The Importance of Networking
About a year ago, my family relocated from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Bozeman, Montana, and I was faced with “relaunching” my piano studio in a new town. When I opened my studio in Wisconsin the only marketing I did was to place an ad on craigslist — a dozen students soon followed. After a few unsuccessful attempts at pulling in students in Bozeman via craigslist, I was forced to come up with better marketing strategies that would successfully reach out to my new community.
Bozeman — being an educated, college town and far from a big city — is big on networking. It didn’t take me long to figure out that I was going to need to find new ways to “plug into” the community of Bozeman in order to create interest in my studio.
Networking with other professionals
One of the first things I did after my craigslist flop was contact the president of my local music teachers association. Not only was she able to help me understand better how to attract students and brainstorm ideas for my studio, but she also provided me with my first three students. Since she was no longer accepting new piano students, she gave the families who contacted her for lessons my information, and I was able to begin teaching again just a few short weeks after my initial meeting with her. When I met other members of the group at monthly meetings, similar referrals soon followed.
In addition to becoming involved with my local teaching organization, I sent an e-mail to the music teachers at all the local public elementary schools. I let them know that I was a new piano teacher in the area and accepting students, and provided them with my contact information.
Networking with local businesses
Rachel Rambach wrote a great article last month about the importance of connecting with local businesses who might be connected with your trade. Our local music store keeps a record of music teachers in the area since they are often asked to give references. Providing them with my contact information and stopping in from time to time to keep the employees up-to-date on pertinent studio information has proven to be a great way to get my studio’s name out into the community.
Social Networking
Living in a college town also means that Facebook is a valuable tool for networking. Nearly every business in town has a Facebook page; Facebook is just how people communicate in Bozeman. I did recently create a facebook page for my business, and I am not above using my personal Facebook page to develop and maintain contacts for my studio. Important events from my studio’s page are shared on my personal page so that my own network of friends can see what’s going on.
What Goes Around Comes Around
I have found that being willing to share recommendations for other businesses and groups in the area means that they are more willing to help me out as well. I am not shy about telling my two-year-old’s Music Together teacher that I have used my website to provide a reference for her, and that I share her contact information with others in our network of friends who are looking for a music class for their children. She, in turn, tells her music classes about my piano studio and gives my card out to anyone she knows who is looking for a piano teacher. In the same way, when I included a blog post on my studio blog recommending a local piano store, the store agreed to give me a discount on new equipment for my group piano studio, and distributes coupons for group classes to families who express interest.
I would encourage you to be bold and confident about distributing your business card to everyone you meet, and use other professionals and businesses in town to help establish and grow your studio. Have you found creative ways to network in your community? Feel free to share them below!
