For those that visited our booth while attending a trade show or conference, a big THANK YOU!
We are now offering everyone a chance to win a Slide HD Flip Camera. You can enter here. Good luck!
Please remember to submit your event or recital photos as your company may be featured in our next blog or eNewsletter!
Social Media continues to provide us with the opportunity to meet amazing people. We recently exhibited at Dance Teacher Summit in New York and it was wonderful to see how many internet friends came up to our booth and introduced themselves. I commonly heard, “Hi, are you Jose? The person behind the company’s Facebook page?” or “Hi, we’ve connected on Twitter. I just wanted to stop by and introduce myself.” Social media takes away the awkwardness when meeting people you already know so much about because of a virtual network. Having a presence on social media has facilitated the way we meet each other and connected us with many incredible people. While at Dance Teacher Summit, I met new people for the first time, but as I mentioned, I also got to meet many individuals I knew from Twitter. And even though we didn’t plan on having an official tweet-up, our twitter community did end up hanging out together. Suzanne Blake Gerety, business owner of DanceStudioOwner.com, put it best in her recent note on facebook, “The ripple effect of a tweet can’t be measured.” She’s spot on! Some of us see the benefit beyond the advertisement of our product or services and trying to gain new business. Social media continues to function as an everyday tool to establish new connections and grow them.
People who are only pitching their services or products are missing the overall picture. Social media is a platform to meet and greet people. It helps us connect and build relationships that in turn can lead to business. It is important to be accessible and resourceful to as many individuals as we can, regardless of industry. In the end, you don’t need to pitch to anyone; in wanting to return the favor, they gladly become promoters of you and your brand. Social media definitely enhances our relationships and expands our knowledge all around.
We all get asked from time to time the million dollar question, have you seen a ROI in using social media? My answer to them has always been the same; yes, we have acquired new business, but not because we are constantly pitching, but because of the relationships we make and the interest we spark in people to see what you do for a living. I know I put a lot of time into social media, and my time will never be compensated monetarily, but the new friendships it brings me is much more than I can ask for on a personal level.
I’d like to close my post with the following thought: The most important thing you can do on social media is to be yourself. Everyone can see through fakeness. I’ve encountered my share of superficial people only looking out for themselves and I rather not be part of their world. My solution is to un-friend, un-follow and/or block. My experience at Dance Teacher Summit was real; online friends turn into long lasting friendships. I met real people behind their brand and people who I can continue to learn from no matter what industry they find themselves. I’d like to hear your personal experience whether good or bad with meeting new people you’ve engaged on social media.
A big thank you to the following people for making my time at Dance Teacher Summit that much more memorable:
Marc Kirschner from TenduTV, Suzanne Gerety from Dance Studio Owner, Chad Michael Lawson from Real Deal Dance Marketing (congratulations again on your newborn baby girl Jay Leigh Bella Lawson), Leslea Clark from Uptown Dance, Maria Hanley from Maria’s Movers, Nichelle Strzepek from Dance Advantage, Patty Rose from Dance Meets Fitness, Ashani Mfuko from Kiner Enterprises Inc. and Lori Incardona from Seton Hill Dance Academy.
Guest Blog by Leslea Clark
I wrote a similar post almost two years ago called The Power of the Net , It’s amazing how things change. We had just started our journey incorporating social media within our studio. I am happy to say I have learned a lot in these two years. For example; what works and what doesn’t, what to keep your eyes open for (the good, bad, and the ugly), and social media etiquette. I will speak a bit more about those later, but for now lets talk about the benefits of social media for dance. I will list a few examples, but as most of you already know the opportunities with social media are endless.
A Professional Dancer:
With a few simple tools such as Facebook and Twitter, you can promote yourself as a dancer and connect with several other people in your industry. You can post your performances to get a bigger fan base and connect with those who may have information on the latest auditions in your area.
Dance Teachers:
Similar to the above, teachers can promote themselves and connect with people in their industry. They can share ideas, thoughts, and concerns with teachers from around the world. Teachers can also stay connected with their students, but make sure you check with your studios policy on contact with students online. My suggestion is create a separate Fan page or Twitter account, keep your personal life personal and your contact with your students professional.
Studio Owners:
Can do all of the above plus created networks, blogs and of course websites for their business. Please see my networking list in my previous post for examples. What I have done, and what you will do over time, is narrow down the sites you use for networking. If you have experience with social media you know that it can become a bit overwhelming and time consuming, a great example of less is more and quality not quantity.
Find Out What Works Best For You and What Doesn’t.
For me it’s convenience, that’s why I love and stick to my Facebook Fan page, YouTube and Twitter accounts for networking. What’s great about these three is you can sync your accounts, which saves time. Then of course we have the Blog and Ning Network. What I recommend doing is keeping things clean and simple all on one site. I did this on my personal site and plan on doing it for the studio soon. You will notice that I have a blog and network all in one place on one site, that way it eliminates your customers and fans from having to navigate away from your main site and eliminates you having to post in several places. With my dance studio I would no longer have to have a Ning network or a blogger account, it would be all in one place as I said before.
Narrow Down Your Network
For help and support I’ve narrowed down my list to Dancestudioowner.com and Danceadvantage.net. Now especially, there are tons of sites and blogs to lend a helping hand and give advice to the dance industry. Again, find what suites you and makes your experience convenient.
What to Keep Your Eyes Open For
It’s ironic because at the same time I was asked to be a guest blogger, my circle of online dance buds did a Social Smarts Live Chat . This very informative event was hosted by Nichelle of Dance Advantage, Suzanne of Dance Studio Owner, and Marc of Tendu TV. By visiting the Social Smarts link you can get the opinions of some great people who have experience with Social Media and Dance. Social media is open for anyone, and we are all here for different reasons. My advice would be to surround yourself with people of similar interest and common goals… not to far off from how you would conduct yourself in “real life.”
Social Media Etiquette
This is something I would like to give my opinion on for those of you just starting out. I know you are excited and see many benefits and opportunities. Just remember that you will build a reputation online just as you do out in the real world. Be polite and courteous of other peoples time and what you ask of them. A few examples…
For those of you still hesitant to jump on the social media ban wagon, think of these questions for yourself and ask the opinions of others…
I hope this information is useful for those of you just getting started and even those of you who have been here for some time. It never hurts to share ideas, it’s yet one of the other benefits of social media, right? I would also like to say that by creating this post I am by no means categorizing myself as a “social media expert”. I just think it’s nice to hear from others in your field about what works for them.
As I explained before, we will all use Social Media for different reasons. Some are trying to sell a particular product, some simply want to socialize, and some are here just to get themselves out there and known. I happen to like keeping it fun, I’m not pushing my studio or myself in anyway, I just hope people become more aware of my presence and if I happen to get a new student or client this way, then great! Social Media for me is just an addition to the advertising we do already and a fun way to share ideas and meet other great dance industry people.
I shall leave you with two perfect examples of what I’m talking about.
First example, My Ning Network…
“Thank you for your support in my effort to create a positive, motivating, non competitive place for us to interact and share our love for dance. My goal is to be well known as a encouraging support system to our Dance community, and best of all, its Free! Help me in my effort and ask others who love dance in NJ to join too. Get yourself a badge or send them and invite. Questions, comments, suggestions are always welcome. I look forward to hearing from you all. Peace, Love, Dance!”
Second example, Why Dance Matters … a virtual event that rallies the dance community online created by my friend Nichelle of Dance Advantange. This was an amazing event to participate in and witness…the love and appreciation for dance was overwhelming! Below are my contributions to the event…
I hope you find this post and information useful. For me this was just another effort to spread my love and passion for dance. I thank you all for reading and as always…
Peace, Love, Dance!
~ Leslea
(image by Blethery via Flickr Creative Commons License)
Guest Blog by Ashani Mfuko
Have you ever hit a stalemate in your business? Maybe you’re in slow season, or maybe things aren’t bad, but they’re not growing either, they’re stale. Well, years ago you might have considered printing and handing out flyers to promote your business, maybe advertising in a newspaper or trade magazine, doing a mass mailing, or, if you had the budget, doing some radio or television advertising. These are all very traditional forms of marketing your business which are effective, however, they will also affect your budget in a significant way. Times have changed, and the world is getting and sharing information in brand new ways, and it’s called, Social Media.
Social Media did not just come onto the scene, it’s been around for many years now. However, there has been a significant growth spurt and demographic transition and expansion for those using social media, and it’s one that you need to pay attention to. Remember, change is good!
Here are the top 3 reasons why some people don’t participate in social media:
1) I don’t understand it.
2) I don’t have the time.
3) I don’t see the point/benefit for my personal brand/business.
And my response:
1) I don’t understand it. – Well, let’s simplify it. All you need to do is 3 things: a) Determine who your target audience is b) Share useful information that is of interest to that audience c) Engage in conversation and offer support to your audience.
2) I don’t have the time. – You don’t necessarily have to spend 10 hrs a day on your social media accounts. And furthermore, Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and Linked in accounts can all be connected to one another. You can schedule your updates ahead of time on a website like http://socialoomph.com. Or you can start off by simply dedicating 30 min. or 1 hour a day to social networking, and take it from there.
3) I don’t see the point/benefit for my personal brand/business. – First and foremost, when anything hits the masses and is acknowledged by television, radio, and global businesses, that should tell you that it is definitely beneficial for your brand.
I know this from experience. One example of this is, the “America’s Best Dance Studio Contest” that my company, Kiner Enterprises Inc. created. It’s all about showcasing excellence in dance studios across America, in celebration of National Dance Week. All of our contest sponsors were acquired through social media, and the success of the contest is solely based on social media, as we have done no other type of promotion or print advertising for this contest.
When done right, social media can help grow your business, enhance your brand awareness, and ultimately increase your bottom line. The best part, however, is all of the wonderful relationships that you will build with great, passionate, and hard-working people just like yourself. You’ll gain motivation, inspiration, and learn A LOT.
To read parts 1 and 2 of this series, visit the Kiner Enterprises Inc.’ Dancer’s Blog
Folllow Kiner Enterprises Inc. on Twitter
Become a fan of Kiner Enterprises Inc. on Facebook
Become a fan of the America’s Best Dance Studio Contest on Facebook
Guest Blog by Jann Davis
The Digital Dance Studio
What are you using to attract more customers for the fall of 2010? You have your email list, you have your website, your photos for the fall ad campaign are in place, so what’s next? Have you ever considered the power of Facebook to attract new customers to your facility? Facebook is growing every day, it isn’t just for the high school or college student anymore. Companies like Pepsi and Toyota send out daily updates to fans on their pages. Dance Vendors, Dance Teacher Magazine and Dance Distributors offer daily articles or discounts to their fans on both Facebook and Twitter. So how can you expand your student base and attract more customers in your doors for the summer and fall?
Join Facebook and set up your own studio fan page, if you haven’t already. Then decide how you would attract a new customer into your facility. In a newspaper ad you might offer a coupon, you can do that on Facebook, or you might announce your summer program through your email customer base, you can do that too, and you can do it quicker and more efficiently. Everyday dance studios post class cancellations due to weather conditions, upcoming workshops or community events, kudos to their students in weekend dance competitions, just about anything they are currently offering in their studio. You don’t have to wait for ad design or approval from your local newspaper or until the next edition comes out to get feedback from customers. Facebook seamlessly integrates events (which you can request your fans to post on their walls to friends who are potential sales leads for you), information about your studio which you can edit without waiting for your website manager to do, or ask customers to review your studio in the review tab. You can upload latest videos of your dance events including competitions or mid-year performances; create a photo album of your latest fund raising effort, or post notes about recital picture days and rehearsals. How you use it to advertise is as creative as you want to make it.
I am not suggesting that you abandon the traditional methods you currently use. I am suggesting that you research the new concept of social media marketing for your facility. Recent articles suggest that a fan base created on Facebook increased a return of sales for most companies by 36%. In these economic times that is an investment worth researching.
We’d like to thank everyone who stopped by our booth in Schaumburg, IL. We have a lot of follow up and are looking forward to serving everyone’s backdrop needs.
UDMA’s Dance Resource & Costume Shows have now come to an end for the 2009. We look forward to 2010 and especially with the 5th show taking place here in California!
Backdrops Beautiful would like to thank everyone for stopping by our booth at the UDMA Dance Resource & Costume Show in Secaucus, NJ. The 3 winners of our $300 off backdrop rental raffle will be announced via email.
The Secaucus show was outstanding! Some school owners were so excited when they viewed our highlighted themed backdrops in our brochure that they decided they didn’t want to waste any more time researching for their upcoming dance recitals and booked from us on the spot!
We showcased our Dance Ballerina Backdrop as requested by our customers’. Rather than displaying a digital backdrop, we created a 10 x 10 version of our product to provide customers the opportunity to see, touch and feel the quality of the painted backdrop they will receive upon ordering from us. This backdrop attracts many people because of the vibrant colors and whimsical appeal that can create an impact at any dance recital.
Backdrops Beautiful has arrived in Secaucus, NJ! We are looking forward to another successful show by UDMA!
As we continue to exhibit our beautiful backdrops across the US we continue to meet and greet new and current customers! Exhibiting at UDMA’s Secaucus Show will give us the opportunity to obtain the adequate feedback from dance teachers to continue to learn what is hot and what is not. As themes keep evolving and new trends arise, we continue to stay on top of our backdrop design and create picture perfect backdrops!
We got several RSVPS’ from our clients to discuss their upcoming backdrop design needs at our booth. Please remember to bring your sketches/pictures and questions! We will be showcasing the backdrop you all voted as your favorite! And for those that didn’t get back to us on time we welcome you to stop by and visit us at booth #818. Please make sure to register for our backdrop drawing and sign up to our monthly newsletter. You will not want to miss out on what we have in store for the upcoming months!
We will see you all tomorrow!
Last week we were greeted with great Southern hospitality while attending the 16th annual UDMA show in Atlanta, GA. Atlanta is a beautiful city with great landmarks and interesting sites such as the Coca Cola Museum, the Birth Home of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Gladys Knight and Ron Winan’s Chicken and Waffles, where we chose to treat ourselves to a delicious meal.
Despite the flood earlier in the week and more rain on Saturday night, there was a good turnout of exhibitors and attendees who consisted mostly of dance instructors who came from all over the state and surrounding states such as South Carolina, Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee to name a few.
We were so pleased to see and speak with so many happy dance teachers, many of whom were customers we had the opportunity to meet for the first time, face-to-face. It was also a chance to say hello to fellow vendors and network with CEO and Publisher Joseph Cote of Dance.com and Dancer Magazine.
At UDMA, we showcased our versatile Candyland backdrop which many responded very favorable to; “WOW!” was the common phrase heard throughout the show. Many commented that our Candyland backdrop was dynamically different in that it popped with vibrant colors and truly captured the theme! When they actually had the opportunity to touch and feel the backdrop, they were impressed with the quality and artistic workmanship.
Thank you UDMA for making last weekend’s Dance Resource & Costume Show at the Gwinnett Center a success.
We are now proud members of UDMA. 
This year we decided to exhibit at various dance conferences throughout the country. Our first dance show was Chicago National Association Dance Masters (CNADM) in Arlington Heights, IL. The show was very intimate which provided lots of time to interact with many of the school teachers and dance instructors. Our second show was in New York, NY; Dance Teacher Summit which was put on by Dance Media and Break the Floor Productions. Staying true to New York City it was a grand conference with a little over 700 attendees.
As we continued our journey to exhibit our third stop was in Orlando, FL for Rhee Gold’s Dance Life Teacher Conference. Rhee Gold and his team put on a successful conference! As proud sponsors of Dance Teacher Life our backdrop Mystic Sky1 was hung on one of the main dance stages! Our final destination for the summer was in beautiful Las Vegas, NV for Dance Teacher Web Conference and Expo. This conference gave us the opportunity to meet and greet many new faces in the dance industry!
We’d like to thank everyone who stopped by our booths at Chicago National Association of Dance Masters, Dance Teacher Summit, Rhee Gold’s Dance Life Teacher Conference and Dance Teacher Web Conference & Expo. It is always a pleasure to meet our current customers, as well as build relationships with future clients. We strive to participate in as many shows possible and enjoy the opportunity to obtain feedback. We like to hear about what new backdrops are needed in the industries so that we may provide the best and most up-to-date selections for our customers. Please feel free to email or call us any time with your suggestions.
At Backdrops Beautiful we are proud of the quality backdrops we produce and are always ecstatic to showcase our hand-painted and airbrushed backdrops in all the shows we participate.
