Increase Engagement and Simplify Communication With App Announcements

Since we launched the Walla app earlier this year, we’ve been able to help your studio strengthen client relationships and increase mobile bookings by offering a simple, intuitive experience. From account details to milestones, the Walla app is a powerful tool to strengthen your brand, market your studio offerings, and streamline communication with your clients. But what is the best way to keep your community connected and updated while increasing engagement? App announcements.

App announcements are an effective, easy-to-schedule tool within the Walla software that allows you to share studio news, instructor announcements, promotions, deals, events, retail—you name it!—in a single place. By using app announcements, you are not only offering your clients 24/7 access to your studio but also setting an expectation that app announcements are a reliable source for studio information, whether it is discovering and booking a new plan or seeing if there’s a weather-related class cancelation.

So how can you use app announcements as an educational and revenue-generating resource (and free marketing tool)?

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Create a visual experience and studio familiarity to impact engagement

‍When you add a visual to the Walla app home screen, you are guaranteed to capture your client's attention as soon as they open it! Think about it this way: 90% of information sent to the brain is visual, and images influence 83% of digital purchase decisions, so by creating a visually driven app announcement, you’re instantly increasing engagement in whatever your studio is promoting. Stock photos or images from an instructor or studio photoshoot—the assets you choose for your announcements are a representation of brand identity. They will create a deeper familiarity and affinity within your community as you continually enhance your studio brand identity.

TIP: If you don’t have a visual or need variety, use a free stock photo/design tool like Unsplash or Canva! Just remember to think about what images best represent your aesthetic and brand.

Increase visibility and sales with a seamless in-app booking and buying experience

‍With over 40,000 classes booked on the Walla app in the past 30 days, our app is the preferred booking and buying experience for studio clients. So, why not showcase class plans, specials, and promotions in the mobile-friendly environment they prefer? In Walla, you can use app announcements to directly link to your correlating and preferred destination, which can be a custom URL or an in-app link to a class, plan, or studio schedule. 

Located under the Marketing Center in the side navigation, when creating an app announcement, you’ll be able to quickly enter where you want to drive traffic (if applicable). For example, that destination could be a page on your studio website or a plan in your software! By utilizing a link in your app announcement(s) when promoting a plan or item that can be purchased, you’re instantly creating a seamless buying experience—drastically reducing any barrier to purchase.

TIP: Think of the app announcement title as a tool to capture client attention. If a new plan or new years promotion, lead with the benefit or discount. But remember to keep your copy concise! You have a few seconds to engage their interest, so make sure the main message is clear.

Keep clients informed and in the know with a single place for communication 

App announcements are a free marketing tool but can be much more than a studio update. Emails get buried. Instagram stories get missed. With app announcements, you are capitalizing on your client's preferred booking platform: the Walla app, so it only makes sense to tap into client behavior and streamline communication there.
App announcement creation is simple and can feature different content and calls to action. A few types of app announcements to consider right now are:

• Weather-related studio + class cancelations. Snow day? Eliminate clients missing your closure updates on social media.
• Highlight upcoming enrollments. While the Walla app only displays classes, app announcements are perfect for promoting and linking to upcoming enrollments. 
• Feature new instructors + staff. Get your studio familiar with new additions to your schedule, share the classes your new instructor will be teaching, introduce a new front desk addition—or even showcase the resident studio pup!   
• Recognize your community. Since milestones are easy to acknowledge in Walla, why not celebrate your superstar clients on the app? This will create positive connections and motivate new leads or current clients. #sharethelove
• Market plans + packages. With the ability to link out directly to a class, plan, or schedule via app announcements, it’s the perfect tool to inform your clients are new and old offerings that they might want to consider—like hybrid plans and courses!  
• Share studio promotions. New year, new deals? Holiday specials? Utilize app announcements to highlight timely deals and promotions to capture the spending mentality and seasonal shopping traffic. 
• Showcase studio “news.” From replacing studio flooring to event-related changes—or even street parking closures due to a parade—app announcements are easy to keep your studio community informed about things that could impact their practice, workout, or schedule. 
• Sell more merchandise. If your studio is stocking a new line of leggings, introducing new branded gear, or wants to highlight a studio retail sale, empower your clients to support your small business. 

TIP: Outside sharing studio products and happenings, consider using app announcements as a motivational tool. It could be a motivational quote every Monday or a client testimonial. Either way, this surprise and delight tactic will foster a deeper connection to your studio community.