How to Advertise to Be a Tutor

Co-authored by Tracy Yun, MBA and Danielle Blinka, MA, MPA

Academic & Test Prep Specialist

Last Updated: August 6, 2024 Approved

Being a tutor is a great job for a student or someone who enjoys teaching others. Once you’ve decided to become a tutor, you’ll need to find clients to make your goal a reality. If you’re going to be a private tutor, then advertising for your services is your best bet. To advertise to be a tutor, make your tutoring profile, create advertising materials, and post your ads.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Making Your Tutoring Profile

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1
Choose a subject to tutor. The subject you tutor should be one that you're strong in, so think about which classes you make A’s in. If you make A’s in multiple subjects narrow it down to your favorite subject or two.
- Since you'll be teaching others, you'll need to have mastered the subject yourself.
2
Narrow your grade levels. Most tutors focus on a particular grade level or subject level, such as 2nd-3rd grade, high school level, or simply geometry. Decide which level best suits your skills.^{[1]
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- Go online and look up assignments for the grade levels you're considering to see if you can do the work.
- Consider classes you recently aced, such as the math or science class you took last year.
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3
Create a resume for yourself. Include any kind of tutoring experience you’ve had, including tutoring your friends and family members. Try to think of times that you’ve helped your classmates, as well. This will help you craft a better ad, as well as help you explain to parents why they should hire you.
- Include clubs that you’re a member of if they’re related to the subject you want to tutor. For example, list math club if you want to tutor math, or the literary criticism team if you want to tutor English.
- Include honors classes and related awards, such as a mathletes trophy.
- If you don’t have any experience, look for volunteer opportunities or tutor someone you know who struggles in that subject. Ask if you can tutor them for free to gain experience for your resume.
4
Set your rates. Check the going rates for other tutors in your area. Set your rates based on how much people with a similar skillset to yours are charging.
- Tutors often make between $17 to $45 an hour, based on experience.
5
Choose a location to tutor. You can tutor in your clients’ homes, in your home, or in at a third location, such as a coffee shop or the library. Decide if you have a location preference, or if you’re willing to work with the client. Outline this information in your ad.
- If you plan to go to the client, talk to them about travel time when you’re quoting the job.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Creating Advertising Materials

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1
Make flyers. Flyers are great way to advertise because you can create an eye-catching flyer that has a lot of information. Title your flyer with the type of services you’re providing, then follow up with a few sentences about your qualifications. Use your resume to decide what to write. Make sure to state your rates and provide contact information.
- Great titles tell potential clients what type of service you offer and why they should choose you. For example, “Math Tutoring by Honor Student,” “Tutoring by Certified English Teacher,” or “Qualified Chemistry Tutor.”^{[2]
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- Include a photo to catch people’s eye. For a public flyer, good photos include things like apples, desks, or groups of students. You may not want to post a picture of yourself all around town.
- Always ask for permission before posting your flyers.
2
Write a classified advertisement. Prepare an ad for your local online classifieds or newspaper. You will need to write your headline, summarize your qualifications, state your rates, and provide your contact information.
- Make sure that your ad has a great headline. Try using a similar headline to the one you used for your flyer.
- Keep your classified ad short. Provide just the essential details. You will always have to pay more for a longer ad in a newspaper, and you may have to pay for a longer ad when posting online.
- Include an eye catching photo of either yourself or a tutoring scene.
3
Make Business Cards. Business cards are great for when you meet potential clients in passing. When you hear someone complain about performing poorly in school or how they need help on an upcoming test, you can hand them your card. You could miss out on clients if you don’t have a way to make them remember you. You can also leave the cards at local coffee shops or the library.
- You can make your own business cards if you have a printer. You can find blank business cards at your local department store, office supply store, or online retailer.
- You could also buy low-cost professional business cards online from a site like Vista Print.
4
Make a brochure. Brochures can provide more information about your services and can be especially helpful if your community has a lot of tutors operating in the same place. You can show customers that you are the more professional, qualified tutor by providing additional details about your tutoring services. Having a brochure makes you look polished.
- You can make a hardcopy or an e-brochure.
- Having an e-brochure will also make it easier for you to explain what you have to offer when clients contact you for your services. You can send them the flyer with all of your information.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Posting Your Ads

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1
Publish your ad on your local online classifieds. Post your classified ad to several local advertising sites. Many online sites offer free ads, but you will likely have to pay to post in the local newspaper.
- Try Craigslist, Yahoo! Local, and Angie’s List.
- See if your city has its own community site where you can place ads for local services.
- For online ads, you may have to go back and repost the ad regularly to ensure that people see it. Check back to see if your ad comes up easily when you click on the classifieds.
2
Post your flyers. Hang your flyers in local libraries, near the local school, and in popular establishments that are frequented by teens and families, such as pizza restaurants, ice cream shops, and coffee shops.
- Ask the local school if you can post your flyers in the counselor’s office or in the school library.
- You may also find places that will allow you to leave flyers. For example, some coffee shops have a table where people can leave or take flyers.
3
Distribute your business cards and brochures. Carry your business cards with you so that you can hand them to potential clients. In addition to handing out the business cards, leave your business cards and your brochures at school counseling offices, in libraries, coffee shops, and other places that allow people to leave or post business cards.
- Look for community bulletin boards at places like the library or coffee shops. Pin up a few business cards.
4
Post in social media groups. Join local groups on social media and post about your services. You can look for parents groups, study groups, and groups that are dedicated to the local schools. Your city or town may also have a social media group that allows locals to advertise services, so look for those as well.
- If you really want to get your name out there, consider taking a digital marketing class. This will help you better understand how to advertise on social media.^{[3]
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  Tracy Yun, MBA
  Academic & Test Prep Specialist
  
  Expert Interview. 24 July 2020.}
- Look for homeschooling groups.^{[4]
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5
Create a website.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Tracy Yun, MBA
Academic & Test Prep Specialist

Expert Interview. 24 July 2020.} If you're serious about your tutoring business, you'll want to set up a website at some point or another. Your website should clearly and accurately describe the services you offer as well as positive reviews from any clients you've tutored previously.^{[6]
X
Expert Source

Tracy Yun, MBA
Academic & Test Prep Specialist

Expert Interview. 24 July 2020.}

Expert Q&A

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Question

Where can I advertise myself as a tutor?

Tracy Yun, MBA
Academic & Test Prep Specialist
Tracy Yun is the founder and CEO of Manhattan Elite Prep in New York, New York. With over 14 years of experience in test preparation and admissions consulting, Tracy specializes in managing educational service firms which offer test preparation classes and tutoring courses for SAT, ACT, TOEFL, IELTS, LSAT, MCAT, GRE and GMAT. They also offer K-12 homeschooling services as well as college and graduate school admissions consulting and language, computer, and career training. Tracy graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Economics from California Lutheran University and holds her MBA from Columbia University Business School.

Tracy Yun, MBA

Academic & Test Prep Specialist

Expert Answer

Simple word of mouth can be a great way to advertise your tutoring services.

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Question

What should I do during my first meeting with a new client?

Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed.
Educational Consultant
Alexander Ruiz is an Educational Consultant and the Educational Director of Link Educational Institute, a tutoring business based in Claremont, California that provides customizable educational plans, subject and test prep tutoring, and college application consulting. With over a decade and a half of experience in the education industry, Alexander coaches students to increase their self-awareness and emotional intelligence while achieving skills and the goal of achieving skills and higher education. He holds a BA in Psychology from Florida International University and an MA in Education from Georgia Southern University.

Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed.

Educational Consultant

Expert Answer

You have two stakeholders when you're tutoring: the parents and the student. It's important to sit down with them at your first meeting and discuss their goals. The parents may be looking for one thing, and the student may want another thing, so it's good to hash this stuff out early. Next, you should give the client some form of assessment. This could be a simple math quiz, or a reading test. You need this assessment to determine where your student is starting out in terms of what they know. This is one of the best ways to track progress!

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Question

How can I advertise my tutoring services online?

Tracy Yun, MBA
Academic & Test Prep Specialist
Tracy Yun is the founder and CEO of Manhattan Elite Prep in New York, New York. With over 14 years of experience in test preparation and admissions consulting, Tracy specializes in managing educational service firms which offer test preparation classes and tutoring courses for SAT, ACT, TOEFL, IELTS, LSAT, MCAT, GRE and GMAT. They also offer K-12 homeschooling services as well as college and graduate school admissions consulting and language, computer, and career training. Tracy graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Economics from California Lutheran University and holds her MBA from Columbia University Business School.

Tracy Yun, MBA

Academic & Test Prep Specialist

Expert Answer

I would recommend making a website so potential clients can see what services you offer and read positive reviews about your business. I might also read books about digital marketing or take a class to boost your knowledge of online advertising.

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Tips

Make sure you tutor in a subject that you really know and understand.

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Consider offering a first session for free or a reduced rate.

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Ask your customers to spread the word about your services.

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Warnings

Tutoring is considered self-employment, so you will have to pay the appropriate taxes on your income.

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Always do your best. Slacking off during a session can ruin your entire business because clients will talk.

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Some advertisements are restricted, so ask for permission before you post your flyers or handouts.

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Find out whether you need a business license or other credential to work as a tutor.

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