Martial Arts Marketing

Martial Arts Business Masters Reconnect Recently I sat down with my old friend Andrew Wood, who made a surprise guest appearance at this year’s NAPMA convention. Andrew was a true pioneer in the martial arts business, writing the book that changed the life of many instructors: How to Make $100,000 or More Teaching Martial Arts. ...

At last year’s Extreme Success Academy, Pat Burleson was presented with the 2009 NAPMA Lifetime Achievement Award for his pioneering contributions to the martial arts professional school instruction industry. Grand Master Burleson created many of the business systems that are now standard in the model used by most schools. He studied under Grand Master Jhoon ...

In my March 2008 column, I covered the various reasons why every martial arts school should have a Web site as part of its marketing plan. I also emphasized that your school’s Web site has two main purposes: to increase new business and to retain and extend the training of current students. Much like how ...

The debate goes something like this: Are you simply born with “it” or are you the sum total of your experiences? Was Muhammad Ali predestined to become a champion at conception, or was he compelled to greatness by his circumstances? One thing is certain; in today’s information age we have every opportunity to set ourselves ...

A small town school in Hampstead, Maryland got big results when its owner, Joe Borucki learned how to get the most from no-cost advertising. As he launches a second location, he takes a few moments to review the secrets of his success with CEO Stephen Oliver.

I had a meeting recently with 35 really smart school owners who are all involved in growth process for their businesses...

One of the best ways to attract positive publicity to your school, and ultimately more students, is with media coverage. Positive media relationships are a critically important, yet often ignored aspect of running a successful martial arts school. The press release is a highly effective tool for getting your name out into your community. Learn ...

Part 10: The Anatomy of an Ad: Body Copy, Part 6 Unique Selling Proposition (USP) Although you should replicate PROVEN successful marketing pieces and strategies, it’s also extremely important to separate your message from your “competition” and other marketing clutter in the marketplace. In recent columns, I presented the concept of “agitating” the problem and ...

Is your website effective or not? Is it adding to your bottom line by bringing you new business? If the answer is “Yes” then your website is effective, if the answer is “No” then you need to find out why, and the best place to start is by gathering certain benchmarks that will indicate where the ...

As a quick re-cap:The essential keys to “lock the back door” for long-term student retention are: 1. Over-delivering on the expectations of customer at every turn. 2. Clearly communicating the benefits of ongoing training at your school, not only to the student, but also the entire family unit. 3. Creating a positive community in your ...