Dance Studio Marketing: 12 Ideas to Attract New Students

The more marketing channels you effectively use, the more touchpoints you’ll create with your target audience, encouraging them to explore your studio’s offerings and sign up. Let’s take a closer look at how to make these platforms work for your dance studio!

Social Media

Social media posts can skyrocket your reach, giving your studio a larger platform to market your services. Plus, over half of U.S. teenagers spend at least four hours a day on social media, making it an essential channel if you run a dance studio for kids and teens. 

Meanwhile, their Millennial and Gen X parents and guardians (your paying customers) spend an average of 2 hours and 16 minutes per day and 1 hour and 22 minutes per day on social media, respectively, proving your current and prospective customers are likely using this channel regularly.

If your studio hasn’t already, create a business account on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), LinkedIn, and TikTok. Upload a professional photo of your studio or a high-quality logo as your profile picture so prospective clients immediately understand who you are and what you do. Be sure to update your location, business hours, and contact information on your profile so interested followers can easily get in touch.

Consider the target audience most likely to use each platform when creating your posts. Here’s a breakdown of top social media platforms and the generations they appeal to the most:

Sources: Sprout Social, Statista, and Pew Research

Generate posts that appeal to students’ parents on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn, and create content that appeals to younger demographics on Instagram, X, and TikTok.

Additionally, there are two different types of social media posts to consider: paid and organic. Here are the differences:

• Organic social media posts are typical posts that anyone can create on social media for free. These are the posts that will appear in your followers’ feeds. Organic posts establish your brand identity and allow you to share regular updates on studio activities and events.
• Paid social media posts are advertisements you can purchase to boost your message to specific target audiences. For example, if you’re interested in connecting with parents of kids or teens who live within 15 miles of your studio, you can set up a paid social post that delivers your content directly to their feeds, even if they aren’t following your page.

Experts recommend combining both post types for the best social media results. You can develop your organic audience for free while devoting some marketing dollars to paid advertising for a more intentional strategy. Be sure to track your posts' analytics to assess their effectiveness at converting leads into customers.

Additionally, ensure you leverage the strengths of each social media platform. For example, Instagram is all about high-quality, authentic photos, while Facebook prioritizes original (not reposted) videos and posts made within Facebook groups. Consider these factors to strengthen your studio’s social media presence.

How DanceStudio-Pro Can Help

Using DanceStudio-Pro, you can send push notifications to your current dance students and families, encouraging them to promote your studio on social media. You can also use the app to gather content ideas or user-generated content (UGC) from your students to feature on your social media accounts (with parent or guardian permission) and make your social media presence more authentic. Lastly, using DanceStudio-Pro Elite, you can add and track social media campaigns within the Lead Center to assess your customer acquisition efforts.

Customer Referrals

Word-of-mouth advertising through customer referrals is one of the strongest dance class promotion ideas at your disposal. This type of marketing is so powerful because people respect recommendations from friends and family, with studies showing that 88% of people trust recommendations from people they know more than any other channel.

When your current students recommend your studio to their cousins, friends, neighbors, or classmates, they tell them all about the fun events at your studio and how much they’ve learned in your classes, inspiring their peers to get involved. This method can exponentially grow your student community when each current student reaches out to multiple new prospects.

While this marketing tactic is completely free, we recommend offering students an incentive to encourage them to recommend your studio. For instance, offer a tuition discount for customers who bring in new students. This will help get more students on board with referrals and, ultimately, get more new students into your classes.

How DanceStudio-Pro Can Help

To incentivize customer referrals, you can message dance students and families and set up tuition discounts via DanceStudio-Pro.

Email

Did you know that the average open rate for an email marketing campaign is 36.5% and an even higher 41.8% for recreational businesses like dance studios? Focus on building email lists for both prospective and current clients to entice new customers and retain the ones you already have. Here’s how to engage each segment:

Acquisition email marketing

According to Deep Sync, acquisition email marketing is “the process of using email campaigns to grow your customer base.” Create an email segment for prospective clients separate from your communications to current students. Then, follow these best practices for communicating with prospects via email:

• Send welcome emails right after people sign up to learn more. This early communication makes interested consumers feel acknowledged and appreciated by your studio.
• Market your promotions and discounts. For example, if you’re offering a seasonal tuition discount or free classes to new students, convey these deals to your email subscribers.
• Provide the option to unsubscribe and respect when people do. Under the CAN-SPAM Act, U.S. businesses must provide a clear way for people to unsubscribe from email communications. When people choose to unsubscribe, respect this choice and don’t attempt to email them again through any backchannels.

Be sure to strike the right balance between giving your prospects the information they need to get involved and not annoying them by spamming their inbox with messages.

Lead management

Once you’ve acquired some new leads, keep them engaged via email so you can ultimately convert them into customers. Using lead management tools, you can follow up with leads at different stages:

• Send an email after they book a trial. Start by welcoming leads to your studio, confirming you received their trial booking, and asking them if they have any questions.
• Remind them about their trial class. As their trial class approaches, send a reminder email with more information about how the class works. For instance, you may include details about what dancers should wear, where students should park, and when they should arrive to ensure they’re prepared.
• Follow up about their trial. After they complete their trial class, follow up with leads to thank them for joining and further explain the benefits of attending your studio. If they don’t sign up right away, reach out again with your enrollment link and consider offering a discount or promo code that encourages them to register.

By staying in touch with leads, you'll ensure they show up to their trial class, communicate that you genuinely want them there, and boost the chance they'll become customers.

Loyalty email marketing

Email marketing is also important for engaging your current students and parents. To keep your current clients interested, you must:

• Send appreciation messages. Whenever customers purchase items like your studio merchandise or tickets to upcoming events, send thank-you emails that convey your gratitude for their continued support.
• Give perks to loyal customers. Surprise your long-time students with free t-shirt giveaways, raffles, or discount codes.
• Solicit feedback. Your students want a chance to be heard, too. Send out surveys to gauge student opinions on different aspects of your studio, such as class variety, teacher effectiveness, and overall satisfaction. You’ll allow students to express themselves and gain valuable feedback to adjust your strategy.

Building strong relationships with students and parents through email marketing fosters loyalty and enhances engagement between classes. Following these steps will create a community-centered environment that values each client’s input and support.

How DanceStudio-Pro Can Help

Using DanceStudio-Pro’s Robo-Mailer™, you can email current and prospective students and families for both acquisition and loyalty email marketing purposes. Schedule these messages in advance, send attachments for additional context, or even email students in specific classes.

DanceStudio-Pro Elite also includes a Lead Center to easily track and communicate with leads. With our solution, you can create an automated email sequence that ensures you consistently follow up with leads, personalize your communications to where leads are in the conversion process, and implement discounts and promo codes that help seal the deal.

Branded Merchandise

Who doesn’t love a soft, stylish t-shirt or fun branded mug from their favorite business? By offering branded merchandise with your logo and colors, you empower your dance community members to show off their pride in your studio!

Give students free merch when registering for classes, launch giveaways, or sell your swag at your dance studio store. When students wear or use your merchandise while out and about, they’ll expose a wider audience to your studio’s brand and may pique potential customers’ interest. Striking designs or stylish typography help your merchandise stand out and attract attention.

Beyond t-shirts or mugs, offer dance-specific items like duffle bags, water bottles, and dance gear. Your dance students can deck out from head to toe in your studio’s merchandise to market your business wherever they go. Plus, you can unify your studio’s brand by having everyone wear the same items.

How DanceStudio-Pro Can Help

DanceStudio’s Point-of-Sale system allows you to set up your studio’s Online Store. You can easily sell branded merchandise to your dance community members. Upload photos, add descriptions, and set your own prices with ease.

Direct Mail

After receiving direct mail from a business, 57% of consumers visit the brand’s website, 53% search for that brand online, and 46% search for online reviews about the business, demonstrating the power of direct mail to inspire action.

By combining your virtual efforts with physical advertisements such as direct mail appeals, you can reach a wider audience of potential students and make your message stand out. The benefits of direct mail include:

• Connecting with customers on a personal level. Consumers appreciate when direct mail includes their preferred name and speaks to them on a deeper level. For example, share a compelling story of one of your current students and how your studio has impacted them. Maybe they faced challenges in their journey but persevered and won a major competition with the help of your studio’s instructors. That’s the kind of personal story that can move readers and capture the attention of prospective students.
• Standing out above the clutter. Since people spend so much time on their phones nowadays, they consume countless advertisements from businesses trying to sell them something. With direct mail, you can focus your audience’s attention on your advertisement for a moment, improving the chances they’ll remember your business and contemplate your message.

Send postcards or flyers in your local area to promote your studio and encourage prospects to try it. Offer incentives like a free first class so potential students can see if your studio is a good fit before committing.

SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a popular digital marketing tactic businesses can use to improve their website’s ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). Considering 71% of clicks on Google search results occur on the first page, you want to get your website content into the top ten search results for keyword searches related to your business.

To determine which keywords to focus on, put yourself in prospective customers’ shoes and think about what they would type into the search bar when investigating options for local dance studios. If you were a parent of a rambunctious seven-year-old with a desire to join a dance class, you’d probably type phrases like “dance studios for kids” or “dance studios in [your city].”

For instance, when users located near Atlanta, Georgia, search “dance studios for kids” on Google, here’s what they see. At the top of the SERP, there are several paid search ads (we’ll dive into these more in the next section):

Below the paid ads, there’s a map that features several dance studios for kids in the area. These maps and listings are highly valuable for consumers because they include necessary information like business addresses, phone numbers, hours of operation, and reviews. To ensure your studio appears in these listings and on Google Maps, create a Google My Business Profile.

Lastly, the rest of this SERP is filled with organic search results like these:

As you can see, once users scroll past the paid ads and business listings, there’s limited space on the SERP for the organic results. Therefore, you must develop a strategy that ensures your website is among the top results. Take these steps to optimize your Google rankings:

• First, do some research to compile a list of the most relevant keywords for your business. Use a free keyword research tool like Google’s Keyword Planner or Moz’s Keyword Explorer to identify top phrases.
• Then, once you’ve gathered a few important keywords, include them within your website content so your pages appear on the results page when customers type in relevant search queries. Incorporate these keywords in the headings and subheadings of blog posts or internal website pages. This placement signifies to Google that the content is relevant and valuable for users and helps your pages rank higher on the SERPs.

This is just a brief overview of SEO. If you want to explore this marketing option further, plenty of resources for SEO beginners provide a deeper understanding of the process.

Pay-Per-Click Advertising

Pay-per-click advertising (PPC) is an advertising model in which marketers pay publishing partners (typically search engines) every time their ad is clicked. You can choose to bid on keywords relevant to your target area. If your bid is accepted, your website link will appear at the top of the SERP for your chosen keyword.

Here’s an example of the PPC ads appearing when a user searches “dance studio lessons.” If your studio were to bid on this keyword and win, your website link would be one of these text-based ads:

Other types of PPC ads include Google shopping ads that appear when users search for certain products. Check out these ads for the keyword “dance shoes”:

By pursuing a PPC strategy, you guarantee your website will pop up when users search your target keywords, even if your organic website links don’t currently rank on the first results page.

This effort will require some marketing funds, but if your dance studio is a nonprofit organization, you could actually receive this advertising perk for free. Registered 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible for Google Ad Grants that supply $10,000 worth of monthly ad spending.

Either way, these ads can get your studio’s website on your target audience’s radar, even if your organic web presence isn’t quite where you want it to be.

Flyers

Another non-digital marketing avenue you can use to reach new students is a good old-fashioned flyer. Flyers are a cheap dance class promotion idea because you only need a computer, printer, and ink.

Alternatively, you may print your flyers for a fee at a print shop or office supply store and use their higher-quality materials.

Ensure your flyer has all the basic information for your studio. Here’s a template that offers an example of what your flyers might look like:

Your dance studio marketing flyers should include your studio name and logo, your tagline (if you have one), a brief overview of classes you offer and your upcoming class schedule, your address, and contact information like your email, phone number, and social media handles.

Post your flyers on public bulletin boards with the owner’s permission. Here are a few popular places that usually permit businesses to hang flyers:

• Public parks
• Grocery stores
• Coffee shops
• Gyms
• Restaurants
• Libraries
• Bus stops
• Community centers
• Street posts

Hanging flyers in these locations exposes your business to the general public. Additionally, consider handing them out to current students so they can distribute them to their friends. That way, you’ll get your studio information directly in front of members of your target audience.

Local Sponsorships

Sponsorships can be highly productive marketing opportunities because they accomplish several goals simultaneously. They help market your studio, allow you to network with other business owners, and position your dance studio as a supporter of local community activities and events. Let’s explore each of these benefits:

• Market your studio: By sponsoring local groups, such as youth sports teams, or events like charity 5Ks, you can get your business logo on banners, t-shirts, and other marketing materials related to these events and activities. You’ll introduce your dance studio to a wider audience of community members who may not be familiar with your offerings.
• Foster relationships: Plenty of events feature booths for sponsors to offer more information about their businesses. Take advantage of these opportunities to connect with prospective new students and network with other local business owners. Share advice and put up each other’s flyers at your respective businesses.
  
• Position your studio in the community: Through event involvement, you position your dance studio as a proponent of local groups and charities. According to 360MatchPro’s corporate social responsibility guide, consumers are more willing to do business with establishments that engage in charitable efforts to improve society.

Here’s an example of what your booth might look like at a local event like a charity 5K, annual music festival, or sports tournament:

As you can see, this is a great way to prominently display your logo and attract the interest of event attendees.

Ultimately, through sponsorships, your dance studio will not only be able to do some good in the local community, but also share your message with the wider community and boost your PR image.

How DanceStudio-Pro Can Help

Reach out to parents via DanceStudio-Pro’s Portal App to identify sponsorship opportunities. For instance, one parent may need a sponsor for their child’s sports team, while another may be in charge of a local charity event looking for business partnerships. DanceStudio-Pro lets you leverage these connections by communicating directly with dance parents and guardians.

Text

While SMS marketing is an extremely effective channel, only 39% of businesses use it. Make your studio stand out and reach dance students where they already are through text message marketing efforts. Use texts to share information about:

• Seasonal tuition discounts or promotions
• Upcoming special events such as recitals or studio-wide parties
• New merchandise for sale at your studio store

You may also use text messages to follow up with leads and encourage them to sign up for your studio’s classes.

How DanceStudio-Pro Can Help

To create an effective text marketing strategy, you need a way to send out mass messages to everyone at once to save yourself time. With Robo-Texter™ from DanceStudio-Pro, you can easily schedule and send messages to current and prospective students.

Create communication segments to speak only to students or parents. Tailor your message to appeal to each group (and save the texting lingo for the younger crowd).

With DanceStudio-Pro Elite’s Lead Center, you can also automate texts to leads to keep them in your pipeline and inspire them to convert into customers.

Telemarketing

Similarly, conducting telemarketing efforts to advertise your dance studio also takes advantage of your audience’s frequent phone usage. You can gather phone numbers for your text and telemarketing efforts through:

• Prospect research
• Sign-up sheets while marketing your studio at community events
• Sign-up links for text/call alerts on all marketing platforms

Make an extra effort to contact prospective students who expressed significant interest in taking a class. A personal phone call can make all the difference in influencing them to make the leap and actually sign up. You can answer their questions on the spot and tell them exactly what they need to register for classes.

Dance Studio App

Take your digital marketing efforts to the next level by creating your very own studio app! With software like DanceStudio-Pro, you can develop a personalized app for your dance studio using your logo, colors, and other branding specifics. Students and parents download your mobile app right from the Apple or Google Play app stores. Check out this example of what your custom dance studio app log-in page could look like:

Use your custom-built dance studio app to:

• Send event reminders and updates through push notifications.
• Send reminders to register for classes using your online student registration link.
• Share videos and photos of your current dancers and their progress to engage students and generate excitement for your classes

Not all dance studio owners can say they have their very own studio app, so this can be an opportunity to set your business apart from competitors and offer something unique to your students.

Delve into Your Own Dance Studio Marketing Strategy

You can develop a strong dance studio marketing strategy by using a combination of these approaches. Combining online and offline marketing tactics will yield the greatest results by helping you cast the widest net to attract new customers.

Once you’ve sufficiently spread the word about your studio and earned some new customers, continue running the best dance studio possible and offering valuable experiences to your students. One of the best ways to ensure you maintain a high-quality studio is by equipping your team with proper dance studio management software. When you and your team of dance instructors operate efficiently, you can continue to grow your dance studio and boost revenue.

For information on how to optimize your dance studio business strategy beyond just your marketing plan, check out these additional resources:

• Dance Studio Business Plan: Steps to Get Started. Your dance studio business plan guides all future business decisions and can empower potential business investors to boost your studio's funding. Use this guide to create a detailed, functional business plan for your dance studio.
• Tips for Dance Studio Owners: 9 Best Practices for Success. As a dance studio owner, you know that marketing isn’t the only task on your plate. Check out this resource for tips to improve and streamline all aspects of your studio.
• Dance Studio Management: The Ultimate Guide for 2024. Running a dance studio in the modern age means fully embracing powerful dance studio management software. This post provides tips on using your dance studio software to manage your business more effectively.

Laura Cole, CEO of DanceStudio-Pro

For more than 15 years, Laura Cole has focused on strategic planning and project management for SaaS organizations. Laura became the CEO of DanceStudio-Pro in 2020. Laura is a wife, mom, yogi and volunteer.