How do you promote your business?

maylynn · 09-29-2008, 04:48 PM

I have been lucky enough to mainly get by on personal recommendation and word of mouth, assisted in no small part by my website. These days I've been thinking of stepping things up a bit though, and so have been thinking about this topic.

There are so many ways to promote bellydance business, and I'm wondering what you've had success with? Paying for online advertising, postering/flyers, etc? Those things seem like logical steps in promoting a business, but things can be a bit different in the bellydance entertainment world (niche market, etc) - so would be very interested in hearing about your experiences.

Samira_dncr · 09-29-2008, 10:21 PM

Well...I guess it depends on if you are a dancer, teacher, vendor, or promoter. I organize the Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive and I have gradually increased my advertising to include most of the major print magazines, some online sites, and tons and tons of postcards. But I think that being active online in the chat forums has been especially helpful as well. As people get to know me, they get to realize that I'm a trustworthy and reputable organizer...and that leads them to check out my website...and then eventually the actual event.

Maria_Aya · 10-01-2008, 02:13 PM

Well... we gave as a dance school more than 4.000 euro (around 3.000 $) for advertizing withing this year, and in total we got all our money back and doubled it also

We did some statistics from our students to come, so to check which way of advertizing worked the best.

Results:
Crazy but the cheapest way (but hard working from our side) worked the best.

Just us getting coloured A4 papers, and printing in the school flyers (cost around 100 euro) about offering FREE lessons for 2 people on specific hours, and going at 8 o'clock at 10 schools (kindergarden to highschool) giving the flyers at the entrance of the schools worked the best.
We have the last week around 60 new students with this method, on various classes: Oriental, Bellyfitness, Tribal, Theatre game for kids and Pilates.

We have a site under construction not full working so cant have stats on this.

We printed 20.000 flyers that costed 900 euro, and we gave 400 euro for a special company to put the 15.000 of these around our studio at the letter boxes, till now around 30 people from this method.

Word by word about our work is the best, till now, and doesnt cost (ok we forget all the workshops we have attented to learn all these right? lol)
As my husband says: we could have another house with the money you give for workshops (and I hide some from him lol shhhhhhhhhh dont tell him

)

Maria Aya

maylynn · 10-01-2008, 02:32 PM

Hi Maria Aya,
What great information! Thanks!
I also found that word of mouth and strategically distributed posters/flyers was the most effective for promoting my classes. Great that you have the actual figures though, and congrats to you for all that hard work - looks like it paid off!

Maria_Aya · 10-01-2008, 03:41 PM

thanks !!!
Now our next plan he he
We have 2 students teenagers from last year, that they havent payed as 2 months

and doesnt seem that they are gonna pay.
So instead of fighting over this, near our studio there is a metro station.
They will take flyers of the studio and go for one week, 2 hours per day (the hours people finish their work usual around 3 to 5) to give flyers

Amri_ · 10-06-2008, 03:28 PM

Well, now I dance on weddings mostly, sometimes on some other holidays that require some " showing off" like expencive food, anomation team, dancers etc... And as for my sister is a camera girl( makes wedding videos), she usually promotes her ad dvds, same time she promotes me

So that's how I get promoted

akaisilks · 10-11-2008, 06:29 PM

happy customers and referrals are your best friends

Sapphira · 11-14-2008, 04:42 PM

Hey Maylynn,

Good luck breaking into the scene in London, it's getting more and more competitive. I remember when I first moved over here there were only a handful of belly dancing teachers. Now there are so many.

I think the most important methods for advertising are:

1. Good website - optimised on the right keywords for major search engines like Google so new students can find you (you can even use your website for e-commerce if you plan to sell items/tickets online)
2. Being linked into as many belly dancing teacher directories as you can be
3. Handing out flyers at belly dancing events and workshops across London (check with the promoters that this is OK)
4. Performing and then distributing flyers after every show
5. Networking in forums on the internet, chat rooms and other places where discussion goes on
6. Having a good product and a unique selling proposition
7. Being consistent and reliable in communication, always responding promptly to emails and new enquiries. Good customer service.
8. Ongoing PR and self-promotion are also very important

Word of mouth is without a doubt key but it takes all of the above to get enough people through your door to start set the word of mouth recommendations in motion.

Good luck!

Sapphira x

Aniseteph · 11-14-2008, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maria_Aya

...going at 8 o'clock at 10 schools (kindergarden to highschool) giving the flyers at the entrance of the schools worked the best.

That is clever - if people get the flyers with their friends they would be more likely to arrange with each other to go, and talk about it and encourage each other. Rather than thinking oh that sounds interesting but I'm too shy/busy, not for me etc etc.

Smart

Tribal Belly Dance Malta · 11-20-2008, 09:09 AM

Well between my website and facebook I get most of my advertising done! I have printed out very small flayers, business card sized almost, (done at home on PC 8 to an A4 page) and handed them out at markets and at the main gate at the capital city. It dose work, but you must have a hard heart as you see most of them thrown away later on, but be persistent! Have considered the under the car wiper approach at some of the main car parks too, haven't done it yet though, need to find out if its legal over here first!

09-29-2008, 04:48 PM	#1 (permalink)
maylynn Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: London Posts: 232	How do you promote your business? I have been lucky enough to mainly get by on personal recommendation and word of mouth, assisted in no small part by my website. These days I've been thinking of stepping things up a bit though, and so have been thinking about this topic. There are so many ways to promote bellydance business, and I'm wondering what you've had success with? Paying for online advertising, postering/flyers, etc? Those things seem like logical steps in promoting a business, but things can be a bit different in the bellydance entertainment world (niche market, etc) - so would be very interested in hearing about your experiences. __________________ http://www.urbanamazon.co.uk

09-29-2008, 10:21 PM	#2 (permalink)
Samira_dncr Moderator Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Las Vegas, Baby!!! Posts: 93	Well...I guess it depends on if you are a dancer, teacher, vendor, or promoter. I organize the Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive and I have gradually increased my advertising to include most of the major print magazines, some online sites, and tons and tons of postcards. But I think that being active online in the chat forums has been especially helpful as well. As people get to know me, they get to realize that I'm a trustworthy and reputable organizer...and that leads them to check out my website...and then eventually the actual event. __________________ Samira, Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive

10-01-2008, 02:13 PM	#3 (permalink)
Maria_Aya Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 2,246	Well... we gave as a dance school more than 4.000 euro (around 3.000 $) for advertizing withing this year, and in total we got all our money back and doubled it also We did some statistics from our students to come, so to check which way of advertizing worked the best. Results: Crazy but the cheapest way (but hard working from our side) worked the best. Just us getting coloured A4 papers, and printing in the school flyers (cost around 100 euro) about offering FREE lessons for 2 people on specific hours, and going at 8 o'clock at 10 schools (kindergarden to highschool) giving the flyers at the entrance of the schools worked the best. We have the last week around 60 new students with this method, on various classes: Oriental, Bellyfitness, Tribal, Theatre game for kids and Pilates. We have a site under construction not full working so cant have stats on this. We printed 20.000 flyers that costed 900 euro, and we gave 400 euro for a special company to put the 15.000 of these around our studio at the letter boxes, till now around 30 people from this method. Word by word about our work is the best, till now, and doesnt cost (ok we forget all the workshops we have attented to learn all these right? lol) As my husband says: we could have another house with the money you give for workshops (and I hide some from him lol shhhhhhhhhh dont tell him ) Maria Aya __________________ ... www.orientalexpression.gr

10-01-2008, 02:32 PM	#4 (permalink)
maylynn Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: London Posts: 232	Hi Maria Aya, What great information! Thanks! I also found that word of mouth and strategically distributed posters/flyers was the most effective for promoting my classes. Great that you have the actual figures though, and congrats to you for all that hard work - looks like it paid off! __________________ http://www.urbanamazon.co.uk

10-01-2008, 03:41 PM	#5 (permalink)
Maria_Aya Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 2,246	thanks !!! Now our next plan he he We have 2 students teenagers from last year, that they havent payed as 2 months and doesnt seem that they are gonna pay. So instead of fighting over this, near our studio there is a metro station. They will take flyers of the studio and go for one week, 2 hours per day (the hours people finish their work usual around 3 to 5) to give flyers __________________ ... www.orientalexpression.gr

10-06-2008, 03:28 PM	#6 (permalink)
Amri_ Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Russia-Turkey Posts: 71	Well, now I dance on weddings mostly, sometimes on some other holidays that require some " showing off" like expencive food, anomation team, dancers etc... And as for my sister is a camera girl( makes wedding videos), she usually promotes her ad dvds, same time she promotes me So that's how I get promoted __________________ the one who's happy is always right.

10-11-2008, 06:29 PM	#7 (permalink)
akaisilks Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Hawaii Posts: 15	happy customers and referrals are your best friends __________________ http://www.akaisilks.com

11-14-2008, 04:42 PM	#8 (permalink)
Sapphira Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: London Posts: 43	Hey Maylynn, Good luck breaking into the scene in London, it's getting more and more competitive. I remember when I first moved over here there were only a handful of belly dancing teachers. Now there are so many. I think the most important methods for advertising are: 1. Good website - optimised on the right keywords for major search engines like Google so new students can find you (you can even use your website for e-commerce if you plan to sell items/tickets online) 2. Being linked into as many belly dancing teacher directories as you can be 3. Handing out flyers at belly dancing events and workshops across London (check with the promoters that this is OK) 4. Performing and then distributing flyers after every show 5. Networking in forums on the internet, chat rooms and other places where discussion goes on 6. Having a good product and a unique selling proposition 7. Being consistent and reliable in communication, always responding promptly to emails and new enquiries. Good customer service. 8. Ongoing PR and self-promotion are also very important Word of mouth is without a doubt key but it takes all of the above to get enough people through your door to start set the word of mouth recommendations in motion. Good luck! Sapphira x

11-20-2008, 09:09 AM	#10 (permalink)
Tribal Belly Dance Malta Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: In Beautiful Malta Posts: 167	Well between my website and facebook I get most of my advertising done! I have printed out very small flayers, business card sized almost, (done at home on PC 8 to an A4 page) and handed them out at markets and at the main gate at the capital city. It dose work, but you must have a hard heart as you see most of them thrown away later on, but be persistent! Have considered the under the car wiper approach at some of the main car parks too, haven't done it yet though, need to find out if its legal over here first! __________________ Atlantis