It is now common knowledge that a social media presence is important to growing and developing a business, and dance studios are no different. How can studio owners use Instagram to help grow their business? Dance Informa spoke with Marissa Giacobbe from Breaking Ground Dance Center (BGDC) in Pleasantville, New York, to find out, and here is what we learned:
#1. Gear your posts toward your students.
When BGDC, now in its 11th season, started using Instagram two years ago, the studio was excited by how Instagram directly reached its student community.
“Whereas our website and Facebook pages are geared more to the parents,” Giacobbe says, “our Instagram account is all about our students and keeping them in the know. We promote programs, contests and highlight our students on this account. The camaraderie it has created has been great.”
Giacobbe says that while BGDC’s website and Facebook account are geared more toward parents and communicating important information about classes and programs, Instagram gives the studio a unique opportunity to reach out to students and get them excited about what’s going on at the school.
Breaking Ground Dance Center. Photo by Ayodele Casel.
#2. Use hashtags in your posts.
Hashtags are important to gain a following and increase your social media presence. You might create an original one for your studio (BGDC uses #bgdclove in all of its posts), or use some generic ones like #TutuTuesday. Be sure to integrate your Instagram account with Facebook and Twitter so you can post to all three at the same time.
#3. Develop some themes or contests.
Giacobbe says BGDC’s most successful posts on Instagram are always pictures from class.
“Whether it be our littlest ones or our intensive dancers, those videos always get the most response,” she says.
In particular, its photos from “Bring A Sweetheart to Dance” week, where parents are invited to join in class, are really popular. You can try other themes like “Class of the Week” or “Teacher of the Month.” Remember to post about a variety of classes and programs. The more students know about what your studio offers, the more they’ll want to do!
Some studios have great success with photo and video contests. For example, ask your students to submit pictures of their favorite costume or videos of their best leap across the floor. Develop a hashtag for the contest and select a winner!
#4. Use Instagram to educate and motivate.
If you keep in mind that your Instagram account is being followed by young dancer minds, you can use Instagram as a tool to cultivate your community. You might post pictures of famous dancers in history, promote dance companies that are touring to your city, or even post motivational quotes from famous choreographers and dancers. This is your dance studio community, so help your students grow their enthusiasm for dance and keep coming back for more!
By Katherine Moore of Dance Informa.
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