Listen, lovely readers! We’re thrilled to dive into the topic of “Back to School,” a significant period that happens every year and serves as a major influx for martial arts schools. It’s a busy time much like January and February, but it’s also a season where our martial arts schools can truly thrive. So, let’s get ready!
The Influx of Students in September
With students gearing up for the new academic year, the opportunities for enrolment skyrocket. This is the time to make the most of organic growth and to prepare your school for a quieter November and December.
Key Points to Prepare
- Consistency in Marketing: Ensure that your marketing activities are consistent throughout the year. This helps in building your brand and gaining familiarity in your local area.
- Tailored Marketing: When it comes to back to school, view it as a massive opportunity. Tailor your marketing techniques to address the needs and concerns of parents, primarily focusing on new beginnings and changes.
- Organic Growth: Make your growth as organic and as engineered as possible. This is your chance to ramp up your student numbers before the quieter months.
Engage Parents with New Beginnings
Parents see back to school as a time for new beginnings, often looking for new activities for their children. Whether it’s their child’s first time at a new school or just the start of a new academic year, they are more open to opportunities that help build confidence and academic performance.
Consider Their Mindset
When September rolls around, parents are in a buying mindset. They’re shopping for uniforms, lunch boxes, and looking for after-school activities. If you can position martial arts as one of these essential preparations, you’ll catch their attention more effectively.
Tailoring Offers to the School Season
Offers and Deals: Time-specific offers such as free uniforms or special trials can create a sense of urgency. Tailor these offers to the specifics of back-to-school needs.
Here’s how you can refine your offers:
- Identify school-specific needs: Understand the common schools your students come from and tailor your offers specifically for those school communities.
- Create Scarcity: Emphasise that your offer is limited to the back-to-school period to encourage quick sign-ups.
Strategies for Effective School Relationships
Building relationships with schools can significantly enhance your enrolment numbers with minimal cost. Here’s how you can accomplish this:
Step-by-Step Guide
- Understand Your Current Student Base: Identify which schools most of your students come from.
- Leverage Existing Relationships: Use testimonials from current students’ parents to highlight improvements in confidence and academic results.
- Be Persistent: Don’t get disheartened by a lack of initial responses. Visits and personal interactions, like bringing a box of biscuits to the school office, help in standing out.
- Offer Value to Schools: Propose assemblies or demonstrations and offer to present awards to your students during school events.
"Remember, schools are often very busy and underfunded, so offering to contribute to their events can be a great way to build relationships."
Retention and Acquisition: Balancing New Influx and Existing Students
The seasonal influx of students should not come at the cost of your existing student base. Here’s how to manage both:
The Give It a Go Strategy
Organise events and “give it a go” days where existing students can participate alongside newcomers. This creates a sense of community and allows current students to showcase their skills, building a sense of pride and ownership.
Maintaining Existing Students
- Involve Current Students: Make them part of community events and open days.
- Referrals: Encourage current students to bring friends along with referral incentives
Crafting Effective Facebook Ads
Digital marketing plays a pivotal role in back-to-school campaigns. Let’s delve into creating effective Facebook ads for martial arts schools.
Basics of Facebook Ads
When setting up ads, you have two primary choices: Traffic Ads and Lead Ads. Here’s when to use each:
- Traffic Ads: Direct these ads to a booking page. Perfect if you have set up an online booking system.
- Lead Ads: These allow you to collect information right within Facebook, which you can then use to follow up.
Elements of a Great Ad
- Primary Text: This is the main copy of your ad. Keep it concise and engaging, with the key message in the first line to grab attention.
- Creative Element: Use striking images or engaging videos to stop the scroll.
- Headline: Keep it straightforward and relevant.
- Call to Action (CTA): Use effective CTAs like “Book Now” or “Learn More”.
Targeting Your Audience
- Location: Use a radius around your local area.
- Age and Gender: Keep it broad unless your class is specifically gender-based.
- Interests: Previously a key targeting option, now less relevant due to changes in user behaviour.
"Remember, Facebook’s improved algorithms can better determine who to show your ads to, so keep targeting criteria broad."
Test and Learn: Optimising Ad Performance
Testing different elements of your ads helps determine what works best and lowers overall ad costs over time.
Steps to Test and Learn
- Create Multiple Versions: Duplicate and modify elements like images, text, and CTAs.
- Analyse Performance: Check which versions generate the most conversions.
- Refine: Use the best performing versions and refine further.
Example of Ad Testing
Create three versions of the same ad changing only the images. Track performance and then refine based on data.
Example:
- Version A: Stock Image
- Version B: Custom Image
- Version C: Video
Track metrics like clicks and conversions to determine the most effective format.
Helpful Resources
- Canva Design School
- NEST Marketing Toolkit (Clients Only)
- YouTube Channel
- Marketing Campaign Page (Clients Only)
Best of luck with your back-to-school preparations! Let’s make it an amazing and prosperous season.
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Happy Teaching!
