Dance Studio Google Ad Vs. Facebook and Instagram Ads | Introduction
In this article you’re going to learn what are the pros and cons of a dance studio google ad versus a facebook ad.
We’re also going to talk about when it’s beneficial to use the google platform, and when you should be using Facebook advertising for your dance studio.
If you need help filling up your dance studio and getting more students, then book a free strategy call with us…
We’ll sit down with you and walk you through different strategies that you can use to fill up your dance classes with lots of new students.
Want us to help you get more dance students?
[book a free strategy call]
Dance Studio Google Ad | Stages of problem awareness
Before diving into the pros and cons of Google vs Facebook ads, and which one is better for your studio…
We need to briefly talk about an advertising concept called the “stages of problem awareness.”
To put it simply, this is a way of diving any group of people into 4 categories.
First, I’m going to list what these categories are, and then I’m going to explain them as it relates to your dance studio, and in simple language so that you understand what I’m talking about.
- Unaware
- Problem Aware
- Solution Aware
- Product Aware
Unaware
As it relates to your dance studio, somewhere who’s unaware is someone who has never thought about dancing.
This person is not opposed to learning how to dance (or sending their kids to a dance studio), but it simply hasn’t crossed their minds…
These people are hard to advertise to because not only do you have to sell them on the idea of coming to your studio, but before you even do that, you have to convince them to give DANCING a shot…
Attracting these people is a long process, and it might take months for them to finally even begin to open up to the idea of going to a dance studio, let alone pay for dance classes.
Problem Aware
This is a person who’s thought about dancing, but it is not the biggest priority for this person at this time of their life.
If the opportunity presented itself, and the offer was good, these people would be happy to go to a dance class.
Although, at this time, this people are not currently searching for dance classes.
Solution Aware
These people know they either want to participate in dance classes, or want to send their kids to a dance studio.
They ARE CONVINCED.
At this point in time, if they are not already doing research for what dance studios are around them, they soon will start…
Product aware
These are the people who have done their research, and are very familiar with the dance studios in your area, and they might just be browsing around for a good deal to pop up...
Search based marketing vs. Interruption based marketing
Now, that you understand the 4 stages of problem awareness…
We’re much closer to discussing which ad platform is better for you.
Is it Google ads, or Facebook/Instagram ads?
In order to answer that question, you need to understand the core differences between each platform...
You see, there are 2 different kinds of advertisements:
Search based marketing and interruption based marketing.
Search based marketing: Google
Google is a search engine...
People use Google to SEARCH for answers to questions they might have.
For example, if you want to know how to bake a cake, you simply type on Google: “how to bake a cake”
If you want to find out which dance studios offer ballet classes around you, then you would type in: “ballet classes near me”
Google then gives you a list of search results that it thinks would best answer the question that you’re looking to get answers for.
On top of that, Google also displays a list of ads that are relevant to the question being asked.
So if you search “how to bake a cake”, you might get ads for cake baking things, or if you searched for “dance classes”, you might get ads about dance classes…
Search based advertising works REALLY well because your ad shows up right at the moment when people are the most eager to find a solution for their problem.
A person that is SEARCHING for dance classes, is most likely someone who is ready, or close to being ready to picking a dance studio to go to.
They might be doing research, but more than likely they are looking to make a decision soon!
Interruption Based Marketing: Facebook/Instagram Ads
Interruption based marketing, is any type of marketing that you were not looking for…
For example:
- TV Commercials
- Facebook/Instagram Ads
- YouTube Ads that show up in the middle of the videos
- Radio ads in between songs
The thing about interruption based marketing is that you are catching people off guard.
Now, that might not necessarily be a bad thing, if you know how to do it correctly…
But, for the most part, this is a more difficult form of advertising than search based marketing because here you are catching people who are distracted, and they might not be in the best position to make a decision…
On top of that, while you might reach someone who is in the solution aware category, meaning that they are highly likely to want to have dance in their life…
Statistically speaking, most of the people who you are going to reach with this type of advertising are unaware, and problem aware people.
The reason for that is because there’s just simply more people who haven’t thought of going to a dance studio, than people who’ve thought about going to a dance studio.
As you’ll see later in this article...
I’m going to show you why learning to advertise to people who are not actively looking for a dance studio, is actually a really great opportunity.
With that said, let’s discuss what the pros and cons are of each platform...
Dance Studio Google Ad | Pros
With Google ads you’re able to catch someone right at the moment when they think to themselves:
“I need to find a dance studio… I wonder what studios are around me”
This is super powerful because this person is WAY more likely to spend money to enroll in a studio.
As an advertiser, you don’t have to put in too much work to convince these people to enroll because they ALREADY wanted to.
On top of that, these are clients that are probably going to stick around for longer than someone who might not be that interested…
What that means for you is that this is a client who’s going to probably spend more money with you.
Dance Studio Google Ad | Cons
So far you might be convinced that Google ads are the way to go…
But, not so fast.
There’s something that you need to understand:
In order for Google to show your ads, people need to search for what you’re advertising for.
So, if you live in a smaller, less populated city, the amount of search volume for “dance studios near me” might not be that high…
And, if there’s no one (or very little people) searching for dance studios you’re not going to see great results from Google ads…
This might even be the case if you’re advertising a less popular dance style like a “special needs dance class”
You might not see great results from it because the search volume is not there.
On top of that if you look at the image below, and see the yellow part of the funnel…
You’ll notice that the yellow section is much smaller than the top 2…
That means that there are less people.
Now, EVEN IF you live in a very densely populated city, the search volume might not be that high...
Facebook & IG Ads Pros
The great thing about Facebook/IG advertising is that you can advertise your dance studio to people who are not actively looking for one…
Why is that good?
Because there’s just simply more people NOT looking for a dance studio, than people looking for a dance studio…
A LOT MORE!
So, if you can figure out how to effectively advertise your dance studio on Facebook, then you can see MASSIVE results really fast!
Another huge plus, is that if done right you can generate a lot of interest for classes that are not so popular…
This is perfect if you are looking to fill up your classes really quickly, or if you’re looking to fill up a new program with lots of new students.
***By the way, if you want to learn how to advertise on Facebook, start with this blog post:
Facebook and IG Ads Cons
Now let’s talk about the negatives of Facebook, Instagram or any other interruption based marketing platform
The problem is that it’s difficult to convert these people into paying clients.
It’s also much more difficult to get these people to stick around for long periods of time…
The reason why this happens is because you are advertising to people who were not looking for a dance studio in the first place…
As a result, they are not so bought in, which means that you’re going to have to work harder.
It’s not impossible, but there’s certainly a strategy that you have to implement if you want to make Facebook and Instagram ads work.
***If you want to find out what that strategy is, check out our blog post below:
Dance Studio Google Ad | How to know which one is right for you?
Now that you have more clarity about the difference between Google and Facebook, it’s time to decide:
Which advertising platform should you use in order to promote your dance studio?
In order to answer that question, you need to know what your goal is for your dance studio…
- Is your dance studio new?
- Do you already have a solid student base?
- Are you looking to fill up a new dance program?
- How popular is the dance class you want to promote?
- Do you have a lot of time, or are you tight on time?
- How populated is the city where your studio is located?
Depending on how you answer these questions, you can figure out whether Google or Facebook ads are right for you…
Let’s go over each of those questions, so I can give you a straight up answer!
Is your dance studio new?
If you’re just starting out your dance studio, and assuming that you probably want to fill up your dance classes really fast…
Then the best solution for you will be Facebook ads because it will allow you to reach large quantities of people, as it doesn’t depend on search volume.
But, you have to remember that you need to have systems in place in order to make Facebook/IG ads work for you...
On the other hand, if time is not of the essence, you can give Google ads a shot if you live if a higher populated city.
Do you already have a solid student base?
If your studio already has a good amount of students, and you’re not in a hurry to fill up more dance programs…
Then I would recommend Google ads.
The reason for this is because Google ads are much slower than Facebook ads due to search volume.
(Like I said earlier in the post: There’s much less people looking for a dance studio than people NOT looking for a dance studio)
But, the quality of the people that you find on Google is usually higher than the people on Facebook.
Are you looking to fill up a new dance program?
Again, this is almost the same answer I gave to people who are just starting their dance studio.
If you want to fill up your classes really quickly, then Facebook ads are the way to go.
Now, if you have a popular class (meaning there’s higher search volume for this class, like Ballet), and time is not of the essence…
Then, Google ads are a great option for you as well.
How popular is the dance class you’re wanting to promote?
Popular classes have higher search volumes on Google which means that Google ads will work to promote these.
Ballet and Hip Hop for kids are 2 examples of dance classes that are really popular.
On the other hand, if you’re promoting dance styles that wouldn’t be as popular in your city…
(Classes that have less, or no search volume)
Then Facebook and Instagram are the way to go because you’ll be able to show up on people’s news feeds even if they were not looking for you.
Do you have a lot of time, or are you tight on time?
If you’re tight on time then Facebook will suit you much better because you can reach much higher quantities of people.
If time is not of the essence, then you can try Google ads, provided that you’re promoting a dance class that’s more likely to be popular in your city.
How populated is the city where your studio is located?
If you live in a city that is not densely populated, then you’re probably not going to have the search volumes needed to fill up your dance studio using Google…
In this case I would suggest using Facebook ads.
On the other hand, if you live in a more densely populated city, AND you’re promoting a class that’s more likely to be popular in this city…
Then, you can give Google ads a try, assuming that time is not of the essence.
Now, if you’re tight on time, then I would suggest you go with Facebook and Instagram ads.
Dance Studio Google Ad | Conclusion
Google and Facebook ads are really powerful tools.
They can both be used effectively to promote your dance studio, and fill up your dance classes.
Knowing the pros and cons of each platform will allow you to know what role each platform plays in your marketing plan.
Then, once you determine what your goals are for the dance classes you’re wanting to promote…
It’ll be easier for you to determine which platform will help you achieve your advertising goals more effectively.
How to write good facebook ads that bring you lots of students...
If you’re starting out in your advertising journey, and you want to learn how to write ads that bring you lots of students…
Check out our article “Dance Studio Ad: Recipes For Writing Your Dance School Advertisement”
There you’ll gain a better understanding for how to write advertising messages for your dance studio…
Even if you have never written an advertisement before.
Or, if you want us to help you with your dance studio advertising, then book a free strategy call with us…
We’ll help you figure out your marketing plan, and we’ll give you different strategies that you can implement to increase the enrollment in your dance studio!
Want us to help you attract lots of students quickly to your dance studio?
[book a free strategy call]