Running an academy (or any sports business) is no easy feat…
Whether you’re in the early stages trying to get your business off the ground (while potentially working a full-time job to fund it) or you’re more established and now find that the challenge to acquire new students never ends, it can be tough.
On the topic of acquiring new students…
Did you know that referral marketing can generate 2X higher conversion rates than any other marketing channel? According to a recent study by Ogilvy/Google/TNS, 74% of consumers say word-of-mouth is a major factor in their purchasing decisions.
So why is UnGentle, a sports marketing agency that specialises in paid advertising, telling you this? And why does everyone talk about in-house referrals being key to growth, but you still can’t figure out where to find all the students who’ll actually refer others in the first place? Let’s break it down.
Why We’re Talking About Referrals (Even Though We Do Paid Ads)
Firstly, we’re telling you this because we’re driven by data and our passion to connect sports leaders with the students whose lives they’ll change.
Secondly we’re a human-centered marketing agency, which means we understand that at the heart of every successful marketing strategy is a real human experience. We view marketing holistically, like an eco-system in which everything must work in harmony for maximum success.
But here’s the thing: you can’t have a referral program without students to refer in the first place. The eco-system of your academy needs new students, and referrals to thrive.
Finding the Students to Refer New Leads (And How Paid Ads Make This Easier)
You’re probably thinking ‘that’s great, but how do I actually find these students?’ That’s where paid advertising comes into play.
Let’s say you’re running a paid ad campaign and you get 48 leads in one week. You convert 50% of them, which means 24 new students show up for their intro class. Now what?
We make sure your leads are high-quality and that you’re spending as little as possible to get them. This way, you can stretch your advertising spend as far as it will go. You do this by converting and retaining your leads and the next part of the cycle begins – the magic of in-house referrals.
Every time you add a new student, you’re creating an opportunity for future referrals. You can aim for one referral per student, track it, and watch your numbers grow. There’s nothing better than having your students involved in your marketing campaign.
In our Going Pro package, we work with you to create a customer experience so exceptional that your students won’t be able to help but refer their friends, family, and training partners. We do this because we understand the eco-system. We’ll map out a journey that makes every touchpoint feel like a win—so everyone is taking about your academy (in a good way of course).
We can help you map out your referral marketing in a way that suits your unique academy and students. And if you’re not quite ready to invest in paid ads yet, no worries—we’ve got you covered.
Here are a few tips to make the most of referral marketing until you’re ready to level up with ads:
3 Ways to Boost Referrals Without Paid Ads (Yet!)
- Create a Referral Program
It sounds simple, but it’s crazy how many academies forget this one. Offer a small discount or a free class for students who refer a friend. Make it easy and rewarding for them to spread the word, and easy for you/your team to manage and track. - Engage Your Current Students
Some of the best sales people you can find are already walking through your doors. Ask them what they like about your academy and why they keep coming back. Use their answers to fuel your marketing—and encourage them to share that experience with others. - Leverage Social Media
Organic social media is an incredible tool for referrals—especially if you’re not ready to invest in ads. Only 6% of businesses connect with their clients on facebook without ads but it doesn’t mean it’s a lost cause. Keep going. Create shareable content that your students will want to repost. Run a competition, celebrate them or give small incentives to get them spreading the word online.
Running a jiu-jitsu academy isn’t for the faint of heart, but we can work hard and with the right marketing strategy it doesn’t have to be a struggle.
Whether you’re all in on paid ads or just starting to experiment with referrals – we would love to hear your thoughts.
Aim to transform your students into lifelong fans…and fans who will happily refer their friends, family and colleagues to you.
If you’re ready to go pro, you can check out our packages below.