Gone are the days when someone saw your Facebook post, visited your website, and booked a trial. Now? 👉 They see your ad, check your Instagram, read your Google reviews, ask in the local Facebook group, sign up for your email list, stalk your social media for three weeks, drive past your studio twice, and THEN maybe book a trial. This is why I'm obsessed with what I call Top of Mind Marketing - creating an 'omnipresence' so that no matter where your ideal families are looking, they're seeing you. What does omnipresence actually look like? 🤔 It's not just posting on Instagram three times a week. It's: - Organic social media that shows your culture and values (for both kids & parents) - Optimised for search (yes, people are searching for dance classes on social, not just scrolling) - Showing up at community events (not just performing – think branded uniforms, sponsorships, lolly bags with QR codes) - Being in local media (radio, newspaper, council connections) - Paid ads to get in front of new people - Email marketing to nurture the investigation phase - Google Business Profile optimised - Every free listing site you can find In my 25 years owning dance studios, there were seasons where I said YES to everything ✅ I had a big dance studio magnet on my car, I did local sponsorships, was at community events, donated prizes, did local radio interviews, networked with my local council, made local business partnerships. I wanted to flood search results and conversations. Because when someone new moves to your area and asks their neighbour "what's a good activity for kids?" – I wanted their neighbour to say us, even if they'd never stepped foot in our studio. That's the power of being top of mind 💪 Is it work? Absolutely. But if you're in a growth season right now, this messy buyer's journey means you need to be everywhere they're looking. What's one place you could show up this month that you haven't been?

Hi Sally, quick question? It appears most studios in my area have Facebook ads going? The cost must be going through the roof. Do you have any ideas on how to maximise the effectiveness of my ad against others? Is there another strategy I should be focussing on? Or do I simply suck it up and compete?

This is a super simple short video idea for your socials that will answer one common parent objection (e.g. “my child is too shy”, “too expensive”, “too young”) with empathy, a quick proof line, and a direct CTA (Call-To-Action). 👉 Here's how to do it: 1. Pick one objection 2. Use any video you already have and type a text hook on screen like “Worried your child is too shy for dance?” 3. Reassure with text on screen: “Most shy kids blossom - our teachers use tiny steps and games so children feel safe.” 4. Follow up with proof: “We’ve seen toddlers join in within two lessons - and parents tell us they sleep better afterwards.” 5. CTA: “Book a trial today → link in bio / or comment ‘TRY’ and we'll send you the link.” Try one objection each week using the same format ✅

Here’s my (potentially controversial) opinion... Right now, getting found in search (on Google and in the new AI-style answers) will give you more long-term value than pouring money into Google Ads. Google Search Ads used to be great to capture attention of the people actively searching for dance classes in your area... but optimising for search across all your online platforms will do that anyway. Meta ads can reach people and entice them before they even start think about dance - we just have to understand the common problems & desires of our target audience, and then position our dance classes as the solution. Because Selling = Solving A Problem So my recommendation for most dance studios, especially on a small budget: 1️⃣ Put money into Meta ads to find and warm up people who aren’t yet searching for classes (parents who need the solution but don’t know it yet), as well as people ready to buy. Meta still wins for reaching people at all stages of the funnel. 2️⃣ At the same time, make sure you are easy to find - optimise your Google Business profile, add FAQ blocks on your website and Q&A on socials, and use location + problem keywords (e.g., “preschool dance near me” / “toddler class separation help”). This gets you into search results and AI answers when people do start looking. 3️⃣ Regularly run small daily budget message testing ad campaigns on Meta to test what resonates with your audience so that you have that ready to go for promotional campaigns.

The Meta Pixel (or Dataset) is a tiny bit of code you can put on your website. It tells Meta (Facebook & Instagram) what people do on your site. That helps your ads work better ✅ Why it matters for your dance school... - Know who signs up: If a parent books a trial or fills a form, the Pixel records it. - Spend money smarter: Meta learns which ads bring real sign-ups, so you stop wasting cash. - Find more customers: Meta can find other people like the ones who already joined your classes. - Remind fence-sitters: You can show ads to people who looked at your website but didn’t book - that brings more students in. - Measure results: You can see which ads actually get sign-ups, not just clicks. Example... - A parent clicks an ad about your preschool class, looks at your class page, but leaves. - The Pixel remembers them. - Later you show an ad that says “Book a trial.” - They come back and sign up. - That’s a booked student you might not have got without the Pixel. Do you have your Met Pixel/Dataset set up on your website? Let me know 👇