5 Affordable Ways to Spread Holiday Cheer to Barre Studio Customers

The holiday season is a magical time of year at the barre studio. As studio owners, we can spread some extra cheer and joy to our amazing customers who work so hard in classes all year.

While the holidays can get expensive, there are plenty of affordable ways to surprise and delight students and make their season memorable without breaking the bank. Read on for five fun, budget-friendly ideas for bringing some holiday magic into the studio!

1. Give studio customers an unexpected gift

Ideas for gifts

An unexpected small gift is a surefire way to surprise your barre clients and get them into the holiday spirit. Some cheerful gift ideas include:

• Festive coffee mugs - Fill them with candy canes or mini chocolates
• Cozy barre socks
• Candles with uplifting scents like pine or cinnamon apple
• Barre hair scrunchies or headbands
• Inspirational water bottles or tumblers

The gift doesn't have to be expensive—even little treats demonstrate you care about your customers and want to help them feel special!

How to give the gift

Make your gift-giving fun by getting creative with the presentation! Have customers select mystery envelopes or boxes containing their surprises. Hand out gifts secretly during stretches when students have their eyes closed. Or place goodies on each mat before class starts so your barre babes arrive to a delightful treat waiting for them! The element of surprise and excitement really enhances the experience.

2. Host a Holiday-themed Barre Class

Ideas for theming the class

In December, your normal barre choreography can use a festive makeover! Themes like "The Nutcracker" or "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" add a playful spirit while still delivering a high-powered workout. Some specific ideas include:

• Set the scene with holiday tunes and dim lighting
• Incorporate prop pieces like mini trees or fake presents
• Add in dance-inspired moves like pirouettes for a ballet vibe
• Infuse light-hearted holiday challenges like "12 Days of Christmas" reps
• Sprinkle in punny cues like "Reach to the North Pole!" and "Lift your mistletoe!"

Get as cheeky and joyful with it as you want!

How to go about hosting the class

Hype your holiday class offering 1-2 weeks in advance via email, social media, and word-of-mouth. Provide a specialty sign-up list to gauge interest. Encourage participants to wear Santa hats, antlers, or their ugliest holiday sweater for extra fun!

When budget allows, complimentary holiday snacks like cookies or hot chocolate after the vigorous Christmas-themed workout make for cheerful bonding. Or have a potluck with attendees bringing festive baked goods or drinks to share.

Spread the holiday spirit beyond your regulars by allowing first-timers to drop in at a discount. After an energizing dose of seasonal barre magic, they'll be sure to return as loyal members!

3. Offer a special holiday discount

Types of discounts to offer

'Tis the season for giving, and a cheerful holiday sale or special is the perfect way to show customer appreciation while also attracting new clients. Promotional options include:

• One week free trial
• Reduced 10 or 20-class packs
• Bundle deals on retail items like apparel
• Bring-a-friend referral credits
• Charity donations—donate $5 of each holiday package to a cause

Tailor your discount to incentivize commitment - higher % savings for larger class bundle purchases. Offer tiered deals for existing vs. new customers. Get creative with what perks you think your clients will find most valuable.

How to go about marketing the discount

Announce your holiday special via email and social channels, and print flyers or posters 1-2 weeks before to get momentum brewing. Remind clients frequently as the start date approaches.

Sweeten the deal by gifting an extra surprise like a merry water bottle or discount on next month's membership to whoever takes advantage of the promo first!

Make it fun by having students sign up together as teams or with a buddy to take classes at a discounted rate over the holidays. Offer referral bonuses and prizes for top team and individual performers over the contest period.

Leverage FOMO by noting your holiday special won't last long! Build urgency and excitement around taking advantage of this limited-time cheerful deal.

4. Give out special studio merchandise 

Options for merchandise

Everyone loves cozy barre gear, so holiday-exclusive apparel and accessories make excellent cheerful freebies or discounted deals for your customers. Ideas include:

• Custom studio ugly Christmas sweaters
• Winter beanies with pompom barre balls on top
• Long sleeve tees or hoodies with festive barre designs
• Plush barre sock slipper boots
• Sparkly bracelets or earrings with holiday charms
• Mugs for sipping hot cocoa after class

Consider romanizing your offerings with messages like "Home for the Holidays at [Studio Name]" or "Peace, Love, Planks".

Add a charitable element by donating partial proceeds to a cause, like toys for children in need. This imbues your merchandise with heartwarming sentimental value beyond just being a material item.

How to give out the merchandise

Offer special merchandise as:

• A new collection launch for sale
• Free with purchase bonuses
• Complimentary gifts for class attendees
• Prizes for holiday class participation, partnerships, or promotions
• Bundle deals with class packs or memberships

Create excitement by releasing limited quantities or editions to make the gifts feel exclusive and sought-after. Market sneak peeks on social in the weeks before building anticipation.

For an extra personal touch, consider offering customization, like embroidering clients' names on items. This also deters returns or exchanges while making your merchandise double as a thoughtful gift item for others.

5. Hold a holiday giveaway

Ideas for prizes

Gifts, discounts, and free classes bundled together in a giveaway contest generate buzz while rewarding loyal barre buddies. Ideas for cheerful prizes include:

• One month of unlimited classes
• Annual studio membership
• Apparel or equipment bundles
• Guest passes so winners can share with friends
• Charity donations made in winners' honor

Make it extra punny and tie it to the holidays like "12 Classes of Christmas", "Win Your Winter Wear," or "[Studio Name] Believes in Christmas Fitness Miracles."

Consider crowd favorites like rewarding the highest referrer or minutes logged in class over the holidays. This engages your community while the prizes boost morale.

How to market the giveaway

Promote giveaway contests on your website, email newsletter, social channels, and in-studio displays or flyers. Encourage shares, tags, and customer content featuring your studio.

Prompt social actions like commenting on giveaway posts to enter or submitting testimonials. Track entries based on metrics like class visits, retail purchases add-ons, or product reviews.

Foster friendly competition and social conversation around participation and the coveted prizes. Share leaderboards and feature top performers to motivate during the contest period until the cheerful winners are rewarded!

As the giveaway wraps, announce when the last chance to win will be so no one misses out. Contact elated prize winners directly to arrange delivery or redemption of their holiday presents.

The holiday season provides a magical marketing opportunity for barre studios. With a dose of creativity and cheer, you can develop goodwill and excitement with customers in delightfully affordable ways.

Gifts, special classes, discounts, merch, and giveaways tailored to the festive season help demonstrate appreciation for your clients while attracting new faces with a holiday charm offensive.

Implementing even just one or two of these merry initiatives builds positive buzz for your brand. Plus, who doesn't love spreading extra holiday spirit?

We hope these ideas inspire you to develop your cheerful barre holiday strategy this December.