Welcome to the first episode of Dance Informa’s new video series, Studio Owner Tips from Studio Expansion.
If the enrollments in your studio could do with a boost, here are three ways to get more students through the door quickly!
1. The “Invitation” Strategy
This strategy works wonders! By using personalized invitations, you’ll bond your students even closer to your studio, and this costs next to nothing to roll out.
Simply print out gorgeous invitations to a free workshop or event at your studio for your current students to give to their friends. The key here lies in the personal approach. Take a few minutes at the end of one of your classes and pass these invitations around to your students. Give them some markers, and at the top of the invite ensure there is a space for them to write their name and the name of a friend they would like to invite along.
The kids will love the chance to invite their best friends! It’s like a party invitation and is the easiest way to promote word-of-mouth enrollments without having to have those awkward conversations about bringing a friend along!
2. The “Find Out More” Strategy
Targeted Facebook ads are one of the most powerful ways to connect with your dream students in your local neighborhood. Facebook ads give you the ability to target the exact person you would like to attract – even as specific as a female, aged 33, who lives in a particular suburb and who likes Lululemon!
One little secret to help you make the most out of your ad budget is to make sure you choose the “Find Out More” option when creating your ad. It’s common to see studios using the “Sign Up” button choice, but through testing, we’ve found that this is asking for too much too soon.
We want to choose “Find Out More”, as then we can gently guide and educate people into why to choose your studio. Our intention is to nurture them toward coming to your studio, and this tiny little tweak in your strategy will help you attract more students through Facebook.
3. The “Phone Strategy”
Think back over the past month to how many inquiries you’ve received in your studio. If you were to add them up, how many of those inquiries were you are able to enroll into your classes?
To make the most of every precious inquiry you’ve received, one tip is to get off out of your inbox and get onto the phone!
Use your passion for teaching dance and sharing that gift with your students to connect with the potential new student. Ask them questions, get curious about why they are looking for lessons and what is important to them in a studio. By asking more questions about them, you’ll demonstrate how much you care, and that will put you head and shoulders above the competition. Write a list of three to five questions, and keep them by the phone in your studio so you can easily refer to them next time you’re on the phone.
Roll out these strategies in your studio, and very soon you’ll start seeing your numbers grow and grow.
If you’d like more ways to grow your studio, click here to sign up for “30 Enrollments in 30 days” – a free video training course for studio owners!
By Chantelle Duffield, Studio Strategist at StudioExpansion.com.
Photo (top): By Richard Calmes. www.richardcalmes.com