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Seasonal Mailers are Key to Surviving Down Periods

Posted: April 30th, 2014

Direct mail marketing should always be a part of your overall marketing plan for your Martial Arts school. Even when business is good and every class is full, sending out seasonal mailers through snail mail will give you an edge when the slow season does hit.

During your Martial Art schools down periods, generating business is a must. Without business, well, chances are that you won’t survive financially. Fortunately, seasonal mailers have been shown time and time again to generate traffic and provide business even when times are tough.

Below are a few of the most important reasons why all owners of Martial Arts schools need to invest in seasonal mailers along with a discussion on how you can use this unique marketing tool to its fullest effect.

Why You Need to Engage in Direct Mail Marketing for Your Martial Arts School

Every Martial Arts school can benefit from a well-planned and dynamic direct mail marketing campaign. Sending seasonal mailers detailing your services or special rates is a surefire way to grab the attention of potential customers.

Investing in high-quality seasonal mailers, like those offered by printingdojo.com, the original source of marketing materials for Martials Arts schools, allows your business to:

  • Talk directly to customers/students about your Martial Arts school and services.
  • Experiment with new customer markets, test new services/classes, and collect customer information that can be analyzed for future marketing campaigns.
  • Save money, as direct mailers are one of the most cost-effective forms of print marketing.
  • Build personal connections and relationships with new/current students and produce faster sales.
  • Receive direct feedback, both from customers themselves and from your mailer’s results, that will help you improve your current and future marketing strategies.

Direct mailers work well particularly because they are so upfront and personal. When a potential customer opens their mailbox, there is a direct mailer from your Martial Arts school staring them right in the face.

Being able to handle a piece of mail from your business in their hands puts your school in the forefront of their mind. An eye-catching and professionally-designed mailer from The Printing Dojo further increases the odds that you will hear from the people you send your mailers to.

Tips for Sending an Effective Seasonal Mailer

Like all else in marketing, it pays off big time not to go about sending a seasonal mailer in a slapdash fashion. You want a well thought out direct mail marketing campaign if you hope to get the best results possible.

A few of the top tips that will help you make your seasonal mailer a success include:

  • Form a List – The key to marketing success is knowing who your audience is. If you have been in the business for a while, there is a good chance you have several current and past students you can send your mailers to. Tailoring your list to the people that are actually interested in Martial Arts will greatly improve the success of your campaign.
  • Add Value – Sending an informational mailer about your Martial Arts school can be effective but you will find much better results if you add value as well. The key to creating action in your audience is offering a sale, special offer, discount, or bonus for lessons at your school. Direct mailers are meant to make your customer base act now – so give them a reason to seek out Martial Arts lessons during your slow season.
  • Look Great – If your mailer looks like junk, it is going to be treated as junk. Minimize the risk of having your mailer thrown out by ensuring that it has a great design. The Printing Dojo has long been the leader in creating stunning professional marketing materials for Martial Arts schools. The credibility and professional quality of their designs will set your mailer apart from other promotional materials arriving in your customer’s mailboxes.
  • Include Effective Copy – You need the copy, meaning the actual text, on your mailer to encourage your audience to act. In addition to promoting a special offer, your seasonal mailer needs to say what is so great about your Martial Arts school. Why should a person interested in learning Martial Arts choose it instead of another? Fortunately, The Printing Dojo offers several customizable templates that make writing effective copy easy. While each can be customized, they all do a great job at promoting special seasonal offers themselves.
  • Step Into the Customer’s Shoes – Before you follow through with a direct mail marketing campaign, you need to take a step back and look at your mailer. Is it eye-catching? Is the offer strong enough to incite you to act? Does it look credible? If your mailer doesn’t make you want to join your own Martial Arts school, why would it make anyone else want to do so?
  • Follow Up – If you really want to hit a home run with your direct mailer for your Martial Arts school, follow up with an additional mailer. Sure, it might cost a little extra money, but sending two different mailers can show a potential customer that you care and that you really want them to consider your school. If you really want to go above and beyond, you can even send a personalized sales letter as a follow up. Or if your campaign is targeting previous students, you might even consider giving them a phone call as long as it is appropriate.

 

Seasonal Mailers for Your Martial Arts School
Let’s face it: there is no getting around slow periods. Certain times of the year are just a lot slower for Martial Arts schools than others.
While slow periods vary from school to school, especially depending on location, there are a few times of the year that are great to send mailers during. A few of these include before school starts for another year, when school is let out for the summer, around the winter holidays, at Halloween, at Valentine’s Day, and for spring. Customizing your mailer for each season (printingdojo.com offers a number of seasonal templates) will greatly increase your chances of success.

When times are slow, a seasonal mailer might have you covered. They are one of the most effective forms of print marketing for Martial Arts schools. Need business? Check them out!



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