Friday, May 12, 2023 by Gemma Wilkins | Digital Marketing

Are you ready to take your online music lessons to the next level and reach more students? Then it's time to focus on your Instagram strategy. Instagram is a powerful tool for promoting your online music lessons and engaging with potential students. In this article, we'll explore some creative and effective ways to use Instagram to promote your online music lessons.

Define your audience and goals

Before you start posting on Instagram, it's important to define your audience and goals. Who are you targeting with your online music lessons? What are your goals for promoting your lessons on Instagram? Are you trying to increase your student base, build brand awareness, or establish yourself as an expert in your field?

Once you've defined your audience and goals, you can tailor your Instagram strategy accordingly. For example, if you're targeting parents of young children, you may want to focus on posting fun and engaging content that appeals to kids, such as music-themed games and activities. If you're targeting adult learners, you may want to post more in-depth content about music theory and technique.

Use high-quality visuals

Instagram is a visual platform, so it's important to use high-quality visuals in your posts. This means using clear, well-lit photos and videos that showcase your online music lessons in action. You may also want to use graphic design tools to create eye-catching graphics and promotional materials.

In addition to using high-quality visuals, it's also important to maintain a consistent visual style across your posts. This can help to establish your brand and make your Instagram page more visually appealing to potential students.

Post engaging content

To attract and retain followers on Instagram, you need to post engaging content that adds value to their lives. This can include music-themed memes, inspiring quotes, behind-the-scenes glimpses into your teaching process, and more.

You may also want to consider hosting Instagram Live sessions, where you can answer questions from potential students and showcase your teaching style in real-time. This can help to build trust with potential students and establish you as an authority in your field.

Use hashtags strategically

Hashtags are a powerful tool for increasing your reach on Instagram. By including relevant hashtags in your posts, you can make your content more discoverable to potential students who are searching for music-related content.

When using hashtags, it's important to use a mix of broad and specific hashtags. Broad hashtags like #music and #musicteacher can help to increase your reach to a wider audience, while more specific hashtags like #onlinepianolessons and #violinlessonsonline can help to target your content to potential students who are specifically looking for online music lessons. 

But... how do I actually find the related hashtags?

• Look at popular hashtags in your niche: Research hashtags that are commonly used by other music educators or music-related accounts. This will give you an idea of what people are searching for and what hashtags are trending in your industry.

• Use keyword research tools: Use tools like RiteTag or Hashtagify to research relevant hashtags for your niche. These tools will suggest relevant hashtags based on the keywords you enter.

• Check out your competitors: Look at the hashtags your competitors are using and consider using similar ones in your own posts. This can help you tap into their audience and reach new followers.

• Check out your followers' hashtags: Look at the hashtags your followers are using in their own posts. This can give you insight into what they're interested in and what hashtags they're searching for.

• Mix it up: Don't use the same hashtags for every post. Mix it up and experiment with different combinations of hashtags to see which ones perform the best.

Remember to use relevant hashtags that are specific to your content, and don't use too many. Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, but using too many can make your posts look spammy. Aim for 5-10 hashtags per post, and make sure they are relevant and add value to your content.

Use ALL the functions available to you to engage

Instagram Reels is a short-form video feature that allows you to create engaging and shareable content. Reels can be up to 60 seconds long and can include music, text, and effects. They appear on the Reels tab on your profile and can also be shared to your feed or Stories.

Instagram's algorithm is touted to favour Reels, so they are more likely to appear in the Explore tab, where users can discover new content and accounts. This means that Reels can help you reach new audiences and gain new followers.

Reels are designed to be fun, creative, and shareable, so they have the potential to generate high levels of engagement. By creating Reels that resonate with your audience, you can increase likes, comments, and shares, which can help boost your overall reach.

Instagram Stories are a series of short, vertical photos or videos that disappear after 24 hours. They appear at the top of the Instagram app and can be used to share behind-the-scenes glimpses of your life, promote your content, and connect with your audience.

Stories allow you to share more personal and casual content that can help build deeper connections with your audience. By sharing your personality, your interests, and your daily life, you can create a more relatable and authentic brand that resonates with your followers.

Stories appear at the top of the Instagram app, so they are the first thing that users see when they open the app. This means that by posting regularly on Stories, you can increase your visibility and stay top-of-mind with your audience.

Stories also allow you to add clickable links, so you can use them to drive traffic to your website, blog, or online music lessons. By adding links (via stickers) or "see more" buttons, you can make it easy for your audience to take action and engage with your content.

Engage with your followers

Finally, it's important to engage with your followers on Instagram. This means responding to comments and direct messages in a timely manner, and showing appreciation for your followers by liking and commenting on their posts.

You may also want to consider running Instagram contests and giveaways to incentivize engagement and attract more followers. For example, you could offer a free online music lesson to one lucky follower who shares your post and tags a friend.

Instagram can be a powerful tool for promoting your online music lessons and engaging with potential students. By defining your audience and goals, using high-quality visuals, posting engaging content, using hashtags strategically, and engaging with your followers, you can create an effective Instagram strategy that helps you to reach more students and grow your online music lesson business.

Friday, May 5, 2023 by Gemma Wilkins | Digital Marketing

As a music teacher, you  can have a lot on your plate. You're responsible for making sure your students are learning and growing, scheduling lessons, and keeping your own skills sharp. But what about promoting your brand and your blog? That's where Missinglettr comes in.

I stumbled across this software completely by accident, but within just a few hours of using it I was absolutely smitten with what I was able to do with it. The way they describe the software is that it is designed to repurpose blog and website content into social media posts, so that you don't have to come up with new content. It can connect with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Google My Business.

The program is called Missinglettr, and is a social media management tool designed to help you promote your blog and website content on multiple platforms without the hassle of constantly scheduling posts. 

If you want to see what it looks like in action, head to my facebook page here, and take a look at the posts 

Here are some of the key benefits of using Missinglettr that I have found while using it. :

Easy Set up

When it comes to setting up Missinglettr, it's a pretty straightforward process. Once you sign up, you'll be asked to connect your social media accounts and your blog. This can take a few minutes, but it's a one-time process. From there, you can start creating campaigns right away. The platform provides a clear and user-friendly interface that makes it easy to set up your campaigns, and there's no need to download or install anything.

Once you've created a campaign, the platform automatically generates a series of social media posts for you. These posts are designed to promote your blog post and drive traffic to your website. Actually it is likely you have landed here because of posts created by this software!

You can edit the content of these posts if you like, but if you're short on time, the platform does a great job of creating engaging and relevant content. You also have the choice to provide your own images, or choose from stock images. 

One important consideration to keep in mind is that Missinglettr is not a set-it-and-forget-it solution. You'll still have to review and approve each post before it's published to your social media accounts. This can take a bit of time, but it's an important step to ensure that your social media presence remains consistent with your brand and messaging. The platform does offer a feature that allows you to approve all of your posts in bulk, which can save you a lot of time. I found this much easier to do from a laptop than phone or tablet. 

Limitations to free plan

While Missinglettr is a powerful tool for social media management, there are some limitations that users should be aware of. One potential drawback is that the free version of the software only allows for 50 scheduled posts, which may not be enough for some music teachers who post frequently on social media. That would mean you have to log in more frequently than the paid version, which allows 1000 posts. 

Additionally, users who have multiple pages or profiles on a single platform (such as multiple Facebook pages and groups) will need to count each one separately towards their limit, which could quickly add up and require an upgrade to a paid plan. There is only one page permitted in the free account, 3 in the first tier. 

I will add though the first payment tier is cheap, it is $9 per month, and with their refer a friend link you may be able to get some credit on your account to go towards those costs. 

Many pages mean more $$ subscription

Another limitation of Missinglettr is that it only works with professional social media accounts, which can be a hindrance for music teachers who prefer to use creator accounts or only have personal pages. This means that users will need to create and connect professional accounts on each social media platform they wish to use with Missinglettr, which can be time-consuming and frustrating for those who are unfamiliar with the process.

Learning curve for some

Lastly, while I found it quick and easy to use, some less technology focused users may still find it overwhelming or confusing at first. It does require a bit of setup time to connect your social media accounts and configure your campaigns, and users may need to spend some time experimenting with the various features and settings to find the best approach for their needs. 

Once you get the hang of it, Missinglettr can be a valuable tool for saving time and streamlining your social media marketing efforts.

The key benefits I have experienced so far include:

Saves Time and Increases Productivity

As a music teacher, you don't have a lot of extra time to spend on social media. Missinglettr makes it easy to schedule your social media posts for an entire year in just minutes. You can connect your blog's RSS feed to Missinglettr, and the tool automatically generates a year's worth of social media posts based on your blog content. This frees up your time so you can focus on what you do best – teaching music.

Helps Build Your Brand

As a music teacher, you're also a business owner. Building your brand is crucial to attracting and retaining students. Missinglettr helps you build your brand by promoting your website content across multiple platforms. The more exposure your content gets, the more likely people are to recognize your brand and seek you out for music lessons.

Increases Engagement

When you use Missinglettr, your blog content is automatically repurposed into social media posts that are optimized for engagement. The tool uses eye-catching visuals, compelling copy, and the best hashtags to get your content in front of the right people. This increases engagement and helps you connect with potential students and other music professionals.

Affordable and Easy to Use

One of the biggest benefits of Missinglettr is its affordability and ease of use. The tool offers a free option, and plans start at just $9 per month. It's also incredibly easy to use – you don't need any technical skills to get started. 

Improves SEO

When you consistently promote your blog content on social media, it can also improve your website's SEO. Social signals like likes, shares, and comments can help boost your website's search engine rankings. By using Missinglettr to automate your social media promotion, you can increase your website's visibility and attract more traffic.

So in summary,  Missinglettr is a valuable tool for music teachers who want to promote their blog content without spending hours on social media. It saves time, increases productivity, helps build your brand, increases engagement, is affordable and easy to use, and can improve your website's SEO. Give it a try and see how it can help you grow your music teaching business!

This post contains affiliate links, details on my privacy policy is available here.

Wednesday, May 3, 2023 by Gemma Wilkins | Digital Marketing

G'day, fellow music teachers! As someone who is both a music teacher and an affiliate marketer, I can tell you that there are many similarities between these two seemingly different professions. In fact, being a music teacher can actually give you a leg up when it comes to succeeding in affiliate marketing. So grab your instruments and let's dive in!

First and foremost, both music teaching and affiliate marketing require a deep understanding of your audience. As a music teacher, you need to understand your students' skill levels, interests, and learning styles in order to create effective lesson plans. Similarly, as an affiliate marketer, you need to understand your target audience's needs, desires, and pain points in order to create compelling content and promote the right products.

What about Rapport? Another area where music teaching and affiliate marketing overlap is in the importance of building trust and rapport with your audience. As a music teacher, you know that building a positive relationship with your students is key to keeping them engaged and motivated. Similarly, as an affiliate marketer, building trust with your audience is essential to convincing them to make a purchase. By providing valuable content, being transparent about your affiliations, and only promoting products you truly believe in, you can establish yourself as a trustworthy authority in your niche.

Adapting is important to both music teaching and affiliate marketing. Both require a willingness to adapt and try new things. As a music teacher, you're constantly experimenting with new teaching techniques, repertoire, and technology in order to keep your students engaged and excited about learning. Similarly, in affiliate marketing, you need to be willing to try new marketing channels, techniques, and products in order to find what works best for you and your audience.

And let's not forget about the importance of creativity in both music teaching and affiliate marketing. As a music teacher, you're constantly coming up with new ways to present and practice musical concepts in order to keep your students engaged and inspired. Similarly, in affiliate marketing, you need to be creative in your content creation and marketing strategies in order to stand out in a crowded online space.

Also there is the grit and determination factor. Both music teaching and affiliate marketing require a certain level of hustle and determination. As a music teacher, you know that building a successful teaching business takes hard work, dedication, and a willingness to put yourself out there. Similarly, in affiliate marketing, you need to be willing to put in the time and effort to create quality content, build your audience, and promote products effectively.

So there we have it! There are more ways than one that being a music teacher and being an affiliate marketer share many overlapping qualities. 

Both require:

•  a deep understanding of your audience
• the ability to build trust and rapport
• a willingness to adapt and try new things
• creativity, and a certain level of hustle and determination. 

So if you're a music teacher looking to explore new income streams, don't be afraid to dip your toes into the world of affiliate marketing too. This starter guide is a great place to start, and if you want more tailored support, head to my facebook group and join the discussion

Who knows, you may just discover a new passion and a whole new way to share your love of music with the world!

Thursday, April 27, 2023 by Gemma Wilkins | Digital Marketing