Music Lessons and Marketing

In episode 3  of this 4 part series, I discuss phone strategies for directing incoming students into group classes. 

Everyone knows what private lessons look like or has an image of what that experience looks like. Group classes are another story. Group classes can be a bit murky in the mind of the customer. What do they do in those group classes anyway? That's not how I learned how to play an instrument. Aren't you supposed to do private lessons? Isn't the "right" way to learn.

It certainly is one way to learn. In this episode, I speak with Sophie Hardesty of Naptown Sings and Plays about the challenges of marketing group classes when customers typically want private lessons. 

davesimonsmusic.com

In this episode, I share a story about my neighborhood mailman and what valuable lessons he taught me about marketing music lessons.

www.davesimonsmusic.com

When someone lands on your website they've got one thing on their mind; private lessons. They have this fantasy of what that first lesson will look like. Little Susie is bouncing with excitement as she hops into the car to tell mom all about her first lesson. 

4 months later Susie steps out onto the stage to be greeted by applause as she walks with a brisk step over the piano. She takes a deep breath, and her fingers are off to the races as the most beautiful music dances around the concert hall.

But you have other plans for Susie. You offer a group piano class or perhaps a rock band program that you really believe in. You know that not every kid thrives in the private lesson. Especially kids as young as 7-year-old Susie.  Your group classes are social and fun and your ensembles allow kids to experience the big sound that you just can't create in a private lesson.

Your group classes really are amazing but you're having a tough time filling them. You have them listed on your website. You mention them in your newsletter but crickets. 

In this episode, I map out a strategy that will teach you how to position your group classes as an irresistible offer. 

Show Links

www.davesimonsmusic.com

One of the best ways to improve your marketing skills is to talk to business owners from other industries. Perhaps you belong to some Facebook groups that cater to folks like us, music studio owners; but we exist in a bubble. One music studio shares a marketing tactic that sounds promising and other studios get inspired and give it a go.

There's a lot to learn about business growth and marketing from other industries. Anytime you meet someone who owns a small business ask them a few questions about how they market their business.  Each industry has its own unique marketing challenges its own unique competitive environment. How we prioritize our marketing often depends on how competitive the market is.

Today’s Guest

Stacy Tuschl is a business coach and the owner of The Academy of Performing Arts in Wisconsin. She started her studio at the age of 18 in her parents' backyard. She grew her business it into a 7 figure operation. Her studio was a dance studio, but she made the risky move of rebranding her business as a dance and music studio. Stacy is also the author of the Bestselling book “Is Your Business Worth Saving?”

Show Links

Stacytuschl.com
davesimonsmusic.com

One of the best ways to improve your marketing skills is to talk to business owners from other industries. Perhaps you belong to some Facebook groups that cater to folks like us, music studio owners; but we exist in a bubble. One music studio shares a marketing tactic that sounds promising and other studios get inspired and give it a go.

There's a lot to learn about business growth and marketing from other industries. Anytime you meet someone who owns a small business ask them a few questions about how they market their business.  Each industry has its own unique marketing challenges its own unique competitive environment. How we prioritize our marketing often depends on how competitive the market is.

Today’s Guest

Stacy Tuschl is a business coach and the owner of The Academy of Performing Arts in Wisconsin. She started her studio at the age of 18 in her parents' backyard. She grew her business it into a 7 figure operation. Her studio was a dance studio, but she made the risky move of rebranding her business as a dance and music studio. Stacy is also the author of the Bestselling book “Is Your Business Worth Saving?”

Show Links

Stacytuschl.com
davesimonsmusic.com

Marketing experts can overwhelm us with must-do lists for growing our businesses.  Social media, websites, content marketing, SEO, advertising, Google AdWords, email marketing....the list goes on. 

Who has time to tend to all of these tools and resources? We all know by now that these are important weapons in our marketing arsenal but nothing is more powerful than word-of-mouth marketing.  

If word of mouth is so important how come most studios lack referral systems? We all do the "refer a friend and receive $$ off next month's tuition", or some variation of that.  Everyone likes prizes. Especially cash prizes.  

What is your customer supposed to do with this offer? Do you expect them to start compiling a spreadsheet of all their friends with kids, calling and emailing them about your music studio? Of course not.

They certainly aren't going to casually say in a conversation "I don't know if you've ever considered music lessons for Sally but if you sign up at Geno's Guitar Shack I'll get a $50 kickback"

So how do you get this whole word-of-mouth thing moving?

The secret is stories. 

Stories create social currency for people. People rely on stories as a way of connecting and relating to each other. People with interesting stories are perceived as interesting people. "Did I tell you about that time I shared a cab ride with Mick Jagger".  Now that would be an interesting story. The person telling the story becomes a little more intriguing a little more interesting. 

If you can create interesting stories for your customers you will provide them with social currency. They will be inclined to tell people all about you since you gave them something interesting to talk about. They will be perceived as intriguing person and your music studio will also be of greater interest. "Did I tell you what my son's music studio did for his birthday? You'll never believe this...." Boom. Social currency. Word-of-mouth marketing in real-time. 

"Refer a friend and get ___" is important. But that's not getting to get anyone talking. Stories are the real secret to effective word-of-mouth marketing. 

Show Links

www.davesimonsmusic.com

In this episode, I share an easy strategy that is guaranteed to get you local press and generate viral videos on social media. 

A St. Louis based a 5-man marching band of college kids took their music to suburban streets. Their message of unity and music went viral and local news featured this feel-good story. 

Music schools have a lot to learn from this story and could easily create their own feel-good stories in their communities. 

Today's Sponsors
Rock Out Loud Live

Piano Jam

Why do parents sign their kids up for music lessons? To play an instrument of course.  Why is playing an instrument important to parents? Do they want their child to be the next Leonard Bernstein or Eddie Van Halen? If you can uncover your customers' core desire you can speak directly to their emotions. 

A big thank you to our sponsors Piano Jam and Rock Out Loud Live.

I tried every makeup lesson policy under the sun. I initially offered makeup lessons with a 24-hour heads up. Very customer friendly, but as my studio grew, so did my administrative efforts with having to keep up with the demand for makeup lessons.

Then I tried a no-makeup lesson policy. Not very customer friendly but it allowed me to devote more time to growing my studio and keeping current customers happy.

In this episode, I’ll share with you a makeup policy that I implemented that made everyone happy.

TODAY’S SPONSORS

Piano Jam

Rock Out Loud Live