It's simple, easy, and very effective to operate a social media page like Facebook, or Instagram. Not to mention - prospects are far more likely to find you these days on social media than by happening across your website. Therefore, you must have at least one social media "page" on a popular platform.

If you're just getting started, we recommend just picking one platform and doing a good job with it. Facebook is still the gold standard, but Instagram and even TikTok can be great too.

If you're not comfortable or "into" social media, no problem! Your band will have plenty of people that are (or someone will have a kid or grandkid who is, hopefully!). Find the person or two who you know you can rely on to do a good job and represent the band in a good light, and hand the torch to them.

Nothing else you do on your social media page is as important as letting the world know you teach beginners, and that your band is a cool place to learn music and socialize. Make sure your social media platforms convey this clearly, and that your message isn't clouded with posts about competition results, eccentric industry news, or inside jokes to your band members.

Remember – your main audience for social media isn't your band members, it's everyone else. Potential learners, potential clients to hire you, even other bands in your area – if they know you're teaching learners by seeing it on your social media feeds, they're more likely to refer interested learners they hear about to you as well!

We have also set up some social media Canva templates, with suggested post text and images to help with recruiting new players.

Get your "auto-responder" set up on your Facebook page's message inbox

When people message you via the social media platform, you need to be prepared to respond right away. Where possible, we highly recommend an "auto-responder" to ensure no inquiries get missed.

Benefits of your auto-responder:

1. Professionalism: Auto-responses present a level of professionalism. They let your followers know you take your band seriously, and that you appreciate and value their engagement.
2. Instant Acknowledgement: They ensure that anyone messaging you gets an immediate response acknowledging their message. This is important because people nowadays expect quick responses.
3. Managing Expectations: Auto-replies can be used to manage expectations about when a person can expect a real reply.
4. Avoid Missing Messages: They can prevent important messages from being missed, especially during high volume periods.
5. Lead Generation: They can be useful for lead generation. You can use the auto-response to point people to your website, upcoming performances, or merchandise store.

Setting Up an Auto-Responder on Facebook:

1. Go to your band's Facebook page.
2. Click "Settings" at the top right of your page.
3. Click "Messaging" in the left column.
4. Scroll down to the section "Response Assistant".
5. Click right next to "Send Instant Replies to anyone who messages your Page" to turn it on.
6. Edit the message by clicking "Change", typing your message, and clicking "Save".
   Tip - include a link to your "Join us" page right here in your initial auto-response. That way, if the message is about joining, they'll be able to get the info they need without needing to wait for a real person to respond.
7. Click "Save" at the bottom.