Partnering up with other businesses in your community to bring a common audience great services that they love is a fantastic way for you to expand your marketing reach. Best of all, it doesn’t have to cost anything.
Here are a few ideas to get you cross promoting.
First off, it’s a good idea to know what other businesses your studio family likes to frequent. You can get a good picture of this and stay on top of the trends by asking about it on your registration form. If you aren’t using the Studio Planner Pro registration form yet, here is a link to it.
Even if you haven’t been asking about what people’s favorite businesses or past times are, I’m sure you have a pretty good hunch about a few of the popular spots. You can start there and keep adding later.
Make a list of the places that are popular with your studio families. Think…
- Ice cream shops
- Pizza places
- Family or themed restaurants
- Coffee shops
- Salons
- Preschools
- Daycares
- Anywhere that you know is popular with your studio families
Then, decide how to partner up with them. Here are some ideas from no cost to low cost. Remember, that whatever idea you approach your potential community partners with must be mutually beneficial. Offer them some advertising in return. We will list some ideas for that below.
No Cost- Dress some of your dancers (that are really good sports) up in full dance costumes, hair and makeup, and, with the permission of the establishment, take a few fun pictures to post on social media with captions and hashtags about how your studio’s dancers love their place and include some details about upcoming events or registrations at your studio and/or the establishment that you are taking photos in. You will be getting attention for your studio and their business at the same time.
Very Low Cost- Create a coloring page that has a coupon with an amazing offer to entice a new student or family on it to leave at favorite hangouts, eateries, preschools or daycares. You can have your own color page created by an artist inexpensively on Freelancer.com or use one of the freebies offered at DanceStudioOwners.com. (Be sure that you are not committing any copyright infringement.)
Pretty Low Cost- Have a drawing. Get some collection boxes and entry forms. (Please note that I’m not affiliated with the company that this link is for in any way. Just saw that they had very reasonable pricing.) Drop them off with your cross marketing partners and have a drawing for a free month of classes, a free camp, a free recreational session… Here is the most beautiful part of this one; you are adding interested people to your mailing list! Even if they don’t win, call them or email them. Let them know that you’re sorry that they didn’t win, but as a consolation, you would love to offer them a free trial class.
Now to reciprocate. I’m a big believer in good business karma. That means, among other things, that in every business dealing, both parties must benefit. So, what are you going to do for them? Here are some ideas…
- Take some of their promotional materials or coupons to your studio and make them a part of a welcome packet, a special giveaway, or a goody bag for a special event like your daddy daughter dance or open house.
- Get on social media and let your fans know that you are their #1 fan.
- Offer them free advertising in your recital program, family handbook, or even on your printed class schedule.