Which lead sources should a martial arts school track?

What lead sources should you record?

Start with a short list your team can apply consistently. Useful sources include student referrals, Google Search, Google Maps or your business profile, paid search ads, organic social media, paid social ads, community events, local partners, and walk-ins. Include “other” and “unknown” so staff do not have to guess. Only separate sources when the distinction will help you make a decision.

Keep the source separate from the way someone contacts you. A phone call is a contact method, not necessarily a lead source. That caller may have found your school through Google, a friend, or a booth at a community fair. Record both details if they matter to your follow-up process.

Use a second field for campaign details instead of creating dozens of source categories. An illustrative example: the source is “community event,” while the campaign is “spring recreation fair.” For a referral, record the referring student or family when appropriate. Write a brief definition for each category so the front desk, instructors, and owner classify leads the same way.

1. Choose your core source categories.
2. Add separate fields for campaign and contact method.
3. Keep an unknown option and review it for missing information.

How do you capture the source automatically?

Use separate links or tagged URLs for each campaign and channel. URL tags, often called UTM parameters, are labels added to a link that identify where a visitor came from. Your website form can capture those labels in hidden fields and save them with the enquiry. Check that your form and lead board actually support this before relying on it.

Give paid ads, social profiles, partner promotions, and event QR codes their own tagged links. An illustrative example: a QR code on an event flyer opens your trial page with the event name attached. If the visitor submits the form, that information follows the enquiry into your records instead of depending on someone's memory.

Test each route yourself, including on a phone. Submit a test enquiry and confirm that the source appears correctly on the lead record. Automatic tracking can miss visits when people switch devices, share links, or return later. Ask new students “How did you hear about us?” as a backup. Keep their answer alongside the captured source rather than silently replacing it.

1. Use a consistent naming format for tagged links.
2. Test source capture before launching each campaign.
3. Keep a visible source field for staff to complete.

How should you handle referrals, phone calls, and walk-ins?

Offline enquiries deserve the same tracking as web forms. Keep a short intake form beside the phone or within your lead board. Record the person's name, contact details, program interest, enquiry date, and source. Ask about the source during the conversation, without making it feel like an interview. A broad answer is better than an invented detail.

For referrals, record who made the introduction if the prospective student is comfortable sharing that information. This can help you understand which relationships bring in new families and manage any referral program fairly. Do not assume that two people with the same last name belong to the same household or that every new sibling is a separate marketing win.

For events and local partners, use a distinct form, QR code, or campaign label. If someone walks in after seeing your sign, record signage rather than simply “walk-in.” If a caller says they found you online but cannot remember where, keep that answer broad. Precise-looking data is not useful when it rests on guesses.

1. Add offline enquiries to the same system as online leads.
2. Train staff to ask one clear source question.
3. Check paper notes and voicemail records for missed entries.

What if someone finds your school through several sources?

Most source reports simplify a longer journey. A parent may hear about your school from a coworker, check your Google reviews, and later click a social ad. All three contacts may matter. Giving the final click all the credit could make you stop supporting the relationship that first created interest.

A practical approach is to keep two fields: “first heard about us” and “source of this enquiry.” The first captures initial awareness when you know it. The second captures the link, campaign, or contact that led to the current enquiry. Keep the original source on the record when an existing lead returns through a new campaign.

You do not need to assign a share of every enrollment to every interaction. Instead, use the two fields to spot patterns. An illustrative example: several enrolled families name referrals as their first source but use Google to contact the school. That suggests referrals and a useful Google presence work together. Treat the report as a guide, not a perfect account of every marketing influence.

1. Keep original source information when updating a lead.
2. Add later campaign activity without creating duplicate people.

Why track attended trials by source?

Some sources produce many enquiries but few attended trials. Others produce fewer enquiries but bring people whose goals, schedules, and expectations fit your school. Counting leads alone can reward activity that keeps your staff busy without filling classes. Track each source through enquiry, trial booked, trial attended, and enrollment.

Use clear definitions. A booked trial means a specific session is reserved. An attended trial means the person actually arrived and participated. An enrollment should mean a completed signup under your school's normal process, not a verbal promise. Apply the same definitions across every channel so your comparisons mean something.

Compare enrollments, not just leads, while using trial attendance to find problems earlier. Many bookings with few arrivals may point to inconvenient times, unclear directions, or a confusing offer. Strong attendance with few enrollments may call for a review of class fit, pricing explanations, or the trial experience.

Remember that some families take longer to decide. Review leads from the same enquiry period and allow time for them to progress. Otherwise, a recent campaign can look weaker simply because its trials have not happened yet.

1. Update trial attendance promptly.
2. Record enrollments against the original lead.
3. Compare sources at each stage, not only at the top.

How do you compare cost and staff time by source?

Start with what each source costs over a defined period. Include ad spend, event fees, printing, partner promotion costs, and referral rewards where relevant. Track staff time separately if assigning a dollar value would add too much work. An unpaid social channel is not truly free if it takes hours away from teaching or following up with leads.

Divide the source's cost by its enquiries, attended trials, and enrollments to see three different measures. Use clearly labeled figures and matching groups of leads. For example, enrollment cost should connect campaign spending with enrollments from that campaign's leads, allowing for delayed decisions. If there are no enrollments yet, say so rather than forcing a misleading calculation.

Look beyond the cheapest lead. A source that brings students who attend regularly and stay may be worth more than one that produces quick signups followed by early departures. Where your records allow it, review early retention by source. Keep class capacity in mind too: leads for an already full program may be less useful than suitable prospects for an open class.

1. Record spending and staff hours each month.
2. Label costs that cover more than one campaign.
3. Consider retention and available class space before shifting budget.

What information should your lead board include?

Keep one main record for each prospective student, with household connections when useful. Include enquiry date, program interest, source, campaign, contact method, current stage, assigned staff member, and next action. Add trial and enrollment dates so you can measure how leads move through the process. Avoid collecting personal details that do not serve a clear purpose.

Keep source tracking separate from messaging permission. Knowing where a lead came from does not automatically authorize every email or text. Record consent details where required, including when and how permission was obtained, what it covered, and any withdrawal. An event signup or referral should not automatically become permission for ongoing promotional messages.

Follow the rules that apply to your messages and recipients: CAN-SPAM for US commercial email, TCPA requirements for covered US calls and texts, and CASL for covered commercial electronic messages in Canada. These laws have different requirements; do not treat one checkbox as universal compliance. Use appropriate disclosures, sender identification, and unsubscribe or opt-out processes, honor requests promptly, and get qualified advice when unsure. Limit record access to staff who need it.

1. Make source and next action easy to find.
2. Merge duplicate records carefully.
3. Keep permission records and suppression lists current.

How often should you review sources?

Monthly is usually enough to spot useful trends without reacting to every quiet week. Build a short report showing enquiries, booked trials, attended trials, enrollments, spending, and staff time by source. Show unknown sources too. A large unknown category signals a tracking problem that needs attention before you draw firm conclusions.

Look at several months together when lead counts are small or your school has seasonal enrollment patterns. Back-to-school campaigns, summer programs, and holiday schedules can change demand. Also check whether your team responded consistently. A channel may look weak because its enquiries sat unanswered, not because the people were a poor fit.

Make one clear decision for each channel you review: continue, improve, or stop. “Improve” should name a specific change, such as making the trial offer clearer or fixing a booking page. Assign an owner and a review date. Avoid changing the audience, offer, page, and follow-up process all at once; you will struggle to tell what helped.

1. Schedule a recurring monthly source review.
2. Check tracking and follow-up before judging performance.
3. Write down each decision and its reason.

How can you start without creating more office work?

Start with your next enquiry rather than trying to rebuild years of incomplete records. Choose your source list, add the fields to your current system, and teach staff how to use them. A shared spreadsheet can work at first if access is controlled and someone owns its upkeep. Consistent habits matter more than a fancy dashboard.

Once the process is clear, consider software that reduces repeated entry. DojoGenie is one option, with tools for campaigns, funnels, a leads board, referrals, events, and social scheduling. Check how any system captures source data, handles duplicate records, and supports your reporting needs before changing your workflow.

Keep the daily routine short: record the source, update the stage, and set the next action. Then use your monthly review to decide where effort belongs. The goal is not to track everything. It is to learn which sources bring suitable students into your school and make your next marketing decision with better information.