Top 3 Advertising Mistakes During COVID-19

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By: Cris Rodriguez, MAIA Digital Marketing Specialist

Are you struggling to gain new students during this pandemic?

Here is a breakdown of 3 of the most common mistakes school owners make when advertising during COVID-19.

1) Not Advertising AT ALL!

One of the most obvious mistakes is simply not running ads at all. It can't be stressed enough how important it is for your school to be advertising -

Facebook ads are extremely affordable right now, and you're only doing your academy a disservice by not doing everything you can to bring in new students.

Besides bringing in new students, what else can advertising do for my academy right now?

Top-of-Mind Awareness.

Exposing people to your ads and your academy keeps you at the top of their mind. People are not going to go out of their way to think about a martial arts academy right now.

They're thinking about things like their family, their job, their health - if you're not putting yourself out there and staying top-of-mind, how else are they going to get exposed to your brand?

In a time where generating revenue is more important than ever, don't cut the costs that bring you money.

2) Only Running Normal Ads & Not Mentioning the Times We're In

As with any stressful situation, you have to adapt to the times.

Running the same old ads that you're used to, in a situation that is different and unfamiliar such as this pandemic, is going to make you look very unempathetic.

New times call for new measures - change your advertising to reflect the current situation (as well as your prospect nurture sequences - but that’s a topic for another blog!)

Which brings us to the next point:

Acknowledge the times we're in!

You can't just "shrug off" a pandemic.

No one is going to click on an ad for Martial Arts that doesn't acknowledge how their academy is going to address things like social distancing, and CDC guidelines.

This goes hand in hand with running specific COVID-19 Ads.

Try testing Ad copy like,"Are you stuck at home? Try our Virtual Martial Arts Classes Today!"

It acknowledges a common issue - being 'stuck at home', and how to address it - 'Virtual Classes'.

The world is constantly changing and evolving.

In order to not just survive, but to THRIVE during this pandemic you must adapt.

3) Giving Everything Away for FREE

The number one goal of any business is to make a profit. When it comes to martial arts academies, just getting people in the door (or on the computer) is not enough.

What does it matter if you have 100 students in your online class, but only 10 of them are actually paying??

You're providing value to those who need it, and that's worth them paying for it.

Now I'm not saying you should charge for everything you offer.

A free class or trial is a great way to introduce leads to martial arts at a low barrier of entry, and once they see the value you can provide them, pitch your paid offer.

Free offers are great for getting people in the door, just make sure you have an appropriate paid offer in place to follow it up.

And there you have it! 3 of the most common advertising mistakes during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In summary:

1. Advertise for your school - it keeps you top-of-mind and generates revenue.

2. Acknowledge and Address the situation we're in, and run ads accordingly - adapt and THRIVE.

3. Have a solid sales structure in place, ensuring you don't give everything away for free.

Hopefully this helps you to make informed and smart decisions when running your ads from here on forward.

If you need help with launching your profitable Facebook ads, check out the recordings of our Ultimate Facebook Ads Workshop.

www.OnlineAdsWorkshop.com

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