What is the best social media platform for teachers?

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Instagram is arguably one of the best social media channels for teachers looking to grow their businesses

It’s free, quick and easy to set up – and it has 1.4 billion users around the world. 

This, combined with the fact that a handful of teachers have massive audiences, often makes it the first (and final) stop for many language teachers. 

BUT! As you probably already know, Instagram isn’t the only social media platform out there, and it’s certainly not the most suitable one for everyone. So if you hate it, you can breathe a sigh of relief.

Let’s explore how to decide which social media platform is best for promoting your language school or business.

A quick look at the most popular platforms

Before we dive deep into looking at which social media channels you should use, let’s quickly look at the most popular channels available.

PlatformUsersDemographicsBest for
Instagram1.4 billionGen Z, MillennialsReaching a new audience with short content, building connections through stories
Facebook3 billionMillennials, Gen X, Baby BoomersReaching a new audience, building communities with FB groups
LinkedIn1 billionAll generationsNetworking, thought-leadership, creating new connections
TikTok1 billionGen Z, MillennialsReaching a new audience, joining trends, posting short-form content
X556 millionMillennials, Baby BoomersReal-time engagement, sharing opinions, joining conversations
YouTube2.7 billionGen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Baby BoomersMonetising your content, creating longer content, building communities, reaching new audiences

This is just a summary of the most popular channels among different generations. If you want a full view of the data, check this report.

How to choose the right social media platform for your teaching business

It might be tempting to just create a page on a social media channel where your teacher friends are active. But if you want your marketing to be effective, then you need to think about it strategically. Here are 4 important factors to consider.

1. Your business goals

Start by thinking about what exactly you want to achieve by promoting your business on social media. I know you probably want more students, but who doesn’t? That’s not really helpful for choosing which platforms to use and how to use them. So, let’s get more specific. 

More specific, actionable goals may include:

  • Building an engaged community of learners 
  • Attracting more students into your world 
  • Reaching an audience in a new market
  • Getting in front of large organisations 
  • Building a recognisable personal brand

Each of these goals is a step towards getting more students, growing your business and making more money. But since they are more focused, they can give you clues on what exactly you should be doing to get there. 

For example, if your goal is to attract more young students, maybe TikTok is a good place to be. But if you want to build an engaged community, you might want to consider something more intimate, such as a Facebook group. 

This is the BEST way to avoid the overwhelm and take action that drives you forwards.

2. Your ideal students

Obviously, you can’t just choose what to do based on your goal. You also need to consider who your ideal students are and where they are hanging out. 

But not just which channels they are using. You should also think about what they like to use different channels for. For example, there is no point filming long YouTube videos if you know that they don’t like learning via video!

This all starts with understanding who your ideal audience is – something a lot of teachers forget to do. If you haven’t already got a clear picture of who they are, start here!!

Want to know how to learn more about your audience? I explain exactly what you need to do in my FREE guide! Download it here.

3. Your preferences (and personality)

Teachers in my community often say that they wish they could have a business like mine or promote their businesses in a similar way to me. But I guarantee that this wouldn’t work. 

Because there is no one way to use social media that is optimal for everyone. What works for one business owner may not work for another. So, it’s important that you find your own way of doing things. 

When Instagram reels first became a big thing, I know tons of introverted teachers who pushed themselves to film them even though they hated it. And it was obvious. Did this kind of content work? No! Because it wasn’t authentically them. 
A big part of my strategy (and the advice I give to my clients) is to choose the path of least resistance. Creating content and putting yourself out there can feel super uncomfortable, so by choosing the route that feels least challenging, you can make this journey quite a bit easier and more recognisably you.

4. Your time

In the same way that you should think about what you prefer creating, you should also think about how long different content will take you to create. 

Personally, creating carousel posts takes me much longer than filming a video or a podcast. That’s why I focus my energy on creating short social media posts. 

I cannot stress this enough: your time is valuable, and you need to maximise it in order to grow your business at the speed that you want. 

What I want you to remember is that there is no such thing as no-effort social media channels. Everything takes time to learn about and do well.

But you can make things easier by asking yourself for every new channel you consider: are you going to be consistent there? Will it bring you joy?

If not, try something else that won’t suck all your energy and make you feel bad.

How many different social media channels should you use?

I would say that one or two social media platforms is more than enough to reach more students and grow your business. Any more than that and you will likely push yourself to burn out. 

BUT! Remember not to put all of your eggs in the social media basket. As you probably know, social media platforms are always changing. What works one day may not work the next, which can lead to your reach or performance dropping massively without warning. 

Plus, you don’t own your social media pages. You are at the mercy of the platform owners, which means that you could be locked out of your account at any time. 

I don’t say that to scare you. Just to remind you that instead of creating multiple social media accounts, you should start an email list as soon as possible, so you can send your social media audience there.

What should you do when you’ve chosen your social media platforms?

Once you have chosen what the best social media channels are to promote your language teaching business, it’s time to decide what type of content you want to share. Again, this will depend on the same things that we mentioned above, like your goals, your students and your personality. 

Creating a habit of promoting your offers consistently can be hard, even if you’ve found a platform you like. So, if you want support in creating a plan that you feel confident in, you will LOVE the Rocket Fuel. 

This is my 6-week sprint that will give you the accountability and direction to get clear and consistent in your marketing. So you can secure a steady stream of clients without burning yourself out. Click here to learn more!