How to Find Students As a Private Tutor
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Are you a private tutor or an online tutor? Then, you might be familiar with the challenges of finding and attracting students.
Once you have become a tutor, the students won’t magically appear out of nowhere. You have to find them to keep your business running. However, not every tutor might be a marketer.
So, we have created this guide to help tutors like you find students from different channels. Here, we will discuss what types of students you should target and some effective tips for finding students.
What types of students should you target
Before starting as a private tutor, it’s important to know which types of students you should focus on.
It helps in marketing or adjusting the style of teaching accordingly. Here’s a look at the different types of students you might want to target:
1. School students
Primary and secondary students: These include students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Parents normally hire tutors to help their children excel in specific subjects or improve their examinations and class performance. You need to know their curriculum and what exams they take in school.
High school students: They mostly require help with standardised tests and advanced subjects. If you have great test prep or other specialised subject skills, focusing on high school students is wise.
2. College students
Undergraduates: College students frequently seek help with challenging courses, projects, and exam preparation. If you are an expert in higher maths, science, writing, or programming at a college level, then targeting undergraduates could prove well worth your effort.
Graduate students: Graduate students seek tutors who have particular knowledge or skills—like writing a thesis or advanced research methods. With advanced degrees or professional experience, it would be easy to present yourself as an expert to grad students.
3. Adult learners
Professionals seeking skill improvement: Most adults seek to learn new skills to improve their professional lives. It could be a new language, software, or business skills. Focusing on professionals can help you make good profits as they value practical and solution-oriented tutoring.
Hobbyists and lifelong learners: Some adults learn for self-improvement. From learning to play a new instrument, a new craft, or some other subject of interest, these learners are highly motivated and prefer personalised tutoring.
4. Special needs students
Students with learning disabilities: You can help these special students if you are specifically trained to do so. Adapting your teaching methods can make all the difference in boosting their academic progress and confidence.
Gifted students: Gifted students need more challenging material and a faster pace than is available in most classrooms. If you enjoy creating an advanced curriculum, the gifted can be a very rewarding student segment to work with.
5. Test preparation students
Test takers: Preparations for tests such as the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, and MCAT are in demand. If you have great test-taking strategies and content knowledge, focusing on this niche can be very profitable.
Certification seekers: Many professionals need certification and seek tutors to help them pass these exams. Targeting students from IT certifications to professional licensure exams can be a very profitable niche.
How to find students who need private tutoring
When finding students as a private tutor, there is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Your strategy to find students might vary based on the type of students and subject matter you focus on.
However, there are some commonly used tactics to attract students. Let’s explore them:
Register with a tutoring platform
This is the most common and most profitable strategy used by private tutors. Tutoring platforms like Teach Bunny connect students with suitable tutors based on students’ needs and goals.
Probably the best thing about tutoring platforms is you will gain access to a large pool of students who are looking for tutors. Therefore, you reduce time spent on finding students and the chances of engaging in a conversion with students are also higher when done through a safe tutoring platform.
Use online directories
An excellent way to acquire more students is through online tutor directories. Creating profiles in popular tutoring directories will help you reach an even larger audience of potential students.
Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages to using an online tutor directory, also known as an online tutor marketplace. Therefore, consider them carefully before you register.
When creating your profile, make sure to include:
- Latest photo of yourself
- Brief description of tutoring service offered
- Your qualifications and experience
- Your hourly rate
- Any special promotions or discounts you’re offering
Start blogging
You can find new students for your tutoring business through a blog and search engine optimisation (SEO) of your website. SEO will make sure that Google picks up your posts and includes them in results when someone is searching for something. This usually takes some time because it may take a while to write quality blog posts.
When writing blog articles, consider focusing on topics tailored to your specific audience and their interests. Also work to ensure every post is well-optimised for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
For example, a tutor in math may write blog posts about how to study for a maths test, perform well on a maths placement exam, or finding the right natural science tutor.
Similarly, a music tutor may write articles on how to practise a certain instrument effectively, finding an appropiate music teacher, or how to get into the music school of their dreams.
Develop a website
An important tactic that will increase the legitimacy of your tutoring services is having a professional website that will become your learner’s first point of contact. Your website is where you can run effective marketing campaigns.
Whether your business is small or large, it should have a homepage, an about us page, a service catalogue, a contact form, captivating UI/UX, and easy site navigation.
The task of building a website may get tiresome. However, the technology today makes it possible to have a website without much hassle and within less time.
Utilise word-of-mouth referrals
Word-of-mouth by the current students or their parents is one of the most powerful methods of getting new students.
If one of your acquaintances recommends you to another person, then he/she may easily become your student. You can also ask family and friends if they know anybody who will be interested in your tutoring services.
You can text or call potential students or you can even make a general post across personal social media channels. Using your personal network to build your professional network really pays off.
By getting word-of-mouth referrals, you can attract new students to your online tutoring business without spending any money.
Offer free demo classes
Offer a free demo class of your services; this becomes one of the most attractive ways to bring your tutoring right in front of your target students. Allow your target clients to understand how your classes work in real life with the demo class.
Since there are no commitments to payment, the chances are that your clients experience and leave an honest opinion about your tutoring services. The demo class is the platform for creating the first impression for students and parents. Put in your effort to leave a good impression and drive them to be your clients.
Sign up with Teach Bunny to get students!
From all the methods discussed above, the most effective and easiest way to find new students is by registering yourself as a private tutor at a tutoring platform. And Teach Bunny is here to help you with just that.
With a vast student base, we help you unlock new tutoring opportunities while reducing your time spent on searching for new students to help or simply handling admin relating to the booking and payment process. Whether you want to tutor students virtually or in person, we offer you both options with the utmost flexibility and with no hidden registration fees. Reach out to us today and see the difference we can make in your tutoring career!
Conclusion
To find students to tutor, you need to be patient while knowing what skills you have to offer and who you are targeting to help. Begin researching your targeted students. Next, define the value your potential students will gain from your services – your own knowledge. It will change the way you approach and think about effective private tutoring.
Lastly, always keep an eye on the fees charged by other tutors in your field. Pricing your services competitively and for example considering offering a first lesson for free to students can help establish trust while helping you grow an engaged student base quicker. We look forward to following your tutoring journey and are here to support you along the way!