Every few months, the same question resurfaces in the private music teaching world:

“Do paid ads actually work for getting new students?”

And it’s a fair question. With how much “marketing advice” gets pushed at teachers, it’s easy to feel like you’re supposed to be running Facebook ads, Google ads, boosted posts, retargeting campaigns, highway billboards and somehow magically filling your studio overnight.

But what’s actually happening? What are real teachers experiencing?

Is paid advertising a meaningful strategy for private studios or just a good way to burn cash?

I spent the week going through dozens of conversations where music teachers shared candidly about what’s working (and what’s absolutely not working) when it comes to ads. Below is a clear-eyed view of the current landscape and how I think about ads as the marketing lead here at Outside The Bachs.

1. Paid Ads Are Nuanced, Expensive and Difficult to Optimize

One teacher summed it up perfectly: “Every time I do it, it feels like I’m flushing money down the crapper.”

Paid ads require:

• precise targeting

• strong creative

• a compelling offer

• a fast website

• a clean funnel

• excellent copy

• A/B testing

• ongoing optimization

That’s a lot of moving parts for a solo studio owner who already manages teaching, admin, scheduling, billing, parent communication, and the 16 other hats they wear.

And that’s why so many teachers report the same thing: spending money and getting nothing.

Several teachers shared:

• “Traffic doesn’t stay on the website.”

• “People click, but nobody fills out a form.”

• “My ad was served to people 20 miles away might as well be the moon.”

• “I don’t use FB or IG ads anymore they don’t land quality leads.”

This isn’t surprising. Ads rely heavily on intent and most people scrolling social media are not actively looking for lessons.

One teacher said: “My ideal students aren’t looking for a teacher while scrolling.”

2. Ads Can Work for the Right Studio, in the Right Conditions

There are studios having success with ads but their situations share specific characteristics:

A. Hyperlocal Awareness Ads (Not Lead Gen)

One teacher with a 300–500 student school shared: “I don’t do lead gen. I run awareness ads. They act as my storefront.”

This works because:

• They have a large, established studio

• They operate in a dense area

• Their brand is already known

• They track signups via a coupon code

• They treat ads as brand presence, not conversion

This is not the average private studio.

B. Search Ads for Multi-Teacher Schools

Several teachers with larger operations reported success specifically with Google ads but not Meta ads, because Google captures intent-based searches like:

“piano lessons near me”

“clarinet teacher in St. Louis”

“voice lessons for teens”

People searching these terms are already looking.

One teacher even said: “I probably doubled my business from Google ads.”

It’s worth noting that this is far more common with music schools, not solo teachers.

C. Paid Ads Work Better With Professional Systems

Teachers who do well with ads typically have:

• a strong brand

• a fast, professional website

• good SEO

• a clear offer

• a polished landing page

• strong copy

• automated follow-up

But most teachers who ask us about ads are missing those things.

Ads will put fuel into what’s already working. If the system is weak, ads fuel that weakness.

3. There’s a Massive Shift Happening (And Teachers Feel It!)

More than one teacher expressed discomfort about the current state of online advertising, because teachers are sensing the shift away from pure digital marketing toward something older, slower, and more honest.

Is it possible that human connection directly leads to better student/teacher fit?

Private lessons (either in a 1:1 or small group setting) are a human connection that can’t be replicated by a robot in 2025. What if a paid digital marketing aspect just isn’t converting as well as it used to?

4. The Most Successful Teachers Aren’t Getting Students From Ads But From These Sources:

The Top Sources of Student Enrollment Today:

• School connections

• Local partnerships

• Website SEO

• Content that builds trust

• Local Facebook group conversations

• Teacher referrals

• Community events

• Personal brand visibility

• “Word of mouth”

Teachers consistently repeated variations of:

“Word of mouth gets me my best students.”
“Networking with schools works better than anything else.”
“Helpful content earns more trust than ads.”
“SEO outperforms ads for me.”

This aligns perfectly with what we are about at Outside The Bachs:

If you want a sustainable studio, build relationships.

If you want a fast influx, build visibility.

If you want longevity, build trust.

5. My Professional Take: Why OTB Doesn’t Lead With Paid Ads

I don’t consider paid ads a foundational strategy for starting out with building a private studio.

Are they a tool? Sure. Are they the first tool to reach for? Absolutely not.

A. Paid ads reward studios that are already stable and not studios just starting out.

If you don’t have:

• your ideal student identified

• your messaging clear

• your pricing solid

• your policy firm

• your enrollment funnel tight

• your brand consistent

Ads will not fix those problems (I’ve seen it first hand!)

B. Organic methods are more sustainable.

Local connections, SEO, partnerships, content, school relationships, human support.

These compound over time, ads stop the moment you stop paying.

C. Most teachers don’t want to become ad strategists.

And honestly? They shouldn’t have to.

D. Ideal students come from trust not from an algorithm.

When parents/students find you through:

• a teacher referral

• a school partnership

• a friend

• your content

• your website

• your community presence

They come in warmer, more aligned, more motivated, and more likely to stay for years.

Paid leads are often flaky, confused, price-shopping or looking for the cheapest option.

E. Human support beats automation every time.

People trust other people they can interact and shake hands with. Within our Outside The Bachs accelerator studios we are seeing success with the in-person guest lecture or masterclass at schools in order to get IRL face-time and start the trust-building process.

Even if the lesson delivery is online though video call, show me the beginning of the relationship between student and teachers and I can probably predict the longevity and success of it.

6. Should a Studio Ever Use Paid Ads?

Yes, especially if it is used strategically. Because here’s when ads do make sense:

• You have a multi-teacher school

• You have a budget and runway

• You have a proven enrollment funnel

• You have strong SEO and social media already

• You want awareness, not instant conversions

• You understand testing and optimization

• You’re in a mid-density area (not too rural, not too urban)

For the majority of private teachers? Start with human marketing strategy, not digital advertising.

7. If You Feel Like You are Missing Out

“Shouldn’t I be advertising?”

“Am I missing out?”

“Is everyone else doing ads but me?”

Most teachers are not using ads.Those who are often struggle or see inconsistent results. Those who succeed have very specific setups.

You’re not behind, you’re just a human musician, serving other humans in a profession that thrives on real relationships.

Want Help Building a Studio That Doesn’t Depend on Ads?

Inside our programming, we help teachers build:

• their visibility

• their professionalism

• their pricing

• their policies

• their systems

• their marketing

• their communication

• their enrollment pipeline

Without paid ads, with real human support.

If you want to talk through your studio, your goals, and whether paid ads would even make sense for your situation:

👉 Book a free studio strategy session with a real human from our team