Sydney Martial Arts Club Weather the COVID-19 Storm
We’ve all felt the impact of COVID-19 on our businesses, whether it is new ways of working, new ways of approaching clients or new business solutions to cater for a changing world. None felt the impact more than businesses that operate in a face to face environment. Lockdown came… and along with it the immediate shutdown of years of hard work.
But for some – like Power with Purpose, a Sydney based Taekwondo club – the move to offer digital solutions was much simpler. They were able to shift very quickly to virtual classes to continue the business. It all comes down to their existing digital presence and having a team of digital marketing experts they could turn to for support with the transition.
Michael Rahn, the founder of Power with Purpose, admits that digital doesn’t come naturally to him. But over the last three years since we first started working with Michael and his team, he has come a long way towards improving his martial arts’ digital marketing prowess.
In his own words, Michael came “kicking and screaming into the digital world,” but after seeing the results his website was getting for his business, in 2020 he made the decision to upgrade his website. It couldn’t have come at a better time.
“If you take your car and upgrade it, you will get a better interior and paint job. A website is the same. We now have a lot more blogs and learning tools. Our website is like a 24 hour a day teacher.”
Working with Michael is a dream for us at Brilliant Digital. We are unapologetically picky with who we work with. We want to deliver the best digital marketing results for our clients… but they need to be on board with the process from the beginning.
“It takes time and hard work to build a powerful and effective digital brand,” explains Brilliant Digital Founding Director Deb Croucher. “Michael and the team at Power with Purpose have worked hard in partnership with us to build a really strong website and social media presence and a loyal following online. The results in terms of sustained business growth over many years are impressive.
Power with Purpose is an ideal client that listens carefully to our advice, does the work required and invests in upgrades as required. The upgrade to a new website pre-covid and integration with a new operating system put them in a perfect position to weather the storm.”
And weather the storm they did.
In the early days of the pandemic, Michael was keeping an eye on the global situation. He predicted partial shutdowns may be coming… but nothing could have prepared him for the complete closure that followed. Thankfully, he had invested in cameras and equipment to prepare for a possible move to virtual classes.
Over the shutdown period, Power with Purpose serviced 130 students online with classes five days a week. They were able to respond immediately with a virtual offering and it kept their business running through a very difficult time.
“If it had happened 15 years ago, we would have been sitting at home for three months! Thanks to our website we had a calendar with all of our details for students to book into. We could communicate with our students very quickly and effectively because we were already set up to do so.
During those three months our students really appreciated what we offered. It also helped them to realise the value of being face-to-face and with friends. They couldn’t wait to come back to physical classes.
The virtual classes were so successful that we now run permanent online classes. We’ve taught people in Queensland and on the Northern Beaches. We could reach people we wouldn’t normally reach and that’s really cool.”
With the resumption of face-to-face classes, the website continues to support the Power with Purpose team to manage restricted class sizes. Students can find all the details they need on the website and calendar, saving the team a huge amount of effort in fielding questions and managing numbers.
Michael isn’t someone who lets just anyone into his inner circle. He admits that he is very protective of what he has.
But with Brilliant Digital it’s different.
“There’s trust. If one of the team rings up and says ‘we want to change this’, I’m almost asking why they are telling me. Just go and do it!
The leads I get are quality leads. We used to get a lot of people ring up for all different styles but that’s all gone because the targeting is perfect. We get exactly the right people ringing up and asking for exactly the right product. That saves a lot of time.
Their advice is always spot on… it never misses.”
Of the leads that are possible with a strong digital presence, Deb explains that it doesn’t happen by chance.
“The key to getting the perfect leads through digital marketing is getting the initial digital brand correct. We focus firmly on the market and their problems and dreams and from there define the value proposition of any new business we work with. From this base our team writes the website content that forms the main pages of the website and the launch pad for success.
The relationship we have with Michael is the same we have with all our clients – one of absolute trust. Without it, we can’t do our job of delivering sustained brand growth.”
What we have done for Michael is all in a day’s work for our team. We are passionate about supporting our clients through the ups and downs of business, using our digital marketing capability to grow their brand to weather the storm.
If you would like to learn more about martial arts digital marketing, book a spot in our digital marketing 101 WebClass where we will give you a clear roadmap to success. Claim a free digital marketing consultation to clarify the best next step for your organisation. Or take your skills to the next level with our digital marketing courses for business owners. You can also read more digital marketing results here.
Are you ready? We aren’t your standard digital marketing agency. We avoid hype and noise. Instead, we work with you to develop a long-term partnership and deliver sustained business so you can thrive in the new digital era.
Contact us if you are ready to partner with a team of experts who are committed to your success.
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