There are many aspects to this question, but having the right tools to market your classes, automate operations, manage staff, and retain students season after season is paramount.
In this article, I take a look at the essential tools that every dance studio owner should have in place to grow and keep their studio running smoothly.
We’ll discuss the following tools and share the best options on the market.
Looking to compare different dance studio software. Here are the 7 best modern dance studio software.
NOTE: We’ll discuss different tools for Dance Studio, each one can be replaced by Activity Messenger as an all-in-one platform to run your dance studio.
Author’s note: I’m Olivier and I share tips and tricks I’ve learned over the past decade as the owner of a children’s sports program. I personally tried and used the tools shared in this article before switching to Activity Messenger for my organization. Today, as the co-founder of Activity Messenger, I help hundreds of dance studios across North America streamline their operations and increase their revenue.
In the world of dance, communication is key-not just on the floor, but in marketing as well.
With email marketing tools like Mailchimp, ConstantContact or Activity Messenger, you can send beautiful newsletters to keep your community engaged and informed about upcoming classes and events.
With easy-to-use design tools and automation features, an email marketing tool can help you maintain a constant connection with your students and their families, ensuring that your studio stays top of mind.
Key Features:
📌 Pro tip: Activity Messenger is the only email marketing platform that allows for non-marketing emails such as start-of-session reminders, end-of-session outreach and rescheduling or cancellation emails.
Streamlining your dance studio’s operations is essential, and incorporating an HR tool like BambooHR or Activity Messenger can significantly enhance your workplace. These tools simplify managing your team by organizing employee information, from refining recruitment to tracking important document completion.
Key Features:
With mobile-friendly staff management tools, staying connected with your team is simple.
📌 Pro tip: Bamboo HR can be expensive, especially for businesses with many part-time employees. Activity Messenger is designed for dance studios, gymnastics clubs, and swim schools that employ part-time and seasonal staff.
Celebrating success and participation is critical to keeping your dance community motivated.
Use a mass certificate tool such as Certifier, CertifySimple or Activity Messenger to create custom bulk certificates.
These could be for various achievements, such as completing a level, performing an outstanding task or simply for participating in their first dance lessons.
These tools allows Dance Studios to automate the process of generating and emailing these certificates.
Key Features:
📌 Pro tip: Choosing a bulk certificate tool that integrates (or is included) with your dance studio software is paramount to streamlining your workflow and avoiding the need to upload files from one tool to another.
An online registration tool like JackRabbit Dance, DanceStudioPro or Activity Messenger can enhance the registration experience for your dance community. Make sure your registration form is easy to use, asking only for essential information to make the process quick and easy.
Use this tool to set up automated confirmation emails once registration is complete, providing students with all the information they need to begin their dance journey at your studio.
Key Features:
Learn more: How to improve your registration process (especially for mobile)
Some of the best tools include Activity Messenger, Dance Studio Pro, IClassPro and Jackrabbit Dance.
📌 Pro tip: Most dance studio software is outdated and doesn’t look great, especially on mobile. Since most parents are now registering their kids for activities on their smartphones, it might make sense to look for a registration platform that is mobile first.
For urgent communications, a bulk SMS tool is invaluable for dance studio owners.
When running a dance studio, cancellations and rescheduling are a fact of life. But when events occur that are out of your control, quick SMS notifications can help reduce the frustration your dance community experiences.
Tools like SimpleTexting and Activity Messenger allow you to set up templates for common messages, such as class cancellations or upcoming event reminders.
Create a protocol for when to use SMS – reserve it for time-sensitive or critical communications – to avoid overloading students and parents with messages, and ensure that when they do receive a text from your studio, they know it’s important.
Key Features:
📌 Pro tip: You probably don’t want to overwhelm parents with SMS. But they have an important place in your communication tools, depending on the type of communication. Here is a quick guide to when to choose SMS over email when communicating with participants.
A form-building tool like Google Forms, Jotform, or Activity Messenger can help with collecting information outside your registration platform: use it to create job application forms, workshop registration forms, or even to gather information for custom choreography requests. Be sure to keep forms short and engaging to encourage completion.
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A survey tool like SurveyMonkey can help you better understand the needs of your dance community. Conduct regular surveys to gauge satisfaction, gather feedback on instructors, or decide on new classes to introduce. You can even offer small incentives, such as a chance to win a free class, to increase participation.
Key Features:
📌 Pro tip: As an operator, I’ve simplified feedback collection by automating surveys with Activity Messenger, allowing me to focus on data analysis and adjustments my team and I need to make.
A recital ticketing tool like Tututix, Eventbrite or Activity Messenger can streamline your ticket sales throughout the year. With the right tool, buying dance recital tickets online has never been easier.
With just a few clicks, attendees can select their tickets, accept terms and conditions, and digitally sign. Integration with secure payment systems like Stripe makes each transaction seamless and secure.
Key Features:
A website builder tool like Squarespace or Wix allows you to maintain an attractive and informative online presence.
Make sure your website is updated with the latest class schedules, instructor bios, and event information. Embed videos of classes or performances to showcase your studio’s atmosphere and teaching style.
Use built-in SEO tools to improve your site’s visibility, and regularly analyze visitor data to understand how people are engaging with your content and make adjustments as needed.
📌 Pro tip: To improve your marketing and make the registration process as seamless as possible, you will want to choose a dance management software that is fully customizable and that allows you to embed the class catalog into your website so that parents aren’t redirected when they click to register.
With a Party Booking Tool like Bookeo, PartyPro Manager or Activity Messenger, you can make booking kids birthday parties at your dance studio a breeze. Set clear packages and pricing on your website, and use a party booking tool to manage scheduling.
Key Features:
📌 Pro tip:Activity Messenger can help you increase party bookings with simple marketing automation. You can set a marketing email to go out to parents 6 weeks before a child’s birthday, exactly when parents are thinking about what to do for their child’s upcoming party.
A skill tracking software tool like My SkillChart or Activity Messenger allows dance instructors to efficiently track and share each student’s progress, highlighting both successes and areas for growth. Implementing a system for regular evaluation encourages continuous improvement and open communication with students and parents.
Key Features:
A liability waiver tool like SmartWaiver, WaiverForever or Activity Messenger is essential for streamlining the informed consent process and ensuring that students and their parents understand the risks associated with dance.
Most dance management platforms offer a waiver during registration, but don’t have an easy way to sign waivers for free trials, drop-in’s, and birthday parties without the hassle of creating an account.
Key Features:
AI dance studio tools like Canva Magic, ChatGpt and Activity Messenger can revolutionize the way dance studios engage with their audiences online.
These tools can analyze trends and suggest content that will resonate and optimize posting schedules for maximum engagement.
Incorporating AI for image generation can also provide unique, eye-catching visuals for your posts that capture the essence of your studio’s style and classes, enhancing your digital presence and attracting more students.
Read more: AI prompts designed for Dance studios
Activity Messenger is an all-in-one platform designed with the unique needs of dance studios in mind.
It consolidates a wide range of essential tools, from email marketing and staff management to registration and digital waivers, into a single, cohesive platform
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Activity Messenger simplifies operations, improves communication, and enriches the studio experience for everyone involved. By streamlining administrative tasks, it allows studio owners to focus more on their passion for dance, making it an indispensable tool for dance studios looking to thrive in their local competitive landscape.
