In the last decade, Marketing has evolved. This is largely due to the way we communicate with one another. As Business insider mentions...
The marketing world has changed a lot in the past decade-and-a-half. The Internet ramped up, and entire waves of technologies have come and gone. Social networks like MySpace and Facebook exploded onto the scene, inevitably altering the ways we interact with each other.
However, as much as the tools change, the tried and true methods of yesteryear ring true. The key to marketing is still to grab your market's attention, build brand recognition, and compel them to action.
As Martial Artists, and branding experts, we saw the opportunity this new marketing evolution provided.
Social Media has strengthened the value of word of mouth.
Pictures and video are easily passed around the net and mobile devices.
Targeting your marketing is easy with the influx of available data and social networks.
Technology has made it easier to offer customizable products to the masses.
We also are keenly aware of the challenges we face:
Attention spans are shrinking.
Budgets are tight.
Average media does not get noticed.
Based on these opportunities and challenges, we created Dojo Muscle, a resource center for innovative ways to market your Martial Arts brand. Here is the main reason our pieces stand out from the competition.
Proper Design
Marketing materials must have a proper design in order to grab attention and compel a consumer into action. While design can be considered a matter of taste, there is still rules to follow in order to create successful brand building media.
This includes having a large call to action and a layout with proper information hierarchy. The pieces should be visually appealing, with a clear and concise brand message. The value in proper design is not just for a single piece. It is for the collection of pieces that represent your brand as a whole.
With each proper piece that goes out, you build more and more brand recognition. People will take notice, and eventually the brand begins to build itself.
Proven Strategies
When you buy almost any product in a store, what does it come with? Directions. I mean, it's nice to buy a product, but it's even sweeter when you know how to make the most of it.
This was an important element we wanted to emphasize in Dojo Muscle. All of our pieces were built to match a strategy that has proven to work for one of our clients/mentors. We then take this strategy and explain it step by step in a video. This helps our clients get the best return on their investment, which keeps them coming back for more.
Original Photos
This is probably the single most important feature of our products. We shoot all our own photography. This means that no other school can possibly have the photos on our materials. They are custom photos of real Martial Artists that we know and train with.
This is vital to helping a Martial Arts brand stand out. I mean, think of how it looks if the school down the block has the same smiling kid on their ads as you do. It can be confusing, or downright embarrassing. You are trying to separate yourself from the competition, and now it looks like the same kid trains at both places. Not with Dojo Muscle.
We do not use absolutely any stock photography on our print pieces. This gives your brand an edge on the competition.
True Customizations
Many Martial Arts marketing sites make the claim that their products are customizable. This usually means you can change some text and insert your logo. We knew this was not enough anymore, and wanted to take it a step further.
Our pieces are all adjusted by our designers to match your brand. We even offer the ability to taylor a piece to specific color schemes, and demographics. We know the importance of keeping a cohesive brand. It is not easy, but the value it provides long term is worth the hard work in the short term.
Cohesion Across Multiple Mediums
With unique photos, videos, and web promos, Dojo Muscle offers a Martial Arts brand the ability to brand cohesively across multiple mediums. That means a potential student will see a commercial, a flyer, and a trial pass for your school, and begin to recognize the brand. With so much advertising bombarding our brains daily, it is important to stay cohesive. This lets our brains recognize the 'pattern' when we see it. As Scribizzy.com mentions...
Branding and marketing professionals understand the power of image. Think about the Apple logo, the Nike swoosh, and Starbuck’s emblem. These symbols are burned into our minds and they immediately trigger brand recognition as well as the feelings and attitudes we hold individually or collectively toward the companies and products that they represent.
Any small business can use the web to build brand familiarity by depicting a logo, maintaining a consistent image, and sharing a clear message across all online marketing channels.
This is why we felt it was so important to offer branding across all mediums. Too many Martial Arts schools we see, get there video from one place, their print from a few different places, and even have multiple logo variations. This type of approach hurts your ability to build your brand, and means you have to work even harder to get less results.
Results Are What Matter
This may seem like we are pumping up what we do, and we are. But the reason behind it is because we are so proud of the results it is having on the clients we work with. This type of approach is time tested. It is not a gimmick.
It is predicated on offering something valuable to the community (Martial Arts), and marketing it to the right people, with a clear and concise brand message. Whether or not you choose to use our products, this is still the best approach to take.
As a fitness or martial arts instructor or as a gym or dojo owner, maintaining a solid connection with your students is essential for ensuring the success and growth of your classes.
One effective method of fostering these relationships is student retention cards and handwritten notes.
Peter Normandia
Author