Feedback From the Field
In a previous issue of Inner IDEA Body-Mind-Spirit Review, we asked: What has been the most effective marketing strategy for your services? Here’s what you had to say.
“At NiaMoves we invested $1,000 a month in advertising for a year. We received specific data from this action: advertising does not work for us and the more expensive the ad the less return we received. So now our most effective marketing strategy is to invest in our regular participants and provide them with tools to be our lighthouses of attraction. We have shifted from a free class pass to a 2-weeks free pass (this provides entrance to all Nia, Pilates, yoga, Feldenkrais Method® and belly dance classes that we offer). Our costs are minimal, the new client gets the opportunity to experience different activities and the ones who stay and pay for classes become our perfect customers.
“We also provide lovely passes to all our current participants and encourage them to give these out to their contacts, signing their name and including an expiration date so we can track success. We love to reward participants with $25 for every participant they bring in who invests in a month of classes. All in all, our ‘conscious marketing’ strategy is a beautiful dance that reflects the mission of our studio: community building from a place of love and joy, and making a difference in people’s lives.”
— Helen Terry, Houston, Texas
“I was surprised that your article on Pilates in Pregnancy (May issue of Inner IDEA Body-Mind-Spirit Review) did not include the safety guideline to avoid exercising on the back after the first trimester of pregnancy. This is one of the most important American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) guidelines since exercising on the back is associated with decreased blood flow to the baby.”
— Bonnie Berk, RN, MS, RYT, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Editor’s Note: The full article, with complete ACOG guidelines (including the recommendation to avoid exercises in the supine position) is available to IDEA members in the article archive (www.ideafit.com). See “Pilates and Pregnancy,” by Stefania Della Pia, February IDEA Fitness Journal, page 89.
