Author Archives: Abigail Green

About Abigail Green

Abby has overseen content development for higher education degree programs related to education, technology, business, and healthcare. One of her first jobs after college was working with children’s programs for the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. She is an experienced and versatile writer and editor whose work has been published by Johns Hopkins, the University of Baltimore Alumni Magazine, and The Chicago Tribune.

1. How to Market Art Classes to Fill Every Seat: New Data on Scheduling and Promotion

   June 20, 2024 9:10 am Leave a Comment

   Arts education is a huge opportunity. Art classes top the list of the most popular afterschool enrichment activities for kids. More adults are getting creative, too, with some even funding their arts classes with employee stipends. Nonprofit arts organizations that can meet their communities’ needs for arts education are well-positioned for growth. 

   But why do some arts classes fill up with minutes of opening registration, while others struggle with low enrollment? Why do some classes have waitlists a mile long but other classes have to be canceled? What do arts organizations offering the most popular classes know that others don’t? 

   CourseStorm has some answers. With more than 250 customers in the arts, from youth orchestras to community theatres and arts centers, we have access to more than a decade’s worth of data from 1+ million class registrations. The data reveal patterns and insights about the best times to schedule arts classes, when and where to promote your classes, and how to market art classes to specific audiences. Read on to find out more!

   Download our State of the Arts Report (SOAR) for insights and strategies to help any arts education program thrive.

   How to Promote Art Classes: Schedule Them at the Best Times

   According to CourseStorm’s exclusive customer registration data, Monday is the most popular day for arts classes. The next most popular day is Saturday. We recommend organizations avoid scheduling arts classes on Fridays, since it is only about half as popular as other weekdays. 

   

   Of course, you’ll need to consider your own customers to decide if these are the best days to offer arts classes in your community. If you have lots of young families in your area, afterschool classes scheduled around the academic calendar may be your best bet. If you cater to retirees, weekdays may be a good time to offer arts classes that fill up consistently.

   For more on this topic, check out our related post and download our customizable course scheduling survey template. 

   Speaking of times, you’ll want to consider time of day as well as day of the week when scheduling your arts classes. Our data show that evening classes are the most popular overall. More than a third of arts-related classes offered by CourseStorm customers start between 4pm and 6pm. On Saturdays, classes that start at 9am or 10am have up to 3x the registrants of other class times. 

   Open Class Registration Far Enough in Advance

   Speaking of scheduling, it’s important to consider when to open registration for your arts classes. Too far in advance and people may put it off and forget to enroll. Too close to the class start date and people’s calendars may be filled already. 

   According to our data, there’s a big difference in enrollment trends between youth art classes offered during the school year and those offered during the summer. It makes sense – for many arts organizations, summer camps are by far their most popular programs. When school’s out, parents want their kids engaged in enriching activities and kids have more time to explore non-academic interests. Summer camps tend to fill up fast – sometimes within minutes of opening registration!

   Among CourseStorm customers, people register an average of 71 days – 2+ months – before a summer arts camp or class.

   For arts classes that run during the school year, people register an average of 28 days before the class. For a summer arts camp or class, you’ll want to open enrollment even earlier. Customers register an average of 71 days – 2+ months – before arts programs offered during the summer. 

   Spread the Word About Your Arts Classes

   But what if you are scheduling your classes on the most popular days, opening registration well in advance, and your classes are still not filling up? The problem may be that people just don’t know about them. So how do you get the word out about your arts classes?

   Social media is one of the top two most effective digital marketing channels. Facebook, specifically, is the most popular social platform for marketing arts classes. Among CourseStorm customers, 56% of visitors to their class websites come from Facebook. 

   Our data show that email is the #1 best way to get visitors to your website. Of course, you have to capture people’s email addresses first. A great way to do that is by offering self-serve waitlists for your classes. 

   To simplify your course communications, download our complete package of email templates.

   Let’s say someone searches “pottery classes near me” and finds your website. They are delighted to see that you offer an Intro to Handbuilding class but, alas, it’s already full. Conveniently, there’s a button to click to add themselves to a waitlist. They happily enter their email to be notified if a spot opens up in the class. Of course, you can always say “Call or email to be added to a waitlist.” But that’s an extra step many people may not take. 

   Once you have students or prospective students’ email addresses, you can send them suggestions for other classes they might be interested in. Pro tip: Make sure they can unsubscribe if they choose to. Customer experience best practices allow users to decide whether and how they wish to be contacted. 

   Promote Your Arts Classes by Targeting Them to Specific Audiences

   While your organization’s mission may be “arts for all,” all classes are not meant for all people. It makes sense to break up your classes by age, but you can get even more specific than that. Here are some ideas that CourseStorm customers have found to be popular with learners: 

   Family classes. When kids bring a parent, grandparent, or other adult in their life to a class, it’s twice the fun – and two registrations compared to one. Multigenerational classes are a powerful way to bring together people of all ages and expand the reach of your educational program. Here are some ideas to make your existing classes family-friendly. 

   Couples and friends. Speaking of two registrations vs. one, couples classes are a popular offering for many arts organizations. From paint-and-sip classes to pottery, art classes make for a fun date night, parent’s night out, or friends’ activity. And couples classes make great gifts, too. 

   Working professionals. Don’t think of your classes as strictly after-hours leisure pursuits. In fact, recognizing the need for lifelong learning and managing mental health, a growing number of employers are offering employee stipends that cover arts classes. Your classes also might make great corporate team building activities for local businesses. 

   Special populations. Arts organizations across the U.S. offer classes in theater, music, and art-making for veterans to foster connection and self-expression. For ideas for your own classes, check out these creative art for veterans offerings. Many arts organizations are also finding success with creative aging programs geared toward older adults. 

   Rebuild or Grow Your Arts Education Program with CourseStorm!

   While many arts organizations struggled or closed during the pandemic, those with education programs like CourseStorm customers survived and are still growing. To share the secrets of their success, we published the 2024 State of the Arts Report (SOAR). 

   This report is for anyone offering noncredit, open-enrollment enrichment classes in the visual or performing arts, or any programs offering similar classes outside of the arts that want to learn from their peers. It’s especially geared toward nonprofit arts and culture organizations that want to make data-informed decisions about:

   • How to save time and be more efficient
   • How to make their programs more cost-effective and profitable 
   • How to reach more people and grow enrollments 

   Whether you’re building your arts education program or have more enrollments than you can manage, SOAR can help you navigate your challenges and thrive going forward.

   Download the report today and SOAR in 2024!

2. CourseStorm Case Study: American Stage

   June 12, 2024 9:13 am Leave a Comment

   Integrating CourseStorm with their ticketing software helped a nonprofit theatre education program improve the customer experience and save staff time

   The Background

   Like many theatres, American Stage is still feeling the effects of the pandemic. COVID shut down the professional theatre company’s live performances as well as their summer camps and all classes that weren’t moved online. They are now in the process of “rebuilding everything,” said José Aviléz, Director of Education. 

   American Stage is rebuilding and expanding their education program post-pandemic.

   Founded in 1977 as an educational theatre, American Stage produces about 6 shows a year and runs a drama school for adults as well as one for youth ages 5 to 17. Their classes cover all different aspects of musical theatre, acting, and improv. They currently offer about 40 classes per year, depending on how many they can fill. The education program’s “bread and butter” is summer camps for kids and teens. These run from 1 to 3 weeks, and culminate in a musical production. 

   American Stage wants to expand their educational offerings, particularly their youth programs, to meet a growing need in their community. Previously populated mostly by retirees, St. Petersburg, Fla., saw an influx of young families during the pandemic. 

   The Challenge

   American Stage uses Spektrix, a ticketing and CRM platform. Like many arts organizations, they tried to use the same software for class registration, too. But while they were happy with the solution for ticket sales and customer data management, it wasn’t meeting their needs for camp and class registration. 

   “Everywhere I have worked has used the ticketing service for education and it just never quite fits. Everybody’s always confused. CourseStorm is so much clearer and much more user friendly.” – José Aviléz, Director of Education

   Classes were purchased as a ticket, which was confusing to registrants. It was complicated to collect important student information, such as food allergies or emergency contacts. There were no class rosters, so the staff had to create them manually by copying and pasting names into spreadsheets. Even worse, the person registering a child was often a parent or grandparent, so on the first day of class instructors wouldn’t even know the children’s names. 

   American Stage needed a solution that would simplify class registration for their customers and staff. 

   The Solution

   CourseStorm makes signing up for classes quicker and easier for people registering. Customers can register multiple people in one transaction and save their info for next time, eliminating the need to enter the same things over and over. And for administrative staff, CourseStorm automates processes they may have been doing manually, like creating rosters and managing waitlists. Programs can even give instructors limited access if they wish, empowering them to manage their own classes.

   Arts programs that send students personalized class recommendations using CourseStorm’s automated emails attribute 14% of enrollments to this feature.

   CourseStorm also offers marketing features to help arts organizations fill their classes every time. For instance, automated emails can be sent to current and former students, suggesting other classes they may be interested in. Arts programs that use CourseStorm’s automated emails to send students personalized class recommendations attribute 14% of enrollments to this feature alone.

   CourseStorm integrates with ticketing, donor management and CRM systems—such as with Spektrix, PatronManager and Little Green Light—an added benefit for American Stage. Whether through Zapier, plugins, or direct integrations, combining CourseStorm with these other tools leverages the power of organizations’ existing customer data and CourseStorm’s class registration software.

   The Results

   American Stage loves how much clearer and simpler CourseStorm has made the registration process—both for customers and staff. Classes are now listed by name, not sold as a ticket. Staff used to spend hours walking customers through the registration process on the phone. Now, they get almost no calls. And people enter all their information upfront at the time of registration, eliminating the need for staff to follow up with additional requests. 

   Staff can now do things automatically or in one step that used to require multiple steps or workarounds. With CourseStorm, they can email the entire roster of students at once, send text reminders, and give student discounts via promo codes.

   American Stage now gets fewer complaints and calls from confused registrants, and has saved countless admin hours.

   Since they’ve started using CourseStorm, American Stage gets fewer complaints and phone calls from confused people trying to register, and has saved countless hours on administrative tasks. “I think the fact that it’s simplified our lives is great [but] secondary to the user experience,” said Aviléz.

   American Stage is well positioned to achieve their ambitious growth goals. “We’re about to have a major growth spurt.” 

   To learn more about how CourseStorm might help your program or more information, email contact@coursestorm.com or call us at (207) 866-0328.

3. What’s Hot for Fall? 2024 Marketing Trends to Fill Your Classes

   June 5, 2024 9:00 am Leave a Comment

   Glassblowing is big right now. So is stained glass. Sustainability and shopping local also continue to be popular. As you’re creating your fall classes, it’s good to keep a pulse on consumer marketing trends so you can offer courses that match what learners are interested in now. 

   Fall will be here before you know it, and students of all ages will be buzzing with “back to school” energy. They’ll be looking to enroll themselves and their kids in art classes, afterschool enrichment activities, and other community education programs. Can your organization capitalize on any of these trends for Fall 2024?

   How Consumer Marketing Can Influence Your Class Offerings

   Whether we’re talking about Pantone’s color of the year (Peach Fuzz, FYI) or wide-leg jeans replacing skinny jeans, people care about current trends. Knowing what’s trending can work to your advantage when planning and marketing classes. If you know what’s hot and what’s not, you have a better idea of what’s likely to grab students’ attention. 

   Keeping a pulse on current trends can work to your advantage when planning and marketing classes. 

   Consumer marketing trends are a good place to start when considering what people care about now. In 2024, consumer trends center around consumer values and needs. People want to do business with brands, including education providers, that value sustainability and community. Luckily, that’s right in many arts nonprofits’ wheelhouse.

   Searches related to sustainability are surging

   Reduce, reuse, recycle. Environmental impact has become a serious issue for many consumers over the last few years. The youngest generations are most concerned, with 75% of Gen Z shoppers (those born between 1997 and 2010) saying sustainability is more important than brand names. You can see it in the trends toward electric cars and minimal product packaging. Plastic bags are out, DIY projects using repurposed materials are in. 

   Searches for “small scrap wood projects” are up 1,200%, according to Pinterest Predicts, a report that shares emerging trends for the coming year, based on what people are searching for and pinning on the popular platform. “Zero waste sewing patterns” is up 80%. 

   Do you offer art classes using upcycled materials? How about sewing T-shirt quilts or making rag rugs? If not, this fall may be a great time to jump on the sustainability trend with some new eco-friendly classes. 

   

   Support of local businesses is still trending

   The “shop local” trend is still going strong and has even risen post-Covid. It doesn’t just apply to retailers, either: 64% of Americans are actively seeking to support local businesses, according to 2024 data. That includes searching for art classes, noncredit courses, and enrichment activities near them. 

   Most arts and community education providers focus on providing educational opportunities to people in a specific city, region, or state. Good ways to target your offerings to your local community and help people find your classes is by partnering with a local business and by optimizing your website for “near me” searches. 

   People are craving connection and better quality of life

   The 2024 Consumer Experience Trends Report from experience management company Qualtrics reveals that people are putting a higher value on human connection. Local education providers are uniquely qualified to give students a personalized experience. If you approach your classes as a way to build ongoing relationships with students, they are more likely to come back again and again and make referrals to your program. 

   Forging personal connections with your students and community is not only a smart business strategy, it also helps your education program stand out from others that treat classes like transactions or simply seats to fill. In general, Americans are overly stressed and feeling disconnected. Your classes may not directly solve these problems, but you can highlight the proven benefits of art, community, and lifelong learning. Highlighting the community aspect of your courses can be especially helpful if you offer creative aging programs. Many seniors are isolated and seeking connection and opportunities to build skills.

   Trending Enrichment Classes for Kids

   We know that afterschool enrichment programs are very popular in the fall. Art classes are the top after-school activity – especially since more schools are cutting art from the curriculum. So what specific kinds of art classes can you offer this fall that might appeal to kids?

   Searches for “drawing classes for kids” are up 250%, according to Google Trends data. “Toddler art classes near me” is up 70%.

   Google Trends is a useful tool to get specific, real-time data on what people are searching for online. You can explore what’s trending now, like the latest celebrity news or sports scores, or type in your own word or phrase to see related search terms. For example, a recent search for “art classes” revealed that searches for “drawing classes for kids” are up 250%. “Toddler art classes near me” is up 70%. Those can be clues for classes to add to your course catalog. 

   Since adults are the ones registering children for classes, you’ll want to keep them in mind with your marketing. We offer some tips in this post: How to Make Art Classes for Kids Appealing to Parents.

   For a deeper dive into tools and strategies for finding cultural trends and trends in your community, read our blog post How Cultural Trends Can Help You Create Popular Classes.

   Popular Fall Classes for Adults

   Good news for arts organizations and makerspaces offering classes that build skills and teach trades: Google Trends data also revealed that among the top trending art classes are glass art classes, digital art classes, stained glass classes, and glassblowing classes. 

   As we mentioned above, Pinterest Predicts reports that searches for DIY projects using wood scraps and fabric scraps are trending upward. Another popular trend for Gen X and Millennials is “aquatic architecture.” Searches for “small aquarium design,” “turtle terrarium ideas,” and “planted fish bowl” are all growing. If you offer a class on terrariums or succulents, perhaps you can tweak it for fall to jump on this trend. 

   

   Other Trends in Continuing or Adult Ed

   Of course, for many adults “back to school” means completing a degree, pursuing a job certificate program in preparation for a career change, or enrolling in other types of workforce training. 

   Interestingly, popular adult and community ed programs follow some of the same consumer trends highlighted above: training programs in sustainable fields like solar power and wind turbines are growing, and many programs are partnering with local businesses to fill regional needs. 

   Stay Informed of the Latest Marketing Trends

   Here at CourseStorm, simplicity is part of our mission. We don’t want you to waste time scouring the internet for current marketing trends. You have more important things to do, like build student relationships and deliver quality courses. 

   That’s why we keep an eye on what’s working for arts education and other community ed programs, so we can share what you need to know. 

   Subscribe to our blog to get the latest marketing trends and advice delivered right to your inbox. 

4. How 3 Community Education Providers Are Boosting Enrollment and Student Satisfaction With CourseStorm

   May 22, 2024 9:21 am Leave a Comment

   Many organizations offering non-credit courses struggle with a clunky registration system. These systems are often designed for for-credit classes and don’t meet the unique enrollment and payment needs of non-credit education. 

   Community college workforce training programs, community health education programs offered by hospitals and healthcare organizations, enrichment classes, or other types of adult education programs often have registration processes that just aren’t user friendly. 

   These types of classes come with unique registration needs because:

   • Enrichment classes or courses to learn new skills typically don’t require prerequisites
   • They don’t earn participants credit hours or credentials
   • Non-credit courses are usually open-enrollment self-paid programs

   So they don’t need a complex registration system like for-credit degree programs require. But manual processes aren’t a good solution, either. 

   Some community ed programs require people to register in person or by phone during certain hours. This can be a big deterrent for busy working adults. 

   Some noncredit programs may require people to register in person or over the phone during certain hours, for example, which isn’t possible for a lot of working adults. This also requires time, effort, and even unnecessary frustration for the program’s administrative staff. A poor registration experience can be a big deterrent for busy adults. 

   That’s where CourseStorm comes in. Designed specifically for noncredit providers, like those serving adult learners, CourseStorm allows people to register and pay online at any time it’s convenient for them.

   One non-credit course provider, in the first 6 months of using CourseStorm, processed almost as much revenue in registrations as the previous 2 years combined. Another customer added an online registration option through CourseStorm and increased enrollments by 316% in the first year.

   In this post, we’ll look at how non-credit course registration software like CourseStorm can grow enrollments while improving student satisfaction and automating manual administrative processes. We’ll explore three real-life CourseStorm customers offering adult classes that have used the features of our non-credit course registration software tool to:

   • Offer convenient online registration and payment so people can register whenever is best for them — a must for busy adult learners

   • Improve user experience to reduce registrant complaints, encourage returning students, and keep programs growing

   • Increase awareness of their many course offerings without endless scrolling to ensure students can easily find what will pique their interest

   • Reduce the administrative burden on staff caused by in-person or phone registration and other manual processes

   Is your registration system for non-credit courses complicated and time consuming for students and program staff alike? See how CourseStorm’s impossibly simple online registration software can streamline signups and payment. Try it today! 

   Features of non-credit course registration software: What community education programs love the most

   

   At CourseStorm, we work with a lot of organizations that offer non-credit adult classes. Many come to us because: 

   • Their current registration system is clunky and inconvenient for working students to access outside of standard business hours

   • Students and administrative staff complain about the course registration experience

   • People in the community aren’t aware of their program or able to browse their classes easily

   With simple online registration and accessible course listings, here’s how CourseStorm solved their problems and boosted enrollments.

   Increased enrollments for non-credit education with online registration: Manchester Community College

   

   Like many community college programs, Manchester Community College’s Workforce Development and Community Education program struggled with a clunky registration system designed for credit classes. It did not meet the unique enrollment and payment needs of non-credit classes. Because of this, the MCC program didn’t use any formal registration system before CourseStorm. Students were required to register in person and pay by cash or check during daytime office hours. 

   This was a problem, since their target audience was either busy job searching or looking to improve their skills in a current job. Not allowing students to register for classes outside of business hours and conveniently pay online affected the program’s growth. 

   “When you looked at our audience who were either looking for work or trying to improve their work skills, it just wasn’t convenient for them to have to come to our office to register for a class. Because of this, we missed a lot of people,” said the program director. 

   MCC realized they needed a system geared toward non-credit classes if they planned to grow their enrollments.

   Since switching to CourseStorm, students are now able to view classes, register, and pay online whenever it’s convenient for them. The system is more user-friendly for administrators, too, saving them both cost and time. 

   MCC has been using CourseStorm to manage its online catalog and registration system for several years now. The program has increased the number of overall registrations and early enrollments. These features also helped increase student satisfaction — giving MCC a strong positive presence in their New Hampshire community.

   Improved customer satisfaction and freed up staff time: Shasta College Community Education and Business Training Center

   

   Managing non-credit class registration was a challenge for Shasta College in California. They offered a diverse catalog of community courses, but it was difficult for learners to find classes — students had to scroll and scroll until they found a class that was of interest. 

   The college got complaints from frustrated customers that they couldn’t find the courses they wanted to register for. These calls were time-consuming, and disheartening, to staff. “Last year I had one customer call and complain that our registration system was so difficult to use that she said, ‘Now I remember why I quit taking your classes.’ It wasn’t the only complaint, and it’s what prompted me to seek out a new system,” said the program coordinator.

   Additionally, with no way to add images to grab a student’s attention, their online course catalog felt plain, uninspiring, and unwelcoming. Another administrative hurdle was that instructors had to rely on program staff for access to information. 

   Implementing CourseStorm has helped streamline Shasta’s entire class registration process. The image-rich online catalog allows students to browse and find classes of interest effortlessly, and its three-click registration is quick and straightforward, so fewer students call with issues. Unlimited admin user accounts, improved data entry, and instructor accounts are just a few of the things making life easier. And CourseStorm’s customer success team is available to answer questions and provide assistance whenever it’s needed.

   Within the first few months, Shasta College Community Education and Business Training Center noticed a big difference in the amount of time they saved not having to help students with registration via phone and manually entered registrations. 

   Instructors are now able to self-manage their classes, cutting out the middleman and freeing up admin staff to focus on more significant projects, like program growth and innovation. Overall, managing registrations, classes, and students is much more streamlined with CourseStorm. 

   Increased awareness and enrollments to save a struggling program: Sacopee Valley Adult Ed

   

   The Sacopee Valley Adult Ed program is located in a small, rural community in Maine. The dedicated staff provides a variety of non-credit adult and community education opportunities to a large district, but before CourseStorm the program was struggling and considering closing. 

   Without a website or online course catalog, it was difficult for Sacopee Valley to promote upcoming classes — the team had to rely on printed brochures and word of mouth. The program was struggling with low (and sometimes no) enrollments. 

   Like many non-credit course providers, Sacopee Valley also struggled with an inefficient registration system that was inconvenient or even inaccessible for interested learners. For years, students had been required to register in person and pay by cash or check. 

   A large part of a non-credit education program’s success is based on its online presence. Even though some skeptics were unconvinced that the smaller, more rural community of learners at Sacopee Valley would respond to online registrations, they were mistaken. The adult ed program built an online class registration site using CourseStorm with a user-friendly, online interface for both registrants and administrators. It was an easy transition, and in only one year, the program saw results.

   Even if learners are not tech savvy, CourseStorm is easy for them to use and has helped increase student satisfaction. Half of their learners have used the website to register for classes and enrollments grew over 316% that first year. CourseStorm’s streamlined online payment system gives students convenience and more options when it comes to paying for courses, like friends and family signups, promo codes, and early-bird discounts. 

   “CourseStorm helped our program survive,” said the director of adult ed. “It really gave our program a new lease on life.”

   See What CourseStorm’s Non-Credit Course Registration Software Can Do for Your Adult Education Program

   Many programs offering non-credit courses, such as community colleges, adult education or continuing education programs, struggle with registration. Maybe students and staff are frustrated and overwhelmed by manual processes like in-person and phone registration. Or programs are trying to make a system intended for credit classes work for non-credit offerings like continuing ed and enrichment classes. 

   For non-credit course providers that want to give learners a streamlined registration experience, CourseStorm is an ideal solution. Automated registration and payment functions empower registrants to sign up when they want, taking the burden off program staff. And user-friendly features like attractive online course listings, payment plans, waitlists, promo codes and more make CourseStorm a win-win for both students and program administrators. 

   Is your registration system for non-credit courses complicated and time consuming for students and program staff alike? See how CourseStorm’s impossibly simple online registration software can streamline signups and payment. Try it today! 

5. How to Market Your Arts Classes to Professionals With Education Stipends

   April 24, 2024 10:54 am Leave a Comment

   CourseStorm’s new State of the Arts Report found that 129 million adults in the U.S. — more than half of those surveyed — created and/or performed art during the previous year. Did you know that some lucky people get to do that on their company’s dime? It’s true! CourseStorm is among the growing number of companies offering education stipends as part of their benefits package. 

   More companies are offering education stipends to employees. These benefits may cover the arts or adult ed classes your program offers.

   CourseStorm employees can use their annual educational stipend to invest in any resource that helps them learn something new. And it doesn’t have to be related to their job. Our team members have used their education stipend to subscribe to Masterclass and National Geographic, to take fitness and parenting classes, to buy books on computer science and mushroom foraging, and to sign up for stained glass workshops and ukulele lessons. 

   Is this the reason CourseStorm has been named one of the Best Places to Work in Maine for two years in a row? Likely so! But this article isn’t about us. It’s about how your arts or adult ed program can serve professionals who may be looking to spend their education stipend on the classes you offer. Read on to learn how to reach this customer segment you may be overlooking and grow enrollments and revenue.   

   What’s an Education Stipend and What Does it Cover?

   To tap into this high-potential group of customers, it’s helpful to  understand what stipends are, who offers them, and what they do and don’t cover. That way, you can target your outreach in a way that makes the most sense for the classes you offer. Compt, an employee stipend software company, put together a roundup of 63 examples of employee stipends at top companies. They include accounting firm Deloitte’s $500 annual well-being subsidy as well as the developer of the dating app Hinge, which offers employees a $100/month date stipend. 

   Visit the benefits page of top employers’ websites in your area to find out what types of employee stipends they offer.

   If you have large or popular employers in your area, it may be worth visiting the benefits page on their websites to find out if they offer employee stipends and what they cover. Here are some benefits they might offer: 

   • Education stipend
   • Professional development stipend
   • Personal development stipend
   • Continued learning stipend
   • Well-being subsidy
   • Wellness allowance
   • Health & wellness subsidy

   All employee stipends are not created equal. LinkedIn’s $5,000 annual education stipend is intended for tuition reimbursement for degree-granting higher education institutions. Some stipends are specifically earmarked for professional development related to a person’s job, or for commuting, home office, or childcare expenses. But plenty of other stipends are more open-ended. And that’s where your program comes in. 

   Classes to Market to Employees With Education Stipends

   Speaking of employee benefits, flexible spending accounts (FSA) for health care expenses are a popular perk, but many people lose out on these funds by failing to spend them before they expire. Never underestimate the power of “use it or lose it” to motivate someone to take action. With the right marketing, you can position your classes as a great way for employees to use their education stipend before it expires. 

   This could mean speaking directly to professional learners on your website, social media, or email newsletter. Or you can do targeted outreach to specific employers in your community. Here are a few ideas for classes that may be covered by employee stipends. 

   Wellness-related classes. If your program offers yoga or dance classes for adults, that’s a no-brainer to pitch to people with health and wellness stipends. But many cover meditation and mindfulness-related offerings, too. Art therapy is its own specific discipline offered by licensed therapists, while mindfulness art is a broader category that doesn’t require a certified practitioner. 

   Do you offer any classes that could be considered mindful art? This article shares 20 examples of mindfulness art activities, including Zentangle art and splatter painting with essential oils. The benefits of art on mental and physical health are well documented, so it’s not much of a stretch to see how a wellness subsidy could cover most any art class. 

   Many arts organizations offer couples classes — a smart marketing strategy, since you’re getting two registrations at one time. 

   Couples classes. Remember Hinge’s “date night stipend” mentioned above? Even if a company doesn’t offer that specific benefit, other stipends could be used for this purpose, like a “learn something new” stipend. Many arts organizations offer couples classes. For example, CourseStorm customer Studio Arts Boulder offers popular pottery class date nights: “Bring a Bestie, your BAE, or even your Baba for a night of creating.” Couples classes are a smart marketing strategy, since you’re getting two registrations at one time. 

   Arts instruction. This is the most straightforward option for targeting people with education stipends that cover any type of instruction related to learning something new. Music lessons, watercolor classes, jewelry making workshops, woodworking courses, knitting classes — all of these would qualify for most personal development education stipends. 

   

   Other Ways to Market Your Arts and Enrichment Classes to Professional Audiences 

   In addition to encouraging employees to spend their stipends on your classes, there are other ways to tap into this valuable segment of customers. You can market your offerings to appeal to both employers and employees. For example, classes can be positioned as: 

   • Team building activities – suggest a metalworking workshop in lieu of golf outings or escape rooms
   • Customer appreciation perks – businesses can give their best customers gift cards for classes or tickets to performances
   • Professional development of soft skills – improv classes to build collaboration and public speaking skills; art classes to develop creativity, etc.)
   • Personal enrichment – employees (and employers!) are people, too, and many will be interested in your offerings for their own interest and enjoyment, whether their employer is subsidizing it or they’re paying for it themselves
     

   You may be wondering where to advertise and promote your arts and enrichment classes to a professional audience. While our data show that Facebook is the most popular social media platform for promoting classes among our arts customers, LinkedIn is used by more than 1 billion professionals and companies. You might test out both platforms and see what works for your program.

   Offer the Features Corporate Customers Need

   If you’re marketing your classes to professional groups or corporate customers, you’ll need to provide a professional experience. These customers will likely require:

   • Group registration, so they can sign up an entire team or department
   • The ability to pay online, e.g., on a corporate credit card
   • Receipts for accounting and reimbursement purposes
   • Clear followup messaging – say, email confirmations to all participants and perhaps suggestions for what to wear, what to bring to class, etc. 

   You can manually provide most of these things, or cobble them together from free tools like Google Forms. But if you want to present a modernized, professional experience that encourages word-of-mouth referrals to other businesses, consider investing in class registration software like CourseStorm that has those automated features built in. 

   To learn more about how to grow your arts education program with new audiences, check out our article on partnering with local businesses to reach more students.

6. How Nonprofit Arts Organizations Can ‘Run It Like a Business’

   March 14, 2024 9:52 am Leave a Comment

   Aubrey Bergauer has been called “the Steve Jobs of classical music” and “the Sheryl Sandberg of the symphony” for her customer-focused, data-backed strategies to help performing arts organizations be as profitable as corporate heavy-hitters like Amazon, Zappos, and Netflix. 

   “I believe that nonprofit is a tax status, not a scarcity mindset or can’t-make-money mandate.” – author and arts consultant Aubrey Bergauer

   A former chief executive of the California Symphony, Bergauer led the organization to double the size of its audience and nearly quadruple its donor base. As a speaker, consultant, podcaster, and now author, she encourages arts and culture nonprofit organizations to take lessons from the for-profit sector to become more relevant, inclusive, and growth-minded to reach modern audiences. 

   “I believe that nonprofit is a tax status, not a scarcity mindset or can’t-make-money mandate,” Aubrey Bergauer writes in the introduction of her new book, Run it Like a Business: Strategies for Arts Organizations to Increase Audiences, Remain Relevant, and Multiply Money—Without Losing the Art. Here are some other takeaways from the book. 

   Create a Better Customer Experience

   While the industry cry is, “We need new audiences!” Bergauer says we have misidentified the problem. An analysis of 400 arts databases in North America and the U.K. found that more than half of all ticket-buyers are first-time bookers. Yet in the U.S., 90% of first-time orchestra attendees never return. Yikes. “The issue isn’t getting people to come to the arts; it’s getting people to come back,” writes Bergauer. 

   The issue isn’t getting new audiences to come to the arts; it’s getting people to come back.

   That matters because those first-time audiences are the entry point from which all other relationships develop. Concert attendees may become donors who then sign up their kids for music camp and so on. So what’s keeping them from coming back? The user experience. 

   In focus groups for the California Symphony, Bergauer found that participants’ frustrations included not being able to understand the organization’s website, which was written for insiders familiar with music terminology. 

   In fact, many arts organizations make this mistake and end up confusing their customers with unfamiliar jargon or terminology. If your art class enrollments are low, perhaps course listings for classes in “dramaturgy” or “handbuilding” need to be rewritten as “playwriting” and “pottery.” 

   Action step: Consider asking a few people outside of your organization to read over your website and share feedback from a newcomer’s perspective. Is it clear and welcoming? Is it easy to understand or confusing? 

   Bergauer calls these the three Fs of the new customer experience: having a newcomer focus on the website, being newcomer friendly in the venue, and creating newcomer-facing marketing. 

   Engage Customers With Multiple Offerings

   If someone buys a ticket to a performance, offering them an annual subscription is not the only opportunity—and in fact, it may turn them off. Many arts orgs are guilty of upselling too much, too soon, according to Bergauer. A first-time concert attendee is likely not going to respond to a request for a donation or to purchase a gala table. 

   A better strategy is to get patrons to repeat the behaviors we want through what’s called “behavioral segmentation.” Starbucks did it right with their “treat receipt” program that gave customers a discount off beverage purchases later the same day—encouraging them to repeat a behavior they’ve already done: buying coffee.

   For an arts education program, this may look like sending personalized emails to students who’ve taken, say, your Intro to Beadwork class, letting them know about an upcoming Beaded Jewelry Class they may be interested in. (By the way, CourseStorm has an automatic email marketing feature that does just that. Customers attribute 14% of enrollments to these emails alone.) 

   A smart strategy is to get people to repeat behaviors. For example, if someone has taken a pottery class, send them an email suggesting other classes they might enjoy. 

   Bergauer advises arts orgs to also get customers involved with a second type of content, like a pre-show talk, an artist meet-and-greet, or a special exhibit opening. An organization she worked for ran a report and found that 75% of their donors were consuming multiple content types. 

   This is true for many arts organizations. They may have performances, membership, gallery exhibits, classes, and more. As Bergauer illustrated with the above example, it’s important to have software that integrates customer data from all these areas so you can run reports to get a true picture of participant behavior and target your offerings accordingly. 

   Action step: Your second type of content can be as simple as packaging your classes as products that people can purchase to give as gifts. Here’s how to do it. 

   Strive for Relevance 

   Studying top brands like Apple and Peloton, Bergauer found that relevance is the most reliable indicator of a brand’s long-term success. So what is relevance, and what does it mean for arts and culture organizations?

   The first criterion for relevance is meeting the needs of your customers. In the case of arts education programs, that requires asking for and responding to student feedback. Only 4% of dissatisfied customers will tell you they’re unhappy, so proactively requesting input is a good idea. 

   Staying relevant requires proactively gathering feedback from your customers and knowing what matters to them. 

   Another way to stay relevant is by staying on top of trends and knowing what matters to your audience. Current marketing trends show that consumers care about supporting local businesses, sustainability, and quality of life. Highlight those aspects of your program, whether that’s a partnership with a local business, an art class using upcycled materials, or enhancing connection among older people in your community through creative aging programs.  

   “The benefits of relevance are generally obvious: customers give us free marketing with their posts online, this positive organic endorsement results in five times more sales than direct advertising, buzz about the organization swells, our patron base grows, donations increase,” writes Bergauer. 

   Action step: Collect valuable student feedback by writing better course evaluation questions and downloading our customizable template. 

   Resources to Run Your Arts Ed Program Like a Business

   Run It Like a Business is packed with practical tips and strategies arts nonprofits can start implementing immediately, along with real-world case studies of successful organizations. 

   For more data-backed info specifically for arts education programs, check out CourseStorm’s new State of the Arts Report. We dug into 10+ years of our customer data to find out what profitable programs are doing to enroll and retain more students. Download your free copy here.

7. CourseStorm’s New State of the Arts Report Will Help Arts Education Programs “SOAR” in 2024

   February 15, 2024 12:52 pm Leave a Comment

   Arts and culture play an important role in our lives. Millions of people in the United States participate in the arts each year, both by attending performances or exhibits and by creating art themselves. Arts education has a measurable positive impact on children both academically and socially. And arts organizations provide economic value for communities, among other benefits.

   The pandemic hugely impacted arts organizations, forcing many to close. Of those that survived and thrived, many were CourseStorm customers. We dug into our data to find out why.

   The pandemic had a huge impact on arts organizations. Many of them were forced to close, such as community theatres whose revenue was based on live performances. Many arts organizations that survived and even grew were those offering education programs, camps, and classes. And many of them were CourseStorm customers.

   We dug into our data from more than 1 million class registrations from hundreds of arts programs to uncover patterns and strategies to help other education programs flourish. We’re sharing this exclusive data from CourseStorm along with insights from other trusted industry sources in our new State of the Arts Report, which we’re calling “SOAR.”

   What’s in the State of the Arts Report (SOAR)?

   Our goal in publishing this report is not only to showcase what’s working for CourseStorm customers, but to share insights and strategies that can help any arts education program thrive.

   Our new report, SOAR, not only shares what’s working for our customers, but also offers insights and strategies that can help any arts education program thrive.

   SOAR offers data-backed answers to questions like: 

   • What are the best days to offer arts classes?
   • Which are more popular, daytime or evening classes?
   • What type of arts program remained popular and even grew during the pandemic?
   • How far in advance do people register for kids’ classes during the school year vs. the summer?
   • Where should arts programs focus most of their digital marketing efforts?
   • What percentage of students are returning vs. new, and how do you keep them coming back?
   • How do you reduce class cancelations?

   SOAR also includes valuable insights about the economic and academic benefits of arts education to the greater community.

   Where Does the Data Come From?

   CourseStorm has more than a decade’s worth of data from 1 million+ class registrations. This includes more than 250 customers in the arts, including Garrison Art Center, Miami Theatre Center, and Mainly Mozart Youth Orchestra. 

   CourseStorm has more than a decade’s worth of exclusive data from 1M+ class registrations, including hundreds of customers in the arts.

   In addition to sharing exclusive findings from our customer database, SOAR includes the newest data from industry sources such as the National Endowment for the Arts, Americans for the Arts, the Brookings Institution, and more.  

   The robust report contains timely information and actionable strategies to guide arts organizations during this pivotal time in arts education. Whether you’re still struggling to bounce back from the pandemic or have more enrollments than you can manage, SOAR can help you navigate your challenges and thrive going forward. 

   Who Is SOAR for?

   This report is for anyone offering noncredit, open-enrollment enrichment classes in the visual or performing arts, or any programs offering similar classes outside of the arts that want to learn from their peers. It’s especially geared toward nonprofit arts and culture organizations that want to make data-informed decisions about:

   • How to save time and be more efficient
   • How to make their programs more cost-effective and profitable 
   • Where and when to promote their classes 
   • How to better serve their students 
   • How to reach more people and grow enrollments 

   We hope the data in this report helps you make your classes even better and more valuable to your community. If you need support to ease your administrative burden and grow enrollments, CourseStorm is here to help.

   Download the report today and SOAR in 2024!

8. Staff Training Made Simple: How to Use CourseStorm to Empower Your Instructors

   January 16, 2024 9:00 am Leave a Comment

   Instructors are the lifeblood of your education program. These are the people who have the most direct connection with the learners who take your classes. Many of CourseStorm’s customers have told us that some of their instructors have cult-like followings of students who will take any class they teach. So training your instructors and teaching artists on the tools you use to run your organization makes sense. Here are some benefits of showing your teaching staff how to use CourseStorm. 

   Simple Access to Class Data

   Most teaching artists are creatives, not techies. That’s not to say they can’t use technology, but most artistic types would rather practice their art or dream up new projects for their students than figure out a complicated software platform.

   “Not only is CourseStorm easy for me to use, but it’s also really easy for me to train a teaching artist to use.” – A theatre customer

   Another thing we hear frequently from our customers is that learning CourseStorm’s class registration software takes so little time compared to others.

   Elana Kepner, education director at Marin Shakespeare Company said, “I’ve worked for other arts organizations, so I can speak from the perspective of various kinds of registration. I really appreciate that not only is CourseStorm easy for me to use, but it’s also really easy for me to teach a teaching artist to use without taking a huge chunk out of our training time so that they can access information as they need it.”

   In fact, CourseStorm training for instructors basically consists of setting them up with a staff login and giving them access to their class data. That’s it. Once instructors are logged in, they can:

   • View the class(es) they are scheduled to teach 
   • View class rosters of enrolled students
   • Print or export rosters into Excel
   • View individual student info
   • Email students 
   • View class waiting list, if any
   • View cancelled registrations, if any

   Here’s a short video that shows what your instructors see when they login to CourseStorm:

   CourseStorm | FYI: What Your Instructors See

   Don’t worry about instructors “messing up” anything in the system or on your course website. They can only access the information above. They can’t add, edit, or delete any data. They also can’t perform any financial transactions. 

   Empower Instructors By Training Them on How to Use CourseStorm

   One of the key benefits of CourseStorm is that it saves programs time. Nonprofits are notorious for having to do more with less, and our class registration software eases the administrative burden for office staff, volunteers, instructors, and teaching artists. Registrations are completed online, rather than over the phone or by email.

   Data integrates seamlessly with your donor management system, rather than requiring time-consuming and tedious data entry. 

   CourseStorm’s benefits extend to teaching artists as well. When they can access their class rosters and student data directly, it cuts out the middleman and empowers instructors to manage their class themselves. They can email their class to send them a supply list or remind them of an upcoming schedule change, for example. 

   Two of CourseStorm’s newest features are designed to make things even easier for instructors: mobile instructor admin and attendance tracking.

   CourseStorm is always adding new features, and two of our newest ones are designed to make things even easier for instructors. Our new mobile instructor admin area gives teaching artists the ability to access everything they need on the go, since we know not many of them are sitting behind a desk all day. This new version will replace our existing instructor admin area for all customers with access to that feature and is available in our Pro plan for new customers.

   Our new attendance tracking feature lets instructors take attendance and view attendance history right from their phones or tablets.

   Many community education instructors and teaching artists teach classes for several different organizations. If those programs use CourseStorm, it’s even easier since instructors can use the same login to access all of their classes that are offered through CourseStorm. 

   What CourseStorm Training Is Available? 

   If you’re curious about what CourseStorm can do but want to see for yourself, we encourage you to sign up for a free trial. This allows you to create a demo site on your own, with helpful guidance that walks you through the steps of how to build and use a CourseStorm site for your class registrations. 

   If you do decide to become a customer, we offer weekly live onboarding or on-demand videos, depending on your plan, that show you how to use CourseStorm right away. “Our software is very intuitive. It’s easy for someone to set up a site in an evening or a weekend,” said Hayli, CourseStorm’s customer onboarding lead. 

   If you are a teaching artist or work with them, read and share these other helpful articles: Educating Arts Educators: 6 Ideas for Professional Development and 5 Ways Art Teachers Can Balance Teaching and Creating Art. Be sure to subscribe to our blog below so you don’t miss a thing!

9. CourseStorm Wrapped: Top Posts of 2023

   December 22, 2023 9:00 am Leave a Comment

   You’ve heard of Spotify Wrapped, where listeners get a recap of their favorite music of the past year? Well, consider this CourseStorm Wrapped — a look at our top 5 most-read blog posts of the year. 

   Arts nonprofits and other organizations turn to us for help in growing and managing their education programs. These were our top 5 blog posts of the year.

   We serve organizations offering visual and performing arts classes, summer camps and afterschool enrichment programs, workforce training and community education. Many of our customers are arts nonprofits. They look to CourseStorm for assistance in growing and managing their programs. Our top posts give insights into some of the challenges and opportunities for these organizations, and how we can help. 

   How to Cancel a Class Without Upsetting Students

   This blog post is consistently at the top of the list. Why? Sometimes you have to cancel a class. Maybe the instructor is sick or the weather isn’t cooperating. Sometimes enrollment for the class is low and you can’t justify the time and cost of running it. Whatever the reason, you want to cancel the class without upsetting students who have already enrolled and causing them to seek out classes elsewhere. 

   We help you minimize the impact of class cancellations with tips and even an email template. 

   It’s important to know that sometimes the cause of a class cancellation is a poor-fit registration system. If you’re taking registrations manually, people could be slipping through the cracks. Or the problem may be a repetitive and time-consuming registration process for parents signing up multiple kids, or not offering payment plans for high-cost classes. CourseStorm automates and streamlines all of these things, eliminating many unnecessary reasons to cancel a class. 

   How to Write a Course Description: Examples & Templates

   We get it. Not everyone is a writer. And describing a course in an enticing way in just a few sentences is harder than it seems. So it’s not surprising that this “how to” article is so popular. We give you a list of best practices and examples of course descriptions that convert searchers into signups. Plus we share a course description template you can use to punch up your own course offerings. 

   CourseStorm has facilitated over 1 million connections to education for our customers, so we know what gets students to click “Register now!” Subscribe to our blog so you can get helpful tips and templates like this delivered right to your inbox. 

   5 Email Templates to Help You Engage Students

   Similar to writing course descriptions, crafting an email that gets people to take action is harder than it seems. So it’s no surprise that many of the visitors to our blog are looking for this info. Whether you’re sending a class recommendation to an existing student, a reminder to a new registrant, or another type of email, these templates will help you do it faster and easier.

   Sending the right email at the right time can encourage students to act, strengthen the relationship, and help you gather valuable feedback. Want to have these emails and more at your fingertips for when you need them? Download our email templates package and start saving time while connecting with students. 

   A popular feature of CourseStorm is the ability to send automated marketing emails that generate additional revenue for your education program without any extra work.

   6 Benefits of Enrichment Classes for All Ages

   In addition to our “how to” articles, readers liked this post about the positive benefits of non-credit educational offerings for both kids and adults. We know that people who prioritize lifelong learning seek out enrichment classes for personal growth, to build new skills, or connect with others in their community. 

   Of course, knowing the benefits of enrichment classes is one thing. Spreading the word about them is another. Help learners and community members see the value of your program by sharing these benefits in your marketing and course promotion. Not only could it help you sell more classes, it can also show your commitment to the community. 

   12 Arts and Culture Magazines Worth Recommending to Students

   Rounding out our top 5 most popular posts of 2023 was this one, featuring a dozen picks for print and digital publications dedicated to arts and culture. With their beautiful photography and curated content, these magazines provide a tangible way to explore cultural trends and learn about art. 

   Teaching artists can use them as the starting point for a lesson plan or discussion or simply read them for pleasure to discover up-and-coming artists, learn about exhibitions and events, and explore new perspectives.

   Coming Soon: A New Report for Arts Organizations

   The past several years have greatly impacted the arts and culture world. Anyone offering classes in the arts was forced to rethink their strategy. Many of those who succeeded were CourseStorm customers. In the New Year, we will be publishing an exclusive report to help arts education programs make data-informed decisions about how to save time, when to schedule classes, and how to grow their revenue.

   Subscribe to our blog to be the first to find out when our new report is available in 2024!

10. Why You Should Promote Experiences as Gifts and How to Do It for Christmas Shoppers

    November 14, 2023 2:52 pm Leave a Comment

    With the holiday gift-giving season approaching fast, arts organizations are looking for ways to promote their classes to Christmas shoppers and those celebrating other winter holidays. The good news is that many people are already on board with the idea of giving experiences as gifts. What holds them back is often the logistics. It’s easy to stick a video game under the tree, but how do you package violin lessons? 

    Help holiday shoppers give the gift of an experience like classes or tickets to a performance by highlighting all the reasons these make great gifts.

    Arts organizations can help holiday shoppers give the gift of an experience like classes or tickets to a performance by highlighting all the reasons these make great gifts.

    If you want Christmas shoppers and other gift-givers to consider purchasing classes for friends and family, you first need to highlight all the reasons your classes make great gifts. Then you have to support the gift-giving experience by helping them package their gift in a way that feels meaningful. We’ll address this one step at a time. 

    Reasons to Give Experiences as Gifts Rather Than Stuff

    Consumer Reports found that, among all age groups, people derive more happiness from experiences than from material goods. The desire for quality time with friends and family has increased more than ever since the pandemic. Even so, Christmas shoppers may not think of your classes or performances as possible gifts unless you explicitly make the connection for them. 

    Giving experiences as gifts gives the recipient skills or memories that last a lifetime. It’s also more eco-friendly and a great last-minute gift option!

    Here are some ways you can frame your marketing messages to reach Christmas shoppers and other gift-givers: 

    A gift for a lifetime. As children grow up, they may fall out of love with this year’s trending toy, but they’ll always have the skills they learned in pottery class. Creating something with your own hands is exciting no matter what your age. Young children can get a kick out of making art to hang on the family fridge, while teens may be excited to learn how to knit a scarf themselves. Creative aging programs are built upon the idea that older people want to continue to build skills as they age, as well.

    Give the gift of connection. Our world is suffering from a loneliness epidemic. A new poll found that nearly 1 in 4 adults feel lonely, with the rates highest among young adults ages 19 to 29. Participating in art classes and activities helps provide a sense of community and connectedness. This is especially important for certain populations like veterans. 

    It’s more eco-friendly. A recent study by NielsenIQ found that 78% of U.S. consumers say that a sustainable lifestyle is important to them. If you know your community is environmentally conscious, play up that angle in your class marketing efforts. An educational experience beats unwanted material goods ending up in the trash. 

    Experiential gifts are a smart last-minute option. Let’s face it: the holidays are a busy time of year. It can be tough to shop, wrap, and ship gifts in time. If you have rolling admissions for your classes, open seats at an upcoming performance, or other opportunities available that would make good gifts, let your customers and community know. Then all they have to do on the actual holiday is give the recipient a card or email notifying them of their gift.  

    Experience Gifts for Couples: Classes They’ll Love

    Offering couples classes is a great way to attract customers who want to give experiences as gifts. Cooking classes, ballroom dancing, and jewelry making are all good gift experiences for couples, but those are just the beginning. Mixology classes, a terrarium workshop, or anything else couples can do together make great gifts. 

    From cooking classes to jewelry making to mixology, offering couples classes is a great way to attract customers who want to give the gift of quality time and connection.

    CourseStorm’s head of marketing, Nic, and her husband attended a restorative foraging class in their community. Guided by a sustainability expert from a local university, they walked around outdoors and identified lots of native and non-native plants and learned about how to process acorns for acorn flour. “It was fascinating to learn about foraging through this lens and to try something new,” she said. 

    Pro tip: Offering couples classes is also a great way to boost your website’s SEO and help people find your classes online. “Couples classes near me” is a very popular search term, so if you offer couples classes, be sure to state this clearly on your website, in your online course catalog and course descriptions, and on your social media platforms. 

    For more specifics, read our article on how to promote couples classes for Valentine’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries, and other holidays throughout the year.

    Christmas Shoppers Want Something to Wrap

    Even Christmas shoppers who are already convinced that giving experiences as gifts is a good idea may hesitate because they want the recipient to have something to unwrap. Many people find joy in watching someone unwrap a gift. This is especially true for people giving gifts to kids. Help shoppers overcome this obstacle by offering something tangible to go with the experiential gift. 

    • Branded merch – If you already have branded merchandise, offer a magnet, mug, tote bag or tee-shirt to anyone purchasing classes as gifts during the holiday season.

    • Gift shop merchandising – If your organization has a gift shop, set up a small section with inexpensive gifts relevant to different classes. This could include pencils and a sketchbook for an art class, an adult and child apron set for a cooking class, or Shakespear magnets and stickers for a theater class.

    • Printed certificates – Printed certificates can be placed in an envelope or even wrapped in a box with some tissue paper. Print some fillable certificates on high-quality paper and give them away with gift orders. 

    Many people find joy in unwrapping and watching others unwrap a gift. Help holiday shoppers by offering something tangible to go along with the experience they’re gifting.

    Even if your organization doesn’t offer these things, with a bit of imagination, you can help your customers come up with a tangible item to gift alongside the experience. Here are just a few ideas: 

    • Paintbrushes, pencils, or pastels along with a sketchbook for someone you’re gifting a session of art classes

    • Funny Shakespeare magnets or stickers for a teen you’ve signed up for theater camp

    • An adult and child apron set to go along with a grandparent-and-grandchild cooking class

    • A basket of colorful yarn for someone enrolled in a knitting or crochet class

    • A monogrammed journal for a person you’re giving a writing class or poetry workshop

    • Safety glasses or work gloves to go along with a wood or metalworking workshop at a makerspace

    For more creative and unique ideas to go with your experiential gifts, check out UnCommon Goods and MoMA Design Store. Visitors can search by interest, price range, recipient, and even eco-friendly products.

    Making it easy for people to give your classes as gifts, such as by offering group registrations and promo codes, is a smart marketing strategy all year round.

    Making it easy for people to give your classes as gifts is a smart marketing strategy all year round. Consider offering discounts or promo codes to encourage gift-giving, and allow group registrations to simplify the process for students who want to give and take a class with a loved one. CourseStorm has all of these features and more.