Best Way To Promote

[punisher73]

Outside of the website (which is how most people look for stuff nowadays)

Go to the local women's gym and have a flyer for a women's self-defense class. Have the workshop and then promote the regular classes. Also, just advertise at the gym for regular classes.

Our city has a "paper" that comes out once a week that is very cheap to advertise in. It is all local stories and local advertising and such. If you have something similiar take out an ad in that. One of our local studios does that with a full page ad and what the deal is.

Talk to your local schools and see if you can do an "anti-bullying" program either after school or a demonstration for the kids and talk about positive attributes learned from training in martial arts and send home fliers with the kids.

If your city has a community education class. Run a self-defense class through them and then talk to them about signing up for extended classes.

The problem is, unless people are looking for a martial arts class. Advertising doesn't do a whole lot unless you can generate an interest/need for them that you can fill. So passing out flyers is only going to work for someone who wants to or is interested in finding a MA school already.

 

[arnisador]

How's the drive-by traffic at your school? Is the business visible enough? Does it say something recognizable like "(Korean) Karate" and not the obscure name of an org. only martial artists might know about?

 

[jks9199]

Believe me, I don't need any more business. The ER is plenty busy. I'd be perfectly happy with a little less, even.
As if ERs aren't busy enough, the holiday season always causes a bump in visits. More drinking, more car crashes, more falls, more fights, more psych...

Yeah -- I know that all too well...

 

[Kaygee]

How's the drive-by traffic at your school? Is the business visible enough? Does it say something recognizable like "(Korean) Karate" and not the obscure name of an org. only martial artists might know about?

It is at a major intersection where people get stuck at a light for 3-5 minutes. It's a nightmare! We have a sign out front that just has the name of the school. "Focus Karate". Sometimes it is lit, sometimes it is not. A lot of time, we have to tell them to turn it on.

 

[jasonbrinn]

It is at a major intersection where people get stuck at a light for 3-5 minutes. It's a nightmare! We have a sign out front that just has the name of the school. "Focus Karate". Sometimes it is lit, sometimes it is not. A lot of time, we have to tell them to turn it on.

This seems logical, however, you are advertising "Focus Karate" whatever that is (opinion of unknowing driver). What about advertising a benefit from training that will resonate with drivers who don't know what karate is or what it can do for them. Most people aren't searching for Karate but most are looking for peace, stress relief, self defense, fitness, etc.


Jason Brinn

 

[arnisador]

This seems logical, however, you are advertising "Focus Karate" whatever that is (opinion of unknowing driver). What about advertising a benefit from training that will resonate with drivers who don't know what karate is or what it can do for them. Most people aren't searching for Karate but most are looking for peace, stress relief, self defense, fitness, etc.

My instructor says much the same. Looking for more kids? Stress benefits for discipline, focus, schoolwork. Adults? Stress physical fitness, weight loss, self-defense. Benefits--these people aren't (yet) enthusiasts like we are. There are some rare arts that I'd love to find a school for just because I think they're cool--but you're not advertising for me. I'd hunt you out on my won.