As a new school season begins, if you hope to maintain or increase your enrollment it is essential to follow up with any of last year’s students who have not yet registered again this season. It is much easier and less expensive to appeal to students who were already enrolled at your studio than it is to advertise to the masses and hope for new customers. That’s because your former students already have a relationship with your studio, so you don’t have to convince them to give it a try. They’ve already expressed interest in the past and are the most likely candidates to continue dancing with you.  They are also the dancers who are most likely to sign up for additional classes and new programs because they already trust and enjoy your studio. So capitalize on that fact.

 

Remember that just because students aren’t signed up by September doesn’t mean that they’re gone forever. They may simply be busy getting ready to go back to school or haven’t decided yet which activities they want to put into their schedules. Many families are bombarded with a plethora of enticing after-school options and need to be reminded that you are the best choice. Sometimes a phone call saying that you hope to see their children again this season because you enjoyed having them in class so much last year is just what parents need to hear to remain loyal to your studio.

 

Offering excellent instruction and opportunities is just the beginning when it comes to keeping students coming back year after year.  Be proactive. You need to remind them that it’s not too late to register and convince them that they’ll be missing out if they don’t return this year. Get them excited about what’s happening at your studio this season and remind them of the friends, fun, and events they’ll enjoy if they continue to dance with you.

 

Here are some marketing ideas that can be implemented throughout the year to keep your current students connected and eager to return each season:

 

August: Send last year’s students a letter about what’s new at the school for the upcoming season and get them excited about the year.  Offer them something valuable, like a tuition discount for signing up by a certain date, to get them to avoid putting off registering.

 

October: Contact those who have not yet registered by mail or phone and remind them that it’s not too late. Families are often too busy settling into the new school year in September, but after a month or so they may be ready to sign up.

November: Offer promotions that reward your current customers for referring a new student, plan a Bring-a-Friend Week, or encourage parents to sign up siblings and additional family members with tuition discounts. Sometimes parents may be interested in an adult class.  December: Consider sending a postcard to your students wishing them happy holidays and offering something inexpensive but valuable as your gift to them for continuing into the new year, such as a discount on retail merchandise or a free trial class for themselves, a friend, or sibling.

 

February: Distribute summer brochures to your current students as well as to those who attended your summer programs last season but are not currently registered. Many former summer students may dance elsewhere during the school year but are still interested in your summer camps and programs.

 

March: Provide personal evaluations with written recommendations for next season to promote early registration and help parents understand their child’s placement level.

 

Recital: Have summer and fall brochures on hand at your performances.

 

Ongoing: Distribute monthly or quarterly newsletters with important dates, announcements, opportunities, auditions, and more. Good communication makes parents more likely to comply with your requests and requirements and makes them feel more like a part of the studio.  Newsletters can be mailed, handed out in class, or even sent by e-mail.

 

The same follow-up concept holds true for interested prospects, or “leads,” who have expressed interest in your studio but have not become students. It is essential to the growth of your school that you maintain a database with the contact information of the people who have asked you for information over the last year or two. Don’t merely write their names and addresses on the mailer of your brochure and send them away. Keep that contact information in a leads database so that you can follow up in the future. Just because someone isn’t ready to register right away doesn’t mean that they’re not interested. Many distractions keep people from acting immediately even if they are genuinely interested, so give them another chance. Periodically remind them that you’re out there, and give them an incentive to try your classes. Offer an open house, a free trial class, or a tuition discount, and include an expiration date to encourage a more immediate response.

 

It is much more cost effective to focus your marketing on former students and interested prospects than it is to advertise to the whole community when you’re on a budget. Consider that it costs $150 to $350 for the average print ad in a local newspaper, which may yield only a few responses from people who happened to notice it while reading unrelated articles. Then consider that a direct mailing to 300 people who have already expressed interest in your studio costs less than $150, offers unlimited ad space, and is much more likely to yield a response. It makes so much sense to use your marketing dollars to advertise directly to the people who are most likely to sign up.

 

Remember, just because someone doesn’t register right away doesn’t mean that they are not willing to buy. Sometimes timing is everything with busy parents. Don’t let those who’ve already attended or expressed interest in your school slip through the cracks. You’ve already worked so hard to gain their interest and their trust. Then use those hard-earned contact names to follow up with the people who already have one foot in the door!

 

 

 

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