Groupon and Livingsocial are tricky for businesses that aren't doing well financially. The percentages might have changed in the last couple of years, but the business only received 25% of their usual revenue from these discount promoters. The product/service being offered has to be sold to the public at 50% or more, then the marketing firm receives 50% of the remaining monies, thereby deeply discounting the business' receipts.
It's smart to limit the quantity of deals being sold, too. One of the rinks that offered a groupon had the deal active for months because they overestimated demand. I think they jacked up their public session price for walk-ins and then offered the groupon at half off. Their half off was about the same as the other area rinks' public session price but (as I said above) they were only getting half of that. No one was doing walk-in at that rink until the deal expired and they were able to lower their prices.
In my mind, it's marketing and promotion, so there should be an expense, but telling that to a rink owner/manager who is already in the red is difficult. Takes a lot of persuasion after the first go-round. The majority of the customers who use groupon or livingsocial will not make a return trip once they've redeemed their discount purchase.
Fraud is also an issue: people print out multiple copies of documents and present them over and over. Others forge certificates and still others just ask for the "groupon discount," thereby pressuring the desk clerk.
Avenues of advertising that seem to work best are the parents printed magazines, local sporting group newsletters, local newspaper events calendar, FB promotion (but do follow davincisop's guidelines) and having a presence at local events.
There was a promotion/marketing presentation at the ISI/PSA Conference a few years ago. I can remember a few of the tips they presented:
1) Start a Google Business account because it will give you search-results priority on Google.
2) Review the school calendars and plan open skating for early release days and teacher workdays.
3) Promote extra/special sessions on your website, FB, and Twitter page.
4) Offer a free trial lesson for group skating lessons.
5) Reach out to scouting groups and offer to help fulfill their badge requirements. (A special session for Scouts was an option.)
6) Update your website to include the html metadata search terms that search engines use. (Ex: Skating, Ice Skating, Hockey, Figure Skating, Scouting, etc.)
7) Incorporate "Track out camps" for year-round schools, in addition to summer camps.
Offer fun classes that aren't part of the standard curriculum. Ex: "Feel the Need for Speed," aka: Power with fun music.
9) Offer specialty classes. Ex: a group MIF class.
10) Know your target audience. During the day, homeschoolers, retirees and stay-at-home parents are your main customers - what can you offer?
Babysitting services help adults with kids. For young adults, socializing is a great option, so maybe have the snack bar stay open late after the Sat night session.