One of the biggest challenges of running a small business is effectively promoting your product or services and expanding your audience. You may not have the time or budget for full-scale marketing campaigns that a larger company might launch, but you still need some way to reach new customers and keep your existing ones coming back.

Fortunately, you have one of the most powerful marketing tools at your disposal: social media. With a carefully planned social media marketing strategy, you can grow your dance studio’s customer base and successfully scale up your business. Check out these social media marketing tips geared specifically toward dance studios to get started.

1. Post a variety of engaging content.

Start by strategizing about the content you’ll post. If you aren’t doing so already, it’s best to share a variety of content types to engage different audience members and keep your social media presence fresh and interesting.

Potential content ideas for your dance studio include:

  • Behind-the-scenes footage of your annual dance recital or latest competition
  • A day in the life video of one of your dance instructors
  • Photos of your fundraising or team-bonding events
  • Video clips of your students participating in your summer dance camps or intensives

To maximize the success of your social media content, DanceStudio-Pro’s dance studio marketing guide recommends playing to the strengths of each platform. When you align your content with the target audience and ideal content type for each channel, you increase the chances that people will interact with your posts.

Here’s what this might look like for different platforms:

  • TikTok. TikTok is all about short-form videos. Reach potential students on this channel with quick, attention-grabbing videos that feature trending sounds or music. TikTok is also known for producing clever, quippy content, so try working in dance- or studio-related humor when appropriate.
  • Instagram. While you can repurpose videos you’ve created on TikTok as Instagram Reels, Instagram primarily focuses on high-quality photos with short captions and hashtags. As a result, the platform is perfect for highlighting your students, showcasing costumes, and posting class snapshots.
  • Facebook. On Facebook, you’ll likely reach potential students’ parents rather than the students themselves. Longer, text-based posts with accompanying images are well-suited for this platform, so you might provide updates on your latest competition or self-care tips for young dancers.

No matter which platforms you use, keep your branding and voice consistent to build brand awareness and a cohesive social media presence.

2. Highlight student success stories.

Share your students’ success stories and achievements to showcase your dance studio’s community and passion for dance. Incorporating storytelling techniques into your social media strategy allows you to build an emotional connection with your audience and demonstrate how your studio has impacted the lives of its students.

Here’s an example of how you may use a customer testimonial in the caption of one of your social media posts:

For Jemma, dance started out as an afterschool activity and a chance to be social with her friends. She attended weekly jazz classes at a dance studio in Houston, Texas, and enjoyed her time there.

When Jemma’s family moved to Chicago, she needed a new studio to join. Her mom signed her up for classes at Dance Works Academy, and she instantly became an integral part of our dance community.

“The teachers and students at Dance Works welcomed me right away,” Jemma recounts. “After a year of recreational jazz classes, I knew I wanted to become more involved and signed up for the competition team.”

“Through my experience on the team, I’ve built confidence, developed teamwork skills, and pushed myself to be the best dancer I can be. My dance friends have become my family, and I always look forward to sharing the stage with them. I couldn’t imagine my dance journey without Dance Works Academy.”

Want to learn new skills, build confidence, and be part of a vibrant, supportive dance community like Jemma? Sign up for classes at Dance Works Academy today!

Through this testimonial, prospective students can get a sense of what makes Dance Works Academy special from a real current student, as opposed to a generic description of the classes offered or the studio environment.

In addition to testimonials, you can highlight your dancers’ achievements and your studio’s pride in its students. These accomplishments may include:

  • Competition wins and awards
  • Professional jobs your dancers book
  • Graduating seniors and their post-graduation plans
  • Student dance milestones, such as five, ten, or fifteen years of attending your studio

Before sharing your students’ achievements, make sure to get their permission and gather photos or videos of them to use in your posts.

3. Feature user-generated content.

If you’re stuck on how to create original, engaging content, turn to your dancers for help. With user-generated content, you can boost the authenticity of your social media pages and provide a fun opportunity for your students to get involved in your marketing efforts.

User-generated content from your dancers may include:

  • Instagram takeovers during a typical dance day, recital, or competition
  • Videos dancers take of themselves performing combinations they learned in class
  • Technique or trick demonstrations
  • Interviews with students about their experience at your studio

Ensure you have a variety of user-generated content to share by clearly communicating with your students about what you’re looking for. Use your dance studio software to send an email blast to your students and families about creating content. Consider hosting a contest that incentivizes students to submit user-generated content by offering prizes like branded merchandise or a gift card to your local dancewear store.

To measure the effectiveness of your social media marketing efforts, track the appropriate metrics. Double the Donation’s data collection guide recommends staying on top of social media engagement data, such as:

  • Impressions
  • Likes
  • Shares
  • Comments

Additionally, you may also ask your followers for their feedback directly through in-app polls and surveys. Ask which types of content resonate with them most or what else they’d like to see from your studio to shape your future content strategy.

Social media is always changing and evolving, so make sure to keep up with the latest trends for the best results. If you stay consistent and focus on creating engaging content that caters to your audience, you’ll successfully build an online community and gain new students who are ready to leap into dance education in no time.