It isn’t enough to rely on word of mouth for our studios anymore. But, you also shouldn’t spend hours on social media for your studio each week.
Don’t get me wrong. I still strongly believe that one of the most powerful things you can do for your studio is develop great relationships with your clients. Their referrals have incredible power.
But, relying on word of mouth alone? It puts you in a tough position if those referrals start to dwindle down.
This is a lesson I’ve had to learn the hard way. But, it has been a good learning experience that will only make my studio offerings clearer.
Essential social media for your studio
It might seem like you have to be everyone online these days to be seen. This is not necessarily the case.
Some social media channel options are:
- YouTube
And, this is by no means an exhaustive list.
The key is figuring out where to start. And, everywhere isn’t the right place.
Where are your people?
Rather than trying to be everywhere at once, I chose to focus on Facebook for my studio.
Why?
That’s where my clients spent their time.
Step one is to find out where which social media your studio spends time.
This can be as easy as spending a week asking clients at the end of their lessons.
Or, sending a 1-question survey through Google Forms or Typeform (there is a free plan for both).
[bctt tweet=”There is no point in creating content for a channel that your clients aren’t interested in.” username=”RosemariePenner”]
What will you create?
Each channel has something unique it offers their viewers.
While I began with Facebook for my studio. I quickly realized that I need a YouTube channel as well.
This was easier than sending clients all over the web to check out different videos. By having everything curated in one place, they could go to my studio channel.
And once I created a few tutorial videos, those had a home as well.
Step two is deciding what you will create for your studio.
Pictures of smiling students? Facebook or Instagram.
Tutorial videos? YouTube.
Blog articles? Pinterest
Which leads us to …
How often will you post?
You may notice I’m not mentioning Twitter. Unless you are scheduling tweets everyday, I’m not sure it’s the best option. For a small or medium studio, there are other channels you can put your time.
[bctt tweet=”The fact is you have limited time. So every moment spent online is a moment that needs to count.” username=”RosemariePenner”]
Or, you run the risk of getting distracted by …
Thankfully this one was less than 5 minutes. But, we all know it adds up.
Knowing what & how often you want to post online means you can batch your content.
To start, I would recommend posting once a week. This keeps you in the minds of clients & prospective clients.
The key to setting up social media for your studio is consistency.
So, if all you can handle right now is every 2 weeks. Start there!
Create a social media studio schedule
I am a huge fan of batching my work. It ensures I can get into the right head-space & make the most of limited time.
[bctt tweet=”There is only way to truly batch your work. Plan what is coming up.” username=”RosemariePenner”]
This can be as simple as a paper calendar that hangs in your office, spreadsheet on your device, or as complex as a project management subscription.
In my office is a paper calendar with projects for each quarter, plus a monthly view that shows all the important days. I like how visual it is & I can get the big picture.
On my iPad, there is a digital spreadsheet that I use for my online schedule with specific topics, keywords, etc. This is perfect when I’m on my computer or iPad & want to write something.
Both options are free, easy to use & access, plus meet different needs for my businesses.
Keep it as simple as possible.
Quick note on scheduling
As of the writing of this article, Facebook & YouTube allow your to schedule directly in the channel which is great.
Instagram can be done through by linking it to your studio Facebook page (I know confusing, right?)
Pinterest & Twitter both need a third-party program to do the heavy lifting.
You can use something like Hootsuite in order to schedule ahead. Thankfully there are free plans that at least let you get started.
Whatever you do … don’t post everything live! You do not have the time to get on each channel at the optimal time to make this work.
Set it ahead of time so life doesn’t throw you off your (social media posting) groove.
Using themes effectively
Themes are a great way to batch what you will create.
September may be pictures or resources about effective practice.
December could be pictures from a group lesson or videos of students playing Christmas or Winter songs.
April might be all about what makes your studio unique & why students love to be there … so when it’s time for re-registration parents are ready.
Look at what is happening in your studio.
Then, create resources or reminders that match up.
My favourite program for creating images is Canva. And for video creation I use iMovie.
They are both easy to use which makes them a must in my book.
Clients forget to read the email newsletter? Include your important dates on your social media studio updates.
It may be that creating social media posts for this month may be all you can handle. That’s okay.
Set aside some time & schedule out as many posts/pins/videos as you can.
You’ll be surprised at how much you can get accomplish in a short period of time!
And doesn’t it feel great knowing you won’t have to think about it for a bit?
A little help getting started
If this is still sounding a little overwhelming, there is help.
Click below to get TWO FREE social media images you can use in your studio.
Let me know below how you’ve set up … or plan to set up social media for your studio!