Facebook Advertising

[DWx]

As you may have read from my other posts, I recently started my own school, will be my 4th lesson tonight.

Does anyone here use paid Facebook advertising?

I have to say I'm completely sold on this. I did the traditional leafleting method and spent hours and hours posting leaflets through doors. I did over 1000 leaflets, got 3 responses.

I'm not expert on paid Facebook posts but through paying to boost posts and paying to get my ads in front of people, I had 42 people sign up for a trial before I'd even started. My Monday kids class had 16 kids in it and my Friday class 14.

I know other's on here are fairly active on Facebook with their schools, tallgeese? Wastelander? Any insights from your side?

[sensei8]

Sorry, I can't help you with this, Danielle; possibly Patrick might be the one to ask. Anyhow, I wish I could help you; good luck.

[Bulltahr]

Yes, we used to do leaflet drops last one being some years ago. Like it or not Facebook seems to have the pop and the tools to target your preferred audience. Posts in community groups, having your own group, targeted advertising (Which for a local club targeting local people would be quite cheap.

Boosts and adverts are very cheap and can have results.

Your on the right track. Also link a Instagram account as well. Free!

[sensei8]

Sorry, I can't help you with this, Danielle; possibly Patrick might be the one to ask. Anyhow, I wish I could help you; good luck.

Or...Alex and Noah; they've done quite well on FB, if what they do at FB is what you're asking about.

[singularity6]

Please forgive that my response isn't right on topic, as I'm not sure about ads through specific sources.

When I decided to start martial arts, I did a google search. The schools that were searchable via the internet are the schools I investigated. My school is not listed, and the only reason I was able to find it is because it belongs to my coworker's husband, and my coworker told me to check it out.

Have you thought about arranging demonstrations with local schools and community organizations? These things will probably just cost you time and transportation.

My school ran a 6 week self defense seminar for women. Of the dozen or so women that participated, I think 4 or 5 actually signed up. One lady signed her kids up, too.

[tallgeese]

I personally am a fan of it. We use it consistently for our seminars and events. We've seen it's regionalized approach work very well at what are super-reasonable rates. Particularly when you consider the time you spend with more traditional methods and mailers and such.

We don't beat it up much outside of events and our annual back to school specials or any other specials we run thru the year. It's always part of our fall membership drive.

When we track how people heard of us this is second after word of mouth. I suggest giving it a try for sure.

[Patrick]

It sounds like you are well on your way. I haven't done much Facebook advertising, but they sit on the greatest goldmine of data possibly ever assembled, which allows you to target in the way it sounds like you, Alex and Bulltahr are already using.

It's super powerful. The ability to target ads only to X located in X that is interested in X... pretty amazing stuff. That's awesome that you have found success.

Patrick

[DWx]

Please forgive that my response isn't right on topic, as I'm not sure about ads through specific sources.

When I decided to start martial arts, I did a google search. The schools that were searchable via the internet are the schools I investigated. My school is not listed, and the only reason I was able to find it is because it belongs to my coworker's husband, and my coworker told me to check it out.

Have you thought about arranging demonstrations with local schools and community organizations? These things will probably just cost you time and transportation.

My school ran a 6 week self defense seminar for women. Of the dozen or so women that participated, I think 4 or 5 actually signed up. One lady signed her kids up, too.

I'm considering doing the 6 week courses. I have a friend who runs a successful full time gym and he does 6 week rotations of Ladies Boxercise type classes, self defence courses, intro to fitness courses etc. Even if they don't sign up for his main classes they tend to keep doing the next set of 6 week courses. The only problem I foresee with it is it's more advertising to get people to keep signing up to that. Possibly more effort than continuously advertising for my main classes.

My plan is to contact some of the local schools and the local scout groups to offer alternative Phys ed classes and go from there. Though at the minute I'm probably close to capacity on the kids classes, need to recruit more adults.

[DWx]

At the moment I have 17 paying kids with a few more I expect to sign up in the next couple of weeks. So I think my kids classes are nearing capacity. My adult classes on the other hand have lower numbers. Not sure on the strategy to target them

[tallgeese]

At the moment I have 17 paying kids with a few more I expect to sign up in the next couple of weeks. So I think my kids classes are nearing capacity. My adult classes on the other hand have lower numbers. Not sure on the strategy to target them

Obviously kids are good. These classes are a big draw for us as well. I think on the adult side of things you'll find the FB ads you were talking about helpful. The way they target specific interest is second to none and don't even really require a time commitment. The demographic on that social media platform is getting older and older as well, which translates to jobs, which equals disposable income for those uses. Disposable income that they will gladly exchange for an experience that interests them, which FBs robots will target for you.

If it's specifically the adults you're looking for I'd highly recommend it.