ways you can do that:
Mix it up. Find ways to continuously draw a little attention to yourself. Share an interesting article about a new form of dance or a helpful technique. It could even be as simple as posting one of your favorite inspirational quotes, as long as your social media followers are seeing your name pop every day. The more unique your posts, the more likely your followers will share the post, which will gain you more followers!
Keep track of activity on your posts. Monitor what time of day you tend to get the most response from your followers. These are the times you want to be posting the most. Also, try to notice the types of posts that people are getting the most positive reactions and continue to steer things in this direction. This will keep your fans active and engaged with your page.
Use your cover photo for promotion and to celebrate your achievements. Your cover photo is often times the first thing that a newcomer will look at it, so why not make it worth it. Change it up once a month. Not too often, or you won’t give it enough time to really be seen by the public.
Don’t go overboard with your posts, keep them short and sweet. Most people do not like to linger too long in one place on social media. It is imperative that you get to the point quickly, or you will most likely lose them.
Don’t make everything solely about your dance studio. Whatever it is that you post, you are representing your mission through that. If you focus only on your studio and nothing else, you will lose the element of curiosity for many. People like to be surprised and engaged with new and unique things.
Share photos that show off the cool things about your studio on a daily basis. Show the public how much people enjoy themselves when they are within your community. You can also post videos of the choreography is done, your students laughing with each other, and how cute the toddlers look in their ballerina outfits. This is the type of content your fans enjoy seeing, so do not worry about overdoing it.
Use hashtags that will make the right connections for you. This is more important on certain platforms over others, specifically Instagram and Twitter. If you use hashtags that your students or parents are already using, more people like them will be drawn to your posts.
#3 – Communication Is A Key Player
Think about how much you are really communicating with your student’s parents throughout the year. How rewarded do you think they are really feeling by bringing their kid to your studio? Sure, it is about teaching your students, but you also need to be focused on keeping your true customers engaged. In order to do this, you will want to find different ways to keep the lines of communication always flowing. Here are some ways you can do this:
Make evaluation forms for your students. These forms will outline the classes that the student has taken over a period of time, how they have grown, and what classes they could take next to bring them to the next level. This will help to validate and encourage your students. Not only that, it will keep parents feeling included in their experience.
Let everyone know your action plan for the month. Have each student set goals for themselves. Spread this throughout the classes and see how you can make a theme for everyone to follow together with each month. For example, for January everyone could choose a certain stretch they want to deepen. Sending out an update to parents each month including this type of information is another way to keep them feeling included and positive about their child’s involvement.
#4 – Spruce Up Your Website
Your website is the internet’s window into your world. In your opinion, does your website portray what it should in that manner? If you think about your potential clients at home surfing the internet for the right dance studio, do you think your website will be the one that will spark their interest? If you are not sure, then something needs to change. You should feel proud of your website and confident that it is just as good, if not better than your competitors.
A few pointers for this are:
- Make sure it is easy to use
- Include your schedule so people can plan whether or not it would fit with their own
- Embed photos and videos of the awesome things going on at your studio so people have the opportunity to see your success in action
- Have a program that is easily used on mobile devices for the convenience of every person, no matter how or when they have ended up on your site
#5 – Don’t Lose Grip On Your Passion
Owning a dance studio is a full-time job. It always begins with a passionate dancer, but you have to play so many more roles than that. Teaching is another one you knew you were getting into, but the office work can add some heavyweight to the mix. If you do not balance your tasks well, it can be very easy to forget why you started this business in the first place. it is imperative that you do not lose your passion, so you need to zero in on what it is that must be done in order to keep that from happening.
#6 – Take A Look At Your Staff, Consider Bringing On Someone New
What made you hire your current staff? Or are you the only person working at the studio? You are the person that made this studio happen but try to avoid the need to be the center of it all because of that. You are automatically that, but other people can provide some highlights too. Bringing in fresh faces with impressive resumes will not only pique the interest of the public, but it will also help you to add more variety to what you are offering.
#7 – If You Haven’t Already, Make Online Registration An Option
This goes hand in hand with the necessity of having a social media presence. Everyone appreciates convenience, and the easier it is to sign up for classes with you, the more that people will do it. If you give them the option to register for your studio from anywhere, you will at least triple the number of students you have signing up. The Studio Director software can help with this!
#8 – Generate Word-of-Mouth Advertising For Your Studio
Find ways to inspire your current clientele to pass along knowledge of you. An easy way to do this is to offer them discounted rates depending on the number of new students they refer to. You can also post flyers around town in places that would generally attract the same type of clientele as you.
#9 – Consider Competitive Dance
Involving your students in competitions really fires them up. You will be surprised to see how motivated they get. On top of that, it will get your name out there and start a conversation about your studio. The more ways people can spread knowledge about you, the better.
#10 – Let Studio Management Software Take The Reigns
Not only does studio management software help you organize your entire business based on the needs you express to the customer service team and your industry in general, but it will also help you to tackle all of the topics discussed in this article as well. The software is geared toward making a system for you that is sure to help you manage your finances, social media, and communication with your current and potential clientele. On top of that, a great deal of weight will be taken off of your shoulders and you will be able to channel that passion that got you here in the first place.
For more information on studio management software and how it can help you grow your studio, contact us for a free demo!