Be sure to read Part One of our series on how to build an online coaching brand.
Because of the intimate nature of the coaching/client relationship, many coaches do not think of themselves as a ‘brand’. This is understandable because what you do is much bigger than a product or commodity. However, being mindful of your messaging and your brand identity is a key aspect of the success of any coach, particularly in the online community.
Here are the final four tips:
Be Clear on What You Promise
Once you understand your core beliefs you can develop your core promises. What can clients achieve by working with you? Are you helping them with leadership skills? Are you helping with confidence? Self-esteem? Know what ‘problem’ or source of ‘pain’ you are helping people overcome. To reach your ideal audience online, you need to incorporate your ‘solution’ into all your messaging so people know exactly what they will achieve by working with you.
Think of the difference between telling people “I’m a great coach” versus telling people “By working with me you can overcome negative self-talk and achieve your dream”. Who would you rather work with? By narrowing your promises, you are also eliminating interest from potential clients who aren’t in your sweet spot. This builds a loyal clientele.
Images, Messaging, and Content
The word ‘content’ is thrown around a lot, but what does it mean to you? Content is anything you put out there online, whether it’s a video, an image, a class, or an article. Sure, you need to have a logo and color scheme that reflect your brand, but your messaging is what attracts the right clients Try to shorten your core messaging to a short sentence or four or five words. These can be slogans, ad copy, and/or bylines, and you can work this messaging into all your core content, courses, and articles.
Focus Your Marketing
You have your core values, your core promises, and your core messaging, and you’re ready to broadcast them to the online world. As exciting as this is, it can also be overwhelming, so focus is important. Which social media platforms work best for your brand? Create a short list of marketing tasks and tactics to start. You don’t have to be on every social media platform, for example. Start small and build from there. You may want to incorporate an email newsletter, but how are you going to get emails for your potential market? Does your website have resources that encourage people to provide their email to access? Are you effectively encouraging your followers to communicate with you?
Effective marketing is fuel for sales. Start by nurturing and building a core online community that is interested in your values and brand. These engaged followers will turn into prospects over time. At the start, however, it’s important to focus your efforts so you don’t get overwhelmed and discouraged.
Ask for Feedback
Even the best-laid plans can be ineffective. Listen to your audience. Ask for feedback. If your brand isn’t growing like you hoped, be inquisitive and flexible to figure out where the sticking points are. If you aren’t reaching your ideal audience, revisit your messaging to reach the right people. Be ready to pivot depending on what works and what doesn’t.
eLearning is Key
When moving from in-person to coaching, it’s essential to think through how you will instruct and interact with your clients. You may have print materials or workbooks that now need to be available in an interactive eLearning course.
While this prospect may seem daunting, it’s easier than you think! Digital Content Creators works with coaches to build engaging, interactive, and effective eLearning courses that directly reflect your unique brand. We can work with your existing materials, or help you create it from scratch.
eLearning courses are much more effective than passive videos on platforms like YouTube. Online courses require user interaction and engagement, provide direct feedback to you as to how your clients are progressing, and help benchmark a client’s progress.
Let us help you make the switch to impactful online coaching. Contact us to set up a free consultation to get started!