Social media has long presented exciting possibilities for music teachers and business owners.

It seems like you should be able to reach lots of people quickly. You can create groups for your audience to communicate with you and each other. And there is always the allure of producing that piece of "viral content" that people share again and again, putting you on the map.

But, there are dangers to basing an entire program or business on social media that every music teacher should be aware of.

You're Not in Control

From a practical perspective, you have no control over what happens to your platform of choice. While Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram may seem like public services, they are not.

And if you're placing a majority of your business or program on social media, there are risks that come with that. Here are a couple of examples where the platform "landlord" changed the game.

In 2019, the platform Google+ closed down completely. People who had thousands, or tens of thousands of pieces of content there lost it all overnight. Those people had to start from scratch.

If you're familiar with YouTube's monetization program, the idea is that once you reach a certain threshold of subscribers and viewed hours, you can be paid in exchange for YouTube running ads on your videos.

Well, a few months ago, YouTube sent a notice out. Essentially saying, "We're going to place ads on videos whether they're on monetized accounts or not. Oh, and you're still not going to get paid unless you reach the subscriber/view threshold."

People were understandably upset. But again, YouTube doesn't owe anyone anything. They own the platform, they're in control, and they can do whatever they want.

Most importantly, if you annoy a competitor, or if someone just wants to screw you over and report you, your account can be shut down. Whether the reasons are legitimate or not.

And as you know, when something goes wrong with one of your social media platforms, you have no recourse. There is no phone number, email, or customer service to help you out.

The Dangers of the Algorithm

It's been well-documented in recent years that social media has harnessed the power of behavioral science to get its hooks into us. That's why we can't help but check our social media feeds all the time.

It's also a compelling case to delete social media off your phone, which I did a couple years ago.

If you're unfamiliar with the concept of the algorithm, it goes something like this. Theoretically, when you check out your Facebook feed, you would see your friends' posts in chronological order. It doesn't work like that.

Instead, Facebook's algorithm uses your actions to figure out your behaviors. And it uses your behaviors to predict the content that will keep you on the platform longer. 

This is why your music program's Facebook page could have 1,000 followers and only 20 people will see one of your posts. Facebook has only deemed those 20 people as being interested enough in your posts for Facebook to display them.

For everyone else, there is some other content that stands a better chance of keeping them on the platform. 

Two great resources to learn more about this are "Irresistible" by Adam Alter and the Netflix documentary "The Social Dilemma."

Some businesses will use Facebook groups for discussion and questions. Again, the algorithm persists. How many times have you tried to join a Facebook group discussion, only to have a notification carry you away to some other place on Facebook?

And finally, social media changes people's behavior. I mean, have you ever gone on Facebook and left feeling happier?

From my experience, something about Facebook in particular leads to everything but civil discussion. People write things they would never say to someone's face. And it has reached a point where people are afraid to ask simple questions for fear of being derided, one-upped, or talked down to.

And that's not what education is about.

So, What Do We Do?

Social media certainly has its place in an overall marketing strategy, but you need to invest your time in your website and bringing people over to your website. 

You are the owner of your website. If you can bring people over from social media and onto your email list (if you don't have an email list, start one today), then you are in control of your communication.

With an email list, you can communicate to your audience however and whenever you want, with zero restrictions and zero worries about being shut down or cut off.

If you want to create a discussion board similar to Facebook groups for your audience, there are two resources I recommend.

Slack - This is intended for co-working groups, but works great for communities to be able to interact with each other without being hindered by an algorithm. It's also free, which is pretty sweet.

Discourse - If you're looking for more of the functionality of Facebook, like being able to post images, videos, etc. in addition to text, Discourse is great. There's a bit of a learning curve to getting around, but it provides a safe, ad-free, algorithm-free space for your community members.

It's a bit pricey at $100/month after the free trial, but the customer service is second-to-none (I had questions at 1:30am and received a response within 15 minutes), and you can have as many community members as you like.

I hope this post has reframed your ideas around social media for your music program, your business, or even your personal life. I would love to hear more of your thoughts in the comments below.

(Incidentally, the comments sections on your website also make for a safe place for discussion that you control. Just sayin'.)

The post The Risk of Relying on Social Media for Your Music Program or Business appeared first on Musiciative.

Just about every marketing guru for music teachers discourages content marketing. Because it's not a quick win to get students in the door. Better to hustle and ask people directly to come in for a lesson. 

That part is true. Content marketing is not a quick win. But the benefits of content marketing are incomprehensible, and will put you lightyears ahead of your competition.

What is Content Marketing, and Why Should I Care?

If you're unfamiliar with the term, content marketing is another form of teaching. It's putting content out on the internet through blog posts, video, podcasting, social media, and any other platforms you can find. In fact, this blog post you're reading right now would be considered content marketing.

With your content, you get to show people the work you do, share your experiences and insights, and even show the world what your students are up to. It's the outside world's opportunity to get to know you and your work. Most importantly, content marketing helps people learn what you stand for.

The change you want to make in the world with your work - and that is something that people are excited to sign up for.

Content Marketing Changes You

You won't see a change right away. Starting a blog today won't bring in new students next week. But, if you stick with it long enough, you will notice a change in you. 

As you produce content, you'll discover what resonates with your audience. And you will find your voice in the world of music education. As you keep producing, you will be able to communicate this to the world more effectively.

At my school, the South Shore Piano School, I started a daily blog shortly after New Year's. It only has a dozen or so steady readers. But that's all that matters to me, that someone is reading my work. As I've maintained a streak of writing and publishing, I've been able to articulate our values at SSPS clearer and clearer.

Our main messages are that music is a skill, not a talent. Anyone can learn it. And the skills students acquire in music lessons will apply to other areas of their lives, making for a happy and successful life.

These concepts aren't new. But, our audience hears this message on a regular basis. Does yours? Or do you have a different message you want to convey? What is your audience hearing from you now? That's what content marketing is for.

Content Marketing as an Asset

This is where things get exciting. As of today, I've written 183 daily blog posts on the SSPS blog. Each day, I write about something significant that I want to communicate to our audience that day. I think about the one student or parent who needs to hear it.

Over time, this accumulated content is an asset being built up. Imagine if you started a weekly blog post, one post a week. How about a video per week while you're at it on your YouTube channel. Keep that up for 10 years. That means after a decade, you'll have 520 blog posts and 520 videos.

Your competitors will likely have zero.

When people compare your content, they will notice a difference. They will see you have generously shared your knowledge with the world on a regular basis. They'll see that you stand for something. They'll see that there is a change you want to make in the world. Your competition will just be selling music lessons.

Who would you sign your kids up with?

It can all start with just one blog post. Give it a try, and let me know what you think in the comments below.

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This is a test post. I'm not looking to do anything amazing here. I just want to see if Thrive Comments works properly. Thank you!

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