Is your dance studio reopened yet? Are there any pupils who are hesitant to return to class? Have you noticed a steady increase in your on-demand content? What about scheduling conflicts and a lack of time for your students?

All of these indicators point to a hybrid company strategy being right for you! Making your students happy is the best way for your business to succeed, so offer them what they want!

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Increased Revenue Opportunity

Hybrid classes are the ideal method to optimize your studio's profitability right now, for all of our readers who run a studio. Because each family's degree of comfort varies, building up a system to give the same session at the same time to both at-home and in-studio students saves you money while bringing in profit from both types of customers.

However, teaching to two diverse audiences while ensuring that they all learn well is no easy task! I'm here to give you some advice.

A hybrid model fits your clients' needs while increasing your revenue, regardless of the class (ballroom, Latin, salsa, cha cha, ballet, swing, rumba, and more).

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The New Normal

You may have noticed hesitancy around students returning to the studio, or there being no in-person alternative for the students who signed up for your virtual lessons last year. Perhaps you've also seen a steady increase in your on-demand content.

With travel restrictions being lifted, students may take some time to get back out into the world.

Quarantine has shown us another way; a way in which these limitations don't restrict a student's ability to train or an instructor's plan to offering classes.

Whether you teach ballet, Irish dance, contemporary, salsa, or lite feet, our dancers at Versai are here to help you create the best hybrid experience possible!

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So, what is the Hybrid class Conundrum?

Through it all, hybrid dance classes with both students in-person and virtually seems to be the winning COVID-19 teaching method for many reasons

1. Global reach

Expand your student community across borders by offering your classes virtually, to those in a different state or country.

2. A flexible learning experience

Instructors that actively make an effort in providing the best tools and learning experiences for their students stand apart. A flexible schedule & teaching methodology and diverse learning materials are a few of the many reasons instructors have opted for hybrid learning as a permanent model.

3. Synchronous communication opportunities

In-person dancing sessions offer immediacy and closeness that few other learning experiences can match. The ability for real-time engagement between peers helps the face-to-face part of hybrid learning.

This period is ideal for synchronous group dance with a Q&A segment, as well as profound dialogues.

Use the time you have together in-person to establish significant community relationships, and then take those interactions online.

4. Efficient use of resources.

Hybrid Classes give you the opportunity to increase your revenue potential each hour, by reaching out to students across the globe. You can think of it as a return on investment!

Instead of renting out a studio twice to host your in-person class and virtual class, you can combine these sessions by taking a hybrid model of class, eventually saving up on both time and expense.

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Marketing your hybrid classes.

Dance lessons are a terrific way to keep your body moving, but they don't have to be in person all of the time.

Flyer distribution and postcard mailing used to be enough to make up a full promotion campaign; nowadays, modern dancers and their parents want to know the whole picture. That includes getting to know your outstanding classes as well as the people who make them possible: you and your team.

You should also keep in mind that you are battling against not only other dance schools, but also every fitness and leisure center in your neighborhood.

You are passionate about dance, now you have to share it!

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Best ways to promote your dance studio.

With endless options for fitness and leisure activities both in-person & virtual, increased visibility and a strong digital presence are key. Read on for some helpful tips in promoting your dance studio!

1. Update your website and FAQs page

Making ensuring your website is up to date is the first step in marketing your hybrid dance studio. You don't want to mislead potential pupils with inaccurate or out-of-date information. 

Your website is your first opportunity to make a positive first impression! 

It should represent your current practices and principles in order to accomplish its goal of attracting more dance students to your (physical and virtual) doors.

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Here are a few things your website will require:

• Banner/hub light: This space attracts attention, so use it to showcase what's happening at your virtual dance studio. Include a call to action here to encourage people to sign up for your classes.
• Tab for the navigation bar/menu: The majority of individuals will look for information here. Include links to your in-studio dancing courses, virtual classes, and information about on-demand video memberships. Also, don't forget to change your headers!
• Pages with guidelines: Include in-studio guidelines on your website since people want to know you'll keep them secure. Make your social distancing, disinfection directions, and current sanitization methods crystal obvious. Make your messaging precise and simple to give potential pupils comfort of mind.
• Your FAQ page addresses typical inquiries gives support when you can't answer in person, and outlines your offerings all on one page. 

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2. Mobile Campaigns

It's also a good idea to use text messages to promote your events and promotions on a more personal level. It can be an efficient technique of reaching busy folks on the go as long as you don't overdo it and spam your customers.

Mobile Campaigns are an effective way to inform current students about special offers, such as a free dancing lesson if they respond within a specified time frame or a discounted class package if they register online before a deadline. This is where you may be creative, but make sure your calls to action are simple.

Sending individual text messages to all of your clients and prospective pupils would, as you can guess, take a lot of time.

That’s why it’s a good idea to set up a simple software system to do it for you and make promoting your dance studio easier.

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3. Community Outreach

Keeping with the personal ties, bear in mind that you can collaborate with people other than businesses. Local schools are an excellent venue for promoting your studio. 

See if you can distribute postcards or fliers about your studio, particularly around the start of the school year, when parents are looking for extracurricular activities for their children. 

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To support your neighborhood while also boosting your business, donate to significant local fundraisers and PTA organizations. 

Organize dance performances that are free to the public. These attract a lot of people and a lot of attention. Set up sign-up stations at the entrance, plan a bake sale with local clubs, and go out and talk to people with your team. 

You can also send dance teams to local schools for "Education Week" or other special events, which is a terrific way to engage students. Remember to give students brochures or postcards to take home.

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4. Direct Mail Marketing

Looking for a fresh take on an old favorite? Direct mail marketing postcards will leave a lasting impact. 

To help sell your virtual and in-studio services, customize your postcard design and have it automatically sent to clients on specific days. 

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Here are some examples of how direct mail marketing might benefit your hybrid dance studio:

• Encourage your dancing students to renew their membership with a discount or special offer.
• Promote current specials or classes, such as on-demand lessons and live streams.
• Build loyalty and a connection with postcards celebrating your dance students’ birthdays or first-visit anniversaries.

5. Up your social media game

It's time to socialize! 

It's not just about the number of followers but social media provides a great tool to engage with your audience. To grow your community, share content consistently on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, & TikTok.

It's a no-brainer to promote on social media. Everyone nowadays is digital, and the majority of individuals obtain their news and media through their social media feeds. 

However, just because it's a no-brainer doesn't mean putting a blurb about your studio's upcoming events will suffice. Mastering social media management is an art that may bring a lot of business to your company.

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But before you embark on your content creation journey, consider who your audience is. 

To begin, decide which platforms you will employ. Who are you aiming for? Kids? Who are their parents? Dancers in their fifties and sixties? 

Instagram is the best approach to reach out to younger children. Facebook is a popular way for children to communicate with their parents. Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are all solid options for reaching millennials who are in command of their own life and dance class sign-ups. 

In addition, YouTube and Snapchat are both viable options.

Maintain a consistent posting format for each social media network while keeping in mind that each platform has its own capabilities.

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Here's a quick rundown of what you can do:

• Make a post with links to your instructive blogs for simple access.
• Reposts and reviews from your customers can help your content become viral.
• To generate enthusiasm, honor your personnel with features on your instructors.
• To pique interest, share teaser video samples from your dance courses.
• Promote upcoming events, new classes, or featured promotions to your whole audience at the same time.
• Don't forget to thank customers who share recommendations on social media!

These marketing efforts when deployed efficiently across multiple channels, will improve visibility for your dance business and expand your student community. 

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Need for a hybrid strategy!

Though studios are opening back up, the virtual world is still thriving. 

Stay ahead of the competition with a hybrid strategy that generates income, provides ease of access to your students, and builds your community globally!

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