You’ve got a great idea for a special event or workshop. You’ve contacted the teacher and arranged for their participation. You’ve made sure the studio is available. You’ve written up a great event description. You’ve even given yourself plenty of time to prepare for the event. But how do you get the word out?
Marketing is one of the most important parts of making any studio event successful. You’ll want to leave no stone unturned in face-to-face marketing, email marketing, or social media. But, there’s more to it than just hard work. You also need to work smart. Here are some tips for great marketing strategies for your next event.
DO: Start early.
Leave yourself at least six to eight weeks before the event to start marketing it. You can offer early bird discounts to encourage students to sign up promptly. Make sure, too, that you have time to raise awareness for the event on multiple channels.
Do: Make it fun.
Make sure your promotions are eye-catching without being cloying. Doing an inversion workshop? Consider collateral along the lines “Here’s a fresh perspective.” Make your marketing something students want to take a second look at. Tap into the pool of local graphic design talent (among your students, friends or teachers) to add a visual element to the campaign.
Don’t be afraid to play with a lighthearted approach if it works for your event. If your event is more academic, though, keep the information sophisticated (for example, detail four benefits of inversions) enough to offer depth.
Do: Get help.
Ask teachers to help spread the word. That can be via social media, paper advertising, word of mouth, whatever. The more voices you can have, the more efficiently you can work to do your part.
Also if you have even a small budget, you can advertise on Facebook. The registrations you will receive from targeting the right people will more than make up the cost.
Don’t: Flood your social media feeds.
Yes, students want to know about the event, but they don’t need every post to be an ad for something the studio is doing. Mix up your page with both studio announcements and general interest yoga posts (article links, etc).
Don’t: Repeat yourself.
Keep promo content fresh. Don’t reuse the same images more than necessary. Make sure any countdown-type content is timely.
Don’t: Be vague.
Every piece of marketing needs to contain the important information—date, time, price and how to register. If it’s online, a simple hyperlink is a great way to do that. For print advertising or flyers, include the website and phone number.
These strategies can help you make your next event a smash hit. And remember, if you have a guest teacher, it’s important to get them involved as well. They can post on their social media pages to help drive traffic and also promote the event with their own students.