When I began blogging, I knew nothing about having an “internet presence” or if that was even something I actually needed to establish a career as a professional flutist. Marketing Techniques wasn’t exactly on the list of required courses during my graduate career. I decided to jump into blogging anyways to market some of my research to prospective employers and students searching for an interesting private teacher. I didn’t think anyone was reading my ramblings. What started out as a handy place to regurgitate a few research topics and post my CV eventually became my calling card. My filter became thinner as I began discussing the things on my platform that everyone thinks but nobody says. My voice grew and with it my audience expanded. I developed a number of techniques to promote my ideas online during the years that followed and am proudly one of the top flute bloggers on the internet today. In this blog, I share some of the lessons I learned along the way and some of my best advice for navigating an ever-expanding online music world. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Let's take the first step together!
Find Your Niche. I know – this is a lot more difficult than it sounds and requires some soul-searching. What makes you unique as a flutist? What is on your mind about the flute industry? What are your frustrations and what would you like to change about our current climate? If you are a writer like me, start by freewriting or journaling your unfiltered thoughts. If you are a painter, paint a picture of the current flute scene as you see it. Or, if you are super good at something outside of music, consider how you can combine your strengths into a super cool project. Or, you could simply talk about the intersection of these things on a video series. Let your creativity run free! It is a lot easier to promote fabulous new ideas than simply pitch yourself online as a run of the mill flutist. Let’s face it, you are likely not run of the mill. Explore why before taking the leap into the online scene.
Set Up a Website. Most of us have one of these by now, but if you don’t, the time has come to set one up. There are a number of great free website hosting platforms such as WordPress and Wix that provide numerous super cute web page design templates. Still stuck? Check out Canva for some beautiful and creative templates for your website. Your website should have a catchy but clean homepage with a friendly picture of yourself being the flute star you are. Other tabs should have your bio (Make it fun and show your personality! No boring, “I went here and studied with this famous person who is awesome, and then I played in this orchestra and that orchestra, etc.” More of: “I love beatboxing and playing duets with other super talented flutists gives me life!”), your offerings (lessons, chamber music services, coaching services, tutoring, etc.), a flute blog where you can discuss your niche in either short or long form, and of course a contact page. Keep it simple. Use short, clear descriptions and well-placed, fun pictures. Always get a second set of eyes before you hit publish. But don’t fret if you see a typo or two – update as needed.
Learn About Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Search Engine Optimization or SEO is just a fancy term for practices that draw in more clicks from search engines. When someone searches on Google or any other search engine, what is it about your website that will pull in more traffic using the same search terms than a similar website? This is why having a flute blog on your website is so important. A blog offers a host of opportunities to chat about hot topic subjects which will draw more people to your website and, by extension, your services. The best, most practical approach to SEO is to write about interesting subjects from a unique perspective. What subjects do flutists stress out about the most? Write a blog about that with a catchy title and your own thoughts and recommendations on the subject. Keywords are so important to increasing your SEO. Use terms that folks search for the most. If you are not sure what these would be, hop onto a flute forum on Facebook or Instagram. What are flutists talking about? What are the top professionals discussing on their respective platforms? Offer your take in a separate blog. A final word on websites: If you can spring for the paid, premium subscription on your favorite website hosting program, I highly recommend you make the investment. The upgrade often offers search term tracking so you can see which keywords folks are using to get to your content and which blogs and/or pages are most popular. Create more of what the people want!
Social Media Rules the Scene. Gone are the days when simply having a Facebook business profile and LinkedIn page were enough to draw in a crowd of engaged fans. Instagram is now necessary and Tik Tok will connect you to even more potential fans scrolling social media each day. This is the part where you’ve got to dare to be visible! Create a new post, reel, or story every day for the first 30 days. It doesn’t have to be long or labor intensive. What short peek into your flute life can you share with the world each day? Perhaps it is a picture of your studio set up, a short clip of you practicing a favorite piece of music, or a simple flute fact to share with the world. Be creative! A picture paints a thousand words. And everyone loves a flute selfie! Post away – even if you think it might be weird or embarrassing! The goal is to put yourself out there in any way that flows with your natural niche or flute life persona.
Use those hashtags! I was blindly unaware of the power of the hashtag until recently. Hashtags literally connect related ideas. When someone searches a hashtag, and you are using that hashtag in your content description, they will find your post, reel, or video. A view of the post may eventually lead to a click onto your website. A click on your website might lead to a gig, a new student, an opportunity to collaborate with another musician, or an outside link to your content from another artist. Use as many hashtags as you can on each post and keep them at the bottom of your post so they look neat and organized without distracting from your main content. Check out my post, Hashtag Hunting, for more information on the importance of hashtags (See what I did there? I am linking to my blog from another blog that I am writing about hashtags. Woah…meta!)
How do you promote yourself, your flute playing, your teaching, your super cool flute ideas, and your new projects in the current online climate? How often do you use social media to network with other flutists? How do you remain visible online?
Happy fluting!
***
About the Author:
Rachel Taylor Geier holds a DMA in Flute Performance from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, an MM in Flute Performance from San Francisco State University, and a BM in Music Performance from DePauw University. Former applied instructors include Immanuel Davis, Linda Lukas, Anne Reynolds, and Rhonda Bradetich. Dr. Geier currently teaches and freelances in Davis, California and hosts a popular Flute Friday Blog Series.
