Where should I advertise private lessons?

Start where your students already are: Facebook and WhatsApp groups in your area, noticeboards at universities, academies, libraries and cafés, Instagram, and a profile on a tutor platform. Pick two or three places and keep them up to date. And ask your own students to recommend you to friends and family: they're a great source of new students.

What should a tutoring ad say?

State the language, level and goal, how and where you teach, why students should choose you (your experience, qualifications or testimonials from your students), the price or a free first lesson, and one clear way to contact you. Be brief and specific, and write one ad for each type of student: someone preparing for an exam and someone who wants to chat aren't looking for the same thing. And add your own personal touch: authenticity is key.

Should I put my price in the ad?

Yes, if your price is competitive or you teach somewhere students compare rates. A visible price helps people decide before they write to you and saves you the classic "so how much do you charge?". If you'd rather not include it, offer a free or discounted first lesson (or a "diagnostic session") and let the price come up in the conversation.

Should I add a booking link to my ad?

Yes. With a booking link, interested students can pick a time right away, without waiting for your reply (the urge to learn a language at 11pm isn't always still there the next morning). Make it the only call to action and leave your phone or email as an alternative for people who prefer to write to you. If you use a flyer, add a QR code that leads to that link.

How do I get my first private students?

Start with what's closest to you: tell the people around you, post in two or three local or online groups and ask for referrals. Offer a free or discounted first lesson and share a booking link so interested people can book a time straight away, without waiting for you to reply. Reply within a few hours and, after about 5 lessons, ask each student to recommend you to anyone looking for a teacher.

What should a tutoring flyer include?

An original design that stands out, large text on an A4 page and, clearly: the language, who the lessons are for, whether they're online or in person, the price or a free first lesson, and your contact details. Add a QR code to your booking link so anyone walking past in a hurry can book in seconds, and make it very clear that asking is free. The old-school flyer, but with a QR code.

Guides

How to advertise private language lessons: ad, flyer and templates

Got free slots on Tuesday afternoons and the energy to teach? A good tutoring ad is short, specific and easy to answer. In this guide you'll find where to post it, what to put in it and four free templates you can copy today: three online ads and one printable flyer.

By Martina MonrealLanguage teacher since 2016Updated 10th of October 2026

Gouache illustration of a young student with headphones and a backpack tearing a strip off a lesson flyer on a notice board next to a bakery, on a sunny Spanish street, with a bicycle nearby.

How do language tutors get new students?

To get new students as a language tutor, combine referrals, local groups and a clear ad. Post where your students already look, say exactly who your lessons are for and give them an easy way to book. Use the templates below and replace the text in [brackets] with your details.

Where to post: Local groups, social media, noticeboards
What to include: Language, level, price, contact
Templates: 3 ads and 1 flyer
One action only: A QR code, a booking link

Key takeaways

A good private lessons ad states the language, level and goal, how and where you teach, why students should choose you (experience, qualifications or testimonials), the price or a free first lesson, and a clear way to contact you.
To get students, pick two or three places and keep them up to date: local groups, social media, noticeboards, a tutor platform or referrals from your own students, which you can ask for after about 5 lessons. It's better to post in a few places you keep an eye on than everywhere without paying attention.
Write one ad for each type of student: an exam preparation ad and a conversation ad are aimed at different people, so don't try to cover both with a single ad. And add your own personal touch: authenticity is key.
Reply to interested students within a few hours, while they're still comparing teachers and before they book someone else: often people just need a little nudge to take the leap.
Put a single booking link in the ad (or a QR code on the flyer) as the only call to action, so the student can pick a free time without messaging back and forth.

Where to post your ad

Advertise your private lessons in two or three places where your students already look: local groups, social media, noticeboards, tutor platforms... You can also ask your own students for referrals.

Go where your students already are, post, and keep it up to date. For a digital space (like a Facebook page), an ad that isn't updated sinks under new messages. For a physical space (like a bookshop noticeboard), the same can happen: more people pin their ads on top of yours.

Places to post a private lessons ad
Place	Who you reach	Cost	Tip
Local groups (Facebook, WhatsApp)	People in your area who want lessons close to home	Free	Check the group's rules and repost with a new message.
Social media (Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok)	People who want to "get to know you" before writing to you	Free	Post a short video of an exercise or a moment from a lesson.
Noticeboards (universities, academies, libraries, cafés)	Students looking for in-person lessons nearby	Just the cost of printing the flyer	Add a QR code to scan and use an original design to stand out.
Tutor platforms	People looking for a teacher who also see many others	See their site	Write a clear profile and reply fast if they ask you something.
Your own students	Friends, classmates and family of current students	Free	Remind them from time to time: "I'm available for more lessons!".

What to put in a tutoring ad

A private lessons ad should state the language, the level (you can use the official scale, like "A2, C1", or something simpler like "beginner, advanced") and the goal, how and where you teach, why students should choose you, the price and an easy way to contact you.

Put yourself in Laura's shoes: she's spent half an hour scrolling through ads on her phone before deciding whom to message. Your ad has to answer her questions before she asks them:

Who the lessons are for: language, level and goal (exam preparation, work...).
How and where you teach: online or in person, group or one-to-one, and your usual days and times, or whether you're flexible.
Why you: your experience, your qualifications or testimonials from your students.
The price and/or a free first lesson (or a "diagnostic session").
A clear, easy way to contact you or book.

Ad templates

Use these three private lessons ad templates for online lessons, exam preparation or in-person lessons: copy one and replace the text in [brackets] with your details. Then don't forget to give the text or the design your own special touch... Remember, authenticity is key!

Copy one, replace the text in [brackets] and keep it short if you're going to share it online. Adjust the language, level and price to your lessons.

Template 1: online lessons

Want to learn [language] without leaving home? I'm [your name], a [language] teacher, and I give one-to-one online lessons of [duration] minutes, tailored to your level and what you need: work, travel or simply wanting to talk. I've been teaching for [number] years. The first lesson is free, so you can see if we click. Book your slot here: [booking link]

Template 2: exam preparation

Have the [exam name] exam coming up? I'm [your name] and I'll help you prepare with mock exams, feedback on every answer and a study plan built around your date. One-to-one lessons or small groups. [percentage] of my students have passed with [result]. Price: [price] per hour. Book a free call and we'll talk it over: [booking link]

Template 3: in-person lessons

[Language] lessons in [area] Hi! I'm [your name], a [language] teacher with [number] years of experience. Conversation, grammar and anything you're struggling with, at a nearby café, on [days]. Price: [price] per hour. Message me on [phone] or book directly here: [booking link]

Flyer template for private lessons

A good private lessons flyer has a good design, large text, a clearly defined offer, your contact details and a QR code with your booking link built in.

If you teach in person, try the classic flyer too, in cafés, libraries, bookshops and universities.

A4 flyer

LEARN [LANGUAGE] WITH [YOUR NAME] Private lessons for [children, adults, exam students] - One-to-one or small groups - Online and in [city or neighborhood] - First lesson free - [Number] years of experience Book your first lesson: [booking link or QR code] Phone: [phone] | Email: [email]

Add a QR code that opens your booking link: anyone walking past in a hurry can book from the flyer in seconds. Make it very clear that asking is free!

From ad to first lesson

To go from ad to first lesson, reply within a few hours, share a booking link like SmartCookie's so the student can pick a slot, and follow up after the trial lesson.

After the ad, make the next step easy for the student. Reply quickly, make booking easy and follow up. Often we all need a little nudge to take the leap, especially when it comes to starting to learn a language.

1
Post your ad
Post one ad per type of student in your two or three chosen places, with your booking link. It's better to post in fewer places and keep an eye on them than to post everywhere and not be around for any replies.
2
Reply quickly
Answer within a few hours, while the student is still looking (and before they find someone else). It's about paying attention, making it clear you're there and that you can help them solve their problem.
3
Share your booking link
Send the link so the student can pick a time that fits your calendar, without all the back-and-forth of messages.
4
Give the first lesson
Use the trial lesson to get to know the student, set goals and explain your prices. Doing this is part of your job and you shouldn't apologize for it.
5
Ask for a review or referral after the first few lessons
After a lesson, send the next available times and, after (roughly) 5 lessons, ask the student to recommend you to anyone looking for a teacher.

SmartCookie gives you a booking link with your availability: your students only see the free slots in your schedule and each booking shows up in your calendar automatically (and you skip the "Does Thursday work? What time?"). Booking link for language teachers

Turn doubts into booked lessons

Add your booking link to your ad and let each new student pick a time without all the back-and-forth messaging.