Music Lessons and Marketing

Why is it that some music schools are able to grow a business with hundreds of students while others struggle to scale at this level?

In this episode, I interview Maury and Raquel Kelly who have built a highly successful music school with 300+ students. The Kelly's share their secrets as to how they have been able to build such a wildly successful music school. 

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It happens to the best of us. Your music school grows and grows and then seems to get stuck. For whatever reason, your enrollment hits a ceiling that seems impossible to breakthrough. 

In part 1 of this 3 part series, music school owner Eric Bourassa and I pop open the hood of his music teaching business to examine what's preventing his school from getting to the next level. 

Quite often what's holding a music school back is a combination of different problems. The first step is identifying your barrier to growth. From there you can formulate a plan and commit to action. 

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Something that is remarkable is worthy of remark.  By creating remarkable moments for your students you're creating moments that your customers are likely to share with others. 

The secret to word-of-mouth marketing is inspiring the families in your studio to share remarkable moments that were facilitated by your music school. 

In this week's episode I share an easy-to-implement word of mouth marketing strategy this is likely to get your customers talking and referring. 

The way you price your music lessons has a significant impact on how customer's perceptions. Pricing sends a signal of quality, reliability, confidence, and success. A product that's priced high clearly must be a high in-demand product. 

In this episode, I share the signals your pricing structure sends customers. 

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Most music school owners would agree that word of mouth marketing, or referral marketing, is their number 1 source of new students. More reason to have multiple referral marketing systems in your music school. 

In this episode, I share a simple and often overlooked referral marketing system that you can implement today. 

A music studio, in its most natural state, is a disjointed community. It’s a community comprised of teachers, parents, and students that rarely come together as a group. Your school's culture is defined by its customs, rituals, and values.  Culture helps define and unite a community. A community that lacks culture is a community without purpose. 

Culture is a marketing strategy that requires creativity, planning, and execution. The secret to improving student retention isn't better music lessons, but instead a dynamic and enriching culture and community. 

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In 1997 Apple forever changed the world of marketing in a 30-second commercial, "Think Different". The commercial wasn't about their products. Instead, it was an inspirational and motivational message.

The commercial was a massive success and Apple's sales skyrocketed. The world of marketing would never the be same. 

Music school owner Mike Grande, of Rock Out Loud, fully embraces the lessons learned from Apple's "Think Different" campaign. He released a 30-second video promoting his music school that isn't about his school or music lessons. The video doesn't even mention his school's name until the very end. 

Mike's video, like Apple's, is inspirational and motivational. It paints a picture and tells a story of how music lessons changed a little girl's life and her family. The viewer of the video is left thinking "I want that story to be my child's story." 

Desire and dreams motivate customers to take action. Not features, facts, and details. Emotions motivate people to click the "Start Today" button on y our website. Not claims of greatness and quality. 

Show Links

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Apple's Think Different Commerical

Disney World's Commerical

Rock Out Loud Promo Video

There are two ways to fix your marketing problems. 

1. Targeting 
2. Messaging

Fixing your targeting is a relatively quick fix. But messaging requires a little work. Marketing works best when you appeal to your ideal customer's heart first. You can achieve this by showing a customer what their child's life will look like after they take music lessons. You can help them justify their purchase by appealing to their head. 

In this episode, I share an example of how changing 2 sentences in a failed marketing campaign lead to wildly successful results. 

davesimonsmusic.com

In this episode, Jonny Wilson shares more insights into how he built a music school with 2,000 students in part II of this 2-part series. 

2,000 students? Is that really possible? Yes, it is! In part I of this two-part series, Jonny Wilson shares some of his secrets as to how he went from 1 student to 2,000. Jonny has now made his strategies and tactics for exponential business growth in his Build a Music School program. 

Visit davesimonsmusic.com/bam and try his program out for free!