ISM SPORTS UAE
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Case Study: How ISM Sports Transformed Enrolments with Full-Funnel Digital Strategy
Client Overview
ISM Sports is one of the leading sports academies in the UAE, offering specialized coaching in Tennis, Football, Karting, Padel, and an early childhood physical development program called Little Lions. Despite the quality of their programs, ISM faced significant bottlenecks in growth = particularly in enrolments and lead conversions.
The Challenge: Great Programs, But No Visibility or Conversions
When ISM Sports approached us, they were facing three major hurdles:
1. Lack of Brand Awareness
Despite having excellent coaches, world-class facilities, and strong programs, ISM Sports was virtually invisible online. Their programs weren’t showing up on parents’ radars – both organically and through paid media. No digital footprint meant they were losing out to academies with a more aggressive online presence.
2. Unqualified and Cold Leads
Even when leads came in through, they were mostly cold and unqualified. Parents would inquire and disappear – there was no nurture journey. This resulted in low conversion rates and wasted time for the team.
3. Underwhelming Enrollment Rates
With poor visibility and low-quality leads, enrolments were inconsistent. Some programs had capacity, but seats remained empty due to poor marketing funnel structure. This prevented ISM from launching in new locations or investing in more facilities.
Our Solution: A Full-Funnel Growth Engine Built on Strategy and Empathy
We understood that our audience—parents—require trust, reassurance, and consistency before making a decision for their children. So, we built a marketing system that mirrored this journey.
1. Hyper-Targeted Paid Ads + Email Nurturing Funnels
We ran high-performing Meta and Google ad campaigns designed to generate quality leads. But we didn’t stop there.
- Custom Landing Pages: For each sport, we built high-converting landing pages that addressed parent pain points.
- Email Marketing Automation: We implemented a lead nurture sequence that educated parents about ISM’s programs, coaches, safety protocols, and success stories. This built trust over time and drastically improved lead warmth.
- Results:
- Lead-to-enrollment rate improved by 240% within the first 90 days.
- ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) consistently stayed above 300%.
- CPL (Cost per Lead) reduced by 35% over 3 months with optimized targeting.
2. Dedicated Sales Service for Lead Conversion
We took over the sales process by calling leads on ISM’s behalf, answering questions, booking trials, and following up.
- Key Insight: Parents don’t just fill a form and enroll—they want human connection. Our trained sales team provided that.
- Conversion Rate: Jumped from 4-6% pre-engagement to 18-22% post-engagement.
- Impact: Monthly enrollments doubled within 4 months and continued to grow.
3. Social Media Management That Built a Loyal Community
We launched and scaled ISM Sports’ Instagram and Facebook presence, creating a blend of:
- Parent testimonials
- Behind-the-scenes content
- Reels of coaches and kids
- Engagement formats like quizzes and polls
We focused not on selling, but on belonging. This positioned ISM as a trusted part of the parenting journey.
- Organic Reach: Increased by 5X in 6 months
- Inbound Leads: Grew by 60% through organic DMs and comments
4. SEO That Turned Their Website into a Traffic Magnet
We performed a complete SEO audit and ongoing content strategy for ISM Sports, targeting parents looking for academies in UAE. We built out:
- High-volume blog content (e.g., “Why Early Sports Matter” or “Top Sports Academies in Dubai”)
- On-page optimization for Tennis, Football, Karting, Padel, and Little Lions pages
- Technical SEO improvements and internal linking
- Traffic Increase:
- Month-on-month growth in unique visitors by 25-30%
- Keywords ranked on Page 1: From 3 to 35+ in 5 months
- Website Bounce Rate reduced by 20%
Impact Across All ISM Academies
We understood that our audience—parents—require trust, reassurance, and consistency before making a decision for their children. So, we built a marketing system that mirrored this journey.
1. Hyper-Targeted Paid Ads + Email Nurturing Funnels
We ran high-performing Meta and Google ad campaigns designed to generate quality leads. But we didn’t stop there.
- Custom Landing Pages: For each sport, we built high-converting landing pages that addressed parent pain points.
- Email Marketing Automation: We implemented a lead nurture sequence that educated parents about ISM’s programs, coaches, safety protocols, and success stories. This built trust over time and drastically improved lead warmth.
- Results:
- Lead-to-enrollment rate improved by 240% within the first 90 days.
- ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) consistently stayed above 300%.
- CPL (Cost per Lead) reduced by 35% over 3 months with optimized targeting.
2. Dedicated Sales Service for Lead Conversion
We took over the sales process by calling leads on ISM’s behalf, answering questions, booking trials, and following up.
- Key Insight: Parents don’t just fill a form and enroll—they want human connection. Our trained sales team provided that.
- Conversion Rate: Jumped from 4-6% pre-engagement to 18-22% post-engagement.
- Impact: Monthly enrollments doubled within 4 months and continued to grow.
3. Social Media Management That Built a Loyal Community
We launched and scaled ISM Sports’ Instagram and Facebook presence, creating a blend of:
- Parent testimonials
- Behind-the-scenes content
- Reels of coaches and kids
- Engagement formats like quizzes and polls
We focused not on selling, but on belonging. This positioned ISM as a trusted part of the parenting journey.
- Organic Reach: Increased by 5X in 6 months
- Inbound Leads: Grew by 60% through organic DMs and comments
4. SEO That Turned Their Website into a Traffic Magnet
We performed a complete SEO audit and ongoing content strategy for ISM Sports, targeting parents looking for academies in UAE. We built out:
- High-volume blog content (e.g., “Why Early Sports Matter” or “Top Sports Academies in Dubai”)
- On-page optimization for Tennis, Football, Karting, Padel, and Little Lions pages
- Technical SEO improvements and internal linking
- Traffic Increase:
- Month-on-month growth in unique visitors by 25-30%
- Keywords ranked on Page 1: From 3 to 35+ in 5 months
- Website Bounce Rate reduced by 20%
Impact Across All ISM Academies
Football Academy
- Challenge: Low visibility despite having top-class facilities.
- Solution: Football-specific ad campaigns + testimonials of successful players + SEO for “Football Academy in Abu Dhabi.”
- Result: Monthly trial bookings increased from 20 to 120+. Academy expanded into 2 new sessions.
Tennis Academy (Dubai & Abu Dhabi)
- Challenge: Niche audience; high cost per lead.
- Solution: Location-based Google Ads + long-form blog strategy on Tennis benefits.
- Result: Cost per lead reduced from AED 70 to AED 35, with consistent 50+ trials per month.
Padel Coaching (Ajman, Dubai, Abu Dhabi)
- Challenge: New sport, needed education-based content.
- Solution: Infographics + reels + blog “Why Padel is Perfect for Kids.”
Result: From 20 to 60+ enrollments in 3 months.
The Result: A Growing Brand With Real Impact
Thanks to the integrated marketing ecosystem we built, ISM Sports saw:
- 300%+ ROAS across campaigns
- Consistent MoM enrollment growth
- Expansion into more venues and additional time slots
- Established community of over 12,000+ engaged parents online
- Increased keyword authority in search engines
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