How can or should italki teachers approach potential students? I have to be honest: I never booked any lesson by a teacher who sent me a promotional private message out of nowhere. I remember one time

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Miriam

How can or should italki teachers approach potential students?

I have to be honest: I never booked any lesson by a teacher who sent me a promotional private message out of nowhere. I remember one time where this kind of message was riddled with mistakes and I wondered what this teacher could potentially teach me when I can write better in their language than them. Often those messages are very generic and don't spark any interest for booking classes. Also, when I want to book classes I just use the teacher search. I did book classes though by teachers who either commented on my discussions or corrected my notebook entries and showed that they're knowledgable and also know how to teach effectively.

Until now I always thought that teachers weren't allowed to send unsolicited private messages to potential students but I remember that some teachers suggested this method to other teachers who were asking here how to find students, so I looked it up: <a href="https://support.italki.com/hc/en-us/articles/206351698-How-to-find-new-students-" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://support.italki.com/hc/en-us/articles/206351698-How-to-find-new-students-</a>;:

<ul><li>Actively introduce yourself to students - Following potential students and writing messages is time-consuming, but can also be effective. As you look at the profiles of students, you can see what they are searching for.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">GOOD: <em>"Welcome to italki! It looks like you're studying for a job interview in French. I am a French teacher with a degree in Business Management, and I would be happy to help you prepare for your interview. Take a look at my teaching profile and send me a message or request a trial session if you'd like to come up with a study plan."</em></li><li class="ql-indent-1">DO invite students to message you to discuss a possible study plan. If they want to talk more, they can book a trial session. Please only send a message if you believe that your teaching strengths are a good match for a particular student's needs. This message is good because it is friendly, helpful, and most importantly, it shows that you are concerned with that student's particular goals. Nobody likes to get junk mail, but everybody likes a personal letter.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">DO NOT spam lots of random students with unwanted messages or same message, as this counts as spam and harassment under the <a href="https://support.italki.com/entries/21680294-italki-Community-Guidelines" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(13, 57, 87);">italki Community Guidelines</a>. If students think your message is spam, they will report you, and you will be blocked.</li></ul>

So, italki does encourage teachers to contact students with personalised messages but not generic messages.

My question to teachers: Do you contact potential students with personalised or generic messages and does this method work for increasing the number of your students?

My question to students: Do you like to be contacted by teachers with personalised or generic messages? Have you ever booked a class with a teacher who contacted you this way?

My question to everyone: What are other effective ways to gain visibility? What makes you book a class with a teacher? Discussions that the teacher posts? Comments on your discussions? Answers to your questions or corrections of your notebook entries? Or do you just use the teacher search tool?

2 nov. 2019 15:39

Opmerkingen · 26

Sending a message to potential students is not the best marketing strategy. It is actually one of the worse. I started teaching here since May but I never sent a message unless the student initiated it. I only reply to messages. The best promotional strategy is still the video and recommendation.

My students recommended me to their family and friends and so instead of just one member of the family, I am now teaching several. It is the same with IELTS students, especially for Chinese people, they only recommend teachers that they trust can help they get good results.

Although I consider myself as fairly new in this business (6 years). As a Profile-based teacher, I am quite experienced in marketing and sending a message is not an approach that works well. Students find it desperate or annoying.

Students will be the first one to approach teachers that they like.

3 november 2019

As a student, I wouldn't want to be contacted by a teacher, because I know how to make my own researchs.

As a teacher, I don't contact students, I just let my profile do the job.

2 november 2019

iTalki suggests that teachers send reminders to the students and say that they are available for booking a class for tomorrow for example.

But I personally think, it is a rude behavior. I never do that? I never message students to get classes. It is a rude behavior.

I think iTalki has an algorithm that shows some teachers above the others, but I dont know what it is. It is a secret.

One of the thing is that you should be more online.

3 november 2019

I've almost never received PMs from teachers in the way you describe, but I have noticed that Italian teachers use notebook correction to attract attention. In my early days on the site my Italian notebook entries would be corrected several times, and this usually included teachers. I noticed that the same applied to others writing Italian notebooks. I suppose it is a fair way to promote yourself, though I recall an Italian user expressing some disdain for the practice.

Nowadays I'm lucky to get an Italian notebook entry corrected at all, whereas others don't seem to have this problem. I suspect that teachers take note of who is responsive in this way, and cease to show interest otherwise.

I think this may also apply to prospective language partners, at any rate in Italian, who will correct entries if they believe you may accept a language partner request, but don't if they already know that you won't !

2 november 2019

Hi Miriam!

Here are my answers to your questions :

Do you like to be contacted by teachers with personalised or generic messages?

Personalised, without a shaaaaadow of a doubt! If a teacher feels that he or she can bring me a different or more adapted help, then I think we have everything to gain by discussing it together.

Have you ever booked a class with a teacher who contacted you this way?

I didn't book a class but I participated in some teacher projects that approached me. I do not exclude taking lessons with them in the future.

What are other effective ways to gain visibility?

Probably the intervention of the teachers in the discussions. When I choose a teacher, it is essential that we have some kind of friendly complicity. Discussing in a language that is not my own puts me in a vulnerable position, so I have no problem accepting that the discussion is a little more informal. The interventions in the discussions allow me to measure this potential compatibility.

2 november 2019

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Miriam

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Chinees (Mandarijn), Fins, Frans, Duits

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Chinees (Mandarijn), Fins

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