e-Book: Converting Web Inquiries into Private Music Students

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Converting Web Inquiries into Private Music Students


By Ghenady Meirson

This free e-Book aims to help private music teachers gain Web marketing clarity to achieve faster and better results.

Ghenady is the founder of PrivateLessons.com and is on the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music and the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia.

Share this e-Book with musicians that you feel may benefit from reading it. Click on E-MAIL ICON to forward. Thank you.


e-Book © 2006 :: http://privatelessons-e-book.blogspot.com/

posted by PrivateLessons.com at 2:08 PM

1. How did we ever live without the Internet?

The advent of the Internet was a life-transforming event. The difference between how we did things before and how we do them now is what gives us that appreciation.

In the last decade or so, we have learned that the Internet is a remarkable tool for communication, publishing, research, entertainment, promotion, commerce and customer service.

We have also learned that the Internet can be a trap for capital and emotional investments, false expectations and noise.

All of the above both simplified and complicated our lives.



posted by PrivateLessons.com at 2:01 PM

2. Music Teaching Studio Marketing the Old Way

This is how music teachers used to promote:

Word of Mouth – Referrals - Business Cards - Direct Mail – Flyers – Posters – Brochures - Newspapers Classifieds - Magazines Ads - Newsletters Ads - Yellow Pages – Local Schools - Friends/Family - Other Music Teachers – Churches - Music Stores – Associations - Local Media PR

It was a massive job for one person: slow, expensive, time consuming and in most cases ineffective.

No more.



posted by PrivateLessons.com at 1:03 PM

3. Web Transformed Music Teaching Studio Promotion

Most people use the Web for work, school and fun. We now spend more time connected to the Web then watching TV or reading newspapers. In marketing speak, that is where all the eyeballs are.

Web marketing has become the most profitable promotional vehicle for private music teachers. When done right, online marketing can generate consistent flow of student leads allowing you to use your valuable time focusing on essential tasks.


posted by PrivateLessons.com at 12:57 PM

4. What Makes Web Marketing Work

The Web is a passive medium until you give it life. Here are the keys to set things in motion:

  • Web presence with some content
  • Being found at the right place at the right time
  • Telling a credible story to drive action

That’s it.



posted by PrivateLessons.com at 12:53 PM

5. Web Traffic Reality Check

Everyone dreams of capturing top search engine results, but it is a tough game of odds.

In July 2005, Geoffrey Mack, a product manager and contributor to Alexa - Web Discovery Machine blog made an interesting observation in a post entitled “Top 500 Sites Have All the Luck.”

Geoffrey writes:

Like the distribution of wealth on the planet, the distribution of traffic on the Web is extremely lopsided. The Top 500 are champagne and caviar. Sites 501 - 100,000 are meat and potatoes. The rest are hungry.


At the time, there were some 18 million websites and Geoffrey’s statement emphasizes the reality we must accept, not the quality of Websites that go click-hungry.


posted by PrivateLessons.com at 12:51 PM

6. Website Relevance

We need to distinguish search engine ranking relevance from the function websites perform for specific audiences.

Websites educate, entertain, sell and perform customer service.

For example, UPS website may not be your first choice of bedtime reading, but if you are expecting an important package, you can track its delivery status online. This website is relevant to you, the customer, and the satisfaction experience solidifies relationship-marketing value to UPS, the company.



posted by PrivateLessons.com at 12:50 PM

7. Marketing Mix

All marketing involves a mix of both strategic and tactical functions. To keep things simple, I will divide music websites into two categories.

1. STRATEGIC - Personal Websites (client relationship management)
2. TACTICAL – Lead Generation (high volume sites)


posted by PrivateLessons.com at 12:48 PM

8. Strategic Marketing: Personal Websites

While a personal website may not have enough traction to produce meaningful traffic from search engines, it is an important relationship-marketing tool.

You, the professional musician, bring unique value to the audience that knows you and to those that may still discover you. Your audience may consist of 10 students and/or 200 loyal fans of your music. You are important to them. Build on that.

MARKETING TO NEW STUDENTS

People buy from people, and prospective students are interested in who you are as a person and musician. Tell your story. A well-written brief bio and a nice headshot photo are quite effective in generating student interest.

EXISTING STUDENTS

Add online music theory games as a supplement to your regular private music lessons. Blogs are a perfect replacement for newsletters and are great for PR. Keep your base energized.

MUSICIANS UNDER AGENCY REPRESENTATION

Artists under management must have a highly polished personal website. This is a sales tool for your agent/manager. Include stage credits, high quality publicity shots, video, sound and reviews.

FAN BLOGS

If your band or a chamber music group is on tour, publish your news with photos. Tell your road stories and keep fans involved.

Blogs are a great PR tool. Use wisely.




posted by PrivateLessons.com at 12:36 PM

9. Tactical Marketing: Lead Generation

PrivateLessons.com is an example of a membership-based service whose function is to attract and connect prospective students with its music teachers.

The interaction:

  • fast-paced
  • time sensitive
  • generates student leads

With strong music student traffic, it is the fastest, most efficient way to generate qualified student leads.




posted by PrivateLessons.com at 12:04 PM

10. Qualified Student Traffic: Let the Funnel Begin

PrivateLessons.com student traffic comes from search engines, mainly Google and Yahoo.

Many visitors are professionals and business people. They are parents seeking music teachers for their children, as well as adult music students. Other patrons include corporate concierge services, personal assistants, corporate relocations companies and college students.


STEP #1: Google Search

Google search is a powerhouse. Enter a few keywords and you are on your way. Click on the links below to see live search examples:

Broad category search: Private Music Lessons

Specific search: Voice Lessons in Providence


STEP #2: Selecting PrivateLessons.com

PrivateLessons.com membership consists of excellent, busy musicians. It is immediately apparent, which inspires visitors’ confidence that they are in the right place. Now, to find a music teacher, they can search the database based on their particular criteria:

Instrument + City
Instrument + 3-Digit Telephone Area Code


STEP #3: Private Music Teacher Selection

Resume presentation rules apply:

  • Tell a human interest story
  • Add education, bio, photo, reviews and events
  • Remember: people buy from people

Prospective students review several resumes per visit and send private messages to teachers of choice. The Web Inquiry you generate is a qualified lead (Wikipedia definition: Qualified prospect) and now the e-mail conversation begins.



posted by PrivateLessons.com at 12:04 PM

11. Web Inquiry: Monologue

For so many people learning to play a musical instrument or learning to sing is a lifelong dream.

E-mail is the preferred first contact method. It is an intimate, low-pressure approach. The e-mail writing process allows prospective students to think-through and articulate their specific interests. In itself, it is an important prospective student qualification process.

E-mail writing styles differ widely. Some are quite detailed. Prospective students may reference points of interest from your Resume and give background information on personal musical experiences and goals.

posted by PrivateLessons.com at 12:00 PM

12. Web Inquiry: How much do you charge?

Some Web Inquiries are brief, containing only one question:

How much do you charge?

One may think that since the question does not ask anything about the teacher, it is a price shopping exercise.

Not so.

This is, in fact, a request for more information. It implies ‘I read and like your background, I am almost ready to buy, need a bit more info, sell me please.’

While price is important, people are more concerned with value. Assuming you tell a prospective student that you charge the same fees as all teachers in your area, then price is no longer a factor in selecting a music teacher. What prospective student really wants to hear is this:

Tell me how you can help me, and I will pay you what you are worth.






posted by PrivateLessons.com at 11:59 AM

13. Web Inquiry: Dialogue

Every lead deserves a prompt response. Prompt means acting now, within two hours, or before the end of same day.

Avoid sending the for-more-information-see-another-website links. You will lose potential students.

If student offered a phone number, call. Otherwise, reply stating that you would be happy to help, encourage a phone conversation and, if warranted, a meeting.


posted by PrivateLessons.com at 11:58 AM

14. Follow-Up, Close the Loop

If you arranged lessons with a prospective student, you are on your way!

If your e-mail conversation stopped without further action, still follow-up as a professional courtesy.

Inquire if prospective student is well. Anything can happen. He/she could have deleted your e-mail reply by mistake, and will be very happy to hear back from you and start lessons. This is not theory, it happens.

Some may have changed their mind, found another teacher or a new job out of state. Follow-up and close the loop; it is the right thing to do. People will appreciate it and may even refer other students to you.

posted by PrivateLessons.com at 11:58 AM

15. The First Lesson

Congratulations!

You have now converted a Web inquiry into a private music student.


posted by PrivateLessons.com at 11:57 AM

16. Are you still reading this e-Book?

Excellent.


posted by PrivateLessons.com at 11:57 AM

17. Conclusion: Respect the Cycle

Everything has a life cycle.

This e-Book focused only on the front-end of a marketing life cycle. Your new student may take only a few lessons or study with you for a few years. Many variables simply must work well together. Ultimately, the life cycle of your educational service to a student will end.

Continuous marketing is a lifeline of all business. You stop - you lose.

So remember to:

  • be found at the right place at the right time
  • tell your unique human-interest story to drive action
  • respect the life cycle and repeat


posted by PrivateLessons.com at 11:51 AM