How to Advertise Your Tutoring Services on Craigslist

Craigslist is awesome because you can advertise for free and your ad will have little competition on the page. I rarely see more than 5-10 ads for tutors on craigslist for each day. Here are some guidelines you can follow to write a great craigslist ad.

1. Stick to advertising one subject in your ad.  A common misconception is that you can get more clients by appealing to a more general population. If there are other subjects you'd like to tutor, make just make separate posts for them. Why? Think about it, if you were looking for a Trigonometry tutor would you click on the post titled "MATH TUTOR" (I got the previous example directly from craigslist) or "Experienced Trigonometry Tutor"? By advertising one specific subject you can appeal specifically to the clients you want to attract. By appealing to everyone you appeal to no one.

2. Be descriptive in your title and location fields. Be descriptive in your title; include the subject you've selected to tutor in as well as whatever adjective describes you best whether it be 'experienced', 'college grad', 'certified teacher', etc. In your location field make sure to tell your location as well as a note stating you're willing to travel (if you're willing to travel).

3. Clearly and concisely state your experience, qualifications, and why you should be hired. You want to have the least amount of text possible while avoiding crappy posts such as: "im in college. chem major. email if interested." After briefly stating your qualifications and experience, tell your prospects in why you should be hired. Make sure that you focus on a quantitative benefit. For example, "I have the knowledge and experience to tutor any student!" is something you want to avoid. If I'm looking for a tutor then it's a given that they should have knowledge and at least some tutoring experience. Instead, use something like: "75% of my students have increased their World History scores by a full letter grade within just one month!" The most important thing is to be honest. Don't promise anything you can't deliver.

4. Provide as many ways to be contacted as you can. I personally provide my email, Facebook profile, LinkedIn profile, Twitter account, and cell number (making sure to tell potential clients to call or text me anytime). When I make posts for RocTutor, I also include a link to Facebook, Twitter, and the website. Your prospects will all have different preferred modes of communication and you want to be easily accessible by whatever means they prefer. Make sure you check your voice mail greeting and would be okay with customers hearing it.

5. Price to value. Do not under any circumstances try to advertise your services lower than your competitors. Getting into a price war is a race to the bottom. Instead, go above and beyond expectations and work hard to prove that you're worth the price you ask for. I started charging $15/hr and then steadily increased my rates to $30/hr once I began getting more clients than I could handle. If you're good, the news will spread, and then you can start increasing your rates.

6. If you already have clients, ask them if they'd be willing to be references for new clients. In my experience, my clients have been happy to help me out by volunteering as a reference for me. If you give them your best work they will feel obliged to help you in return. Including references can help to win over skeptical first-time customers and they also let potential clients know that you've been successful tutoring in the past.

If you have any questions, comments, or criticisms please don't hesitate to share them in the comments!

How to Make Money Tutoring as a College Student

Being broke is part of the college experience but it does get old. Here is how I started making money tutoring while I was in school without having to invest any money out of pocket.

1. Pick a subject you'd like to specialize in. Your major is the best choice. If you have other subjects you're good in that you do on the side (such as writing or playing an instrument) those may also be good choices to include. Advertise a maximum of three subjects that you can tutor in. This will help attract clients because you will appear to be more knowledgeable than someone who lists every subject they can think of.

2. Advertise your services! Craigslist is a great place to start. I still advertise there and it is also where I get the majority of my clients. Another useful resource is UniversityTutor.com which is an online tutor directory. You can create a profile and they allow you three free connections before they ask you to become a paid member. UPDATE (1/6/2011) I just took another look at UniversityTutor and you can be listed for free now; the paid version helps you get to the top of search results. Flyers are also an option. Print some at your campus computer lab and post them locally where you can (libraries and Topps are good spots in Rochester).

3. Base your hourly rate on your experience tutoring. Your education and qualifications are also important factors and should be included in your advertising. If you have limited tutoring experience I'd recommend starting at $15 and hour. As you develop your skills tutoring (or if you discover that you have a natural talent for it) then begin to raise your rates. You should also begin to raise your rates if you're getting more clients than you can handle. As the demand for you increases, so should your hourly rate!

4. Be easy to contact. I make my cell phone number (with the note "Call or text anytime!"), email address, Facebook profile, and LinkedIn profile obviously available in my advertisements and on my websites. I recommend you do the same. Your clients will have different modes of communication that they prefer and you want to be as easy to contact as possible.

5. Specify where you can tutor. I didn't have a car when I lived on campus at school so I suggested that clients meet me at the campus library so we had a quiet room and access to all of the libraries resources if needed. If you have a car, let clients know that you can travel to meet them at their home or a public location of their choice. Depending on the distance you have to travel you should consider charging for travel.

6. Be prepared for anything! You will encounter students that are completely unprepared. This is why you should always have paper, writing utensils, any relevant books you own (or have checked out from the library), and your schedule with you. Bring your college textbooks to refer to pictures or the glossary or check out books from the library that could also be useful. You'll impress the parents and it can enhance your tutoring sessions. Your schedule is important so that you can schedule the next session(s) on the spot.

I'm more than happy to answer any questions or comments you may have. Best of luck to you!