"Life is a continuous exercise in creative problem solving." - M.Gelb

I love this quote, it's just so true. Two popular problems dance studio owners and teachers often need to solve are:

-- > The need for an easy to update website
-- > Low cost and no cost marketing options

In fact, at our own dance studio and in our business we are actively creative problem solving these issue everyday!

There will always be something new to update current and potential students on. Marketing is an ongoing part of owning and operating any business. So I can definitely relate to these two popular problems facing studio owners.

Social media, especially a Facebook Page, can help solve those two problems simply and easily. You can even have fun with it and create raving fans at the same time.

Some of the concerns I hear from studio owners who are hesitant to add a social media presence are:

--> We don't have time for it, already busy enough
--> We don't want to mix the lines of professionalism between teachers and students
--> Our competition will know exactly what we are doing
--> It's just too complicated - just a passing fad for teens

I've heard variations of these concerns from many, many studio owners and teachers. I understand the concerns...I really do.

The truth is there are simple ways to regularly update your status, intuitive ways to maintain privacy and encourage a strictly business relationship between studio-teachers and students, step up as a leader and break the old model, and engage on social media with your current and potential students of a variety of ages.

Just the other day I was scrolling through the news feed on Facebook and saw one of the dance studios that I am a fan of post to their update that their summer schedule was posted and they included the link to online registration. Immediate. Simple.

This Week's Tip: Now is the time to take action. Set up a social media presence for your dance studio, ask for help, model success, do ONE thing TODAY that will help you be a creative problem solver.

A Facebook Page is one place to start. It costs nothing. You'll just need to at least have a personal profile established to get started: http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php

There are many more ways to creative problem solve with social media, but you've got to start somewhere and take consistent steps to grow your dance studio business each and every day.

If you're already making the most out of your social media presence keep up the great work, you're leading the way.

Thank you for being generous with your time and talent. You make a difference for students in ways that cannot often be seen or measured.

S.T.E.P. Your Way to Social Media Success

You probably already know that social media is revolutionizing the way that businesses interact with their current and potential customers...Dance studios are facing, in many ways, a major crossroads with the inherent transparency of social media.

Read "S.T.E.P. Your Way to Social Media Success" a guest post to Dance Advantage by Suzanne Blake Gerety

http://danceadvantage.net/2010/02/10/social-media-success

How to Easily Add Social Media into Your Dance Studio Marketing and Branding

Want to know why just having a website isn't enough anymore to fully reach your current and potential students? In this teleseminar and powerpoint presentation you'll hear the myths, confront the fears, and learn ways to handle the privacy concerns associated with social media. Break free from the old model of doing business, be a leader, and connect with your fans to grow your dance studio.

http://www.dancestudioowner.com/members/517.cfm