Are you putting time and money into your school’s marketing just to feel like you’re spinning your wheels going nowhere?

The biggest reason why martial arts businesses fail in the marketing department goes back to a lack of intention behind marketing initiatives.

On the surface, it may seem as though an email list, some form of newsletter and an Instagram account is all you need, but in reality marketing encompasses much more than that.

These four key points help break down the basics of marketing components you should keep front and center as you grow your business and connect authentically with your students.

Lack of target audience understanding

While you may have success with in-bound marketing communications (emails to current members within your organization,) if you don’t have a clear understanding of your target audience, you’ll have a hard time reaching new prospects and growing your membership base.

Many martial arts schools with plenty of other good components struggle with marketing because they haven’t thoroughly identified or understood their target audience. 

Essentially, you need to take a deep dive into the demographics, psychographics and motivations of your ideal student. Once you have a clear understanding of your target audience, you can tailor your marketing strategy to resonate with them.

For example, you may use platforms like Instagram or TikTok with a younger audience, while for an older audience like 60+, you’d opt for email instead. 

Part of identifying your target audience also comes down to identifying your core values. What will set your academy apart from others and what sort of community do you wish to foster?

Lining out your company’s core values and getting everybody on board will ensure that the students you attract also have the same values as you. 

The more clear you get on what you bring to the table, the more clear you’ll become on who you wish to attract. You can’t appeal to everyone, and it’s hopeless trying. The more specific you can get, the better your chances are of finding truly long-lasting student relationships.

Inadequate digital presence

Once you’ve identified your target audience, you want to make sure now that they identify with you. 

Having a strong online presence is crucial for any business in today’s digital world. Your marketing efforts could be falling short due an imbalance between how you’ve cultivated your academy to feel and how it presents itself online. 

You want students to feel excited about training at your school and joining the robust and transformative world of martial arts. Don’t let your website become the reason prospective members don’t experience your top-notch classes and facilities.

Get them excited and keep them excited right up until they walk through your doors by making sure your website and social media accounts reflect the experience you want them to have at your academy. 

Re-evaluate your website and social media accounts to make sure they’re up-to-date, active and cohesive across all platforms. Enhancing your online presence will ensure that prospective students will have an easier time finding, trusting and sticking with you.

Weak value proposition

Martial arts schools often struggle to convey what sets them apart from competitors. To keep growing and develop a student base that respects and upholds your culture, it is critical to know your value and train your staff in the importance of sharing that value with prospective students.

Don’t just assume people will know how awesome you are. Make sure of it.

Communicate the value of your teaching methods, instructor expertise, community and even lineage if it applies. People love knowing that they’re part of something special. Whether this means tweaking your messaging, creating a more cohesive brand image, or just getting more open about how you do things, let them know who you are. 

You’re not just selling classes and memberships, you’re genuinely changing people’s lives. When you start to believe it, so will they.

Poor communication channels

Another common marketing pitfall comes down to managing communication effectively. All of your marketing strategies should revolve around the two core purposes of prospect-attraction and student-retention. 

Many schools have systems set up to get a prospective student to register for a first class, therefore sending them into the lead funnel, but drop the ball by failing to establish a form of follow-up system to ensure that they actually come to class. 

Or you may not have a post-conversion communication system set up once the prospect becomes a member. If you create one type of experience the whole time leading up to a sale but provide no aftercare, you may leave them feeling lost and like you only wanted to take their money.

Help new students feel welcome by creating a series of post-sign up follow-ups to check in and see how they’re doing! Often, you  can build these sort of check-ins into the business-management software you use, or by implementing a texting software like Textus.

By adopting a multi-channel approach, including email marketing, social media engagement, built-in automation and community outreach, you can ensure your message will reach the right people at the right time. Let them know they’re in good hands!

Building strong relationships with your audience through consistent communication will not only drive enrollment and retention, but foster a loyalty worth far more than each individual sale. 

Use these four key points as a driving force to analyze your own business from the inside out and see where you could put more love into marketing strategies!

Get access to our Easton Online Affiliate Introductory Pack and learn more about how to clean up your marketing processes and more!