The 3 ways online ESL teachers can find students

In this video I'll talk about the three methods online ESL teachers use to find students. Most teachers skip number 2, which is the one I recommend!

Instagram: @off2classofficial

[toasterovens]

I applied to Preply in early 2020. It was my first platform, and making the video was a horrible experience, mostly because I was somewhat depressed because of the lockdown and everything related to CV. I had been working for myself teaching evenings and had my own students working for myself. Then came CV and all my students left.
Finally, I got the video finished, and my profile had a score of 91 or 92. It took about 6 months before I got my first and only student. The platform was saturated with new teachers and probably still is. I scrolled through all the teacher profiles and found my profile on page 85.
They take a whopping 33% of your hourly fee, and it decreases the more lessons you teach. Their fee never goes lower than 18% of your hourly price. Every new student gets a free one-hour trial lesson meaning you don't get paid, but that doesn't matter if nobody can see your profile. I attended all their seminars on how to do everything right at least twice.
It is a race to the bottom, like you said. I have been a teacher for 12 years, and my hourly rate for private students is anywhere from 15 to 20 dollars per hour. On Preply, I lowered it from 25 to 19. At 19 dollars minus Preply's fee, I was making 12 dollars per hour.
Thank you for your very informative and helpful video!

[shellymoser]

Great video, thank you! I am applying to many of the ones you've mentioned, and also Verbal planet, which I don't think you had on your list. I don't have experience with them yet as I'm currently applying. Thanks again, your videos are always very helpful!👍😁

[ahmedessam]

Thank you so much... Great video and I can certainly feel the experience you have

[vwtdi]

Great video Chris! Very useful. Italki and Verbling are not accepting English teachers, which is a real pity as they are very large platforms. Would you know when they will start accepting teachers again? tks

[TribalGlobe]

I have my own website and all that and I teach through zoom. I tried one of these marketplaces (eurikly), and really disliked the whole experience. The issue is you get buried in the pages and pages of other teachers, and the teachers who have done more lessons (through that platform) are shown first, which means new teachers, no matter how experienced (outside of their system), or how many lessons they have actually done, are shown as having none, and therefore you are lucky if you are found on page 6. You spend all your time trying to play their silly game just to try to get noticed. delete.

Having said that, I do ok with my site and ads, however, I was searching today for other ways to find new students. Any ideas for those of us who want to go at it on our own would be greatly appreciated!

[jodz]

I'm on preply... and I like it! Good points about setting rates and making a good video.

[elaine]

Thank you very much for this video Chris

[brietoujours]

Thanks for sharing. I'm on both Preply and iTalki but still only have a few students and am learning new strategies. I have remade my video 3 times. What rate would you suggest starting at?

[rgasta]

i liked this video. I am an English teacher in Vietnam. Been off work for almost 2 years. What is the best marketplace at this time, please? Thanks

[Money]

How to market yourself with no experience? Any tips?

[voiceoutmauritius]

I have just gotten approved at Preply, I have to get my 1st student as yet!!

[akiljackson]

don't agree, instead try breaking down the skills needed to start your own online business. market places are just a race to the bottom.