Hello!

As some of you will know I have started advertising myself as a private music teacher. The things I am offering to teach are Recorder, Music Theory and general GCSE/A Level Music support. I have advertised in local libraries and music shops, some of which are very expensive I've found, for the last month or so. So far though I haven't had any calls and I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice? Is it the way I'm advertising myself, or am I advertising in the wrong places?

I know it takes a while to become established as a music teacher but it is something I really want to do. I know I am not offering a 'standard' instrument to teach as such, but thought I would at least have one pupil by now! Am I expecting too much too soon or is there something else I could be doing? I will be starting as a recorder teacher in an after-school club at one of my local schools in september, so I suppose I could get some private pupils from that...

Any advice on how to proceed anyone?


Thanks!

You can't do much more..I don't think. Try Music Teachers.co.uk ...... I have had a couple through that. Also are you being charged for advertising in music shops? I have built up relationships with mine and it looks good on them if they can reccomend teachers and so on.... and I send people to them for music and so on. I have had a few from them....but it is....as I have found...word of mouth.... and sitting tight.
Good luck...keep at it.

Have you ever thought about putting an ad in the local newspapers? I got all my first students through this, and then at some point word of mouth kicked in.
I would say, for each ad I put in I had something like 5 calls, and mostly 2 to 3 of those people really turned up (the others were probably thinking I teach for free ).
Then: Do you have a webpage? Are you listed in any online directories?

I really don't think there is any rights or wrongs in this - it always depends on the instrument and also the area you are covering.

I'm still considering going to the trouble and expense of putting an ad in the local paper.
When I enquired it was almost twice as much as I expected and I have to provided an enhanced CRB (I do have through my volunteer work) and 2 references for them to put the ad in the paper.
THe length of time one local teacher has had an ad in suggests that she hasn't managed to get too many new students so far or the ads would have stopped.

I'd recommend online listings too, about half my enquiries these days seem to come via e-mail from online sites.

You just need to delete the spam and recognise the odd scam that you might get (I'll send you a sample if you haven't seen one!) but on the whole I wouldn't be without online ads. I have n't taken out any of the "enhanced" ads for which you pay extra - so it doesn't cost anything. I've had two enquiries this morning already, both from online ads and both likely to be genuine.

I know some teachers don't like the idea of putting their details on the web, and I was cautious to start with: however so far I have not found it a problem. I also have a permanent ad in a local residents' newsletter which is published 3 times a year (normally produces 1-2 enquiries each time, so borderline benefit at £35 a time as many of these don't turn into real pupils). Six months in a local parish church magazine (adjacent area but not identical) produced nothing a couple of years ago which I found surprising.

If you have a Roland shop or department locally they seem to carry listings of teachers, but my other local music shops, although better for sheet music, don't seem to keep lists of teachers.

I have also started teaching this year and put an ad in the local paper but didn't have a single enquiry from it. I had some cards printed and put them in the local music shops and even newsagents but had to be patient. They had all been up for around 3 months before I heard anything then in one week i had a lady phoned about lessons for her 2 daughters and a wife phone about lessons for her husband. Then soon after that another lady phoned for lessons for herself and has now started her daughter with me. I think its just waiting, being in the right place at the right time and then word of mouth

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I agree with the suggestions people have made above.

For recorder I think the after school club is a great idea. I would try to use it as a network/contact opportunity. Send leaflets home with the children if the school doesn't mind. At going home time take the kids to the gate to make contact with the parents perhaps. When you get to know some parents of promising children you can explain to them the possibility of private lessons, grades, music theory etc. Offer to prepare a small group to play at school concert or summer fair where you can make contacts.

Perhaps offer your services to local primary schools to teach a class group. Send home a sheet each week with what has been covered and what to practise (on headed paper so it just happens to have your discreet advert printed at the top).

Hope things pick up for you

Hello Everyone!

Wow so many ideas!!! Thank you so much for replying! This has given me lots more to think about...

I have already advertised in Musicteachers.co.uk... I'm not a premium member though, maybe I should become one if it means I will be looked at above others who aren't? Sounds selfish but you know what I mean.... I actually found my theory tutor through that website and he was a premium member so maybe it is something to think about!

One thing I will say is that I have submitted an ad for September to be put in my local Yellow Pages, on suggestion of a friend. It costs a fair bit but I thought it would be wirth it, and the guys who work there explained it really well. I pay something like £20 a month for 10 months, and I should generate a lot of calls hopefully, so it is basically the cost of one 1-hour lesson every month for the ad. But when I looked at my local papers (in South London), which I thought would be perfect to advertise in, their costs are far too much, they are charging something like £17-£70 per week depending on the size of your ad! There are only a couple of newspapers in my area that I would actually consider as they have a high readership, but because I don't know how useful they can be to me I haven't decided on whether or not it would be worth the money really. I have thought about doing a webpage but wouldn't have the foggiest idea how to go about it, that's all to techy for me!!! Maybe I should ask a friend to help.

As for online ad's; where do people advertise? I would have thought it would be difficult to figure out which website would be worthwhile to place an ad as there are many of these websites out there. Any suggestions as to where I could advertise online?

The stuff about ways to attract pupils through my afterschool work is brilliant though, I didn't think of that... I just thought that I would teach my pupils in the classroom and hope that some of them would want to carry on. Of course if I noticed children that I thought would benefit from Private lessons I would write to or approach the parents... I suppose it is because I'm so new to this that I thought I would get some advice first. And it's been great reading all your replies, thank you so much! Keep the advice coming!!!

If you want a website you could try Practisespot. I have a website with them, as do margaret and JohnS. It's about £40 a year, which is quite good actually. Then you can put the link in your musicteachers ad like I do. All my private pupils so far have found me on the internet.

Also with recorder be prepared to battle the 'it's not a proper instrument' brigade, or the 'it's the job of the classroom teacher' or 'the little lady who is a flautist and dabbles in recorder' brigade.

Good luck, and yes, it does take time to build up. I'm a year into teaching and only have two pupils.

My ears were burning then! Yes the Practicespot own website is really useful. You can add as much as you like to it. Potential pupils can see what you're like then and what your qualifications and experience are. I include my URL in all my advertising.

Lots of good ideas so far. I advertise in yellow pages, classified part of the BT directory, parish magazines, school magazines. I'm an ISM member so appear in their directory too. I'm a peri in nine schools so get the odd private pupil through that too.

I'm pretty full at the moment, but continue to advertise so that people see my name and details regularly.

It takes time, but it does tend to snowball after a while! Good luck.

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Sorry not to be able to offer advice........ but, as I'm in a similar situation, I can heartily sympathise!

I spent ages, recently, designing and printing what I thought were attractive, appealing cards which, over the last few weeks, I've displayed in various shops (including a couple of music shops) in my town (a small market town) and others nearby, offering my services as a teacher of oboe, recorder (the instruments I play), clarinet (the main instrument I've taught for 25 years, and which I would have thought would be popular) and theory.

A couple of days into my 'campaign' someone rang in response to my ad in a well-known supermarket, wanting recorder lessons for her 8 year-old son .... but since then, nothing. I've even put cards and leaflets through every house on my estate (about 120 houses) and planned to do likewise on neighbouring estates (quite a nice 'middleclass' area) but feel so disheartened now, after 3 weeks, I can't quite summon up the energy (or afford the printer ink!)

Oh, and the recorder pupil is moving from the area in the summer, anyway. So, won't be giving up the day job just yet!

Anyway, I wish you luck in your quest for pupils, Aspiringmusicteacher!

(BTW my 'day job' is working for the local music service, who have really messed me about over the last 18 months, so I my aim was/is to build up some private teaching and gradually phase out the LEA work)

I live in a country area but I've only ever once advertised in the local paper. I got a couple off it but not much. Got a few more word of mouth but best response was from cards in local shops. This works especially well if people have to queue as they have nothing better to do but read ads. Try your Post Office, Baker, Chip Shop, Local store, Vets, anywhere where potential pupils are bored. Supermarket is not so good as people are generally too busy to read them unless they're looking for a velour 3 piece suite or a black ash display cabinet!
Incidently, I find I only have to advertise very occasionaly now, but do keep checking your ads are still on display as they have a nasty habit of taking them down after a certain length of time.

You ARE joking.

Anybody live near a post office that hasn't been shut down?

No, our local post office was one of the first hit, and that's where I put my first (and only) advert.

The main thing is to get your adverts in place, wherever you put them, so that you're in time to catch the well organised mums who look for teachers end June/beginning July, and then those who leave it till the last minute at the end of the hols, beginning of Sept. I do think busy corner shops are a good and inexpensive bet.

Have just looked back at your original post - does your local music shop not keep a list of local teachers for free - ours does. It doesn't constitute advertising, but I've had several enquiries. When some-one asks in the shop, they get the list out and go through it with the customer to find a teacher in the right area.

A card in a shop window does work as teachers near me advertise there and I might put one in to catch pupils for Sept - a good time of year as already said.

The problem with cards though is that they get very faded from the sun after a while and can look a bit tatty. Something eye catching might help.

I don't know if this would be acceptable in the UK and if done by individuals but this is how my daughter decided she wanted to learn the trombone.
The trombone, French horn and oboe teachers from the local music school go into primary schools for a morning. They give a short concert, let the children try the instruments and give out a handout with a couple of dates where children can drop into the music school (without an appointment) for a taster lesson.

I think that some of this is done in the Uk by a certain organisation who insist that their teachers teach instruments they don't actually play.

that's what I said...it looks like aspiring music teacher is being charged to advertise in music shops.I feel I have a sort of partnership with my most regularly used music shop...and am shocked if such shops do charge.

You could try using one of the free webpage providers (or a paid one) that essentially builds your website for you, ie doesn't require any technical knowledge.


I do, as does my mum (4 miles away - small town, and a small village)

Another thought: you can get free business cards printed from Vistaprint - I believe their basic cards are free, you will have to pay postage though - having something which looks very official and professional to hand to potential students is helpful, and you can write extra info on the back. If you know of any families, school teachers, they may be willing to keep your details to give out to anyone who is interested.

Try asking at local schools if they would be willing to let you put a printed add up on a noticeboard.

My local library has a register of local music teachers which is free.

Hi Everyone!

I actually have ad's from Vistaprint, they're brilliant aren't they? I sent most of my recorder teaching cards out to schools; not all replied but some did and I have teaching posts in afterschool clubs in September. I also have some for Music Theory and GCSE / A Level Music as I thought I could tutor that privately in people's homes, but haven't done anything with them yet. To be honest I don't know where to send them! I have just spent a bomb writing to local primary schools and I will probably have to send these to secondary, just to publicise the fact I offer it. I also have a general card offering everything I teach which I put up on noticeboards and the like......

The music shop I went to charged me to put up a card in their shop; I work on SW London and I went to a music shop near there and enquired if I could put a card up and it costs £2 a month. There are music libraries who charge that per week so I thought it was reasonable! I know from friends of mine where I live in South East London that if you have a good relationship with certain music shops they put you on their lists, I should go to them this weekend really and see what they can do for me.

When I started teaching piano 13 years ago I put a little card in the local newsagent which didn't cost a fortune and received some replies so I was able to teach 3 pupils within the same area on one evening. It was word of mouth from then on.
Good luck!

Vistaprint sometimes send out offers for free batches of their very swish premium cards, too! - oo-er!

Sounds like you're doing all the right things... I guess it's just trying to get your name out there. Hopefully once you have one or two students, they will tell others about their teacher, and so on.

Good luck

From personal experience, I have found that printing your own leaflets and doing a 'leaflet' drop in your neighbourhood works wonders. I found that within 2 to 3 days I had people calling asking for more information. I had a few blisters on my feet, but well worth it. Even now I occasionally do a leaflet drop every now and again to top up my student base (maybe once a year).

But word of mouth is priceless. When parents name drop to other parents. Parents are always proud at how well their children are progressing and how much fun they are having whilst learning......

Advertising on the internet is also quite good and inexpensive ie with musicteachers.co.uk (there are many others too), but I have found I havent received many queries from this (about 4 in the last year).

Yes, I know exactly what you mean. I was aiming to teach flute in my local primary school, but these people came in and did a woodwind thing with the whole of year 5. The woman from that now teaches flute. That she's only just began learning herself. It makes me kinda mad.

Always put your qualifications on any advert. That can make a lot of difference I find. An A4 page offering lessons placed in the local shops or post offices would be far better than a card too. Around here we don't pay more than 20p a week to do that, and most don't make any charge. Get an eye-catching title on your A4 poster too. People tend not to read things in detail unless thry are looking for something in particular, but a large heading would get noticed. Perhaps something on the lines of:



followed by details of what you offer, pupils prepared for grade exams, etc. You might even get your local paper to run a feature about you and your new teaching practice. Put something in writing about yourself and then phone them. Ask to speak to a reporter and chat them up. That often works wonders.

I'm not sure why, but www.partysounds.co.uk has led to far more enquiries to me than any other online teacher lists. And it's one of the free ones. I don't think I'd bother with the expense of newspaper ads - the online sites are (often) free, and are there at any time when people are searching.

Just to say I've found it helpful to read of others' experiences here, and in a way, a relief. I've just put my first ad in the local paper - it's running for 4 weeks - and so far (week 3) I've not had a single enquiry. I was wondering if I'd phrased it really badly or something, but judging by what many of you have said I think that's probably not the case. I only hope that now the summer holiday's over it might generate a bit more interest.

At this time of the year I tend to worry that I won't have enough pupils, but now that I'm established recruitment does seem to have its own momentum. In addition, not everybody will start at the beginning of the academic year - I usually get enquiries from now until about April. After that it tends to get quieter.