The most effective methods to finding new guitar students

Whether you're just starting to teach guitar or are an experienced teacher, these methods will help you find new guitar students and persuade them to choose you as their teacher. This site contains a wealth of information for guitar teachers so once you have read through these methods, check out the rest of the site to help you grow as a guitar teacher.

Online methods to find guitar students

Most people now look online to find guitar teachers so if you don't have an online presence, you're already missing out on a lot of opportunities. There are many ways you can find guitar students online and here are the two most effective methods that take the least amount of effort.

1. Have your own website

If you only choose one method out of this entire guide, choose this one. Having your own website is the best way to attract new students as it gives you complete control over your message to each potential student. You can create website pages with information on you, your teaching style etc. Having your own website makes it far easier for people to find you online.

Unfortunately, websites can be expensive and difficult to set up on your own. That's why we have created an easy process for guitar teachers to have their own website without any hassle. We offer guitar teachers the ability to have their own website that we set up for them. You simply tell us what you would like on the site and we do the hard work. Read more on how you can have your own website here.

2. Use Facebook and Twitter

Facebook and Twitter are incredibly popular and at any one time there will be people using these two sites to find a guitar teacher. Think of these two sites as 'tools' to find new guitar students. You can create your own free marketing campaigns on each which can bring in new students in years to come. Once you understand how the two sites work and how to find the relevant people, persuading them to choose you as a guitar teacher is a walk in the park.

We've created detailed guides on how to use Facebook and Twitter to get you more guitar students. Check out BMK-06 Using Facebook and BMK-07 Facebook Marketing Strategies to make the most of Facebook with very effective marketing strategies.

When used right, Twitter can be a source of new students years into the future. Check out BMK-08 Using Twitter to find new guitar students to find out how to do it.

Offline methods to find guitar students

Although online marketing is the most effective way to find new students, you can still use offline methods. While these methods are not as effective as they used to be, they can still bring you new students when used right. The best way to spread word of mouth and grow your reputation as a guitar teacher is to use both online and offline methods together.

Word of mouth

The single most important point to remember with offline methods is that word of mouth is King. If you can get people talking about you then people will eventually seek you out instead of you trying to find students. How do you do this? There are a few ways you can spread the word about your lessons. For a detailed explanation, check out BMK-05 Word of mouth marketing strategies. It's quite a large topic and worth reading.

Flyers and posters

Simply handing out guitar flyers can be enough to get you started with a couple students. The reason this method works is because you can target certain areas. If people know that you only live down the road they will be much more likely to consider you as a teacher. Simply download our flyer templates at BMK-12 Guitar Lesson Flyers, customize them with your details and take a walk around your local area. While you shouldn't expect many calls straight away, it will lead to something in time. Even if the people receiving the flyers don't personally want to learn guitar, they may know somebody who does. Next time they see that person they're likely to pass your flyer on.

Persuading them to choose you

Once you have found somebody interested in guitar lessons, your next job is to persuade them to choose you as their teacher. If you can successfully handle any tough questions they may have for you, you can win them over even if you're just starting as a teacher and have no experience. To do this, you need to be prepared for any question they throw at you.

We've prepared a guide to help you answer the most common questions you may be asked. Check out BQA-01 FAQ from prospective students to get an idea of the type of questions people will ask you as well as how to handle them.

The other thing you need to think about to persuade people to choose you is to give them a good offer. Choosing the right rate to charge and whether you will give any discounts or not is important to your future earnings. Offer too much of a discount or too low rates and you're effectively short-changing yourself. If your rates are too high people won't even try you out.

To help you set your rates right and decide on appropriate discounts, check out our guides BPL-08 Setting your rates 1: Comparing the competition & BPL-09 Setting your rates 2: Prepaid lessons & discounts. If you're just starting as a teacher it's also a good idea to plan your lesson service before-hand. BPL-01 Planning your lesson service will help you make all the main decisions.

Keeping your new students for the long term

Once you manage to get new guitar students your job is to keep them happy so they stay with you for the long term. Needless to say, being an excellent teacher is the most effective way to keep your students happy. There are two main points to help you become a great teachers:

1. Understand teaching methods and techniques

Many guitar teachers learn to teach by trial and error. The problem with this approach is that it takes quite a while to learn what works and what doesn't. Your early students will suffer as a result. A faster way to grow as a teacher is to learn common teaching methods and techniques. For two examples of effective teaching techniques, check out our guides TTQ-01 Mnemonic Devices, TTQ-02 Repetition. More teaching guides are available in the Teaching Guides Section.

2. Using effective teaching materials

Giving your guitar students relevant teaching materials will help keep them interested and stay with you. Teaching out of a book can be restricting as it doesn't allow you to tailor your lessons to your student's needs. Using our wide range of guitar lesson plans and resources allows you to print off individual lessons as you go. This flexible approach will ensure your student is always keen for the next lesson.

Check out the rest of this site for more guides and resources to help you as a guitar teacher. Find out more on what this site offers here.