The weeks between Halloween and New Year’s can be the most profitable time of year for martial arts schools—if you stay visible.
Families are shopping for gifts, kids are home on break, and adults are already thinking about fitness goals for the new year. Now’s the time to make sure your school is everywhere they look.
Here’s your quick, no-fluff holiday marketing checklist—simple, proven, and ready to put into action.
✅ Step 1: Be Seen Everywhere
Visibility wins this season. While most schools slow down, you should show up everywhere.
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Rack Cards: Drop stacks at coffee shops, pizza places, toy stores, and salons.
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Ad Cards & Postcards: Use them at community events or send them through EDDM mailers.
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Window Clings & Banners: Grab attention instantly and make your school look active and inviting.
These are the tools that get you noticed when other schools go quiet.
✅ Step 2: Turn Students into Promoters
Your students can do your marketing for you—if you give them something to share.
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Buddy Passes & VIP Cards: Hand them out at class and encourage kids to invite a friend.
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Holiday Gift Bags (“Belt in a Bag”): Include a gift certificate and a white belt—parents love them, and kids can’t wait to give them away.
Each card, bag, or conversation equals a potential new enrollment.
✅ Step 3: Offer the Perfect Gift
Parents want meaningful gifts, not more toys. Give them an experience they’ll be proud to wrap up.
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Customizable Gift Certificates: Perfect as stocking stuffers or last-minute gifts. Display them on your front counter and post them on social media.
It’s one of the easiest ways to turn holiday shoppers into new students.
✅ Step 4: Catch Every Drive-By and Walk-By
You can’t rely only on what’s happening inside your school—your windows, doors, and parking lot are prime real estate.
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Holiday Vinyl Banners & Window Clings: Make your school impossible to miss. A bright, festive banner with your offer (“Free Class This Holiday Season!” or “Give the Gift of Confidence”) catches eyes and builds curiosity.
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Change them up each season so your school always looks active and community-minded.
Even if people don’t stop that day, you’re planting a seed that brings them back when they’re ready.
✅ Step 5: Partner Up in Your Community
Your town is full of potential partners who see your ideal customers every day.
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Local Businesses: Drop off rack cards or small stacks of VIP cards and give staff members their own free-class cards as a thank-you.
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Holiday Events: Set up a booth at winter festivals, school fairs, or tree-lighting events with ad cards and a signup sheet for free trials.
Community connections are the heartbeat of local marketing—and they compound fast when you start now.
✅ Step 6: Start Now, Not Later
January success starts in November and December. Schools that promote consistently now see bigger enrollments when the new year hits.
Keep it simple: drop off cards, hang banners, share gift certificates. A few consistent actions every week add up fast.
Ready to Go?
Everything you need—rack cards, postcards, banners, gift certificates, buddy passes, drawstring bags, and more—is ready to customize at GetStudents.com.
Don’t overthink it. Don’t wait.
Print, promote, repeat—and watch your numbers grow.