Social media sites are great free marketing tools for dance studio owners. The most commonly used mediums are Facebook and Twitter, but Instagram in hot on their tails in terms of popularity. The picture-centric site can expose your company’s images to millions of dance students, parents and professionals around the world. If you’ve just created a dance studio Instagram account, use these best practices to reach a wide audience and improve your dance studio marketing.

Choosing and Altering Photos

The rules for Instagram content are very similar to those of other social media sites: Use high-quality photos, keep all posts relevant and tailor content to your audience. The need for quality images can’t be emphasized enough. Blurry, unfocused pictures come across as unprofessional and are ultimately uninteresting to your followers. Use the flash, anti-shock and framing features on your phone to take the best pictures possible. Crisp, clear photos will get the most views. Just look at the “Top Images” page on the app if you want proof.

When choosing which pictures to post and how to edit them, consider your target audience. You’ll need to decide whether you want to engage dance students, parents, industry professionals or a combination of the three. If you’re targeting students, they might respond better to dance and stretching tips. On the other hand, professionals might be interested in your marketing tactics. These same considerations should be in effect when you’re editing. Students will respond better to fun digital stickers or filters, while other studio owners might prefer plain images that are to the point.

Making the Most of Captions

A fabulous image and flawless editing aren’t enough on Instagram. Your photo captions are equally important! Top Ten Social Media explained that keywords and hashtags are how people will find your images. To make the most of your text, keep it to a few sentences with four or five hashtags. Do a little research to see what dance topics are trending, and add your input to the electronic conversation. Once you’ve been using the social media site for a few months, you’ll get a feel for what topics garner a lot of interest and which go unnoticed. This valuable insight can help you tailor your future content and engage your followers through your dance studio Instagram account.

Finding Inspiration

When you’re first starting out, you’ll want to spend some time looking for inspiration. Check out the profiles of other dance studios, browse Pinterest for image ideas and research tips on photo editing. The more prep work you do, the quicker you’ll see results. Consider using these five pictures as a jumping off point for your dance studio Instagram account:

1. An action shot: Whether it’s from class or a performance, a great picture of a dancer in action will catch people’s attention. You can go the cutesy route with a photo of a young dancer having the time of her life or the more serious path of a talented performer executing a move perfectly.
2. Backstage at a recital: An image from backstage at a performance will be popular with parents and students. You can showcase costumes, makeup application or simply the excitement in your students’ eyes.
3. A video on stretching: Make the most of those 15 seconds and show viewers a quick an effective stretch that you use in class.
4. An inspirational quote: If you’re low on images, don’t be afraid to post a quote from Pinterest or We Heart It. Bonus points if you can find a quote from a popular dancer or choreographer.
5. A popular hashtag: There are lots of photo themes that pertain to different weekdays, like #TBT (Throwback Thursdays), and #instaballet. If you have a ballet class, participate in #TutuTuesday with a cute shot of your little dancers.

Small Biz Trends also suggested posting collages, photos of new staff members and contests on Instagram. Use a variety of content to keep your profile fresh and interesting for viewers. You can also share your uploaded photos on Facebook and Twitter. The app makes it easy to connect your different social media accounts.

Interacting with Followers

Once you have a few photos under your belt, start interacting with your dance studio Instagram followers and other people in the industry. To start out, find 10 to 20 other studios, dance professionals or photographers to follow. Be an active Instagram participant by “liking” and commenting on other people’s pictures. The more you put yourself out there, the more people will be attracted to your account. You should also try your best to respond to each comment you receive – be sure to tag the person’s username so they know you’ve replied. Interacting with your fans will help to build relationships, engage your followers and hopefully translate into some new students!