Photo Shoot FUN!

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In this week’s episode of ‘Confetti, Five To THRIVE’ we will be sharing the top five things you can be doing in your studio to make you even better in the studio for your season ahead.  

The number one thing that you can do for yourself and your business this Summer is to take a vacation. Which should be easy, right. But for so many studio owners and dance teachers, we tend to put everyone else’s needs above our own. And we feel like the studio owns us most of the time, so in order to take a vacation, you have to plan one and you have to make a promise to yourself that you’re going to unplug and disconnect.

It’s self care to improve your mental health so that you can stay thriving and your studio environment. Even if you can’t go out of town, plan a staycation or just stay home and enjoy your home, and enjoy your family. Make sure to set the tone for your studio and let everyone know that the studio’s closing for a week, and encourage your staff to take some time off too.

Next, it is time to refresh your studio. This should also be an easy one, but a lot of times we get so busy that we simply don’t want to do it.  Try to add a little something fresh and new to your decor just to change things up a little bit, and every couple of years your walls and baseboards probably need some serious attention. It just feels so good to do away with the old and start fresh in the new year!

Number three on your Summer to-do list is to refresh your curriculum. It’s important to evaluate your curriculum from time to time and how things are going from a teaching and training perspective. Obviously doing a major overhaul on your curriculum is a really big project, but each year you can focus on one genre, or one age group a time. How are the students doing in this group? How are they progressing? Make sure to discuss this with our staff and always plan on upping your game on some of the areas that need work.

Next, it’s the perfect opportunity to plan your staff kickoff. Before you know it, your summer is going to be coming to an end and you’re going to be frantically trying to coordinate staff meetings and all those last minute tasks that you need to get done prior to starting the new year. Rather than waiting for all the crazy, go ahead and plan a staff kickoff now go ahead and pick a date and let your staff know that this is a mandatory event for them to attend. It’s important to strive for a cohesive faculty and your staff kickoff is really where it all begins.

The fifth and final thing to add to your Summer checklist is your “Bo Better” doc. This is an absolute game-changer when it comes to systemizing and improving your business so you can continue to grow and thrive.

To discover the step-by-step ‘Do Better’ doc template and more tips to make the most of your Summer, make sure to check out this week’s episode of Transform My Dance Studio’s newest series; ‘Confetti Five To THRIVE!’ right here on our website:  

We are excited to have Dani Rosenberg and Rebecca More from Confetti On The Dancefloor back for episode three of our Confetti Five To THRIVE series. If you know our hosts, then you already know that they love to share fun, vibrant photos of all of their dancers. The pair have been doing photo shoots at the studio for as long as they can remember, and love being able to create a strong brand for the studio through our fun photo shoots.

Today, Dani and Becca are going to share five tips for you to create your own photo shoot with your students to promote your dance studio.

Tip #1 – Use YOUR models at YOUR studio.

Professional photos can be a lot of work, but the photos you get from it are definitely worth all the effort because if you have a quality photo shoot, you’re going to be able to use those photos for a long time and you can use them for so many things. You can use them for social media to market your new or upcoming programs, print posters,  newsletters, marketing, postcards and flyers. You can have them printed and hang them in your studio, or use them in recital programs.

Plus, there is nothing better than seeing a studio using their own students to promote their studio and hone in on what sets them apart. Using photos of your own studio and students will set you apart and help give your customers a true sense of what your studio is all about and give your customers a true sense of who you are as a studio.

Tip #2 – Be selective with your models and photo releases.

It’s a great strategy to use different models all the time depending on what you’re promoting, but remember that there is nothing wrong with coming back to a few dancers who you know are going to nail it and get the job done.

Most of the time studios will end up using your company dancers because you know them very well, and you know that that are going to get the shot very quickly. Also think about the personalities that are going to shine through in that photo.

Ultimately you have a very limited amount of time when you hold a photo shoot, so the models you use need to be able to take direction and be flexible in whatever you throw at them so that you can get the job done in a timely manner.

Another HUGE part of this is to always make sure that you have your models and their parents sign a release form for each and every time that they are involved in a photoshoot. This is a standard form stating that the photos belong to your dance studio and that you can use them however you wish.

Tip #3 – Backdrops and Props.

There are so many options for fun backdrop ideas but a seamless paper backdrop is a must for your photo shoots. This allows you to get a professional clean look and you can also add props into this. You can keep it simple and leave space for texts and logos on that area.

When it comes to backdrop inspiration, you can’t go past Pinterest – type in ‘DIY photo backdrop’ and you will find so many fun ideas, or adding your theme or any other key words. Think outside the box and use props that speak to your brand. If your studio color is purple, consider a purple backdrop. Get purple props, and dress the dancers and all purple. That’s going to really stand out on your social media feed as a full out purple.

Tip #4 – The Photographer.

Depending on your budget, you can either hire a photographer or you can take the pictures yourself and hosts Becca and Dani make us of both of these options:

“We’ve done both. We do both every single year and both have worked really well for us. If we know we’re going to be doing a really big shoot with a lot of kids and several different looks and backdrops, we make sure that we hire a photographer to do that shoot which leaves us more time and energy to focus on styling the dancers, picking their outfits, making sure their hair and makeup is on point, changing the backdrops and the prompts as needed and all that sort of stuff.

One huge benefit to using a professional photographer is that they’re also a more knowledgeable when it comes to lighting and angles. We know what we like and what we want to see, but looking through the lens is a totally different ballgame. We are fortunate in that Becca really enjoys photography and she’s really good at it. So she does a ton of our photo shoots. But when she does that doesn’t leave her much time to have her hands in the styling part, which she also loves.”

There’s also a good chance you have a photographer within your studio. So be aware of what your parents are doing and if you have a photographer that you know you’d like what with what you’re seeing and what they’re doing, just reach out to them and see if they’re interested in working with you a little.

If you end up needing to hire a photographer, just make sure that you know what your budget is going into it and communicate that with them up front. You want to make sure you’re both on the same page before you commit to something and then are completely shocked when you get the bill or the barter situation.

Tip #5 – Editing.

We wanted to share some of our favorite apps for editing, because promotional materials usually need to be brighter, darker, more saturated, softer etc.

Sometimes you can just do this using ‘iPhoto’ on your phone, or you can simply use just the Instagram tools. Other recommended tools and apps like Canva and SnapSeed have plenty of options to touch up your photos.

Canva is a great desktop tool that many studio owners use for newsletters, presentations, fliers, social media posts. In this episode, you’ll also find Becca and Dani’s favorite tools for photo success!

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About Us

The Dance Studio Owners Association is for studio owners who are ready to commit to building their dream studio through taking consistent action while accepting guidance and advice. It’s for new studio owners and experienced studio owners alike. No matter what stage you’re at in your business, you’ll gain valuable information to take your studio to new levels while becoming a go to studio in your area.

DSOA members also have exclusive access to some of the greatest minds in business through our expert masterclasses, one-on-one mentoring through our member makeover experience and a monthly Q&A session that directly answers all your pressing questions about being a Studio Owner.  

Our association is a community. It’s a community of dance studio owners who have seen what Clint has not only produced with his own studio but his Studio Owner clients and program members over 6 years. They’ve seen the results and they want to be a part of the action!

For more on the Dance Studio Owners Association check out our website at dsoa.com or visit our Facebook page

June Special – Join our vibrant community inside the Dance Studio Owners Association and save $50 per month! Click here to find out about all the DSOA!

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About Us

The Dance Studio Owners Association is for studio owners who are ready to commit to building their dream studio through taking consistent action while accepting guidance and advice. It’s for new studio owners and experienced studio owners alike. No matter what stage you’re at in your business, you’ll gain valuable information to take your studio to new levels while becoming a go to studio in your area.

DSOA members also have exclusive access to some of the greatest minds in business through our expert masterclasses, one-on-one mentoring through our member makeover experience, and a monthly Q&A session that directly answers all your pressing questions about being a Studio Owner.  

Our association is a community. It’s a community of dance studio owners who have seen what Clint has not only produced with his own studio, but his Studio Owner clients and program members over 6 years. They’ve seen the results and they want to be a part of the action!

For more on the Dance Studio Owners Association check out our website at www.dancestudioownersassociation.com or visit our Facebook page