How to market my coaching business?
“By definition, remarkable things get remarked upon. ”
Something that I hadn’t realized before I got into the coaching business: ‘90% of marketing and 10% of coaching’. This had been the biggest culture shock for me as I was ready to launch my business. I found myself confused, scared and having multiple self-doubt moments.
Why?
If no one knows about you, you don’t have a business.
Therefore, whether you are a new startup coach or a coach who has been around the market for years, the essential part of your coaching business lies within marketing! The sooner you get out there, the better you are in growth.
That being said, many clients I work with are fresh out of the coach certification program and have absolutely zero experience in marketing or sales but are passionate about fulfilling a calling in this industry.
Many want to quit the 9-5 full-time job and transition into full-time coaching. The freedom to decide for themselves when they would like to book the next vacation with their family and have the time to cheer their kids in their baseball game. But it is no surprise that after experiencing a few bumps in the road in starting their coaching business, they realize that marketing plays an integral part in how they will transition and scale successfully into the coaching business.
Here are five key points on how to market your coaching business.
Build Relationships
I’ve asked thousands of coaches who you coach; it’s fascinating how many of them would come up with the answer like, “oh, I can work with anybody.” “I coach People.” “If they are alive, I can coach them.”
And when I head over to their website, the first line you see is “I coach individuals….”
While these statements aren’t incorrect, and it is true that you can indeed work with everyone- Friends, Family, Colleagues, former employers, companies that you love to shop, and places you go to most frequently.
When you are looking for places to “spread” this good news that you just became a certified professional coach, don’t forget these places where people already know you. They are you, “INDIVIDUALS,” and “EVERYBODY.”
Sure, one might argue I don’t want to sell it to my friends and family. No one is asking you to…Ask for referrals, ask for connections. What you ask your friends and family doesn’t have to involve selling. It’s about putting yourself out there to the Universe so you can receive what returns to you.
Need More Tips on Creating Content That Your Potential Clients Will Resonate with? Grab a copy of Content Planner For Women Coaches To Get Started Today.
Nothing is Free, and It is ALWAYS a Complimentary -Testimonials
A typical scarcity mindset says I need to offer coaching for free. An abundance mindset says what is the opportunity here.
A standard measure of competency for newly certified coaches is often associated with the lack of confidence to charge for the skills they have and not the years of experience they have.
It is so common that I hear new coaches say, “I will coach them for free.”
The mindset change that needs to take place is that nothing is “FREE.” It’s always complimentary.
The complementary is the fact that there’s an exchange of values in terms of MONEY, but there is an exchange of values in terms of TRANSFORMATION. It may not be monetary at the time but it is something that you can find the value in offering the service to your client, and in return, your coachee is giving you something valuable in return.
It is the experience they receive
It is the testimonial you get from working with your clients
It’s not monetary, and that may be okay, but you are getting value out of working with your clients with the skills that you have acquired.
Don’t Make It Complicated! Only Keep It Consistent
We see a trend in 2021 and 2022; short videos on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have brought in lots of positive results, even in the coaching industry. The age population on these platforms ranges from 20 to 50.
If you are not a tech-savvy coach, it doesn’t mean you are at a disadvantage. Don’t make it complicated, and don’t think it complicated. The format of this type of content tends to be geared toward entertainment and education. Your audience who are attracted to you wants to see the REAL person behind a website, behind an email.
The truth is if they are willing to come to your webinar, they will not care about how you look and the imperfection of your video. After all, you are only Human!
How you hook your audience with visuals, sounds, and compelling content is important; however, CONSISTENCY is always the key to experiencing any type of marketing success for you and your business. Don’t let the fear of wanting to make it perfect stops you from being consistent!
Be Clear, Concise, and Easy To Digest
Your coaching business needs a concise and easy-to-digest message for your reader, followers, and potential clients to understand.
One of my biggest mistakes when I first started out on my coaching business journey is being too vague. Too vague that I can not tell you how often friends and family would come to me and ask me, “What is it that you do?”
Does your coaching business have a mission statement? Grab a copy of the 5 steps to creating a magnetic messaging guide here.
Can your clients understand the values you stand behind in your business?
There is no room for rambling.
Too often, I see new coaches fall into the rabbit hole of using big industry jargon like “Hi-Ticket Coaching business”, “Reaching the high potentials,” “Authenticity,” and “Confidence”. Truthfully, unless you are a coach yourself, NOBODY cares.
Most of us only care about how can you help us. What can you do to save me time and money?
Time is money.
Keep your message to the point and use languages that your soulmate clients can understand.
Tagging is not marketing; it’s SPAMMY
Correctly tagging someone or a brand can help you notice that person or brand you’ve posted about them, leading them to start a conversation with you or even follow you.
It also makes it much easier for them to share your post onto their own feed or story, increasing the number of people who see your original post.
However, this has happened to all of us at some point on social media where you just mind your own business, and you get a notification on your phone that some person you hardly have interaction with tagged you in a post on LinkedIn or Facebook, or Twitter and Instagram.
You launch the relevant app and go look for the tag only to discover that you are indeed tagged, but you've tagged along with 200 other people.
Tagging on social media, when used incorrectly, is not only ineffective marketing but also spammy, and this needs to stop.
As a speaker and podcast interview frequent flyer, I have tagged and been tagged by many of my hosts on episodes in which I made appearances. These are the only exception to the rules where tagging will not only enhance your visibility but also strengthen your relationship for mutual collaboration with other business owners.
FINAL WORDS ON HOW TO MARKET YOUR COACHING BUSINESS
An effective marketing strategy for your coaching business depends on the clarity of your message, your targeting audience, and the journey on which they are currently on while seeking your coaching support.
Ultimately, the goal of your marketing efforts lies within the fact that you would like to get more clients and be able to generate income from the new full-time endeavor. To get noticed, you must establish yourself as the expert- and go-to person for your potential soulmate clients.
Creating content, such as blog posts, webinars, and workshops, that focus on brand awareness, authority, and building trust are the three key components behind a marketing strategy. If you need help with creating a marketing strategy on when to post and what to post on your social media, grab a copy of my content planner to get started.
Related Articles:
WHY YOU NEED TO SET YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA GOAL FOR COACHING BUSINESS
5 REASONS WHY CONTENT MARKETING IS IMPORTANT FOR YOUR COACHING BUSINESS
WHAT IS A NICHE AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT IF YOU'RE NEW TO COACHING
