This is important to remember because you don’t want to waste your efforts on people that aren’t either in your town or close enough to become potential students.

A good way tap into your local audience online is to make sure you’re listed on all the top online local directories and should be a big part of your local search engine marketing efforts.

Most of my students came from my website followed by referrals. Surprisingly, my studio isn’t listed in the yellow pages (more on this later) and my classes are full. I even have a long waiting list.

My existing students, and those on the waiting list, found me when they performed a search online in either Google, Yahoo or MSN. If they didn’t find my website directly, they found me on a directory that pointed them to my website.

Obviously, the most important website I worry about is my own. In online marketing, it’s all about how many clicks a prospect is away from your website to close the sale. The fewer the clicks, the better chance you have to get them to choose you instead of your competition.

I spend a lot of time trying to rise up to the top of the search engines with my site on important keywords. However, it’s nice to have these other sites high in the search results as well. That said, the trick then becomes making sure you outrank them.

If you can get visitors to your site first, because you come up in the top of the search results, all the better. However, as a marketing strategy, it’s also good to be in as many listings as possible in case they click into another listing, missed it by accident or if they recognize that site and want to go to it first.

In addition, if you don’t have a website yet, these directories will help still get you some additional online exposure until you do.

There are a few other major online local listings you should make sure you’re listed. If you aren’t yet in the yellow pages or are in the process of developing your website, this is a must to ensure you’re getting your karate schools contact information is getting out to the broadest audience possible.

The good news is that all of the online directory listings I’m going to share all 100% free!

Online Local Directories

1. Google Maps
2. Yahoo Local
3. Yelp
4. Insider Pages.com
5. CitySearch.com
6. SuperPages.com
7. Local.com

Do a search on these and see if you’re already listed. If you have a yellow pages ad, typically you get included in these directories automatically. However, it’s not always the case so be sure to double check you’re listed.

I know in my area, four of the seven listed above are in the top ten search results. What’s great about this is that not only do I have my listing for my site, I’m also listed on these other top ranking directories as well.

Do a search for “martial arts” in your city and see if you come up. If not, click the link that allows you to add your karate school. You will likely have to verify that you own that business; typically with a phone call or email to the business contact information you provided.

Do you use local online directories? Share your experience in the form of a comment below!

You can either wait for them to come to you or you can ask for them. That said, many people think they have to wait to for people to send them and that if they ask for them that it somehow cheapens things.

On this, I couldn’t disagree more.

Read on to learn about six questions you can ask to get higher quality testimonials.

If you don’t ask, the reality is that you will likely wait a long time before they come in. And, what’s more, is that you don’t always great testimonials that help influence prospective new students when you leave it up to your students to write them on their own accord.

Sure I appreciate and use testimonials I get from those who send them without me asking, but I don’t sit around and wait for them to come to me. I like to be a little more proactive.

Here is how I structure my request for testimonials. I simply ask them six very targeted open ended questions in the form of a questionnaire.

Six Questions To Get Better Testimonials

1. What are your reasons for taking the martial art?
2. What convinced you that this was the right place for you?
3. In what ways has training in the martial arts affected your life?
4. What do you like most about training here?
5. How would you describe your training at our studio to your friends?
6. Is there anything else you would like to add?

As you can see from my questions, I am asking questions that get them to open up about why why they joined, what they like about my martial arts school, how training with me has helped them in their every day life, and more. They are all open ended questions and get people to give you great insight into things you wouldn’t have likely gotten any other way.

Don’t be afraid to ask, oftentimes, you get a better testimonial because you guide things by asking the right questions. Ask for them. It works.

How do you go about getting testimonials for your martial arts school? Share your ideas in the form of a comment below!

One of the main things people do online is compare information. And how you highlight that information does matter.

Remember, your prospects are trying to determine three things:

1. What martial art is right for them.
2. Who they want to teach them.
3. Which martial arts school best suites their needs.

Think of all the best reasons why your target market would be interested in your martial arts school then highlight them in an easy to read and understand manner. You can have one page that is dedicated to this (preferred) in your primary navigation, throughout your site on various pages, or even on your Frequent Questions page or section.

So, where do you get started?

Clear some time and sit down in a quiet area where you can write down everything you can think of why people should consider your martial arts school. Be sure to include reasons why people should consider you from the three perspectives mentioned above.

One important thing to do is write down things that might be a “negative” in the eyes of your prospects and then figure out a way to spin it into a positive. Only teach one martial art? That’s because you’re focused. You don’t teach adults? That’s because you’re a specialist in teaching kids. Etc.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to help get you started:

• How does your studio compare to those around you?
• What do you do that they don’t?
• What do they do that you don’t do?
• Do you offer better hours?
• Do you teach more or fewer martial art styles?
• Are you the only one in town that teaches a particular style?
• Do you have a convenient location?
• What about your training or philosophy would appeal to prospects?

Once you have a good list put together, choose 5-10 things to focus on and then add it to your site. This can be done written out in paragraph format, in bullet points, or even in chart using a side by side comparison.

To help kick off the process, ask prospects about this when they contact you and discover their perception about what makes you different. You can also ask your existing students why they chose you to help speed things up as well.

Believe me, people are researching you online and comparing you already. Make it easy for people to compare you against the others and become the one they choose.

How do you make it easy for people to compare your martial arts school? Let us know in the form of a comment below.

There is a notion that starting a martial arts school means you have to have start big, lease a huge facility, and need to develop an all inclusive business plan to get a business loan.

That’s simply not the case.

If you have the passion and desire to start a studio and don’t want to get in over your head, then this method might be right for you.

And, that strategy can be summed up in two words: “start small.”

No matter how big or small you decide to start, there is going to be a significant learning curve. So, it’s probably a good idea to learn as you go in a smaller, less financially stressful setting.

Key Concept: Just because you’re good at martial arts doesn’t mean you’re going to be equally as good at running a business.

What most people forget is that while they might be great martial artists, they aren’t equally as good at running a business.

According to many small business experts, that’s the number one reason why so many small businesses fail.

You have to learn a lot of skills and develop systems before you can successfully run a martial arts school:

• Accounting
• Marketing
• Sales
• Teaching
• Retention
• Public Relations
• And more!

Are you an expert in each area? If not, you might want to consider starting smaller.

There is NOTHING wrong with starting small and growing into a larger business. It will teach you a lot about what works and what doesn’t so you can properly scale your business in the right directions.

It also gives you time to educate yourself on things you might be as familiar or strong with while paying lower overhead.

Three Simple Ways to Start a Martial Arts School

1. Teach out of your garage or basement.
2. Find a fitness club or dance studio with available space.
3. Teach out of another martial arts studio on their off days and times.

Believe me, you can successfully market your smaller studio and position yourself against the big chain studios as a viable alternative. I know, because I’ve done this approach for about 8 years now teaching out of a fitness facility.

Start small, build you student base, and get some experience running a smaller studio. In time, you can graduate to a larger studio with proper planning, education, patience, and determination.

Agree or disagree? Let me know in the form of a comment below!

I’ve been in the martial arts nearly 20 years and I have no idea what some of the names mean or what kind of style it is.

If someone who reads Black Belt magazine basically every month, researches martial arts online every week, and has been in the arts for nearly 20 years doesn’t know what your style is or what it means, how confused do you think your prospects are?

Think about it this way…

If you drove by a sign that was written in Japanese, and assuming you didn’t know that language, would you be able to read it? That’s basically what you sign looks like if you’re placing too much emphasis on your style with your businesses identity.

Consider your audience before coming up with a name for your business. If your target audience doesn’t know how to pronounce it or what it means, it could mean it’s getting in the way of growing your studio.

Remember, just because your style means a lot to you, doesn’t mean it means anything to your prospective new student at the point they are evaluating what martial arts school to join. In time, that may change, but first, you have to get them in the door.

Are you guilty of letting your style get in the way of your success?

Open up your local Yellow pages and flip to the “martial arts” section. You’ll see a lot of ads. And, they all probably sound pretty much the same. You’ll see many common mistakes and wasted space in over 90% of the ads.

This reason for this might surprise you. Many martial arts school owners think that they should just copy what others are doing as it must be working.

I say - don’t bet on it!

I would venture to say most are just throwing away money and not getting the most from their yellow page ads. They are there paying for the same ad month after month simply because they believe their ad is fine and at least “they’re in the book.” They believe, if other’s are doing those things, then that’s what they should do, too.

However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

There are very few rock solid yellow page ads out there and most, for whatever reason, seem to copy the ones that don’t use solid marketing principles. I’m not sure if it’s being lazy or not knowing what is a good yellow pages ad. Either way, it’s time to get original!

There are a few things you can do so that this doesn’t happen to you and you create a successful yellow page ad.

Tips for a Successful Yellow Page Ad

It should come as no surprise that your yellow page ad is a lot like your website or other marketing materials. A lot of the same core marketing principles apply.

1. Use a benefit oriented headline – Most ads don’t utilize this and default to making their logo bigger. Adding a headline alone could double your response if tested and written correctly.
2. Make an offer – I recommend that you even use the offer in the headline to really capture attention.
3. State benefits, not features – Most ads just use quick bullets of features.
4. Speak to your target market – Who are you trying to attract? Are you making an offer that is specific to them? In other words, are you placing more emphasis on adults when your bread and butter are kids?
5. State what makes you different - What’s your unique selling proposition? What can you tell prospects that will help you stand out?
6. Use a call to action – Ask them to take action, tell them how to respond, then make it easy for them to respond.
7. Include basic contact info – Obviously, include your address, phone, and domain name.

Common Mistakes

1. Trying to speak to everyone - Does your target feel like you’re speaking to someone else?
2. Not making an offer - What’s in it for them?
3. Too much emphasis on style - Do beginners really know the difference?
4. Letting your ego get in the way - Is your ad a shrine to yourself?
5. Focusing on your logo - Is it bigger than everything in your ad?
6. Stating you’re the best or the leader - Do you really believe everybody who tells you they’re the best
7. Not clarifying your guarantee - Is it clear what you’re guaranteeing?
8. Putting text over graphics - Is your ad legible?
9. Using the same tagline as someone else - A family that kicks together, sticks together… sound familiar?
10. Being a plagiarist- Stop copying and get original!

I’ll leave the decision to do color and the placement up to you and your budget. More on that later.

Your yellow page ad is nothing more than to get people interested enough to call you. And, you need to give them good enough reason and make them identify with your ad enough to motivate them.

I will compile and share some of the blunders I’ve seen and some of the great ones in future posts. Have a sample you want to send in? Send it in and I’ll include them in a future post. Include ones you like and don’t like and I’ll do a review with tips on how to improve as many as I can.

What tips would you pass on to other martial arts school owners who are considering doing a yellow page ad?

I’m a big fan of rolling things out online even if they’re not exactly the way I want them then I can come back to them later and get it right. Otherwise, I ‘m not sure I would have ever gotten this project off the ground. Same with this new theme - I still have to figure out a few things, but overall I love it.

That’s the one cool thing about using WordPress as a content management system - it only took a couple of hours or so to update the entire design of the site. And, it only took a nominal amount of HTML knowledge to get rid of a few things in the template I either didn’t need or am not ready to push live yet. The good news is if I end up hating this theme, I can change it to something else in no time.

I really wanted to make things look and feel more professional. This new format has more of a newspaper kind of feel to it while still feeling modern. I will be working up the logo, USP tagline, and more and getting them on the site once again. I’m also going to be adding an offer to this site that I think you’ll all like. More on that soon.

P.S. I will also be adding a few new features to the site soon so be sure to come back and check things out soon!

What do you think… like it or hate it? Let me know in the form of a comment below!

These items, to me, are a must, not just a wish list.

Five Marketing Tools for New Martial Arts School Owners

1. Logo - I would make sure I had a great name and accompanying logo. Something distinctive that helps me standout from everyone else in my area.
2. USP - I would spend the time and develop a rock solid unique selling proposition then use it as my tagline.
3. Website - I would make sure to secure an easy to spell (and say) domain name that points to a website that was search engine ready, focused on benefits, made an offer, used effective calls to action, and made it easy for people to take me up on my offer. Start this as soon as you have a name registered.
4. Business Cards - This not only establishes you as a professional, it also makes it easy for people to have all you contact info, including your website, in one place. Cover the basics including your name, title, your school name, address, phone number, email, domain name, and USP/tagline. Then, start handing them out like your life depended on it.
5. Flier - Craft a flier that helps communicate your differences and gets peoples attention and interested. You can use this to hang up in grocery stores, on car windows, or hand out when someone comes in. Be sure to include an offer, a deadline, and a simple way to redeem it. When done right, it can be a very versatile and cheap marketing tool.

Sure you should get a sign, be in the yellow pages, and send out a press release. But you should also make sure you have these five items in place and use them to your full advantage.

Agree or disagree? Let me know in the form of a comment below!

A great example of rifling in on a niche is Patrick from Virginia. He wrote in and asked what he can do to help attract more law enforcement professionals to his mixed martial arts school for police officers using his website.

The good news is that marketing to police officers really isn’t that all the different from marketing to every day people.

Following are some of the first things I would do to attract and sign up law enforcement professionals.

First, you need to make it so law enforcement professionals and/or their supervisors can easily find it online.

Use the Right Keywords

Search engine optimization has a lot to do with what keywords you choose and where you place them on your martial arts schools site.

It makes sense that you should target law enforcement related terms on your site. However, what is often overlooked is that you should also group them with your geographic location.

A sample title tag to use on your home page could be “Martial Arts Training for Law Enforcement Officers in Norfolk Virginia.” Then, I would use these same keywords in the page header, body copy, and internal links from within your site that link back to this page.

I would also do variations of keyword groupings on other pages of your site so you can cover the bases and cross optimize for related terms. You don’t want to optimize the same term over and over again on every page as it can dilute your efforts in the search engines.

Once on your site, you need to tell them what’s in it for them.

Sell the Benefits

Remember not to just focus on the features of your school, but also sell the benefits. Even if police officers are already on your site and interested, you have to reinforce the reasons why they need this training and how it will help them in the field.

• Learn effective handcuffing techniques that prevent retaliation
• How to legally use force and get results using pain compliance techniques
• How to control a situation using only your posture and eye contact
• How to properly use an ASP in a crisis situation so you don’t drop it
• How to prevent your weapon from being used against you
• Etc.

Next, you need to make sure you state that you have what they’re looking for.

Be the Solution to their Problem

If you exclusively teach police officers and law enforcement, I would tout this all over your site. Perhaps use that statement as your tagline. “Martial Arts Training Exclusively for Police Officers” would help filter out people and know who the site is for and what they will find there. This is an effective use of marketing a unique selling proposition.

If you just want to offer this kind of training as a supplement to your other programs, create a focus page that directly and effectively speaks to this kind of training program. If you offer a discount to police officers, be sure to tell them that here.

Now you have to convince them you know what you’re talking about.

Establish Credibility

You need to establish that you’re an expert and that you have the necessary skill set and experience needed. Who wants to train with someone who has no real experience?

Share your relevant personal history:

1. Letters of reference
2. Testimonials from officers
3. Certifications
4. Your past or current training
5. Photos or videos teaching officers
6. Relevant awards or citations
7. News clips

Now it’s time to get them in the door!

Make Them An Offer They Can’t Refuse

Now is the most critical part of them all - getting them in the door! And, there is no better way than to make them an offer. “Show your badge and get a free hour of lessons.” It could be a discount… a free trial… a free DVD on weapon retention tactics… whatever gets you the most response.

Marketing to law enforcement professionals isn’t that different from marketing to regular students. By following the ideas mentioned, you can be on your way to getting more law enforcement professionals to your martial arts school.

How do you target Law Enforcement Professionals at your Martial Arts school? What works and what doesn’t?

Back in the early days of my Kenpo studio, I was struggling to keep up with all the questions from prospects on my site.

I had my email address on the site and no frequently asked questions page. I was getting bombarded by question after question…often times it was the same questions over and over again.

I had to respond to each and every person and would just end up rewriting the same thing over and over as I could never seem to find those emails in my sent box to make it easy.

As a karate school owner, you probably get asked the same things day in and day out as well. Why not simplify your life and add them to your website?

Now, I’ve had people ask me if that is such a good idea as the whole point, to them, is for people to come in, pick up the phone or email you and start the conversation and ask questions.

While I agree that is the ultimate goal, you don’t have to hold back information to get people to call you.

In fact, I’ve found the exact opposite to be true.

I answer several questions on my site and make it easy to find. I have found that in doing this, it’s not only saved me time, it’s also made my prospects that much more qualified when I do speak with them. I’ve also seen far more people sign up for my trial program as a result.

I think it comes down to being transparent with people. As the old saying goes: Give them what they want, and you’ll get what you want.

Here are some common questions you can answer which should be tailored to your martial arts school:

• How much does it cost?
• What is your class schedule for adults?
• What is your class schedule for kids?
• What is the focus of the art you teach?
• Why should I train with you and not elsewhere?
• Do you have any openings?
• How long does it take to get to black belt?
• Do you require sparring?
• Do you offer a trial program?
• How do I get started? (I always suggest you use this one and make it the last one on your list)

You can also use this section to overcome common objections as well as well as use it to help differentiate your martial arts school from others in town. I would keep things to about 10-12 questions. Give them enough to wet the appetite, get some answers, and get more interested in your karate dojo.

Remember, your frequently asked questions page is not only a customer service feature on your site, it’s also serves as a marketing function for your karate dojo.

How do you use frequently asked questions to qualify your prospects and streamline your sales process?