How to Fill Your Classes Before You Even Start

Imagine pouring hours into preparing your supplies, selecting the most amazing project for your first class, and planning how to create the best experience for your students. 

Then, after all your hard work and effort and pouring your soul into it, no one knows that you have launched your classes, and nobody signs up. That would be devastating, wouldn't it?

We’ll let you in on a little secret: We’ve learned the hard way that you can’t wait until you are 100% ready to launch before you start thinking about your marketing.

Attracting and engaging your ideal customers (months ahead of time!) so that you have an audience to launch to once you’re ready is sooo important. You have to build relationships before the big launch. Otherwise, you’ll have no one to invite once you’re up and running.

You’re probably thinking “Cool, gotcha. Let’s use ALL the marketing tactics to make super sure that I don’t end up with empty classes.” But it’s important to take a step back and realize that overloading yourself with tasks can lead to burnout. You don’t want to feel burnt out before you’ve even had a chance to run your first class.

Resist the urge to tackle every strategy at once. Instead, focus on one or two main marketing strategies at a time. Doing so enables you to put your full effort into each one and achieve better results.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll share valuable insights on marketing your club effectively without overwhelming yourself. Remember, simplicity and focus are key, so zone in on one or two of these tactics and save the others for later.

Ready? Grab your notebook, and let’s dive in.

 Marketing Tactic No. 1: Use your Existing Network 

Word of mouth is hands-down the most effective and reliable type of marketing for an arts & crafts club.

People trust recommendations from friends and family over any other type of advertising. So, begin with your closest network - friends and family, and build a loyal fan base.

Start by running a soft launch with your friends’ kids. A soft launch is the perfect way to test your ideas and kill those nerves of teaching (once you’ve taught one class, you’ll feel a lot more relaxed for the next one). Another hot tip would be to take photos and videos during your soft launch that you can use to market your classes to a broader audience.

Encourage the kids attending your launch class to spread the word about your club to their friends at school, camp, soccer club, everywhere!

Happy and satisfied customers will naturally become vocal advocates for your classes, so building personal connections is key in any business. Remember this as you embark on your marketing journey: Be a HUMAN, not a robot.

People support and spend their money with people they know, like, and trust!

The goal is to start getting loyal repeat customers who will attend your classes every week. Running a business that allows you to build a repeat customer base is one of many reasons why a kids arts & crafts club is such a unique and great business. Because as soon as you have repeat customers, you will have guaranteed sustainable income, month after month.

 Marketing Tactic No. 2: Build Your Database 

Collect contact information from those who have attended your classes and those who have expressed interest in them, and form an email list. Send out emails regularly to keep everyone informed about your upcoming classes, events, and special promotions.

Almost everyone these days has an email account, and 99% of email users check their email every day, some as much as 20 times a day. It’s a great marketing opportunity!

In your newsletters, you can even include arts & crafts tips or fun ideas for them to try with their kids at home. The goal is to keep your audience engaged and position yourself as the go-to expert for all things arts & crafts related so that they'll know who to call when they're ready to sign up for a class, arty party, or event.

Showing up consistently to connect and communicate with those on your database is essential to attracting and retaining customers. Click here to read more about how consistency is key to running a successful kids arts & crafts club.

 Marketing Tactic No. 3: Target Schools 

Reaching out to schools is an excellent strategy to grow your club. 

Whether through newsletters, websites, or events, schools can help you reach a broad audience of parents with kids the right age who are always looking for fun ways to stimulate their kids after class.

You could even consider hosting your classes at the school if they are looking to offer after-school activities for the kids on-site. Once you’re in, we've found that classes fill up very quickly as the kids are already there, and it’s convenient for parents to collect them a bit later.

Curious to see what's possible with an after-school craft club? 

See inspirational stories from our members!

Jessica's Story: She Was Tired of Working for Someone Else 

Teacher Jessica found herself wanting something of her own. She was tired of working for someone else. 

She loves working with kids and crafting, so starting a craft club was the perfect fit for her.

After joining CCC Academy, she approached her son’s elementary school, and they invited her to run classes at their summer program.

In just three weeks, her enrollment doubled!

Click here to watch our interview with Jessica.

Juliana's Story: She Grew from 0 to 60 Students in Under a Year and Built Her Dream Cabin 

After spending a decade as a violinist and a stay-at-home mom, Juliana was eager to start something new.

She wanted to do something meaningful and educational for her son, but it also needed to require minimal initial investment.

"I didn't see myself as a 'teacher' at all."

Despite her initial fears, Juliana joined CCC Academy and started conducting STEAM-crafting classes at her son's school.

In less than a year, she's expanded to 3 schools and now has almost 60 students every week.

"I have earned enough to build a small house in less than a year."

Click here to watch our interview with Juliana.

Natalie's Story: How ONE flyer turned into an extra $1280 per month 

After sitting on the idea for a year, Natalie joined CCC Academy and launched her after-school craft program at a local elementary school.

"I had my flyer in their Friday folders, which go out at 4 p.m.

By 5 p.m., I already had 10 kids signed up.

I had to stop at 16 kids, and there are another 25 on the waitlist."

She then created DIY craft boxes to serve the students on the waitlist.

Click here to watch our interview with Natalie.

Cara's Story: She Expanded her Club to 28 Schools Within 2 Years 

Coming out of the pandemic, teacher Cara saw her students struggle to create and yearned for a creative outlet herself.

"I was bored teaching the same curriculum at school."

After joining the CCC Academy, she started a craft club and devoted herself to helping kids think differently, learn to problem solve, and develop the confidence to create.

She's since expanded her club to run after-school classes at 28 schools, hiring 7 instructors to help her keep up with the demand.

Click here to watch our interview with Cara.

 Marketing Tactic No. 4: Teach in Public Spaces 

Hosting your classes in a public venue like a library or community center can be beneficial in many ways. These locations are convenient and familiar for customers and are often already equipped with tables, chairs, parking, and amenities. 

You can also tap into the venue's existing audience and leverage their assistance in marketing your classes. Ask them to promote your classes on social media, email newsletters, and notice boards. Make it easy for them by providing ready-to-use promotional materials.

People need to hear about an event a few times before they decide if they want to come. It's essential, therefore, to start marketing 3 to 4 weeks before the class/workshop/event and tell customers about it often. Be sure to make this clear to the venue you are collaborating with and follow up to ensure they spread the word about your event as often as necessary.

Need more guidance on how to contact venues to set up a mobile craft club? Check out our blog post on 4 Simple Steps to Start a Mobile Craft Club.

Photo credit: CCC Academy members Somien and Allison

 Marketing Tactic No. 5: Collaborate with Local Businesses 

By collaborating with businesses that target the same ideal customer, you will grow much faster than trying to target customers on your own.

Here are a few examples:

• Coffee shops and kid-friendly restaurants: Go to your local restaurants and coffee shops and ask if you could put posters on their notice board or in their restroom. 
• Shared interest locations: Think of all the stores where you buy art supplies. Stick up a poster at their checkout register and ask them to share your flier on their online platforms.
• Pediatrician rooms and clinics: Ask if you could leave a few flyers at the reception counter or give them coloring flyers with a small bucket of crayons for kids to color while they wait for their appointment.
• Other after-school activity providers: Make a list of all the other after-school activities that children attend in your area; ballet and dance clubs, football, tennis, gymnastics, and so on. Collaborate with them and put a poster up at their venue, or ask them to share your flier on their online platforms. Be sure to return the favor by mentioning their club in your email newsletter or sticking their poster on your notice board (if you have a fixed studio). 

Photo credit: CCC Academy members Heleen and Camille

Curious to see what's possible with local business collaborations? 

See inspirational stories from our members!

Kayla’s Story: As Her Confidence Grew, so Did Her Club

After running craft classes at her home, it didn’t take long for Kayla to realize she needed more space.

“The issue with doing it at my house is I have limited space and can only have classes that are so big,” she says. “But when I have classes at other places, I can definitely have larger classes and more students join.”

She reached out to a local kids’ gym, and they said yes immediately. “They wanted me on board right away,” she says. “I’ve been running weekly classes there ever since.”

Click here to watch our interview with Kayla.

Samantha's Story: How Partnering with a Cooking Camp Skyrocketed her Craft Business!

By teaming up with a cooking camp that already had a loyal audience, Samantha was able to tap into a new customer base without extra promotion or venue costs.

The partnership was a perfect match: the camp provided the space, and Samantha’s thoughtfully curated crafting sessions added value to the camp’s offerings.

This mutually beneficial relationship showed how effective collaboration can be in growing a business without extra expenses.

Click here to watch our interview with Samantha.

 Bonus Tip: The Power of Photos and Videos 

Capture moments during your classes and share them with parents. A simple photo and a brief description of what their child learned can create a sense of pride and engagement. Parents often share such photos with their networks, providing social proof of your club's quality.

Before you know it, pictures of your club are spreading across social channels to your friends’ families, colleagues, community groups, and neighbors.

If you would like to share photos and videos of the kids directly on your social media page, get permission from the parents before posting. If you don’t have permission, use a simple editing tool to add a mask, sunglasses, or an emoji over the child’s face so that they are unrecognizable.

A hot tip would be to take the photos or videos from the top (above the child's head) so that you don’t show their face, only their little hands creating amazing, colorful art. Have a look at our Instagram page for inspiration.

Photo credit: CCC Academy members Heleen, Julie, Camille, Lee

 Let’s do a quick recap: 

Focus on one or two main marketing strategies at a time. Pick your favorites from this list and start marketing EARLY (months ahead of time!)

• Use your Existing Network
• Build Your Database
• Target Schools
• Teach in Public Spaces
• Collaborate with Local Businesses
• The Power of Photos & Videos

P.S. Now that you know what it takes to build a customer base, are you ready to get started with your club?

Download our free Beginner’s Checklist and take the first step toward starting your dream club.