I love and hate social media. It’s time-consuming. It’s a confusing mix of people telling me to do this, not that.
I love and hate social media.
It’s time-consuming.
It’s a confusing mix of people telling me to do this, not that.
You have to wade through videos of people sharing silly dances to get to what you really want to see (which, to be honest, is normally silly videos of cats)
I thought we’d left the ice bucket challenge in 2014, but apparently that’s back.
I don’t need to see what an influencer eats every day for a week (yet I still find myself watching and then wondering where the last 30 minutes went)
But I know I have to use social media for my studio.
Table of Contents:
My audience is online.
Back in the day, I’d put up posters in local shops and cafes and people would ring the number to ask about lessons.
But now?
Potential students and their families spend hours scrolling on Facebook and Instagram.
If I show up where people are already looking, I get in front of their faces.
And the more I show up, the more recognizable I am.
If I share a video of 7-year-old Hannah playing a piece with a glowing caption about how proud I am of her, Hannah’s mum will share it on her page.
Then, all of a sudden, my studio page is being seen by a new audience who want their own children to have lessons with this friendly teacher.
It’s free marketing, so I can’t really complain.
For so many years, we’ve been fed fake portrayals of people’s lives on social media.
We’d all smile for the camera and then break down when the recording stopped.
We’d hide the messy piles of laundry and create the illusion that we all live in beautifully tidy houses that rival those in ‘Ideal Home’ magazine.
But that’s no longer the case.
We’re in an era where people yearn for authenticity and genuine connections.
People no longer care if you wear makeup and look presentable for your videos.
They want to see the real you.
This gives me the perfect opportunity to show potential students who I am.
Sharing behind-the-scenes photos and videos in my studio lets them see the type of person they’ll be taught by.
No smoke and mirrors – just unapologetically me.
It lets them see where they’ll be learning.
No surprises when they turn up for their first lesson.
In fact, I’ve already had one new student point at the otamatone on my piano and say, “Oh, I saw this on your Instagram and thought it looked cool.”
A few years ago, a student would sign up for lessons without knowing what to expect.
After a couple of lessons, you’d both realise you’re not the right fit for each other.
You’d send the awkward-feeling email letting them go and recommending a different teacher.
But these days, a student can make a judgment whether you’re the right teacher for them based on how you present yourself online.
While typing that last sentence, I realised I lived through that last week.
I bumped into an ex-student’s mum and brother. I taught his sister 9 years ago before she quit to pursue horse-riding.
I learned that the brother is now Grade 6. The mum felt she needed to justify herself:
“Sorry we didn’t bring him for lessons with you. He knew he wanted to do exams and wasn’t interested in pop songs and things like that. We looked at your Facebook and it was clear you don’t do exams anymore, so we didn’t think you’d want Ewan.”
She wasn’t wrong.
While social media feels like a messy and confusing minefield, it can be extremely useful.
It’s free (unless you want to get into Meta Ads. That’s a topic for another day.)
It lets you be you.
In fact, it actively encourages you to be you.
And it allows your future students to connect with you before their first lesson.
We’re used to relying on polished adverts promoting our services.
But the buzzword now is ‘authentic’
TopMusicMag: Studio Growth Secrets has an article by Kelly Riordan all about authentic marketing.
Covering the why, the how, and the what, it’s a must-read for anyone who feels a bit shy or icky about putting themselves out there.
