THE BUSINESS of DANCE, MARKETING

by Alexandra King

Welcome fellow artists, to the exciting world of marketing! Next to producing art itself, marketing is my favorite subject, because it involves so many other arts: the art of communication, the art of selling yourself, the art of strategy selling your brand. It is the “people” part of a Business Plan, and I love people - you have to, to be a performing artist, right?

A Marketing plan is a roadmap that gives you steps and plans to sell your brand, attract customers, live your mission, achieve your goals and make money. Marketing is non-stop and takes a lot of time and skill. If you are a DIY-er, good on you but if not, I suggest hiring a marketing company to help, even part time.

To begin with, it is important that performing artists separate themselves from their public persona and brand. Marketing starts by knowing what product or service you are exchanging for consideration (money or a valuable item). The first thing to ask yourself is, if not myself, what am I selling? This is more difficult than it looks because obviously, you are one person, (one assumes!) and yet as a dancer you are another! The difference is important to understand because you will have to be, do and create things you might not be, do or create yourself if you were not a performing artist. Everything you do to make yourself the best dancer you can be is not necessarily a personal but you do it anyway! Examples:

• Wearing Stage Make-up

• Staying Fit (dieting or watching what you eat)

• Smiling and being effusive while on stage

• Practicing and going to class all the time

You get the idea - it is a job and you do what is required to do it well!

Identify Your Product or Service: As a belly dance teacher, I am selling the glamor and excitement of performing. I am helping other people to live their dream of being a (belly) dancer and all the glory and fun that brings. The thing I am giving my audience is a period of suspended reality during a performance, which is inspiring and entertaining. Recall the first time you saw a dancer and said to yourself, “I am going to do that one day”! That awestruck feeling is what you are selling your students and your audience. This feeling will guide you in your plan to sell your brand.

Know Your Brand: So,  what is your brand? Knowing this will give you the knowledge you need to sell yourself. There may be dozens of other belly dancers, but what distinguishes you from the others? When the public sees your shows or your dancers – what will they perceive? Are you presenting a particular identity that people will recognize, value and distinguish from other artists? Will you stand out from other artists and if so – why? If not, why not? Example: Are you a cabaret dancers? A Tribal-Style dancer or a folk dancer - or all of the above? If you are a cabaret dancer, what are your specialties- veil? Candle dance? Drum Solo?

Tailored Messaging: This means targeting your message to a segment of the population that needs and wants what you are selling. You want the best vehicles for disseminating product information for each advertising campaign, so what is yours? Flyers? Social Media? A Website? How will you reach your audience/students and once you have, how will you know which platform worked best, so you can repeat it? But there is another strategy that you might have to implement: Educating the public about your product or service. It’s easy to sell something to someone who already loves and wants to see or study belly dance but some people have no idea what it is – these are people you have to expose to the art and sell them on it. I call this educational marketing.

Today, more and more marketing is done virtually through social media and this takes great skill and time. If you are very skilled at social media and marketing you may not need help, but it is advised that you use a marketing company to help with your strategies in marketing. I recommend a company called, MANDALI MEDIA. Good luck with your marketing plan!