If you’re like me, self-promotion is a very, very uncomfortable topic. I rarely discuss our piano teaching business with friends or family. I’m always worried about being perceived as boring… or bragging… and I’d really prefer not to be viewed as either.
But the truth is, piano teachers need to brag… a little. In a business like piano teaching YOU are the product. Potential students and their parents need to know how great YOU are as a piano teacher..
But unfortunately this brings us back ‘round to the awkward subject of self-promotion.
Walking the Tightrope of Awesome
If you have an aversion to shameless self-promotion or if you simply would rather avoid sounding like an “Eddy Big-Ego”, how do you then go about letting potential piano students and their parents know how awesome you really are? The secret is subtle self-promotion.
Subtle self-promotion is a great idea even if you have no qualms about telling the world how awesome you are. There’s a fine line that must be walked between bragging and simply letting people know that your awesome skills make you the right piano teacher for the job.
Achieve that balance and you’ll never have to worry about an empty piano schedule again!
5 Subtle Secrets To Sharing Your Awesome Piano Studio
1. Promote student achievements
Your students are a reflection of you! Be sure to create opportunities for your piano students to do amazing things and then reward them in inventive ways for doing so. Make sure to share videos, pictures, announcements and anecdotes regularly.
2. Include testimonials on your website and print advertising
Tell everyone how wonderful you are in the words of others! Collect testimonials regularly to keep them fresh and up-to-date. A great way to get testimonials is to compliment your piano students! A heart-felt email about a recent accomplishment usually results in a response that can be used as a testimonial (“Thanks so much! She absolutely LOVES coming to piano lessons with you.”)
3. Use your waiting area
Display your certificates, degrees or diplomas in your waiting area, but don’t stop there. Create colorful and striking posters showing your piano studio’s recent events, special piano camps, recitals, achievements etc. Examples of this could be “Students Complete 20 Compositions in March!” or “Recital Extravaganza – June 2013” or “Piano Students Bring Comfort To Those in Need” etc. If you’re far from a graphic designer, find a template of a poster you like and just copy it.
4. Extra Extra!
Submit press releases to your local newspaper about what your piano students are up to. They may or may not get picked-up and printed… but then again they just might! Create newsworthy items like composing challenges, charity events, music-a-thons etc. and spread the word about the fabulous things you are doing in your studio. Keep these and frame them for your waiting area.
5. Use Recital Programs for Promotion
Use the back of your piano recital program to list all of the amazing things your students and studio has achieved that year (for example, keep track of how many pieces were completed in your studio as a whole, how much money was raised for charity, how many original compositions were created, how many performances, etc. etc.) Listing them under a “Did you know?!” makes it newsworthy but also impressive.
Potential clients need to know how wonderful you are – so don’t leave them wondering. Create some subtle self-promotion and get noticed!
Alice says
Do you ask permission before using comment as testimonials?
Andrea says
Hi Alice – yes, always.