An Open Day is a great way to market classes for your new dance year and gives potential students the opportunity to meet teachers, see your space and enrol for classes! But how do you ensure you're getting the most out of this traditional dance studio event?
An Open Day or Open House is a great way to connect with new students but there are a few things to remember when planning this event for your studio to maximise your chances of attracting your ideal clients and your conversion rate.
Timing is everything
Obviously, this is the most important factor of all. There's no point hosting an Open Day if it's in the middle of the summer holidays when most people will be away. And you should ALWAYS try to avoid long weekends when people tend to travel.
If you're holding your event before classes return for the year, try to make it as close as possible to when school goes back. This way, the chances of your ideal families being home from their holidays and ready for the new year will be high.
A great idea for studios that might hold their concert before classes for the year actually finish is to hold an Open Day in early December. This won't work for every studio but it's a great chance to get a headstart on enrolments for the new year.
You could also try hosting several different Open House events throughout the year to ensure everyone has a chance to attend. Weekends work best as they benefit families that are too busy during the weekdays.
Plan the day
Are you going to hold 'taster classes' as part of your Open Day? Or is it more of a 'come & have a chat' vibe? No matter what you decide, have a plan for the day so, and your staff, know what to expect and, more importantly, what's expected of them.
If you're holding classes, consider the length of each class (20-40 minutes is recommended) and remember to allow plenty of time on either side of the actual class time to answer questions and process enrolments. You should also really consider the class content. Think of the routines and activities that have been crowd-pleasers with your current students. The goal is for everyone to have fun!
Make sure your staff are aware of the date and time of your event and if they are required.
Advertise
Make sure as many people know about your Open Day as possible by creating social media graphics, posters, flyers and a landing page on your website where people can see the schedule for the day and register to receive for more information. Even if you don't have your class schedule or fees finalised just yet, a landing page is a fantastic tool for collecting leads.
Share the link via social media (don't forget local parent and community groups) and consider a paid campaign to spread the word if your budget allows.
Hang your poster in local coffee shops or restaurants with community boards. Look for similar spots at schools, daycares, and even gyms.
Offer an incentive
Give people a reason to sign up on your Open Day by offering a one-day-only discount, gift or special such as a uniform discount or free studio merchandise such as t-shirts or drink bottles. If time, permits, create a exclusive item that is ONLY available to people who sign up for classes at your event.
Make it easy
Above all, you want to make it as easy as possible for people to attend your event AND enrol for classes on the day. Have tablets and other devices ready so parents can register on the spot - don't just send then away with a web address to visit to enrol their students!
If you're not using dance studio software (watch this space for more on choosing the perfect fit for your studio), make sure your registration form is easily accessible and includes the most important details you need to move forward with sign-ups, including contact information and methods of payment. This is also a good place to include a liability waiver.
You should also have a way of collecting the details of people who attend Open Day but don't sign up to classes. Follow up these leads within a couple of days to see how you can help them enrol - or even include an added bonus offer.
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