Offline Marketing Strategies for Your Dance Studio

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Offline marketing strategies –like giveaways, flyers, and special events can be excellent promotional opportunities for dance studios.[/caption]

While online marketing is one of the most popular forms of advertising, offline marketing offers plenty of opportunities for dance studios to promote themselves.

Dance studios can benefit from both online –and offline promotional tactics. Using a blend of both digital and in-person promotions is a great way to get the best of both worlds, allowing you to reap the rewards that come from online marketing, and local, targeted advertising with direct customer engagement.

If you’re looking for a few new ways to promote your dance studio, here are some tried and true offline marketing strategies –that don’t require a huge budget.

Get Some Signs and Banners

If you don’t have one already, consider getting a sign for your studio. Signs are considered to be the most effective, yet least expensive form of advertising for small businesses –according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. Banners, which can be changed out periodically, can help alert your clients to specials or promotions you might be running –and can help to grab attention of passersby.

Offer Free Giveaways

Everyone loves something for free! Having a free giveaway is a great way to attract new students, and give the older ones a small thank you. Free giveaways can be anything from a dance lesson, to a tour of the facility, to keychains. It doesn’t have to be something big; even a small giveaway can help get your name out there and help bring in more clients.

Host Promotional Events

Hosting a promotional event is another great way to attract new students. Special events can be held on holidays, to commemorate a local event, or seasonally –like a mid-summer BBQ. It doesn’t have to be a big event, but hosting a special event is a great way to draw in new potential students. Be sure to have plenty of promotional items on hand, like pamphlets about your studio and the different dance classes that you offer, or coupons for discounts on signing up for a block of lessons.

Donate Your Services As a Prize

Local organizations are always looking for donations of services, and what better way to get some free advertising than by donating something from your studio? This includes gift certificates or special discounts. Doing this will help increase awareness of your studio, and help you to gain new potential students, who may, in turn tell their friends and family members. Donating services as a prize to your local community is a great way to raise awareness of your studio, and also helps to build your reputation.

Print It Up! Mailers, Flyers, Newspapers

Just because you are already doing email marketing doesn’t mean you need to forgo traditional mail, old fashion mailers are still making the list. Ensure that your mailing is specific enough to target the audience you are hoping to attract. Consider sending flyers to your existing students offering two for one specials or other promotions that will encourage them to share the special with their friends. You could also try advertising in the local newspaper to extend your coverage.

Encourage Word of Mouth Promotions

Word of mouth is one of the best forms of advertising. According to Nielsen, 92 percent of consumers say that they believe recommendations from friends and family over all other forms of advertising. To encourage your students to share the word about your studio with friends and family members, consider offering a discount or incentive to those who refer you.

While it’s easy to rely on online forms of advertising, don’t forget about some of these offline promotional favorites. Start small with one, or two and work your way out from there, discovering what works for you. Who knows? You might find that some of these tactics give you a better response rate than you would have ever thought.

Do you run offline promotions? Which offline marketing tactics have worked for you?

Image: Felix Padrosa Photography

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