What Happens When You Stop Guessing and Start Using Real Dance Studio Marketing Tools
For many dance studio owners, marketing feels like a minefield—one wrong move and your hard-earned dollars disappear into the void of ineffective Facebook ads, missed follow-up, and confusing software. You start to wonder if the problem is you, your studio, or just the noisy online world that seems impossible to crack.
But what if the real issue isn't your effort—it's the system?
In this post, we're unpacking a story that speaks directly to the heart of that frustration. It's the story of Jill DuHadway, a seasoned studio owner with over 30 years in the business, who went from plateauing enrollment to enrolling 66 new students in just four months—without changing her staff, location, or teaching style.
Her secret? A shift in tools, mindset, and marketing strategy that unlocked new growth, even in a market where she'd previously hit a ceiling.
If you run a dance studio and feel stuck—burned out by bad ad experiences, tired of chasing leads that go nowhere, or overwhelmed by all the "shoulds" of modern marketing—this breakdown is for you.
A 33-Year Legacy—and a Growing Pain Point
Jill and her husband Rob have run their studio since 1992. What started as a small, attached-in-the-back-of-the-house setup has evolved into a fully established studio with a staff of 20, a loyal student base, and a true family operation—her son teaches, her daughter has taught, and even her dad announces recitals.
They’ve seen it all. Economic crashes. Industry shifts. The evolution from phone calls and mailed packets to Facebook events and texting. Through it all, Jill maintained her love for teaching and her fierce dedication to doing things right.
But as the years passed, something started to shift.
Even with a solid base of 400+ students, they couldn’t seem to break through to the next level of growth. Organic efforts, preschool flyers, referral programs, and occasional Facebook boosts were keeping them steady—but not scaling.
And worse, Jill started to feel the weight of the marketing herself.
“I love marketing,” she said. “But I didn’t have the time. It felt like grinding all the time—posting, emailing, printing. And I kept thinking, there has to be a better way to track these people. Because I knew we were losing leads."
She was right.
The Turning Point: A Chance Encounter at Energize
Everything changed at a Lunch & Learn session during the Energize conference. Jill didn’t even speak directly to the Dance Motion Marketing (DMM) team at first. She spoke to another studio owner. Her question was simple: Is it worth it?
The answer? “100%.”
That level of conviction piqued her interest—and a few weeks later, she booked a call. By November, she had launched her first campaign with DMM.
What happened next changed the trajectory of her business.
66 New Students, One System
Within just a few months, Jill’s studio had welcomed 66 new enrollments directly through the DMM platform and advertising strategy. That number doesn’t just represent kids—it represents new families, new tuition streams, and new energy in the building.
And it wasn’t a fluke.
What made the difference was not just better ads, but a better system—one designed for dance studios, not tech-savvy marketers. Here’s what changed:
First, she stopped relying on spreadsheets. Before DMM, Jill and her team used Excel to track interested leads. But once the list passed 50 names, it became unmanageable. They’d forget who they last followed up with, lose notes, or simply miss their window.
With DMM, every lead that clicked on an ad was automatically captured, sorted, and organized into a clean, visual dashboard. From there, Jill could segment by age, interest, or session—and send a tailored text message to each group.
Second, she discovered the power of timely, friendly follow-up. What surprised Jill most was how little communication was required to close the sale. Typically, it only took three messages:
A short welcome with availability and pricing.
A targeted follow-up based on the child's age.
A question—“What else can I answer for you?”—to keep the conversation moving.
After that, most parents were ready to enroll.
She’d send them a sign-up link, and they’d take it from there.
Jill had been skeptical about texting at first. “I thought it was unprofessional,” she admitted. “But DMM changed that for me. It’s fast. It’s direct. It’s how people want to communicate. And if they don’t want to hear from me, they can opt out.”
Most didn’t opt out. In fact, they responded—at all hours. Many clicked "Ready to Learn More" at 10 or 11 p.m., after their kids were in bed and they finally had a moment to themselves. By the next morning, Jill was replying with confidence, clarity, and ease.
Falling in Love with the Process
One of the biggest takeaways from Jill’s story is the mindset shift. For decades, she was focused on outcomes: enrollment numbers, revenue targets, class sizes. But once she started using DMM, she began to fall in love with the process—the small daily actions of texting, following up, and connecting with parents.
She even gamified it.
Inside the platform, every time a lead becomes an enrolled student, the system counts it as a “win.” Her team celebrated each one. Jill and her enrollment coordinator started competing to see who could rack up more.
It sounds simple—but that shift, from grind to game, made a world of difference.
Suddenly, marketing wasn’t something she dreaded. It was something she looked forward to.
From Short-Term Sessions to Long-Term Students
Jill's studio leaned heavily into mini sessions—short-term classes that require no special clothing and create an easy entry point for new families. With DMM’s campaigns built around specific age groups and clear, friendly language, those sessions filled up quickly.
Every month, they launched a new mini session. Every month, they hit capacity—12 to 14 kids per class.
But that was just the beginning.
“Those short-term kids become long-term customers,” Jill said. “They come for four weeks, they love the vibe, and then they stick around.”
Because the platform made it so easy to track and tag students, Jill could then reach back out with targeted offers—summer camps, fall enrollment, even birthday party invites.
The Comeback List: Winning Back Inactive Families
One of the most impressive uses of the DMM platform came when Jill imported a list of several hundred inactive students—families who had once danced with her, but hadn’t returned.
She tagged them as “DSP Inactive” and began sending occasional text updates. Just a simple message every few weeks: “Here’s what’s happening at DuHadway Dance.”
Each time, she enrolled 2–3 families.
“I’d lost touch with them,” she said. “But now I can reach them with a few clicks. And every time I do, I get results.”
That’s a key insight for dance studio advertising—the money is in the follow-up.
It’s not enough to generate leads. You have to nurture them. And your past customers? They’re your warmest leads of all.
A System That Supports, Not Sells
For Jill, what set DMM apart wasn’t just the platform or the ads. It was the people.
From day one, she felt a sense of shared mission. She didn’t feel sold to—she felt supported.
She worked one-on-one with a Studio Success Manager who had run her own studio. When she had questions, she got answers. When she hit a wall, someone helped her climb it.
This is where many dance studio marketing agencies fall short. They promise the moon with no real infrastructure to help studio owners execute. DMM’s combination of expert-led ads, integrated software, and ongoing mentorship creates a full-circle experience.
And Jill took full advantage of it—mastermind calls, tech support, and real-time messaging.
She wasn't just buying leads. She was building momentum.
From Skeptic to Superfan
By her own admission, Jill was wary at first. The price tag made her nervous. She’d been burned before by coaches and memberships that offered more fluff than results.
But once she saw how it worked—and how easily it fit into her day-to-day life—she was hooked.
Now she’s one of DMM’s biggest fans, not just because of the numbers, but because of how it makes her feel—confident, connected, and in control.
And perhaps most importantly, excited again.
“I love teaching,” Jill said. “But I’m teaching less now. And marketing has become the part I love. I love selling my business. I love enrolling people. And now I finally have the time—and the tools—to do it right.”
The Takeaway for Dance Studio Owners
If your current dance studio marketing plan isn’t delivering consistent results—or if it relies too heavily on organic hustle and hope—it’s time to ask yourself a hard question:
How many students are slipping through your fingers because you don’t have the right system in place?
The truth is, most studio owners don’t need more effort. They need more visibility. More clarity. More simplicity. A way to turn curious clicks into committed students—without chasing, guessing, or grinding.
That’s what DMM delivered for Jill. That’s what it can deliver for you.
Ready to See if It’s a Fit?
If you’re curious about how Dance Motion Marketing can help your studio grow enrollment, simplify follow-up, and finally give you a marketing system that works, book a free Studio Growth Strategy Call.
There’s no hard sell, no pressure—just 15 minutes to see if this is right for your goals.
And if it’s not, we’ll send you our free DIY guide to running ads with your smartphone so you still leave with value.
You’ve got nothing to lose—and 66 new students (or more) to gain.
