Getting the Word out
Ask other business owners to carry your cards or flyers. Think about the specific demographic you are trying to reach with your advertisements, and where else they might be frequenting in your town. Kids under 18, for example, might also be taking karate lessons, or playing recreational basketball at the local sports club. Adult clients interested in learning an instrument might be at a local bar or restaurant that regularly hosts live music. These would be good places to advertise your lessons.
Have your network spread the word about your music lessons. This is especially important if you are just starting out. Tell anyone and everyone you know about your services to generate some word-of-mouth buzz. You should always have business cards or flyers on you that you can give to friends who might be able to connect you with potential clients. For example, a friend who is in real estate could leave your flyer on the counter of a home they just sold to a family with young kids.
See if local school music teachers will refer interested students to you. If you have kids of your own that are in school, reach out to their music teacher and tell them about your private lessons. If you don’t have kids in school, that’s totally fine. Make some calls to schools around town and try to get connected to their music teachers. Offer to assist with a rehearsal for a chance to advertise your services and hand out flyers for kids to take home to their parents. Creating a relationship with a school’s music teacher is a great way to create a steady stream of referrals for years to come. Nurture this relationship and try to offer something in return to make things mutually beneficial between you and the school’s music teacher.
Join an online referral site to make it easy for local students to find you. There are a number of sites that allow visitors to find local music teachers based on parameters like instrument and geographic location. There is usually a small administrative fee (about 10%) that is taken out once you’ve been paid by a student to cover the costs of the services the website provides. To sign up, simply fill out your profile details, your experience level, complete a background check, and agree to the independent contractor terms. If you’re looking for a site that’s free to join, check out https://takelessons.com/teachers.
Put up flyers at your community center or other public space. Be sure to check with the offices to make sure this is allowed or to get the proper permits for advertising. You can also have friends put up your flyers at their respective churches or similar community centers. Consider hiring a graphic designer to make high-quality mailable flyers. You can add a personal touch, like a picture of yourself playing an instrument along with your contact information. Flyers can be mailed out using a direct-mail marketing service. For a service that will allow you to design a mailable promotional material and send it to targeted demographics, check out https://click2mail.com/?USPS=1.
Display a sign visible to drivers passing by your business. Check with your local laws and regulations or homeowner’s association to be sure that you are allowed to advertise this way without attaining any kind of permit. Get a sandwich board folding sign and make sure it is visible from a high-traffic area. Display the name of your business, the instruments you teach, and a phone number. If you have space, add more information such as your rates, hours of operation, or any special promotions you are currently offering.
Use Internet advertising services for highly targeted marketing. Internet services are highly customizable and pricing is flexible based on your budget. They are a great way to reach clients in a highly targeted manner. Google AdWords is a pay-by-click style, where you only pay when people visit your website or contact you through an ad shown through this service. Facebook Ads allow you to set your own budget that can be as low as $1 per day.
Book a radio or television ad to reach a specific niche. Check in with your local radio stations and TV stations for rates. Typically, the greater the reach of the station, the higher the price for a spot. Depending on the level of quality you’re trying to achieve, production can cost thousands of dollars on top of the cost of placing an ad. A radio ad can cost anywhere between $200 and $5,000 depending on your location, time slots, and other factors that determine the volume of exposure. You can expect to pay between $30 and $200 per showing of your ad on cable TV channels, depending on time of day, what channel, your location, and other factors. Perform market research to understand where you can reach your intended demographic. For insights into demographics for certain TV stations, consider buying this information from http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights.html.
Take out a print ad for local exposure. Contact your local newspaper or other publication for rates regarding advertisements. Many newspapers have graphic designers on staff that can design your ad for you. You can also hire your own graphic designer to create your advertisement. Be sure to ask the publication about dimensions, color options and any other potential restrictions on what can go into your ad before designing.
Setting Yourself Apart from the Competition
Offer appetizing incentives for referrals. Give fun perks to current students for referrals, like the chance to pick a prize from a prize bin. Keep the age of your clientele in mind. Picking from the prize bin will be more exciting for children, whereas adults would probably appreciate a discounted or free lesson in exchange for a referral.
Offer a free public lesson to attract new clients. This is a great way for people who are curious to get their feet wet learning a new instrument without having to commit to spending money on lessons. Don’t get too technical with this lesson; keep it light and interesting. Try to offer a constructive critique to as many attendees as possible that they can implement and see improvements from right away. Focus this lesson by limiting it to one specific instrument. If you get a lot of interest from a variety of people, consider holding separate sessions for different age groups or ability levels. EXPERT TIP Timothy Linetsky Timothy Linetsky Music Producer & Instructor Timothy Linetsky is a DJ, producer, YouTuber, and music educator based in San Francisco, California. He has been making music for over 15 years, and is known for his YouTube channel You Suck at Producing, in which he does music production tutorials for over 330,000 YouTube subscribers. In addition to teaching music production, he releases his own music as Underbelly. He has taught at schools such as Beat Lab Academy and Pyramind. He is also an Ableton Certified Trainer, and has worked closely with the company to produce tutorial videos and educational content. His original productions have garnered millions of plays on Spotify, and in 2020, he released his debut album Machine Yearning as Underbelly to critical acclaim. Timothy Linetsky Timothy Linetsky Music Producer & Instructor Offer free lessons on youtube for more exposure. Timmy Linetsky, a music teacher and Youtuber, tells us: "When I first had the idea to do private lessons, my dad and I made Facebook ad campaigns, and I got the first little bit of momentum with my private lessons from that. Now, people mostly just find me through my YouTube. They can schedule an orientation lesson with me through Facebook or through email, and I usually do a couple of those a week, which gives me a steady stream of new students."
Volunteer with a school’s music department to increase referrals. If you have the time, this is a good way to build a relationship with a school’s music department and secure referrals for the foreseeable future. Check with neighbors and friends who have younger kids to get connected with a school’s music department before reaching out on your own. A parent’s recommendation can help validate you as a qualified good samaritan.
Advertise benefits of music lessons people may be unaware of. Learning an instrument has all kinds of positive cognitive side effects. This could be especially interesting to parents with young children. For example, taking piano lessons can improve reading skills in children. Making music can significantly improve positive social behaviors in young children, making them more agreeable and cooperative.
Buy a car magnet to advertise your lessons as you drive around. Include the name of your business, some contact information, a logo, and a slogan or short testimonial. Search online for services that print custom magnets. There are sites that offer bulk orders of magnets and others that offer individual orders. Sizes range from 5.5” circular magnets to 12” x 24” rectangular door magnets. Bulk orders for magnets typically require a purchase of at least 100 and are approximately $500. Individual orders can range from $10 to $40, depending on size and design specifications.
Write a feature in your local newspaper about a musical topic. Show your knowledge by writing a piece in the local paper about a concert that just happened or the benefits of taking music lessons. Send an email or call your local newspaper’s offices to pitch an arts editor the idea for a guest editorial about a musical topic. You may also be able to contribute a guest article to an existing column devoted to music and culture in your community. This will build your recognition in your community and can also make you more visible on Internet search engines.
Staying Relevant
Market your lessons to underserved populations. If you’re looking to gain more clients, do some research to figure out where in your local music lesson market there is an underserved population. For example: Does anyone else offer in-home music lessons? Is anyone else offering music lessons for retirement communities? Are your competitors offering pre-kindergarten music lessons? Is there a new type of music editing program software that you’re familiar with? Could you teach someone else how to use it?
Create a website to increase your web presence. It’s easy to create a website for your business with some of the free platforms out there today. These platforms will increase your web presence and provide a place for you to post important information about your services. Make sure your website’s URL is on all your promotional materials! Use your new website to advertise special promotions, show your normal rates, advertise group classes, and provide contact information. You can also post photos and videos of you playing instruments and teaching students. Keeping up a blog on your site is a good way to keep people updated on happenings with your business. Research search engine optimization (SEO) to see how your website can more organically appear in search results.
Host a summer camp if you have the time and resources. Some clients may be too busy during the school year to take lessons. A summer camp provides an opportunity for those interested in taking lessons with a limited time window. Advertise your summer camp during the spring around schools and other similar businesses, like martial arts studios and sports clubs. Be specific in your marketing efforts about your intended age group, instrument focus, hours per day, how many days it will last, pricing, and further details. Have an idea of how many campers you can take on and distribute your advertisements accordingly.
Perform your music to show off your skills and attract clients. Every so often, sign up to perform your music live at a coffee shop, restaurant or other venue. This is a good opportunity to show your skills and advertise your services. Invite current clients and bring business cards and flyers! Do some research to find out where in your community your style of music is played. If you play jazz piano, you will probably have better luck meeting new clients by playing at a cocktail lounge than a rowdy dive bar. Call the owner to ask about booking a gig. Many establishments that regularly host musicians will also have information regarding this topic on their websites.
Join a local music teachers’ association for benefits and referrals. Most cities have a music teachers’ association. Joining yours will be a good way to land referrals and stay on top of new opportunities to attract clients. A little bit of Internet research will help you find a local association. There are also national associations you can join to gain benefits like discounts on conferences and competitions, educational opportunities, and professional support services. A yearly membership for the Music Teachers National Association is $77; it is one of the most eminent music teachers’ associations in the country https://www.mtna.org/.
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