Music Lessons and Marketing
Dave Simon
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Are you a music studio owner or instructor looking to grow your music teaching business? This podcast will teach you how to apply marketing and business fundamentals so you can get more music students for longer.
Available episodes
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Nov 23, 2023
Make a Promo Video Without Spending a Dime | EP 215
Making a promotional video for your music school doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. In fact, it doesn’t have to cost a dime. In this episode, Dave shares a simple, 6-step framework you can apply to any marketing video.
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Nov 16, 2023
How to Rank #1 on Google Without Spending a Dime | EP 214
In this episode, Dave shares 14 different ways to optimize your website so that it ranks #1 on Google.
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Oct 27, 2023
How Cultural Changes Impact Your Music School with James Patrick | Ep 213
Dave takes a look at how the ever-evolving world of pop culture and technology can impact a music school. Dave speaks with a music school owner who has not only embraced the digital revolution but has built his entire business around electronic music.
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Oct 15, 2023
Branding Vs Marketing | EP 212
What does brand and branding even mean? In this episode, Dave shares how to incorporate branding into your marketing strategy.
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Oct 5, 2023
How to Get More Done in Less Time-Managing Projects | EP 211
Do you struggle to find time to focus on marketing and other growth-oriented activities? In this episode, Dave maps out a strategy that will allow you to better manage and implement growth-oriented projects.
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Sep 22, 2023
How to Ramp Up Your Word of Mouth Marketing | Ep 210
In this episode, Dave shares different word-of-mouth marketing strategies designed to inspire your families to talk more about your music school.
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Sep 12, 2023
9 Books Music School Owners Should Read With Jonny Wilson | Ep 209
Build a Music School founder, Jonny Wilson, shares 9 books that every music school owner should have on their book shelf. Dave also shares his self-learning routine that only requires 20 minutes a day.
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Sep 4, 2023
How to Improve Student Retention | EP 208
Imagine how many more students you’d have in your music school if more students stayed for longer. In this episode, Dave shares some strategies that can improve your student retention.
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Aug 29, 2023
How First Impressions Impact Your Music School | Ep 207
In the world of a music school, the importance of first impressions looms large. Every step a customer takes—from visiting your website to that first phone call to their first step into your school—comprises a chain of vital first impressions. These initial moments dictate the rhythm of their entire experience. In this episode, Dave dives into the art of identifying and shaping these impressions.
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Aug 23, 2023
How to Fix Your Marketing with ChatGPT | EP 206
In this episode, Dave shares how to revolutionize and simplify your marketing with ChatGPT.
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Aug 14, 2023
My Fall Marketing Checklist | Ep 205
With fall just around the corner, now is the perfect time to ramp up your marketing efforts. In this episode, I share some easy-to-implement marketing strategies that will help fill your school with music and more students.
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Jul 8, 2023
How to Hire a Virtual Assistant for Your Music School | EP 204
One of my biggest regrets in business is waiting so long to hire a virtual assistant. In this episode, I share how to hire and delegate tasks to a VA.
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Jul 1, 2023
What Music Can Teach You About Marketing Part II | Ep 203
Do you find it hard to get excited about marketing? There are many lessons that we have all learned that can easily be applied to marketing.
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Jun 20, 2023
Improve Your Financial Literacy in 15 Minutes With Jeff Homer | Ep 202
In this episode, I discuss how to better understand your school’s financials with Jeff Homer of Ensemble Music Schools.
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Jun 15, 2023
Long vs Short Text in Ads | EP 201
In this episode, I discuss when and how to write both long and short-form sales copy. Reader's attention spans vary from each marketing medium and your sales copy should reflect this.
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May 21, 2023
Make More Money Without More Students | Ep 200
Darren Siman successfully runs a profitable music school with an all-group model. This model helps music school owners overcome challenges from operations to a sales standpoint.
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May 10, 2023
How to Use Storytelling on a Sales Call | Ep 199
One way to make a sales conversation more engaging is through storytelling. Use these ten tips to effectively incorporate storytelling on your next sales call.
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Apr 19, 2023
How to Avoid Music School Owner Burnout | Ep 198
Do you ever feel burnt out from running your music school? In this episode, we hear from different music school owners who share their advice on how to avoid music school owner burnout.
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Apr 5, 2023
What Your Prices Say About Your School | EP 197
In this episode, Dave discusses the message a school sends through its pricing.
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Mar 26, 2023
How Our Culture of Convenience Impacts Your Music School | EP 196
We no longer go out into the world to purchase many of our possessions. The world comes to us. In this epsidoe, I discuss how our new world of extreme convenience impacts music schools.
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Mar 10, 2023
Could Your Music School Live On Long After You're Gone | EP 195
At some point in your life, you will exit your music school; either by choice or by circumstance. In this episode, I discuss how to prepare your business for that inevitable day.
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Feb 28, 2023
How to Warm Up Cold Leads | Ep 194
Just because a lead goes cold it doesn't mean all hope is lost. In this episode, I share how to inspire cold leads and inactive students to re-engage and reconsider music lessons.
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Feb 19, 2023
How to Get Better Results From Facebook Ads | Ep 193
Facebook ads are a great return on your investment. The key is to continually test and shape it until it's performing the way that you hope it would.
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Feb 9, 2023
Do This Before Your Next Marketing Endeavor | Ep 192
The best investment you can make in yourself and in your business is self-education. In this episode, I share ways on how you can improve your marketing skills by devoting a few minutes day to self-education.
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Feb 3, 2023
A Group Class Parents Prefer to Private Lessons | Ep 191
Parents most likely say no to group lessons because they don’t know enough about them to say yes. In this episode, I share with you a group class that parents prefer to private lessons.
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Jan 24, 2023
How to See Your Music School Through Your Customers' Eyes | 190
The better you understand what parents want the better you can market to them. In this episode, I share how to see your music school from your customers' perspective and how to make your marketing speak directly to them.
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Jan 15, 2023
How I Made $60K With Summer Camp With Jared Erlinger | Ep 189
https://davesimonsmusic.com/60k-with-summer-camp/In this episode, we'll talk about how to significantly grow your summer camp program from structuring your camp week to your marketing tactics.
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Jan 1, 2023
How to Add Value to Group Music Classes | Ep 188
In this episode, I share how to help parents understand the value of group lessons. The more parents value group classes, the more they'll be willing to pay.
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Dec 10, 2022
Beer, Candy, and Piano Practice | EP 187
In this episode I share a marketing lessons I learned from beer and candy commercials that you can use for motivating your students to practice more.
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Nov 23, 2022
Creating Landing Pages for Each Instrument You Teach | Ep 186
In this episode, let's talk about how to write about the instruments that you teach in your music school on your website from a copywriting standpoint that engages your website visitors.
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Nov 9, 2022
How to Market Your Music School With a $0 Budget Part III | EP 185
The more robust your marketing strategy, the less pressure there is for you to spend a lot of money on paid ads. In this episode, music school owners share marketing ideas that cost little to nothing.
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Oct 30, 2022
How to Market Your Music School With a $0 Budget Part II | EP 184
Maximize your marketing potential with a robust marketing plan. In today’s show, I’m going to share with you part 2 of the marketing strategies that music school owners from around the world implement in their music schools that cost little to nothing.
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Oct 7, 2022
How to Market Your Music School With a $0 Budget Part I | EP 183
Surely there are other ways to get your message out. In this first episode, I share with you a list of different marketing strategies that cost little to nothing to implement.
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Sep 22, 2022
How to Market to Inactive Students | EP 182
Launching marketing campaigns targeted at inactive students can be pretty challenging. In this episode, I share with you some helpful marketing strategies that you can use to reach out to your music school drops.
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Sep 8, 2022
What Music Taught Me About Marketing | Ep 181
Both marketing and music are forms of communication. In this episode, I share some lessons music taught me about how to better market my music school.
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Aug 29, 2022
How to Get More Engagement on Social Media | Ep 180
Here's a simple social media strategy that will work wonders for any music school.
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Aug 22, 2022
Why Selling Music Lessons Isn’t Just About Making the Sale | Ep 179
In this episode, I want to talk about how a sales call is not just about making the sale. Rather, it is also about incorporating the few things that make your prospective customer feel seen and heard.
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Aug 8, 2022
How to Prepare Your Music School For the Fall Rush | EP 178
PARENTS AND KIDS ARE READY—ARE YOU?
Every fall is a boom time for music schools. This fall could prove to be a boom like no other. Parents and kids are ready to get back into the groove of life with COVID becoming a more manageable crisis and schools dropping protective mandates.
Is your music school in good shape to handle a sudden rush of new business? In this episode of Music Lessons and Marketing, I share an easy way to whip your music school's administrative systems and processes into shape in no time.
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Aug 4, 2022
A Unique Perspective on Music Schools with Jake St. John | EP 177
If you’re a lover of music, I think you’re going to enjoy my conversation today with my guest Jake St. John the Head of Operations at Ensemble Music Schools. Jake shares some great insights on music and the importance it plays not just in children’s lives but the impact music has on humanity as a whole.
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Jul 15, 2022
How to Find Music Instructors During This Employment Shortage | Ep 176
Finding good music instructors has always been a challenge for music schools. The Great Resignation has only amplified the problem. In this episode, I share some practical solutions for finding and mentoring loyal and committed instructors.
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Jun 24, 2022
The #1 Challenge With Running a Music School | Ep 175
Music schools' have a unique challenge since the product they sell is the relationship students have with their instructors. A potentially even greater challenge has emerged as we settle into a post-pandemic world-supply and demand.
The demand for music lessons is skyrocketing but the supply of instructors has never seemed so low. Group classes can be an easy way to offset a staffing shortage.
One instructor teaching groups can accommodate more than double the amount of students of a private lessons instructor.
In this week's episode I share a recent vlog Jonny Wilson (Build a Music School) recorded on how Kidzrock can help increase a schools profit margins with a smaller teaching staff.
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Jun 15, 2022
How to Gain a Competitive Edge for Your Music School | EP 174
All music schools are looking to gain a competitive edge and stand out in their market. Better music lessons is a good place to start but your competitive edge, or your unique selling proposition, is often found beyond the music lesson. In this episode I discuss ways to discover and market what makes your music school unique and different.
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May 27, 2022
7 Ways to Make Your Customers Feel More Appreciated
As the owner of your music school, your customers value having a close connection to you. As your music school grows it becomes more of a challenge to have a close connection with each customer. In this episode I share some ways to make each of your customers feel appreciated and heard.
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May 19, 2022
How to Advertise Your Music Lessons and Promote Your Studio | EP 172
A lot of people think of marketing and advertising as the same thing. Think of advertsing as the jet fuel for your marketing.
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May 12, 2022
Five Phrases to Avoid in Your Music School’s Marketing | EP 171
In this episode I look 5 marketing statements that perhaps 70- 80% of music schools make that I believe have little to no impact on a prospective customer.
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May 1, 2022
How to Incorporate Story Telling Into Your Marketing | Ep 170
In this episode I share how one music school uses story telling as a powerful marketing strategy. The internet is a noisy world and grabbing and holding people's attention is the name the of the game. Story marketing is a great way to cut through the noise online so your message can be heard loud and clear.
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Apr 23, 2022
What’s The Difference Between a Music School And a Barbershop? | EP 169
There are two different music school models. Most schools fall into either one of these different models. One is the barbershop model, and the other is the football team model.
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Apr 4, 2022
Why Students Quit Music Lessons and What You Can Do About It | EP 168
Why do kids drop out of music lessons? Every parent has their own explanation but it usually boils down to the fact that the student just didn't love the lessons enough to stay. In this episode, I discuss a strategy for improving student retention. davesimonsmusic.com
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Mar 25, 2022
How to Create an Operations Manual For Your Music School | EP 167
An operations manual is a set of instructions that tells your business what to do. Every single moving part of your business should be documented in an operations manual. Not only will it help turn your music school into a well-oiled machine, but it also is the best insurance policy you could have for your music school.
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Mar 18, 2022
How to Train Your Office Staff in Sales | Ep 166
Trying to get your office staff excited about honing their skills in sales can prove to be a challenge. In this episode, I share with you how to gamify sales trainings to help motivate your staff to develop better skills techniques.
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Mar 11, 2022
A 7-Step Sales Framework for Music Schools | EP 165
In this episode, I share a 7-step framework you can use when conducting a sales call. It’s a framework that you probably implement on some level in any conversation you have. It emphasizes listening and empathy over persuasion and pressure. This framework allows you to customize your sales pitch for each prospective student. This approach allows a new customer to better understand how your music lessons are going to help his or her child achieve the results they’re looking for.
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Mar 6, 2022
The Six Business Functions That Drive Your Music School | EP 164
There are six business functions in your music school. Every action in your business falls under one of these six categories. Your music school will turn into a well-oiled machine by creating a set of instructions and processes for each category.
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Feb 15, 2022
How to Get More Done in Your Music School in Less Time | Ep 163
Do you have 3 or more important projects collecting dust on your to-do list? Projects that if implemented would likely lead to growth in your music school? Projects that clearly demand a lot of time and attention. Time you seem not to have? In this week's episode, I share a strategy you can use to get more done in less time. A strategy you can use to eliminate music school overwhelm and move the needle in your business.
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Feb 3, 2022
How to Cure Email Overwhelm | Ep 162
Do you struggle to keep up with all of the emails flooding into your inbox? In this episode, I share a simple email management system I learned from productivity expert, David Allen that will allow you to get more done in less time with less stress.
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Jan 23, 2022
How to Build a Website For Your Music School (Or Give it a Makeover) | Ep 161
In this episode, I share how to build a website for your music school from scratch or give it a much needed make-over.
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Jan 17, 2022
Why You Should Start Your Music Summer Camp Marketing Today | Ep 160
Summer seems miles away as winter settles in. Now is the perfect time to ramp up your summer camp marketing.
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Jan 5, 2022
What to do When Your Music School Won’t Grow Part III | EP 159
In part III of this 3-part series music school owner Eric Bourassa and I finally reveal what I believe is the explanation for why his music school has gotten stuck when it comes to exponential growth. Eric's website and marketing message hit all the right buttons. He's a charismatic and affable leader. He has amazing instructors. What gives? Eric and I dig deep and discover what is likely to be a barrier for many music school owners.
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Dec 30, 2021
How to Overhaul Your Music School's Marketing in 30 Days | Ep 158
In today's episode, I discuss how you can overhaul your marketing in just 30 days. You'll have to carve out 15 minutes a day in order for this to be effective. Your business is worth it!
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Dec 23, 2021
Renting Vs Buying Your Music School's Building | Ep 157
Today, my guest on the show is Nick Tucker, the owner of Spark School of Music is located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Nick actually owns his building, the building where he hosts his music school. I never even explored that option.
I initially began running my music school out of the basement of a music store. I transitioned from that basement into my actual music school where I resided for 16 years. But I, I always rented. I assumed it was just easier to rent. I assumed that I would need a lot of money to put down to buy a building.
I enjoyed the convenience of just calling my landlord when I had a problem with my building. He was a good landlord. It was one less thing to worry about. In today's show, Nick shares with me the upside and the benefits of owning your building.
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Dec 8, 2021
How These Music Schools Increased Their Profits By as Much as 30% | Ep 155
From a musical standpoint, I think we all can agree that private lessons are a great way for a kid to learn music. The problem with private lessons is they yield a low-profit margin.
The obvious alternative is the more profitable model- group lessons. The problem with group lessons is that they are perceived as being of lower value.
In this weeks episode, we hear from 7 different music school owners who have dramatically increased their profits with a single group class.
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Dec 3, 2021
How to Market Your Music Lessons on Your Facebook Profile Page | Ep 154
When it comes to organic reach on Facebook, your personal profile has considerably more reach than your studio's business page. Your business page serves more as a staging ground for your Facebook ads.
There are ways to leverage the reach of your personal profile to benefit your business. The secret is not to directly sell or promote your business on your profile. That's not the environment for sales. It is however a great way to engage with your ideal customer. In this episode, I discuss ways to promote your music school on your Facebook profile without ever making a sales pitch.
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Nov 28, 2021
What to do When Your Music School Won't Grow Part II | Ep 153
In part II of "What to do When Your Music School Won't Grow" I dig deep with music school owner Eric Bourassa to explore some marketing strategies to supercharge his music school's growth.
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Nov 19, 2021
How to Manage Employees That Challenge Your Leadership | Ep 152
Have you ever introduced a new policy or procedure to your staff that's met with silent resistance or rolling eyes? In this week's podcast, I explore some different strategies for how to handle pushback from your staff.
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Nov 15, 2021
How I Added $100K of New Revenue With 1 Group Class With Danny Thompson | Ep 151
In this episode, Danny Thompson host of Music Lesson Business Academy and owner of the Music Factory shares how he is able to generate over $100,000 a year with a single group class.
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Nov 3, 2021
Why Musicians Are Natural Marketers | Ep 150
In this episode, I discuss how you can apply your musical knowledge to create more effective marketing for your music teaching business.
During the early years of my music school, I was reluctant to embrace marketing. I knew it was important for growing my business but it often felt like I was bragging and boasting. Once I discovered the creative side of marketing and messaging I began to see so many parallels between music and marketing. Specifically, songwriting and copywriting.
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Oct 22, 2021
What Your Customers Really Want Out of Music Lessons | Ep 149
Why do parents seek out music lessons? Do parents expect or hope for different results from music lessons as opposed to other activities?
We could guess and speculate what drives our customers. The better we understand our customer's motivations the better we can not only market to them, the better we can customize our products and services to better meet their needs.
In this episode, I share a recorded conversation with music school owner Deanna Mao and one of her customers about what hopes and dreams she has for her daughter and how she believes music lessons can help.
I then borrow some of the words used by the customer to create sales and marketing language.
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Oct 15, 2021
Struggling to Grow Your Music Studio? Do This | Ep 148
Why is it that some music schools are able to grow a business with hundreds of students while others struggle to scale at this level?
In this episode, I interview Maury and Raquel Kelly who have built a highly successful music school with 300+ students. The Kelly's share their secrets as to how they have been able to build such a wildly successful music school.
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Oct 8, 2021
What to Do When Your Music School Won't Grow Part I | Ep 147
It happens to the best of us. Your music school grows and grows and then seems to get stuck. For whatever reason, your enrollment hits a ceiling that seems impossible to breakthrough.
In part 1 of this 3 part series, music school owner Eric Bourassa and I pop open the hood of his music teaching business to examine what's preventing his school from getting to the next level.
Quite often what's holding a music school back is a combination of different problems. The first step is identifying your barrier to growth. From there you can formulate a plan and commit to action.
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Oct 4, 2021
A Word of Mouth Marketing Strategy For Your Music School | Ep 146
Something that is remarkable is worthy of remark. By creating remarkable moments for your students you're creating moments that your customers are likely to share with others.
The secret to word-of-mouth marketing is inspiring the families in your studio to share remarkable moments that were facilitated by your music school.
In this week's episode I share an easy-to-implement word of mouth marketing strategy this is likely to get your customers talking and referring.
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Sep 26, 2021
Why Higher Priced Music Lessons is a Win For Your Customers | Ep 145
The way you price your music lessons has a significant impact on how customer's perceptions. Pricing sends a signal of quality, reliability, confidence, and success. A product that's priced high clearly must be a high in-demand product.
In this episode, I share the signals your pricing structure sends customers.
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Sep 16, 2021
How to Amplify Your Word of Mouth Marketing | Ep 144
Most music school owners would agree that word of mouth marketing, or referral marketing, is their number 1 source of new students. More reason to have multiple referral marketing systems in your music school.
In this episode, I share a simple and often overlooked referral marketing system that you can implement today.
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Sep 3, 2021
Improve Student Retention With Culture and Community | Ep 143
A music studio, in its most natural state, is a disjointed community. It’s a community comprised of teachers, parents, and students that rarely come together as a group. Your school's culture is defined by its customs, rituals, and values. Culture helps define and unite a community. A community that lacks culture is a community without purpose.
Culture is a marketing strategy that requires creativity, planning, and execution. The secret to improving student retention isn't better music lessons, but instead a dynamic and enriching culture and community.
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Aug 27, 2021
How to Make a Promotional Video For Your Music School | Ep 142
In 1997 Apple forever changed the world of marketing in a 30-second commercial, "Think Different". The commercial wasn't about their products. Instead, it was an inspirational and motivational message.
The commercial was a massive success and Apple's sales skyrocketed. The world of marketing would never the be same.
Music school owner Mike Grande, of Rock Out Loud, fully embraces the lessons learned from Apple's "Think Different" campaign. He released a 30-second video promoting his music school that isn't about his school or music lessons. The video doesn't even mention his school's name until the very end.
Mike's video, like Apple's, is inspirational and motivational. It paints a picture and tells a story of how music lessons changed a little girl's life and her family. The viewer of the video is left thinking "I want that story to be my child's story."
Desire and dreams motivate customers to take action. Not features, facts, and details. Emotions motivate people to click the "St…
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Aug 20, 2021
2 Ways To Fix Your Music School's Marketing Problems | Ep 141
There are two ways to fix your marketing problems.
* Targeting
* Messaging
Fixing your targeting is a relatively quick fix. But messaging requires a little work. Marketing works best when you appeal to your ideal customer's heart first. You can achieve this by showing a customer what their child's life will look like after they take music lessons. You can help them justify their purchase by appealing to their head.
In this episode, I share an example of how changing 2 sentences in a failed marketing campaign lead to wildly successful results.
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Aug 17, 2021
How I Built a Music School With 2,000 Students With Jonny Wilson Part II | EP 140
In this episode, Jonny Wilson shares more insights into how he built a music school with 2,000 students in part II of this 2-part series.
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Aug 13, 2021
How I Built a Music School With 2,000 Students With Jonny Wilson | Ep 139
2,000 students? Is that really possible? Yes, it is! In part I of this two-part series, Jonny Wilson shares some of his secrets as to how he went from 1 student to 2,000. Jonny has now made his strategies and tactics for exponential business growth in his Build a Music School program.
Visit davesimonsmusic.com/bam and try his program out for free!
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Aug 4, 2021
Making the Jump From Solo Music Teacher to a Multi Teacher Studio With Jason Thompson | Ep 138
Making the leap from a solo music instructor to a multi-teacher studio is an ambitious step. You need more than faith to successfully make this leap. You need a plan.
In this episode, I speak with music studio owner, Jason Thompson who plans on taking his teaching business from his house to a storefront.
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Jul 23, 2021
How to Attract More Music Students With Your Website Part II | Ep 137
In this episode, I discuss how to create an emotional journey for your website visitor. An emotional journey that will inspire them to click your call to action button and begin the sales process.
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Jul 16, 2021
How to Get More Music Students With Your Website Part I | Ep 136
In this episode, I discuss how you can optimize your website to attract more leads and make more sales.
Today's show is brought to you by Kidzrock. Kidzrock teaches kids ages 4-7, how to play music in a real performing rock band.
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Jul 6, 2021
3 Ways to Be More Customer-Centric In Your Music School | Ep 135
We all would like to think we're customer-centric in our business. But just how customer-centric are you? Good customer service isn't enough. In this episode, I explore 3 ways you can position your music school to be all about the customer.
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Jul 2, 2021
How to Change the World With Marketing | Ep 134
Marketing isn't just about persuading people to sign up for your music lessons. Marketing has the ability to change the world. Marketing encourages people to dream of a better life, a better future, a better world.
All purchases are driven by a desire for change. You don't buy a new pair of shoes because your old pair are worn in. That might be a part of it. You buy a new pair of shoes because they'll make you feel better about yourself. They'll put a little extra hop in your step.
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Jun 23, 2021
Why Contractors as Music Teachers Can Hurt Your Business With Dan Messeloff | Ep 133
We all have our opinions about contractors vs employees. In this week's show, I speak with an employment attorney Dan Messeloff to look at the legal implications of contractors. I was surprised to learn just how risky it is to run a music school with contractors.
The contractor model can work great for a smaller music studio built around the owner as a full-time teacher and 1 or 2 other instructors each doing their own thing. Contractors can begin to create friction in your music studio if you try to scale and streamline your operations and product.
Each state has its own levels of leniency and enforcement, but wouldn't you rather have the peace of mind knowing that you are running your business in step with the law?
The biggest problem with contractors as music teachers is that your music teachers are your product. Your music teachers deliver the lesson and form an emotional bond with your customers.
Uber and FedEx had legal headaches due to…
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Jun 18, 2021
Contractors vs Employees as Music Teachers | Ep 132
In this episode, I sit down with James Brandt to discuss the pros and cons of music lessons taught by contractors vs employees. Know the laws in your state regarding this topic so you can run and lead your music school without any legal challenges or limitations.
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Jun 11, 2021
How Your Music School Can Gain a Competitive Edge With Story Marketing | Ep 131
Story marketing is a two-sided coin. One side features the use of storytelling as a device to hook the recipient of your marketing message. Not stories about your music lessons, but stories about your customer. Stories that tell a tale of how your music lessons can transform your customer’s life.
The flip side of the coin is the stories that your customers tell themselves when it comes to their hopes, dreams, and fears. The better you understand these stories, the more effective your story marketing efforts. The better you'll be able to expand on your customer’s internal narrative.
davesimonsmusic.com
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Jun 3, 2021
5 Writing Mistakes to Avoid on Your Music School's Website | EP 130
In this episode, I discuss 5 common writing mistakes to avoid on your music school's website.
davesimonsmusic.com
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Jun 1, 2021
How to Cure the Practice Problem Part III | Ep 129
Children often perceive that learning to play an instrument is hard to do. Playing an instrument isn't necessarily hard to do, but it does take time, patience, and perseverance to become good a musician.
Curing the practice problem begins with inspiring and motivating kids to be up for the long journey.
The secret is to make a child's initial steps into music seem easy and feel good. The secret is results and experiencing substantial progress in the first few weeks of lessons.
In this episode, I take a look at the music lesson and how your teaching can make playing an instrument seem easy and instantaneous to children.
davesimonsmusic.com
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May 21, 2021
How to Cure the Practice Problem Part II | Ep 128
Prizes, incentives, and rewards aren't a long-term cure to the practice problem. They might give your students a gentle push but ultimately the desire to practice has to come from the child.
So how do you build this desire?
It takes time. How much time depends on the child, The first step is to educate the parents in your studio on your approach to practice.
My approach was a little unorthodox but I was able to get complete buy-in from parents. I was able to achieve this through internal marketing.
I applied a simple formula.
* Empathy
* Expertise
* Education
By displaying empathy and expertise you can establish trust. With trust, you can then educate parents on your approach or philosophy about practice.
If your approach to practice provides parents with new insights on practice and progress; they'll rethink the role of practice, loosen up and let you work your magic.
Parents don't really care about music lessons. They don't care about practice. What they care about are…
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May 4, 2021
How to Market Group Piano | Ep 127
Music is the ultimate team sport. A solo instrument can stir the soul, but the communal effort of a group can make for an even more exhilarating experience.
Why is it then that a child's musical journey typically begins in a private lesson? Does playing an instrument require a certain level of skill before one is ready for a group setting? Dance, martial arts, gymnastics, etc, start students out in groups. Why don't we?
In this episode, I explore the story that parents tell themselves about piano lessons and how you can present group piano as the more attractive option.
davesimonsmusic.com
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Apr 29, 2021
How to Cure The Practice Problem Part I | Ep 126
It's a problem when students don't practice. But the practice problem goes even deeper than that. It creates a problem in your business when you have expectations that aren't being met.
Rewards, incentives, and prizes for practice only go so far. For some kids (perhaps many) practice is not a priority. (And for some parents).
Parents anticipate a battle over practice and possibly opt out of music lessons altogether and choose another activity that doesn't require consistent at-home practice.
Why is that music lessons even have a practice expectation? Most after-school activities simply require you to show up. The 8-year-old starting in dance is required to practice at home. The 8-year old piano student is.
In episode 1 of this 3 part series, I discuss the source of the practice and lay the groundwork for an actual cure and practical applications in episodes 2 and 3.
www.davesimonsmusic.com
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Apr 26, 2021
How to Keep Your Competition Up At Night | Ep125
If you’re looking for a competitive edge for your music studio, it will most likely not be found in the private lesson. Your competitive edge will be found in the experiences you provide, in the culture you create, and the opportunities you create for your students.
Content marketing is a great way to position your music studio as a business that is both generous and helpful. A podcast is a great way to express this generosity. A podcast is a great way to provide unique experiences and opportunities for your students. It’s also a great way to gain a significant edge over your competitors. www.davesimonsmusic.com
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Apr 22, 2021
How To Market Your Music Lessons Using Pleasure and Pain | Ep 124
With all marketing, you're either moving towards pleasure or away from pain. Doesn't that apply to life as well? The same applies to music with its endless dance of harmony and dissonance.
In this week's episode, I field a question from Demitris Whitehead regarding how to balance pleasure and pain in your marketing.
Upcoming Event
The 3 Secrets to Marketing Group Piano May 7, 1:30 pm EST
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Apr 15, 2021
How to Set Your Rates for Music Lessons | Ep 123
Setting or raising your teaching rates can be a difficult process. You're setting a dollar amount that is a reflection of both what you think you're worth and what you think your customer's perception of your worth is.
What if people are taken aback by your rates? What if your prices aren't in harmony with the perceived value of your lessons?
Your teaching rates send a signal to your customers. It allows them to tell themselves a story. Higher-priced lessons allow parents to feel like they're giving their child the best. Lower-priced lessons allow parents to feel like they're getting the best deal.
Are your customers motivated by what's best for their child or are they motivated by getting the best deal?
www.davesimonsmusic.com
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Apr 9, 2021
My 3 Step Plan for Music School Growth | Ep 122
When I started my music school I knew a lot about music. I knew nothing about business. In this episode, I share with you my simple 3 step plan I followed to turn my little music studio into a thriving music school.
www.davesimonsmusic.com
Today's sponsor
Elevate the virtual music lesson experience with Rock Out Loud Live
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Apr 7, 2021
How to Price Group Music Lessons | Ep 121
In this episode, I take a question from a Music Lessons and Marketing listener about pricing group music lessons.
www.davesimonsmusic.com
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Mar 26, 2021
How to Rebuild Your Music School After COVID With Danny Thompson Part II
In this episode, Danny Thompson and Dave Simon discuss how to rebuild your music school with group classes.
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Mar 24, 2021
Rebuilding Your Music School After COVID With Danny Thompson Part I
In this episode, I explore how to rebuild your music school after COVID. Join me with my guest Danny Thompson.
Show links
davesimonsmusic.com
punkrockbusinessschool.com
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Mar 17, 2021
How to Market Guitar Lessons on Your Website | Ep 118
Can you handle the truth? People don't read all of your sales copy on your website. Think about your own behavior when you read a web page.
You only have a few seconds to capture someone's attention when they land on your guitar landing page. If the text (sales copy) doesn't open with a thought-provoking, shocking, unexpected, or funny sentence-your website visitor is likely to jump off your page.
This doesn't apply if your website visitor is all ready to sign up and doesn't need some extra encouragement.
In this episode of Music Lessons and Marketing, I'll share with you strategies for how to market guitar lessons on your website. Today's sponsor
The key to positioning group music classes as the more desirable option is to provide a musical experience that could never be replicated in a private lesson. Kidzrock, Piano Jam, and Jr. Rockerz allow kids to learn how to plan an instrument in a performing ensemble making private lessons a destination for the more ambitious student. The…
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Mar 5, 2021
This Guy Might Want to Buy Your Music School With Jeff Homer Part I | Ep 117
Would You Like to Sell Your Music School One Day?
Do you have an exit strategy for your music school? Perhaps you'll want to hand it over to one of your children one day and draw a salary. Perhaps selling your school and retiring sounds like an appealing proposition. In this episode, I speak with Jeff Homer of Ensemble Music Schools who buys music schools for a living.
How to Run an Efficient and Profitable Music Teaching Business
Jeff not only shares insights on how to make your business attractive to a potential buyer but things you can do today to run a more efficient and profitable business.
https://davesimonsmusic.com/
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Mar 2, 2021
How to Market Piano Lessons on Your Website | Ep 116
This is one of 5 short episodes on how to market and sell your individual lesson offerings on your website. My strategy involves a combination of story marketing and benefits-based marketing.
www.davesimonsmusic.com
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Feb 25, 2021
How to Advertise Music Lessons: Special Guest Jennifer Roig-Francoli | Ep 115
Does this sound like you? You watched some YouTube videos on Facebook ads, you even enrolled in an online Ads Manager course but still, your ads aren't attracting new leads or customers. Everyone else seems to be having success with Facebook ads. Clearly Facebook isn't the problem.
Advertising is an obvious tactic to deploy when you want to grow your music school The more cash you sink into your ads, the more fuel you infuse into your effort. Advertising music lessons, however, can be an expensive endeavor and a disappointment.
In this episode I discuss how to build a solid marketing foundation for your music school.
Guest: Jennifer Roig-Francoli
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