Thread: Promotion?

Hello all,

I would like some advice on promotion. I know there are a lot of people in my area interested in the dance. The other teachers' classes are full where sometimes mine don't even go. I've never had this problem before now. I recently moved here, it is true, but I have taught in more than one region and didn't have this problem. If the other teachers' classes are so full, why are mine empty sometimes? My beginner class always goes, but even there I see a lack of students. The ones that do come usually stay throughout the levels, so I know it's not my personality or anything. I'm just having a problem getting them into my class.

First of all, I think a problem lies in that I teach in a small town that is connected to a larger town by a bridge. The smaller town is considered 'ghetto' in comparison, and people don't often go there except to drink. Secondly, strange things have been happening. The newspaper wanted to do a story on me, interviewed me, and then I was told that the editor said that they couldn't run the story because there was an item about my classes in the calendar section of the paper? I have pretty much wallpapered this area with posters and fliers, I have gotten together with other dance teachers in town...I am at a loss.

Originally Posted by BreaMorgiane

Hello all,

I would like some advice on promotion. I know there are a lot of people in my area interested in the dance. The other teachers' classes are full where sometimes mine don't even go. I've never had this problem before now. I recently moved here, it is true, but I have taught in more than one region and didn't have this problem. If the other teachers' classes are so full, why are mine empty sometimes? My beginner class always goes, but even there I see a lack of students. The ones that do come usually stay throughout the levels, so I know it's not my personality or anything. I'm just having a problem getting them into my class.

First of all, I think a problem lies in that I teach in a small town that is connected to a larger town by a bridge. The smaller town is considered 'ghetto' in comparison, and people don't often go there except to drink. Secondly, strange things have been happening. The newspaper wanted to do a story on me, interviewed me, and then I was told that the editor said that they couldn't run the story because there was an item about my classes in the calendar section of the paper? I have pretty much wallpapered this area with posters and fliers, I have gotten together with other dance teachers in town...I am at a loss.

Well, for one thing, you are a new teacher in the area...at least two of the other teachers in your area have *years* of local word-of-mouth working for them. Also, now there is more competition...the number of available and interested students doesn't immediately increase just because there is a new teacher in town. However, I think the coffee shop showcase, the flyers, and getting onto the newspaper calendars are all good moves...g.:

Seriously, it may take some people months or years to go from, "That's cool" to "I'm interested in that" to "I want to try that" to actually signing up for a course. So some of your promotion may take a while to bear fruit. That doesn't mean it's not working.

Thanks for the thoughts, da Sage. You're right, the other dancers in the area do have years of word of mouth going for them, and I'm new. I guess maybe I just need a bit of patience. ..g.: I am very hopeful about the coffeeshop showcase!

I also note that my (cheaper) college course tends to fill immediately and everyone stays. They are my most dedicated students afterwards as well. Maybe I should continue that too.

I am not sure what your community is like, but you may consider either partaking heavily in the local community hafla's, taking your students, and performing. If you don't have a regular hafla...start one up. It doesn't take much to do it. Find a dance studio with enough space, get scheduled in for a once a month hafla, make flyers, email everyone, go to other teachers classes and talk to the teachers and students about the hafla...sometimes face to face works best. Exposing your talent as a teacher and allowing others to see you as a performer can allow people to make the decision "Oh, I really like the way she dances, I think I'll join her classes". Or "Oh, her students are really good, she must be a good teacher". Just some thoughts

Thanks, Amaryllis! Those are great suggestions. I don't think we have a monthly hafla here. Those in this area are rather insular (not just bellydance, I mean in general). The lady owning the yoga studio where I currently teach says when she started yoga here it took her several years to get students!

Hi breamorgine. the teachers I know who are successful have told me that they just plugged along for years until getting a critical mass of students. It's tough to keep plugging away when there are only 2 or 3 people there but I've been told over and again that you absolutely cannot be erratic, you must be regular and never cancel class even it it involves losing money to pay a sub.

That said, it's also a good idea to plan out at the beginning how long you are willing to do that for. Like, are you willing to teach dustbunnies for one year as in investment of your future? With a business plan you can realistically assess these things (and if you decided to continue or to close down it would be a business decision, not an emotional one.)

in my own life I don't know how many flyers I took of the local teacher & looked wistfully at before actually attending my first class. I would see the flyer and think, 'someday I'm gonna do that' It took about 3 years before I did acted on it though.

One last thought. Have you done marketing research with your current students? you could ask
- how they heard of you
- what made them look for a class in 'belly dance' specifically as opposed to other recreational pursuits
- if they've unsuccessfully tried to get their friends interested, what were the objections raised
- what role location & timeslot played in selecting you class

Originally Posted by BreaMorgiane

I teach in a small town that is connected to a larger town by a bridge. The smaller town is considered 'ghetto' in comparison, and people don't often go there except to drink.

Wow. Are you in my town? This is an EXACT description of my area. Spooky. St. Louis folk come over here for late night bars and strip clubs.

It can be done. I have a good-sized program now, but it took 6 years of continuous effort. There were times I was teaching a single class with only 3 students in it, but I kept teaching so I wouldn't lose those three!

Years of word of mouth, running notices in the newspaper calendar, flyers, ads in the local coupon magazines (expensive but effective!), maintaining a website, and happily paying to dance in local haflas and events and attending every local workshop have gradually paid off. Everyone in the nearby city knows I'm here and most would refer a caller from my area to me. I draw from small towns as much as 2 hours away, and even get advanced students to come over from the neighboring city because they like my style and want to study with me.

It CAN be done, but it takes immense patience and a willingness to invest ad dollars and plug away. Summers are always slower for me, by the way.

I think the newness of you to the community is a big part of it. Give it time. I have run pretty successful classes through my local park district for five years and spent about a year and a half teaching at the local community college (which I left because they charged their students way too much and paid me way too little). In both cases I had the facility doing most of the promo, although I would do some myself as well. I've just started new classes in a new space in the same town and the numbers are really low. I attribute it to the fact that folks don't know I'm there yet. I rent the space so it's up to me to do the advertising. I realize I just need to step it up in the promo department and as Lotus says, just keep plugging along until those classes finally fill up.

Keep at it and stay visible in the community. You'll be fine!

Lotus said "dustbunnies."

LOL!

The main problem with time is that, well, I have to move to Scotland next October for grad school. When I taught in Canada (the first to ever teach in that particular area) I had 10 students in one class, 14 in another, and about a third of my students were male! That was right out of the gate, too. I guess I should chalk that up to being a 'new thing' and the only available one as well. Pity I couldn't stay there!

Lauren- sounds exactly like where I am! Mine are two border towns over a great lake, and people here often refer to 'bridge fear'...not fear of bridges, but people being far less likely to do something if they have to go over the bridge to do it. They'll go out of their way to drink and go to the strip clubs, though, as you said. It's kind of sad because the smaller, more rundown town is still very sailor-oriented, and the bigger flashy city not so much.

Even so, some of my studio owner's yoga students (who I did a mini class for, and did get a student out of) didn't even know I taught there, despite the poster right on the door. ..g.:

Yes, sounds like you got really lucky in your old community. That happens, when a big group signs up all together, or the venue does really good advertising -- especially if there hasn't been a class in the area before.

If you've only got a year or so, then here's my advice. If you're really looking for income or success as an instructor, you don't have time to build that. It's a new business (however small) and most new businesses are lucky to break even in the first year.

But if you want to teach because you love to teach, and you want that weekly structure, enjoy preparing material, like meeting the students and introducing them to the dance, etc. then keep at it. You may have to reinvest most of your earnings into advertising just to keep things going, but you'll have lots of fun and gain lots of experience.

Originally Posted by BreaMorgiane

The main problem with time is that, well, I have to move to Scotland next October for grad school.

This is your biggest problem - you move around a lot. It takes years to build a large student base (you were really, really lucky in your last place!). One year is not enough time for word of mouth to do it's work. And even if it does - how sad for your students to finally get the courage up to take a class, only to have you leave the country shortly after!? I am not trying to be negative, but I honestly don't see the point of building a large student base since you know you will be leaving in year. Just teach to the students you have and have fun. Don't look at it as a long term business opportunity, because it's not. When you finally settle down in one spot, then you can work on becoming "known" in the are.

Hopefully this will not sound too blunt, but if I were leaving town in October I would not be worried about promoting and filling my classes. It will take much longer than that as a new teacher to get a student base up to the point where you can have a showcase or a recital, and to the point where other instructors refer students to your classes (two personal and professional milestones as a teacher, IMO). If I were you, I would just enjoy what I had, market as I had been doing, use my teaching to get more in-class experience, and make sure I had one or two recommended studios to send my students when I left the country. Building up classes is a really long process--and a great one--but not worth it if you won't be around to stick with it and enjoy the fruits of you labor.

An important component of teaching is just perseverance, consistency, and stick-to-it-ness. It means teaching every single class 110% whether you feel like it or not and whether you want to or not, and just being reliable (along with a good "product" and giving people something worthwhile for their money and time, obviously). Maybe you can have more time and consistency in Scotland to really build up a student base and reputation.

I think she's leaving NEXT October (09) not THIS October.

But still -- rather than putting yourself through all the tough early stages of building a business and not being able to stick around for the rewards, maybe you could consider subbing for the other local teachers, or taking on a class at their studio?

Originally Posted by Lauren_

I think she's leaving NEXT October (09) not THIS October.

But still -- rather than putting yourself through all the tough early stages of building a business and not being able to stick around for the rewards, maybe you could consider subbing for the other local teachers, or taking on a class at their studio?

Got it, thanks. Still stand by my post. :) It is a yearS long process. Brea, do it, teach! But just enjoy it for what it is, and don't make promises ya can't keep (performing student groups, etc.) By the time you build it up, if it even can be built in a year, you'll be onto your next adventure!

Thanks, Monica and Lauren!! Yes I'm hoping that there will be yearslong opportunities elsewhere. I appreciate the advice. I teach at someone else's yoga studio at the moment; there is only one other actual bellydance studio in town and I couldn't teach there even if I wanted to. I'm happy with my studio situation, just thinking classes were thinner than I remember them elsewhere.

I love to teach just for the teaching; it's a great love of mine. I'm going to school to become a university professor (hopefully)...so I suppose I'll just enjoy what I have for now.

I can understand that. I think if I won the lottery, I'd still teach at least a couple of classes.