How the economy is affecting piano studios

The poor state of the economy certainly has made its effects felt among piano teachers. We've felt the recession's punishing effects at our studio. Whereas we used to get 1 to 2 solid requests for piano lessons per week, this number has shriveled up to virtually nil.

Since last October - when the bottom fell out -we're lucky if we get 1 or 2 requests in a month! No kidding. This is a bear market if I've ever seen one, and in bear markets, one of the first expenditures to go is luxury expenses.

Now, for us as teachers and music educators, who have the highest passion and regard for the arts, of course we ourselves don't see piano lessons as a "luxury." We know that music education is essential for the true development of the soul and brain. However, the public at large apparently doesn't think so.

In light of these considerations, I thought a blog post to encourage and inspire my fellow teachers was in order. If you want to keep your studio afloat, here are some marketing concepts that may help:

§ Since people see music education as a luxury, a key public relations strategy for piano teachers might be to show why music lessons are a necessity, instead of a luxury.

§ Now may be time for more solidarity and less competition among piano studios. For example, we've teamed up with a teacher out in Union City, NJ named Barbara Olszewska. Working together to generate business for one another helps pool resources in tough times.

§ Reevaluate your current marketing/advertising spend. Now is the time to cut costs, wherever you can. Perhaps instead of spending money advertising on a website that isn't delivering results, your studio can reallocate some of those funds to a more agressive lead generation site?

§ Promote in more places. Check out online promotion sites such as eLance, oDesk and Guru. And don't forget To monitor the Craigslists and Merchant Circles of the Internet, also.

Above all, it's important not to get stagnant, negative-minded or depressed at the economy. Remember, the words of Hal Holbrook in "Wall Street":

"Quick buck artists come with every bull market. It's the good traders who learn to thrive in the bear markets."

Let's keep making beautiful music - together!


Sent from my T-Mobile Dash - Gnosis Arts - www.gnosisarts.com