or so called “ACADEMY PROFILES”
. Do you own a martial arts school?
. Do you have great premises and students?
. Do you want to attract more students?
Then an Academy Profile is the perfect investment for you and your school. It is my signature service to martial arts academies and the one I believe will make the most impact towards attracting new students. The goal of an academy profile is to provide you with photos that will create a visual interpretation of what it feels like to train at your school. If used well on your website and social media it will help encourage potential students to call you and book for an intro class. Also, if people see that you are investing in great quality to present your service, they are likely to believe that your services offered to them will be of high quality as well.
THREE STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL PHOTO SHOOT
STEP 1 Preparation
Pick the day with most variety of classes for example Kids, Adults, Beginners, Advanced, various styles if you offer them. You may also want to create a “photo shoot day” where you change classes around a little bit so we can capture it all. The students usually get very excited about it. We will discuss what kind of photos you would like – do you only need candid photos of your classes or would you like to add some head shots of your team. I will tell you how to prepare the day. It is very important to let your students know that you will be photographed so they have the option to say no. In this case I’ll work around them (very important for kids classes). I usually cover a minimum of two hours up to five hours depending on the academy.
STEP 2 Actual Photo Shoot
I will be on the mats capturing moments that are unique to your school and your students. Due to my martial arts training I know how to weave around people without obstructing. Because I blend in, your students will be relaxed, doing their thing and it does reflect in the photos. You have the option to get professional head shots of your team done at the same time (using studio lights at your academy). I always include wide shots of your school as well as detail shots that are great for flyers and print media. For some examples, click here. Those photos are authentic, in the moment and real. They represent the feel and look of your academy.
STEP 3 Delivery of Files
I will deliver the files to you either via dropbox or on a USB. You will get a high resolution copy that you can use for print material and low resolution for your web needs. Use for merchandise or large prints (bigger than A3) will have to be discussed prior to our shoot.
Read below for some more information on why the Academy Profiles are so popular.
WHY OUTSTANDING PHOTOS ARE CRUCIAL IN TODAY’S COMPETITIVE MARKET
Unless they come to you through word of mouth or walk past your academy, your first point of contact with a potential new student will be on your website. The fitness industry which is the biggest competitor to any martial arts academy is way ahead when it comes to quality photography on websites and social media. It is time to step up your game. (For more about this click here)
93% of all human communication is visual and pictures are processed 60’000 times faster (!) by the brain than words. Therefore it is crucial that your visual identity is consistent over all platforms starting by anything you have online – that includes your website and anything social media. Your visual identity is the way your academy feels and looks to the outside world.
Ideally, your potential new student should feel as if he was stepping into your academy when he enters your website. He can clearly see the bright, inviting and clean premises. He can scroll through professional head shots of all the instructors (after all, he will be learning from you!) and last but not least he will see other students, real students that train there. Not just the elite ones but also the white belts that just started the journey. If it all feels and looks right to him, he will call you to book for an intro session.
Now she comes to do the first intro session at your club. She steps inside and she feels like she’s already been there. The academy looks like on the photos, she recognizes the instructors because she has seen the photos and might even see a few student’s faces that she remembers from the page. Straight away there is trust – what you show online represents who you really are as an academy. There is already a connection. And she relaxes.
Photos create emotions and are a big part of that bridge that is crucial in building trust and a feeling of belonging during the first few instances of contact with a new student.
To learn more about “Visual Dynamics” click here and read the 6 blog posts that will open your eyes to the importance of great photos to support your marketing efforts.
