"Wasted Time"

I noticed today that my friend Alison had posted an article on Twitter.  Normally I never click on her links cause they're generally about wedding planning or some other garbage to do with weddings/marriage that I only roll my eyes at, but the title of this one caught my attention.

Brian McGovern wrote an article about how crappy he finds event blogs... which I only determined because it was titled "Why Your Event Blog Is Crap".  So I read the article in it's entirety, and thus I have decided to write a blog in return!  Well actually, I'm following a bit of his advice and writing a useful blog today, that maybe if another studio owner reads they can learn something from.

Now I don't run an event business, or write an event planning blog for that matter, so I don't take too much of what he says personally.  However, I'm not sure who crowned him the 'knower-of-all-things' when it comes to blogging.  I don't necessarily disagree with everything that he's saying, but there is one thing that I need to speak up for myself about.

Brian makes a statement about people who own small business (which I fall in this category) being afraid of marketing.  This may be true for some people, but I know as a dance studio owner that the marketing he is referring to is not always effective or attracts the types of clients that I want.  Advertising space or flyers are definitely not cheap, and in the past I have kept track of how many students I have gained out of marketing campaigns to see if their return value is worth my money.  Nine times out of ten for me, it never brought in enough money to bother doing it again.

What I have learned from many successful studio owners and even through my few years of experience is that there are really only 3 main forms of marketing that a dance studio needs to be concerned about.  The first is really only geared towards dance studios, and other businesses like it, but never the less it might make sense to some other people.  My Recital Program at the end of the year is one of my best forms of marketing.  It has all the details about my studio in it, as well as pictures of happy kids, competition results, plus advertising for my summer camps and upcoming registration dates.  Over 600 people attended my Recital last year, so that means that around 600 programs left the Theatre that day and went to many different households.  Then when those people have friends over and they see my program on their coffee table it automatically starts a conversation about my business.  And generally when it comes to my Recital people are always willing to tell everyone how wonderful it was, how great their kid looked on stage, and so on, which creates an excitement... which makes their friend come and register.

I never understand when I go to other Recitals why their programs are just printed in black ink on a pastel piece of paper folded in half and stapled together.  It speaks volumes of the effort you put into details of your show and your studio.  Plus something that cheap is not a souvenir of your Recital that people will be proud to keep and show off to other potential clients.  On the flip side I went to a Recital a few years ago where the studio prints up yearbooks that double as their Recital Program, however, they cost $20 to buy a the door ($15 if you were lucky enough to order in advance!).  Now I already paid for a $40 ticket, and drove to the Theatre, so I was not paying money to buy a book to be able to follow along with your show.

The second marketing tool that is essential to any business in these times is a good website.  I always keep my website updated, and recently added an interactive Google calendar on it so that my clients are kept in the loop with what's going on.  Make it attractive for your current client base, and easy to use. I can't stand that some studios have their teachers from two years ago listed that don't even work at their studio anymore.  Maybe the majority of clients don't know the difference, but if someone is coming to your studio because they want to work with a teacher that you advertised you had, but you really don't = bad marketing!

The third thing, which I think is the most important, is simply word of mouth.  If a parent and their child are happy at my studio, they will always go out of their way to tell someone else that they are.  Let's face it, there are a dozen dance studios in my area and all these kids go to school together. When one parent is complaining about their studio, and the parent from my studio is saying how happy they are with me... do I need to state the obvious here!  I even reward families at my studio when they refer a friend to come and they register for the year.

There are several studios around me that have weekly newspaper ads, and the biggest ad they can buy in the phone book, but I'm not interested in necessarily attracting those types of people.  They run coupons for free classes, or a half price month, in order to attract a mass amount of kids at their Registration.  Which is fine at first, but what happens after that?  Those people who are just coming for free classes, cause they're free, are not the people who are interested in their kid taking dance long term.  I want to attract the long term clients, who have an understanding that quality training at a dance studio is not free.

I even heard from a friend the other day that they only wanted to compete around their area so they could attract kids from other local studios to switch over to his.  Are you serious?  That is the last type of parent I want at my studio!  If a parent is happy at my studio with the weekly classes their child receives, the prices are fair, and the fact that I do my best to make their kid look great on stage, then they won't switch studios.  It's simple; make your current clients happy... they'll bring you more clients!

I have a marketing plan that works for my business, in my area, and for my clients.  I am successful at marketing, and in business, because I have taken these things into consideration and use it to my advantage.  There is no black and white list for marketing... but maybe this Brian McGovern guy will come up with one quickly for all of us!

I'm sure Mr. McGovern will never read this, because he has clearly wasted enough time on useless blogs... but maybe I just saved someone else the time of creating a "Free Trial Class" coupon tonight!

"Crazy In Love"

As much as I love the original Beyonce song, I am a sucker for covers, and Anthony & The Johnsons version generally gets to me every time. So of course I decided to use it for a dance this year!

I spent today at the studio for the first time in 2 weeks. I had even forgotten what a mess I had left it in! I cleaned for a bit while my friend from Vlad's Dance Company, Jordan Clark, was down working on a solo for one of my students, Savanah. Jordan is Savanah's idol and we surprised her with a solo choreographed by Jordan this year, so needless to say she was elated and fought through a 4 hour solo class today to finish the entire thing. I can always tell early on with a number whether or not it's going to be successful at competition, and the combination of everything to do with this solo screams winner to me!

So in honor or Savanah today and one of my favorite cover finds of 2009 I need to share this short little video. It's a clip of the start of one of Savanah's other solos that I'm working on. About a month back I was taping her running through the beginning for the first time and she had a little mishap! One of the many things I love about this kid is her ability to work through pain and generally push through anything...

It gets me every time that she just keeps going! She held her head for quite a while after that, but that was a fully developed 13 year old body's weight landing on that head, so you have to feel for her!

Yes I said 13, she's just a baby, so her head will probably heal quickly!

I couldn't think of a better way to kick off what will be a fabulous year at DF then being at the studio today with Jordan and Sav. We share a passion for dance that enables us communicate with each other in a language of movement that touches right to my soul.

I have in the past declared myself "crazy in love" with many things, like my Christian Louboutin boots, or that Oscar de la Renta dress I'm waiting for a sale to buy! But I officially declare 2010 the year I will breathe nothing but passion and love into my studio and my choreography.

Out with the frivolous things in my life... and in with giving more kids concussion symptoms!

"Sleeping to Dream"

I woke up today in my bed to the sounds of my good friend Alison in my kitchen making coffee... normally I'd panic that she's touching my appliances, but I was actually really happy that spread out throughout the 3 floors of my house were my closest friends all sleeping in!

It's probably lame to anyone younger than us, but our New Year's Eve was very enjoyable. We played board games... well us girls played board games as Scott quit at Candy Land cause it was clearly too complicated for him! We drank fancy drinks from the Magic Bullet and ate yummy food. We cracked open a bottle of champagne at midnight and then we watched "The Hangover" and slowly everyone fell asleep around the tv. At 2am the movie was over and we all separated to our sleeping quarters to go have some lovely dreams of the great year ahead.

Now everyone has gone home and I am left with a semi-clean house and lots of laundry... however, I am sitting on the couch and not worrying about any of it! I think in 2010 I'm going to take a lot more time to relax about those things that generally cause me anxiety and just enjoy my day as I choose. Hopefully come competition season I'll remember that... and if not I still have a garage full of Merlot!

I think I will take a nap in anticipation of Jordan Clark coming to my house later on today. She's coming to the studio with me tomorrow to do some choreography and she's generally my comic relief right in the New Year!

Maybe I should vouch to take more naps in 2010... I generally do my best work in my sleep and I can dream up fantastical ideas. Last night I came up with a brilliant Recital finale number!

Too bad when I sleep my costume order doesn't get done...