Marketing Piano Lessons to Homeschool Students

Here are some things I have learned that affect how your marketing piano lessons to homeschool families when you are marketing piano lessons to homeschool students:

Ah yes, we all want to have a first shift instead of a 2nd shift job, huh?! So, filling those morning and afternoon hours would be handy. But oftentimes it’s difficult to break into the homeschool and the recreational music making market.

My studio is filled with half homeschool and half private/public school students. I consider myself very blessed to have a group of students who can come to lessons in the early part of the afternoon and have learned a bit about marketing to this demographic. In this article, I’ve included some things you need to know about the homeschool community as well as some practical tips on marketing to them.

Homeschoolers are a tight knit community.

Because they are doing what is outside the status quo, homeschoolers stick together for support. They have classes together, attend support groups together, go to conference together, etc. If you do not have an “in” to their community, then it is difficult to market to them initially.  I would suggest that you do an internet search for homeschool support groups in your area, call the leaders, introduce yourself and ask to come do a short presentation to them about your offerings.  Homeschool families love bargains, so you might also offer to give an introductory free class (at their convenient location) for some of their groups that already regularly meet.

Homeschoolers are often religious.

Sometimes this means that they want their children to learn to learn music to play in church,  sometimes this means that they do not encourage their kids to listen to pop music, sometimes this means that they might have special requests of you that you may not expect. If you are flexible, this should be no problem, but you should be aware that sometimes they have special requests and that you will have to discuss the pros and cons of their requests in order to teach their children.
While this is not the reason anyone should or shouldn’t join a church, be aware that some churches are very friendly to home schoolers and as a result, there are large communities of homeschoolers that attend certain churches. If you do not belong to a church rich in a home schooling community, I would stick to trying to personally connect with the leaders of support groups and such things. Keep in mind that the principles taught in Marketing Piano Lessons 101 and Marketing Piano Lessons 102 apply to this community as well. A personal connection is usually well worth the time and energy. Offer to take a homeschool leader to lunch to tell them about your offerings and to see if there is something you can give to their community.

Homeschoolers are your best marketing piano to other homeschoolers.

If you get one good family and they are happy with your teaching, homeschoolers are great at spreading the word for you. So, don’t hesitate to ask them to spread the word that you have openings. Perhaps you can give a referral fee for every new student that begins in your studio. Make sure you have great, professional looking business cards or advertising materials for your families to distribute. See Kristin Yost’s post on A Better Image Can Translate into Better Money.

Homeschoolers are unique, just like everyone else.

While most of my experience with homeschoolers has been that they are extremely diligent students who make time in their school day to regularly practice, not all homeschoolers are this way. It’s important to interview every family and student who asks about lessons, and not to assume that they’ll be perfect for your studio just because they fit nicely into your schedule.

Homeschoolers are usually on a tight budget.

Many homeschoolers are single income families since one of the parents is the one homeschooling the children. They often have multiple children taking lessons, so they definitely appreciate discounts on music, or caps on things like registration fees ($25 registration fee, not to exceed $50 per family, see How Do I Implement a Registration Fee?), etc. Some teachers even offer a discount for the 2nd or 3rd child enrolled in lessons, though I caution you to make sure that this is reasonable for your budget…each child is still going to take the same amount of teaching time for you.

Homeschoolers are Always Looking for Learning Opportunities.

So, create something of value for these homeschoolers and get out there and offer it to them! In most cities, there are homeschool co-ops and group classes where parents and kids come together on a regular basis to learn. Take a minute to find out what homeschool groups are in your are and who is in charge. Then, call the director and offer to put together a short introductory class or a music appreciation class for a semester. If it’s a one day exposure, you could even offer to do it for free. But if it’s for a semester, charge a reasonable fee and then get to know the families while they are in your class. Chances are, there will be some that (if they like you) will be asking about private lessons by the end of the term.

Here are other tips on marketing piano lessons to homeschool students from various teachers:

For those of you who have homeschoolers in your studio, what other things have you done in marketing piano lessons to homeschool students?

Be sure to sign up for the newsletter as lots of business tips in the Dollars and Sense category will be coming your way!

Read Also:

• Online workshop on Marketing: Learn about Facebook Marketing, Google Listings, Bring-a-Friend lessons and more!
• Marketing Piano Lessons 101
• Marketing Piano Lessons 102: Moving to a new community
• How Word of Mouth Marketing Has Changed for Piano Lessons