Instagram Strategies to Market your Online Lessons

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.