Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

Advertising Strategy For Music Studio

Posted by Anonymous on 6/10/2009 at 2:07 PM ET 125 Points
I need some ideas on how to advertise and market my music studio small business. I provide music instruction and recording services for beginning musicians. Most students are age 9-13 and stay with me for 2 years. All past students have come from referrals, but the referral source seems to be drying up (my child's previous school....). I want to attract more students as well as young musicians who want to record their own music in a studio setting. I have a website www.elfcorps.com but haven't done any internet marketing. I have searched previous questions here and found some tips, but would like to expand on those, plus how to get clients for recording.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by SteveByrneMarketing on 6/11/2009 at 1:00 AM Accepted
    You have many options ...

    - create a youtube.elfcorps site and feature your students as an added service.

    - contact local ad/marketing people and offer a low cost option for their content development.

    - offer special inhouse studio rates for off hours, early morning or late evening.

    - get busy creating content and registrations with social media sites.

    - don't forget flyers, craigslist, local market bulletin boards and all that is promotional

    - get friendly with garageband software by apple

    just a few, hope this helps,

    Steve
  • Posted on 6/11/2009 at 1:30 AM Member
    With the holidays fast approaching, a lot of school (mainly teachers) are looking for unique gifts to send home. You could approach schools and offer your studio (at a nominal price) for recording holiday songs sung by students and then reproduced to send home as gifts to the parents, who in turn can buy the collection for their families.

    This would not only get you exposure as a recording studio but will also get you some refferals.

    Just a suggestion, hope this helps.

    Sherry.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 6/11/2009 at 8:50 AM Member
    I agree with Phil - your website needs some help. Given your business, I would've expected to see/hear students performing/recording/playing on your home page. You want parents to see the fun other children are having.

    What are the reasons parents have signed up with you in the past? Was it convenience? A professional experience? Fun? Trust? Speed of learning? Improvement of test scores? You need to identify the underlying motivation, then market that. From a marketing perspective, you're not really selling music lessons - you're helping to solve parents' needs/problems. Music lessons is how you solve their need/problem. Tell the parents what they can expect by working with you first, then tell them how you achieve it.
  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 6/11/2009 at 1:20 PM Accepted
    Dear Robert,

    You're obviously a bright and talented guy. So, can we talk?
    Could we have a wee chat? Splendid!

    Were I your client (and I could be) and were I looking for music lessons or recording help and expertise, were I to land on your website, I'd be clicking my backside away from it very swiftly.

    Here's why:

    Its dark, depressing feel says "Go away! Shoo! Be off with you! We don't want your sort around here. Be gone foul goblin!"

    Or words to that effect.

    The Celtic type and twiddly bits, although nice in, let's say, "The Lord of The Rings", they just don't go with the modern feeling of a recording studio.

    You'd do well to look at the templates available at www.sitekreator.com

    To make your site work better for you, you might want to consider adding some or all of the following:

    An opt in box so you can collect names and e-mail addresses; images of your studio, images of people IN your studio, being taught bass etc.; audio clips (duh!), a video of a virtual tour of the place, with your smiling mug to greet people and to show people what a fine chap you are (do I get a discount for that?),

    And also consider:

    An offer that compels people to contact you (meaning, a great "reason why" such as "Become a Great Player in 60 days!").

    You need better copy that pulls people toward you like a magnet. Ditto, strong calls to action.
    More emphasis on benefits.
    More emphasis on making learning music fun (there's a novelty!).
    Stuff about podcasts (couldn't you teach people the basics, and then sell them more stuff, such as lessons once they're hooked? Course you could!).

    And so on.

    There's more but that should keep you occupied for a while.

    To sell, you must create great relationships. You must fulfill a need, a deep-seated desire, a fantasy. You have the where with
    all to show people how to become rock stars.

    Make the most of your skills by approaching the kinds of people that need those skills and who are willing to pay for them.

    Sell not just individual lessons, but a year's worth of lessons.

    Tell mums and dads through video how great their little urchin will be on guitar or base a year from now, then show proof (before and after) and people will be throwing money at you so quickly, you won't be able to pick it up quickly enough to count it all!

    I hope this helps.

    Gary Bloomer
    Wilmington, DE, USA



  • Posted by steven.alker on 6/18/2009 at 3:24 PM Member
    That’s a great answer Gary. Also I can see that I’ve got worthy competition on the music and humour front as well!

    I’ve just finished fulfilling my dream in the 1980’s of equipping a studio with about half a million pounds worth of synthesisers and composing my own stuff – only they don’t cost £500,000 any more – they are often free or cost a few dollars as software emulators.

    That sort of thing could be Robert’s evolving competition, so using the new-music and computer music forums is a handy way of attracting paying customers. pay? When I can get a Minimoog for just about free?

    Sure thing. Over 8 months I’ve taught myself how to use sequencers, digital audio workstation, samplers, drum kits and effects. The only thing is that whilst it’s been huge fun (I’m also a pianist) it’s taken be about 400 hours for me to work things out. That’s worth $75,000 to me in paying work I didn’t do because I was engrossed in Prophets and Synthi 100s and Roland Jupiters and Fairlights and PPG’s.

    If I’d paid someone to show me and tutor me, I’d have saved about $65,000 and got to my current level of competence in half the time. That’s a good selling point if it is of use to you.

    Got to go – my piano teacher has just told me that is not acceptable for me to record Chopin’s Etude Opus 25 no 11 and edit out the bum notes on the computer (And speed it up by 10%!)

    Best Wishes



    Steve Alker


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