It’s that time of year again when sign ups happen for gymnastics and dance classes. But, how do you get to those new students to let them know all about your studio and gym and your class offerings? We have found a whole list of creative and effective ways to get those students registered. Probably, the most effective of all of the marketing ideas for a new season of classes is through the mail with a clever postcard and then with a follow up note through email. This reinforces your campaign. It has been shown that people like to still receive mail at their mailboxes and sorting through a pile of letters and postcards. With a bright and colorful postcard featuring exuberant students rehearsing for a show or a competition, your mailpiece can excite new students and entice parent’s to sign their children up for classes. Incorporate a postcard or letter campaign into your registration campaign and you will see a large increase in student sign ups. The following is a list of some tips and ideas for your mailers.
Obtaining new students is an ongoing task and must be implemented at every event that your students perform or compete. An open house or a registration week are good dates to design a direct mail campaign for new students. Sending out postcards with the specific sign up dates as the centerpiece is easier to get someone interested than sending random general promotion postcards about your studio. People will hang on to the postcard and mark their calendars. New class start dates and schedules are time sensitive and having your direct mail oriented to these dates will help create a sense of urgency and encourage recipients to act immediately.
Designing your postcard is the next step in your mail campaign. Now that you have the purpose of the campaign and the postcard has been chosen as the item you are going to send, you will need to design it to attract the new student. First, you will want a photo, piece of art or some other very colorful graphic on the front of the card to grab the reader’s attention. Using a photo of your students in your studio or gym is always the best idea as it shows the real life situation that you are asking a new student prospect to participate in. Have a headline statement that explains the event that you are asking them to attend right under or o