“Instead of advertising what you have, reach out to prospects by advertising what they want”

Introduction

As a swim school owner, you know that the key to success is repeat business. In order to keep your customers coming back, though, you need to constantly create new leads and opportunities for people to be interested in your product or service. A swimming school is one of those businesses where making new connections can be difficult—even if it's not an "intimate" relationship like law or medicine (where there are fewer clients). With that said, there are still ways for swim schools to generate more leads without having to do any cold calling. Here are six strategies we've tested out:

1. Advertise your swim school in the right places

There are a number of places you can advertise your swim school, but it’s important to place your ads in the right venue. For example, if most of your potential customers are local residents, then a local newspaper or magazine is probably going to be the best option for getting a lot of eyeballs on your advertisement. If you want to reach more people who live further away online advertising may be more effective than newspaper ads.

What should I include?

When creating an ad for swimming lessons there are some things that will help ensure success:

Short and sweet – The most successful ads contain just enough information without being overwhelming. You want potential customers to understand what they’ll get from enrolling in your class without reading an entire book about it!

Eye-catching design – Your advertisement should stand out from other advertisements in its publication medium so that people notice and remember it when they’re looking for something new.

2. Give a free trial class for new students

To attract new students, offer them a free class. This will get more people in the door of your swim school and give you an opportunity to showcase what your program has to offer. The best way to do this is by offering a great class that will attract new students—but not just any old class will do! You need one that is fun, challenging and engaging so that they'll want to come back for more. You also need to be prepared as well: make sure you're ready on time; know how long the class will be; have enough equipment readily available; make sure your instructor knows what's going on; etc.

If done right, the free trial can lead into getting some potential clients hooked on swimming lessons with your swim school (and paying customers)!

3. Make a referral program

A referral program is a great way to generate new leads for your swim school. The process works by incentivising current customers to refer a friend or family member who may be interested in learning how to swim. Once the referred person signs up for lessons, the referrer gets a reward (usually a discount on their next lesson or a pair of goggles).
A referral program can be set up easily with an app like ReferralCandy or MyReferrals. It's important that you set up tracking so that you know who referred whom and what reward they were entitled to.

4. Have a presence on social media

Social media can be a powerful tool for your swim school. It's the best way to connect with potential customers, spread the word about your brand, build relationships with existing customers, and share helpful content that demonstrates your expertise. You should have a presence on all of the major social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. (To learn more about how to create engaging social media content check out our blog post HERE)

5. Know the needs of your market

Know the needs of your market. Understanding who you're trying to reach, how they like to be contacted and what makes them respond will help you tailor your message accordingly.

How do they want to be contacted? Do they prefer email? Texts? Phone calls? What time of day do they receive information most easily?

What are their pain points or challenges that need solving right now? Knowing this means knowing how to help them.

How can you find new leads by identifying specific personas in your marketing plan rather than just focusing on geography or industry (e.g., "I'm looking for a swim school that is located within 5 miles of my home"). 

By putting in time and effort to create meaningful relationships with potential clients, you can maximize the efficiency of each lead generation strategy.

To maximize the efficiency of your lead generation strategies, you need to know the needs of your market. How? By being a part of it. In other words, get involved in the community and become an active participant.

Conclusion

The more you know about your ideal customer, the easier it will be to attract them through Facebook ads or an lead generation campaign. Have a strong presence on social media (Facebook and Instagram) where you share content related to swimming lessons is key.

We hope this blog post has been helpful for you. If you’d like to know more about how you can generate 50-100 leads a month then book a FREE strategy call (worth £700) now and we can help you generate more leads right away! Book here.