It’s fair to say a lot of us would rather be training or instructing on the mat than spending time hunched over our computers on Facebook. But of course with their popularity, we can’t ignore the potential for growth using these ever evolving social media platforms. No matter how much some of us may try to avoid the digital frontiers, the truth we face is that in order to grow the attendance at our martial arts schools we must be willing to communicate where the students and parents are found most frequently.
Today we will navigate just a short distance into the vast web that is social media. Here are some tips to help you venture into the world…
Make sure you have your profile complete.
The more information you provide to your viewers the easier it will be for them to find you. Make sure everything is filled out, you’ve added your own pictures, and all contact information is up-to-date. Just like your martial arts school, you don’t want things to be half-presented. Think of your online profiles as your internet storefront.
Interact with your social media networks.
Being active and engaging is important. If a school that is always closed, is a school that will close—then a social media network that is never social, will never produce return. Engage the audience and reply to comments and questions.
Have visually appealing content.
Sometimes all it takes is the same message in another format. Not everyone responds to plain text posts. Decide what messages need extra attention, then use more images, videos, or graphics to further drive the point you want to make.
Be consistent with your brand.
Understand that wherever you are, you want to keep a professional and consistent message just as you might at your school. Think to yourself, “Would I want my students and/or parents to see this profile?” You should always consider and be aware that your audience could and should be your students. Likewise, for logos, photos, and all content you share—keep to the same rules and make sure it stays true to your brand and welcoming to anyone you’d like to have as a student.
These are just a few tips to help ease you into your social media marketing. If you can at least do 1 or 2 of these techniques, you may be surprised at how this will launch you ahead of many competitors already. However, the more time you put into these platforms will directly impact the value of your returns. The more time you spend, the more value you will see in new leads, developing community, and local networking.
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