Creating a Stronger Piano Community Through Studio Swag!
Turning fun items with your studio's logo into studio swag is a great way to build community within your studio AND get student referrals!
I recently did a thing that I'm PUMPED to display at my next recital--I created several fun items with my Piano Studio's logo on it to sell to students and their families!
And the best part is that it was SO EASY to do. It only took me a couple minutes to select which products I wanted to display and upload my logo. There are several platforms out there for which you can create and sell custom products, but my go-to is Printify!
Creating a Community
Building a community is an important part of piano student retention. The more connected that students feel to their peers, the more motivated and committed they are to their lessons. Friendships among youth can be a powerful tool as they celebrate one another's accomplishments, encourage each other to keep progressing, and build lasting musical friendships.
This feeling of unity can be amplified when students and families own products or clothing with the same message on it--resembling the team-atmosphere that exists in sports teams or company employees alike.
Passion for music can be channeled towards passion and pride in your Studio. And when someone feels proud of something they belong to, they are more likely to share it with their friends.
Marketing through your Studio Swag
It is not a secret that I am a HUGE advocate for student referrals. In fact, (spoiler alert) this is the "secret sauce" that I share on my Marketing 101 page. Referrals make the BEST students, no questions asked.
Asking for these referrals is a great place to start. But what if you could get your students to refer their friends WITHOUT ASKING?
When students wear your Studio's swag, it is more likely that their friends and their families will be curious and start asking questions:
"I didn't know Tommy was into piano! Where is he taking lessons?"
"How cool that Sarah is taking piano lessons! I've been looking for a piano teacher for my own daughter. Can I get the contact info for Sarah's piano teacher?"
The interest has the potential to be endless as your students proudly sports your Studio swag to school, youth groups, family events, and other extracurricular activities.
Selling your Studio Swag Successfully
I recently finished reading the amazing book, "$100M Offers: How to Make Offers So Good People Feel Stupid Saying No" by Alex Hormozi. Here are a few points I took from his book in preparing to sell my swag successfully so that I BUILD ANTICIPATION leading to the release of my swag and convert that anticipation into actual SALES:
WHISPER the announcement. Don't start shouting your big swag reveal in the streets right out of the gate. Introduce it casually and simply, plant the seed of interest.
TEASE the announcement. Remind families that your big swag reveal is coming and that there will be benefits to making the purchase such as a small thank you gift (i.e. ice cream voucher).
SHOUT the announcement. When it's a week from your big swag release, build the hype!
PRO TIP: Families will feel more driven to make the purchase if they feel the pressure of missing the opportunity. For example, I am only planning on selling my swag during recitals. If they miss the opportunity to purchase a product at one of my recitals, they will have to wait until the NEXT recital to make the purchase.
Start building a stronger piano community today by utilizing the power of Studio swag! Take a glance through some product options on Printify and customize your very own--it's SO FUN and feels so professional!
As always, stay tuned!
(pun unapologetically intended)
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