How big was that Dojo???

[kit]

Wow is all I can say. In the past months I've been viewing martial artists on youtube, also links from Kenpotalk and the dojo look like castles. My dojo, of which I ran several, during the 70s and 80s and 90s were tiny by comparison to what I've been seeing. I had dojo with carpet remnants on the floor, walls I painted myself. I don't want to sound like the kid who walked to school in four feet of snow but the largest dojo I had was 3,000 square feet divided into three rooms, an old dance school. Man I felt like I was on top of the world. I once rented an old church with no pews, the hard wood floor was great but there wasn't much space.
Perhaps this explains all the karate camps and promotions in various papers and magazines I see. I rarely advertised and almost always had a full school, 150 students...sometimes on contract sometimes month to month.
I've really been out of it, perhaps just running a tight circle. Indeed times they are a changing.

Kit

[MARSHALLS KENPO]

The larger the school,the larger the overhead monster is to feed. The larger the monster the larger the advertising check to the paper. The larger the advertisng the more we have to focus on more new students, and meet their commercial standards.

[Celtic_Crippler]

The larger the school,the larger the overhead monster is to feed. The larger the monster the larger the advertising check to the paper. The larger the advertisng the more we have to focus on more new students, and meet their commercial standards.

Advertising in the paper is a waste of money. FYI.

[MARSHALLS KENPO]

Advertising in the paper is a waste of money. FYI.

Nothing like experience is there.

[Celtic_Crippler]

Nothing like experience is there.

That and the fact that I work in marketing and see the statistics daily. The newspaper is going the way of the dinosaur. In regards to reaching any audience print media is the worst. Especially when you take into account the demographic that reads the paper for the most part are Baby-Boomers. No offense, but most martial arts schools gear their marketing towards a younger audience.

[MARSHALLS KENPO]

That and the fact that I work in marketing and see the statistics daily. The newspaper is going the way of the dinosaur. In regards to reaching any audience print media is the worst. Especially when you take into account the demographic that reads the paper for the most part are Baby-Boomers. No offense, but most martial arts schools gear their marketing towards a younger audience.

Great Advice, Thank you

[Senjojutsu]

That and the fact that I work in marketing and see the statistics daily. The newspaper is going the way of the dinosaur. In regards to reaching any audience print media is the worst. Especially when you take into account the demographic that reads the paper for the most part are Baby-Boomers. No offense, but most martial arts schools gear their marketing towards a younger audience.

I am not really disputing your comments based on some local dojo owners' experiences I have dealt with, and the known fact newspaper circulations are down across the country.

But then what should be the 21st century replacement?

Maintain and promote the best (interactive) dojo website you can afford along with presence on all the online Yellow Books?

Radio spots on the local "progressive rock" FM stations.

Cheap Cable TV advertisement done at 04:30 AM !!

Still try direct mailings in those fat junk mail coupon envelopes people get once a month? (in between the pizza specials and donut shop coupons)