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Help-How do I grow my bass teaching business?

Ian Stewart

Ian Stewart

Supporting Member
Aug 3, 2017
82
117
40
New York City
www.ianstewartbass.com
#1
Professional, working bassists looking to grow teaching business.



I live in New York City and have a very good performance career, mostly specializing in playing Cuban and South American music along with Latin jazz. I periodically do online seminars for Scotts Bass lessons and have one book published.

I'm looking to expand into getting more private students online via Skype and in-person in the NYC area. I've been working on my website to help advertise this but am curious about other ways of promoting this venture. Open to any suggestions on how to do this. Thanks!
 
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#6
I'm completely ignorant when it comes to lessons and whatnot. I will say this.

Your website looks great. If I was in the market for bass lessons and I stumbled upon your website, I'd likely book them with you assuming price was competitive. Only bringing that up because over the years, and across many different business, I've seen a lot of really awful websites, and many business which don't even have a website at all. A really poor website would probably send me looking elsewhere, no matter the price or value.
 
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#10
I would say to expand your reach, I'm inspired by what Janek Gwizdala has done productising his VideoBassLessons.tv (now called Link Removed). He has dozens of lessons, free ones to get new people started, and has branched out from that by supplying printed books/practice materials on Amazon like "The Good Stuff".

Other people have said this but use your network of NYC contacts to find new people. I would say make your pricing clear online quickly (someone posted here loved your site but didn't know how much you charge) and advertise on social networks and get on other sites like No Treble as a featured artist and/or regular columnist - Damian Erskine is great on No Treble and his own videos.

A lot of what you're asking is basically Digital Marketing, so get on social media and start putting yourself out there. Video ads work wonders, and Facebook ads give you a lot of control over who sees your ads and when, and you can start testing which network fits your business best.

(Reality check: I'm trying to do what you are doing and it's early days, 3 subscribers on YouTube to my channel, Link Removed, teaching musicians how to play by ear).
 
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#11
natobasso said:
I would say to expand your reach, I'm inspired by what Janek Gwizdala has done productising his VideoBassLessons.tv (now called Link Removed). He has dozens of lessons, free ones to get new people started, and has branched out from that by supplying printed books/practice materials on Amazon like "The Good Stuff".

Other people have said this but use your network of NYC contacts to find new people. I would say make your pricing clear online quickly (someone posted here loved your site but didn't know how much you charge) and advertise on social networks and get on other sites like No Treble as a featured artist and/or regular columnist - Damian Erskine is great on No Treble and his own videos.

A lot of what you're asking is basically Digital Marketing, so get on social media and start putting yourself out there. Video ads work wonders, and Facebook ads give you a lot of control over who sees your ads and when, and you can start testing which network fits your business best.

(Reality check: I'm trying to do what you are doing and it's early days, 3 subscribers on YouTube to my channel, Link Removed, teaching musicians how to play by ear).
Click to expand...

Make that FOUR subscribers!
 
#15
natobasso said:
I would say to expand your reach, I'm inspired by what Janek Gwizdala has done productising his VideoBassLessons.tv (now called Link Removed). He has dozens of lessons, free ones to get new people started, and has branched out from that by supplying printed books/practice materials on Amazon like "The Good Stuff".

Other people have said this but use your network of NYC contacts to find new people. I would say make your pricing clear online quickly (someone posted here loved your site but didn't know how much you charge) and advertise on social networks and get on other sites like No Treble as a featured artist and/or regular columnist - Damian Erskine is great on No Treble and his own videos.

A lot of what you're asking is basically Digital Marketing, so get on social media and start putting yourself out there. Video ads work wonders, and Facebook ads give you a lot of control over who sees your ads and when, and you can start testing which network fits your business best.

(Reality check: I'm trying to do what you are doing and it's early days, 3 subscribers on YouTube to my channel, Link Removed, teaching musicians how to play by ear).
Click to expand...

Thank you man! Good point on making pricing obvious.

I just started putting up free mini lessons on my website, so I'll be building upon that every week. My second book is coming out soon too.

It's taken me a long time to get around to putting myself out there online like Scott and Janek, who've both been doing it for at least 9 years. I didn't even have a website when I started teaching at Scott's Bass lessons two years ago.

I've been trying to get a featured column at No Treble for a awhile but it hasn't happened yet. I know Damian too so I'll be sure to pick his brain a bit.

Congrats on your new venture man! It's a great idea. Let's keep in touch and maybe exchange some ideas as we find things that work.
 
#16
Oddly said:
Maybe throw up a free lesson or two on here to entice people to visit your site...which does look great, by the way(although to these tired old eyes, the gray on white text/font size is a bit hard to read).
Also, a little discount for TB members couldn't hurt.;)
Click to expand...

Haha I'll keep that in mind ;)

Good point on the video text.

Like I said to natobasso I just started putting up free mini lessons on my website/Youtube channel, so I'll be putting up new ones every week. My second book is coming out soon too.

Thank you man!
 
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#17
Chili_Time said:
I don't have any advice about tgettting new students but I have to say your Solar bass track is amazing so I'm gonna drop a link for everyone else. Three minutes of quality play.

Practicing Jazz Standards: Solar
Click to expand...

Thank you for your kind words, means a lot. I'm new to the video thing so I was just going for the easiest way I knew how to make a video.
 
#18
GBBSbassist said:
I'm completely ignorant when it comes to lessons and whatnot. I will say this.

Your website looks great. If I was in the market for bass lessons and I stumbled upon your website, I'd likely book them with you assuming price was competitive. Only bringing that up because over the years, and across many different business, I've seen a lot of really awful websites, and many business which don't even have a website at all. A really poor website would probably send me looking elsewhere, no matter the price or value.
Click to expand...

Thank you! That website has been, and continues to be, a long work in progress. I appreciate you taking the time to look at it.
 

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