Fresh. Trends. New. Latest.
When planning, promoting, and launching into the start of a new season, you want to be in the lead both artistically and with your business practices.
The constant strive to better your best or out-do last year is an inherent part of the process of being in business.
Foundation. Technique. Original. Quality.
On the other side of setting yourself apart from the rest is the pull to re-commit to the fundamentals and solidify the foundation at the heart of it all.
How do you balance the demands to separate yourself from the rest with the latest and greatest tools, trends, and technology…
While also firmly supporting your foundation with what really matters when it comes to running and growing your dance studio business?
As we embark on this year’s dance season, I’d like to share some observations from having been a part of the seminar faculty from the Dance Teacher Summit but also as a studio owner myself.
1. We can honor the past and the present at the same time.
Dance teachers and studio owners are excited to give their students a chance to the learn about the legends and history of dance AND from the latest stars of today’s reality TV shows.
The Lesson: You are in a great place to give your dancers exposure to a wide variety of performance and education – more than we’ve ever been before.
The Question: HOW do you do it?
How do you tie history to the present? What are the ways you educate and prepare your dancers for digesting past and current performance and choreography?
Ideas, Next Steps, and Further Reading
- So You Think You’re Prepared For Fall? Curriculum and TV Dance
- Everything Old Is New Again
- Teaching And Exploring the History and Evolution of Dance
- Why and How to Encourage Dancers to See Concert Dance
- Watching and Discussing Dance
See also the History of Dance category…
- What is Artistry and How Do I Develop It?
- Dance Interactive – Past and Present Pillow At Your Fingertips
- 9 Dance Biographies For Your Lobby Library
- Dance on DVD, Sent Right To Your Door
- TenduTV – (a little about TenduTV)
2. Before you try the latest and greatest marketing strategy, you have to master the fundamentals.
I met one studio owner had just invested hundreds of dollars into a postcard mailing with a QR code as the focus for her registration promotion. When I asked her where that QR code went, she said it went to her website which had NO online registration! You had to scan a QR code to go to a website where you had to then print off a schedule and either call the studio or come by with a check to register for classes. This was a very low-tech response required in contrast to a high tech marketing strategy call to action.
While the popularity of QR code scanning is on the rise, be sure to take the time to know if the population and age group who are actually scanning the codes are your target market. I know for sure that in this case, the studio owner was mailing to primarily women who are mothers of school-aged children…not young, wealthy men!
The Lesson: Start with making it easy for people to do business with you and then you can test the latest trends.
The Question: HOW do you do it?
What are the fundamentals? What is your strategy? What sets you apart? How do you communicate this? Where and with what new methods/technologies do you communicate it?
Ideas, Next Steps, and Further Reading
- Leveraging Your Dance Studio’s Identity to Grow Your Business
- 4 Costly Dance Studio Ad and Marketing Mistakes
- Four Ways To Make An Impact With Low-Cost Marketing
- 67 Creative and Effective Ways To Get Students To Register For Dance Class
- Why “Dance Moms” Is GOOD For Your Business
- Give the Gift of Dance in Your Community
- How To Build Enrollment With School-Aged Dancers
- S.T.E.P. Your Way To Social Media Success
- Confessions of a Busy Dance Mom
- The “Dancepreneur’s” Secret to Success
How do YOU honor the past and present at your dance school?
How do YOU market your dance school? What new trends have worked for you?
We want to hear from you!
Suzanne Blake Gerety is not only the very busy mom of two young children but is the owner and co-founder of DanceStudioOwner.com, and the Vice President of Kathy Blake Dance Studios. She is a regularly featured contributor in various pieces for Dance Teacher Magazine including, “Ask the Experts”, business articles, and has presented live workshops at Dance Media’s Dance Teacher Summit New York City.
Suzanne experiences the ups and downs of studio ownership too, which is what inspires her to help studio owners and teachers keep their passion for dance alive as they grow their business. You can connect with Suzanne on Twitter @SuzanneGerety and at DanceStudioOwner.com.
