In this episode, Jill Tirone and Suzanne Blake Gerety highlight key data that every studio owner should know to position their studio for growth in 2021 and emerge from the pandemic.
They share insights on enrollment trends, performances, website analytics, social media metrics, and local marketing to set you apart and be ready to bring more dancers back to class.
This information is based on current survey data gathered from thousands of studio responses throughout this dance season. Get a competitive edge and inspiration to make strides in building up and strengthening your dance studio this year.
In this episode, we discuss…
[02:51] Enrollment Trends
[04:34] Creative Responses to Enrollment Issues
[05:18] Plans for Spring and Summer
[06:32] Digital Data Analytics
[07:50] Google Analytics
[09:04] Data Gives You a Competitive Edge
[10:17] Use This Time to Turn Things Around
[11:19] Social Media Metrics and Data
[13:00] Social media Power Pack
[13:54] Local Marketing
[15:33] Google’s Local 3-Pack
[15:57] Google My Business Insights
With regards to enrollment, classes, performances, surveys show that most of majority of dance studio owners are holding classes. With the benefits of the vaccine rollout, number of in person classes is expected to increase. As for enrollment, unfortunately, everyone is facing a decrease in numbers due to the pandemic. Overwhelmingly, 50% of studios surveyed are reporting 20 to 50% decrease, and then another 17 to 20% are reporting over 50% decrease. However, things have started to look up over the past few months.
Due to the drop in enrollment, studios had to get creative. The numbers might look terrible on paper this season, but it is okay as you are doing it to save your business. As for 2021, nearly 90% of our studios are reporting planned Spring or Summer shows. The season is a little bit delayed this year and that might have a ripple effect on your Summer enrollment and into Fall.
Looking at the data from your website and your social media can provide insightful information. This will help you find out who is coming to your website, where they are coming from, and what are they looking for. You will be able to make any necessary adjustments and make navigation and access to information easier for the visitors. Google Analytics is a great place to keep track of this data.
Analytics and data might sound boring, but it gives you a competitive edge. If it seems overwhelming, you can start with things like simple keywords, visitors’ statistics, etc. You can use this time to turn things around, anything that you want to do, now is the time to do it. Use the data to empower you to make changes. As for social media, you will have to jump on the bandwagon. You don’t have to be everywhere, and you don’t have to nail every single platform, but you do need to be in it to win it.
Key social media data includes your brand awareness, post engagement and reach, click through rate, and conversions. It is worth it, even if you cannot feel the immediate effects. If you want to know how to make social media easier this year, you can try our Social Media Power Pack. You can use the templates to create professional graphics and social media posts that will give you a nice boost into the next month of content.
Local marketing is something dance studios should focus on, like Google My Business. If you have not already, claim your business and then give the listing a facelift. To boost your spot in the Google’s Local 3-Pack, the most important things are photographs, content, and reviews. You can also get a lot of useful information from the insights provided by Google My Business listings.
The trend that you should be keeping an eye on are direction requests locations, as it tells you the areas where customers are direct requesting directions. It shows a trend on where customers are coming from for you. Additionally, it will give you the most popular time phone calls come in. Although it may not seem like an urgent matter, data can show you where the growth can happen. This does not mean you have to understand everything, it just means you need to get a grip on the few things that make the biggest difference.
Links Mentioned in this Episode…
Suzanne Blake Gerety
Suzanne Blake Gerety is the director of DanceStudioOwner.com, the leading online resource for dance studio owners world-wide, she provides information and inspiration to start, run, and grow your business.
Suzanne is the second-generation owner of Kathy Blake Dance Studios where she and her mom, Kathy Blake, continue to run a thriving studio, which has been in the family for over 40 years. Suzanne was born into the dance studio life and brings the perspective of an owner, educator, mom, and businesswoman to her consulting. She has reached over 10,000 business owners in over 30 countries since the launch of DanceStudioOwner.com a decade ago. She is known for helping studio owners through important transitions: start up, growth points, employee relations, family business dynamics, rebranding, financial hardships, and buying and selling businesses. Her authentic and real-life approach to helping studios solve complex problems is what fellow colleagues say makes her guidance so valuable.
Suzanne and her mom, Kathy are the long time featured columnists for Dance TeacherMagazine’s, “Ask the Experts”. She regularly teaches and presents business seminars at the Dance Teacher Summit, Toronto and Calgary Dance Teacher Expo, Energize: Tools for Studio Success and for other various industry dance events. Her love of marketing combined with her real-life examples make the information she provides timely and immediately useful for audiences. Suzanne is a part of the team at REV UP Brands comprised of Revolution Dancewear, Tenth House, Dance Studio Owner and Nimbly.
Suzanne is a featured contributor in the The FabJob Guide to Become a Dance Studio Owner, FabJob Guides have been featured in stories at The Wall Street Journal and Entrepreneur Magazine sites. In addition to a B.A. in Psychology and a B.S. in Child Development from Colby-Sawyer College, Suzanne has training and experience in communication and leadership from one of the world’s foremost personal development companies.
Suzanne is a mom of two children, married to a great guy, she loves her family and her dance studio family too! She is a passionate advocate for dance studio owners and dance education throughout the world and brings the resources and support to current and future owners to help them achieve success.
Jill Tirone
Jill Tirone is the community manager at DanceStudioOwner.com and founder of DanceFit Marketing. She is best known for breaking down the latest trends in social media, branding and website design into into simple strategies with proven results and has a knack for helping studio owners navigate the ever-changing, complex world of digital marketing.
For over 10 years, Jill has been empowering studio owners to be creative and innovative with their online digital marketing efforts. Graduating magna cum laude with a degree in Dance Education from the University of New York at Buffalo and earning an Associates Degree from Genesee Community College, Jill combines years of teaching, marketing, and administrative experience to provide solid action plans and creative solutions.
She is a regular contributor to Dance Teacher Magazine and Dance Retailer News and has presented business seminars at Dance Teacher Summit, Calgary Dance Teacher Expo, Twinkle Star Dance, and Energize.
If you’re looking to enhance your dance studio’s brand and get creative with your digital marketing, you’re in the right place. Jill is dedicated to helping dance studio owners build the studio of their dreams by sharing her passion for dance and marketing.