All gym owners are looking for ways to recruit new jiu-jitsu students, but this process takes some time and some work. If you keep putting off the process and only try when you need new students, you could see yourself scrambling and working harder than you have to. But if you work diligently at it each week, you should have a steady stream of new faces through the year in your classes.
We have pulled together three ways to bring in new students to your jiu-jitsu classes.
1. Get Out in Your Community
You want to get your gym’s name in front of as many people as you can; this means getting out into your community. The more people start to recognize your gym’s name, the more they trust you and the more interest they will have in your gym.
Some of the things you can do to get out more in the community include:
- Sponsor a table or booth at a local event. This can consist of seasonal festivals and health fairs. If your community has seasonal parades, sponsor afloat or make one for yourself. Participate as much as you can.
- Put out flyers. Putting out flyers where kids and parents hang out in the community is great to draw interest. Check with local ice cream stores, pizza places, and any hot hangout area.
- Sponsor a youth sports team. Offer to hold the season party at your gym.
- Connect with prominent employers in the area and hold self-defense classes for their employees
2. Referrals
Asking your students for referrals is a great way to bring in new students. When you have a current student refer another student, they usually remain students longer and can potentially get you more referrals. The problem is most martial art gym owners do not think to ask students for referrals.
You can increase the chances of students bringing in new students by handing out free class passes to those they bring in.
You may also even think about offering a referral program to students. This could include a contest for who refers the most new students for class, get some free classes, give out t-shirts to those getting referrals, and other incentives as you see fit. Just make the program fun and thank the students and parents for referring your gym to others.
3. Take Advantage of Social Media
This should be a no-brainer, but you would be shocked at the number of jiu-jitsu gyms that are not taking full advantage of social media. Do you have a Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter account? Use them!
All of these social media sites are a great way to bring in new students. Twitter allows you to create a business account and connects your business with others. You can build brand awareness, reach a new audience and start a conversation with followers.
Facebook and Instagram allow you to post pictures and videos of your classes and gym and help draw interest in new students. Facebook also allows you to have paid ads and post to your page to gain interest, start discussions, and you can even offer discounts to followers.
If you are not taking full advantage of the advertising you can do on social media, now is the time to start.
We Can Help You Grow
The team at Jiu-Jitsu Advertising knows how important new students are to your gym. While these tips are meant to get you started, we can also help. We are here to increase your online presence. We offer help with Google My Business, Google Ads, content, and so much more. Growing your business can be hard work; gaining new students can be time-consuming but running your website is something we can handle. Give us a call today to see how we can help.
