| Friend,
So today I'm going to talk about the hidden costs of DIY dojo marketing. But first, let me be absolutely clear about something.
And that is, if all you can afford is DIY marketing, then do a crap-load of DIY marketing. I've seen some ugly marketing do great things for martial art schools, mainly because:
A. The school owner did a crap-load of it, and - B. The school owner knew how to put together great offers -
So, don't feel bad about doing DIY marketing if that's all you can do. But the minute you have the budget to hire someone who can put that extra polish on your marketing, you need to do so. And here's why in three words...
IMAGE, IMAGE, and IMAGE
"Image" is something that the bulk of new small business owners don't give a lot of thought to at all. Well, let me take that back - female small business owners are usually concerned with the image of their business, but guys often aren't.
Which is a shame, because your image is so very important to gaining the TRUST of the public. You see, consumers in today's market are highly skeptical, and that's why it's incredibly important to gain their trust early on in the business-to-consumer relationship.
Consider that in most cases the first thing a consumer is going to see from your business is your marketing. They're going to see your website, your rack cards, your door hangers, and your direct mail pieces long before they'll ever step foot in your door.
PRACTICALLY NO ONE SEES YOUR DOJO FIRST
Heck, almost no one drives anywhere to shop different businesses anymore. Instead, they Google what they're looking for and then they gather info on different businesses from the websites of those businesses, as well as consumer review sites and social media.
So, doesn't it make sense that you'd want to put your best foot forward as a business?
Of course it does. And that would mean making sure your website, social media pages (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram), and physical marketing collateral (rack cards, door hangers, business cards and guest passes) look as professional as possible.
"SO, WHERE SHOULD I SPEND MY MONEY?"
So, about now I know that a ton of you are asking, "But Mike, if I'm just starting out and I don't have a lot of money to budget for marketing, where is the best place to spend what little I have?"
Ah, good question! Here's what I suggest: - Get a decent business logo made. Not necessarily because a logo is so important for small business branding (it really isn't), but because I know you're going to make one anyway, and a crappy logo just makes your business look like amateur hour. And stay away from logos with a lot of martial-artsy-fartsy looking crap on them, like dragons, kanji, Asian-style fonts, and the like. Instead, get something that looks more modern, similar to a sports team logo.
- Spend the rest of your budget on your website. Here's why; a small business website usually functions as the "narrow" end of your marketing funnel. Typically, it's where 90% of the real action happens in your marketing, because it's the one place where you can control every element of what the consumer sees about your business. Also, chances are good that all your other marketing is going to point to your website. So, you need to make it a good one.
- Finally, if you have anything left over spend it on some quality VIP guest passes and rack cards. There are a ton of businesses and services that provide martial art schools with quality printed materials. Just pick a design that suits your needs and school image, and that you know will convert... and then plaster your town with it. And remember that you can't do too much marketing, so make sure your stuff gets seen everywhere in your area.
Alright, that's it for my rant on low-rent DIY marketing. Hopefully, this info helps you elevate your image and get more students this year. After all, that's the whole point of marketing your dojo, right?
Until next time,
Mike Massie MartialArtsBusinessDaily.com
Quick-start Guide to My Books and Resources: - Looking for a list of books and resources I've written? Click here! - Looking for one-on-one coaching to grow your dojo? Click here...
P.S. - You can make your DIY marketing look a heck of a lot better if you understand things like typography, balance, and white space. Remember, professional graphic designers go to school to learn these things, but it doesn't mean you can't pick up a book or crack open Google and learn a few things about good graphic design BEFORE you DIY your next marketing piece.
|
